WEEK of November 5th- 9th

Tues. Nov. 13..............Kids' Art Fair in Gym 6-8

Students made iMovies on the iPads to document their Pumpkin Day activities. Since we used the iPads it is a little more complicated to get them onto the blog, so I will let you know when that happens!
 

November Book Projects: Students have chosen a book to read in November. We discussed choosing appropriate books for their level. They have 4 options for projects this time. The presentation is due December 3rd. Students need to learn to organize their time for this. You should see your child reading this book a few times each week right now, not waiting until a week prior. They will need time to complete their chosen project.

HOMEWORK:  Students have a math review page due Monday and should read a minimum of 30 min for their November Book project.

 Math:   

  We are working with pre-algebra concepts that include exponents, multiplying whole numbers by powers of 10, and multiplying & dividing decimals by powers of 10. The test will be Wednesday with a study guide home on Monday. In RTI we are working on division, multiplication & some fraction concepts. Once there is knowledge of the concept, they need to continue to work on accuracy and fluency.

Reading: We are reading "A Long Way from Chicago" a novel set in the 1930's. We looked at a Power Point yesterday for some background knowledge about this time period - Great Depression, Dustbowl, gangters... that were around then. We started chapter 1 together and now students will be working in small groups on their own and meeting with me to work on reading strategies and comprehension. Some topics we are focusing on are author's purpose, genre, word study/vocab. inferencing,event mapping, & comprehension strategies such as rereading, asking questions, being aware when we are confused, retelling and summarizing.

Writing: 

A few of the River Tour pieces are graded later than normal as I was waiting on students to make one last pass at revising and editing their document.

We changed our mind about the Halloween project and are working in pairs on a "Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups" project based on a book of that title. This is short and creative.

Spelling:  Spelling test will be returned on Monday. Forgot to send the spelling list home every day this week! I sent home the lesson 8 and 9 list today. We will take the lesson 8 test on Monday. I have next lesson's list ready! The skill is est/er.
 

Science:We are finishing the last couple lessons and will do review and a study guide. The test will likely be Monday, November 19th.