Language Arts
This week we read a great story in our new Communication unit. The students had a great time using their spelling words in a quick, white-board sentence activity. They were able to do peer editing and improve on they own sentences.
We worked on a special project for Pride Night in which the students reviewed the following concepts:
- acrostics, listing character traits
- scenery description using the five senses
- chronological time line of story events
- conflict / problem identification
- investigation of the author using technology
- Venn diagram to compare and contrast their story with their own life
- symbolism
- theme
- quotes
- critique of their story.
Science
Last week students worked on building series and parallel circuits. We concluded the week with these big ideas: A circuit with only one pathway for current flow is a series circuit. The components in a series circuit also “share” the electric energy. A parallel circuit, on the other hand, splits into two or more pathways before coming back together at the battery. The components in a parallel circuit each have a direct pathway to the energy source.
This week we moved into Investigation 4, Electromagnetism. Students discovered that, when the current flows through an insulated wire wound around a steel core, the steel core becomes a magnet. They found out where they needed to wind the wire on the core to produce the strongest magnet. We had a fun little contest: Which group could pick up the most amount of washers using the electromagnets they built!
Dear parents, last week I sent home a rubric that explains the requirements for the science end of the year biography project. Together we created a calendar that will allow students significant time to get their project done both, at home and at school. The biography project runs along the same lines as the biography project done in literacy with maestra Sarah (with just a few minor adjustments). We set the dates June 8th and 9th to turn in their written biography and do presentations. Do not hesitate to contact me, should you have any questions.
Math
This week we tested out of Chapter 11: Square and Rectangles. Students showed understanding and mastery of the chapter so we will not spend class time on it. The workbook pages were sent home as reinforcement of this chapter but do not need to be turned in (they will still count for extra tickets if finished!). So instead moved on to Chapter 12: Area and Perimeter. Our objectives were:
- show mastery of identifying square and rectangles based on their properties and find unknown angle measures and side lengths of figures to test out of Ch.11
- find the area of a rectangle by counting grid squares
- estimate the area of rectangles using a formula
History & Geography
This week continued with our study of the American Revolution. Our objectives were:
- understand the implications of the war’s outcome for Britain and the American colonies
- understand the colonial policies Britain made as a result of the French and Indian War, including the Proclamation of 1763
- understand the effects of these policies on the American colonies
- understand the Stamp Act
- explain how the colonists organized themselves to protest the Stamp Act