Middle School Website: This is the link for the middle school website.   
http://www.hamiltonschools.us/schools/hamilton-middle/    HOMEWORK:                                                                                                                                      MATH:  Complete Lesson 3-5 
READING:  Complete Ch. 8 Focus Question
 
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER PROJECT: 
DUE DECEMBER 8
 Students have chosen books and I checked to be sure these were at an appropriate reading level for them. I have gone over the next assignment and given it to students. They have 4 options to choose from for this report.
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  MATH:    This week we reviewed multiplying whole numbers times fractions by performing the algorithm, looking at real life scenarios and drawing what it looks like conceptually, remembering that this is the same as repeated addtion.
 We began multiplying a fraction times a fraction this week doing the same as above. We have looked at visual representations of why a fraction times a fraction gives us a smaller fraction.
Next week we will begin multiplying mixed numbers.

LANGUAGE ARTS 
Writing:  We are completing the persuasive pamphlet from a turkey's point of view convincing others not to eat turkey for Thanksgiving.

READING: We completed the novel and will have more discussion and review for the assessment that will be a few days after Thanksgiving. We have another picture book that goes along with this genre unit that we will be reading on Monday.

 SCIENCE   We continued to investigate simple machines and investigated how inclines planes can spread the work over a distance and direction to make it easier to do. We also discussed the Newton as a unit for measuring force and grams as units for measuring mass. We will finish this unit on Monday and review for the test that will be the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.
 
Studies:- Mrs. Custer

Social Studies - Due to a fog delay and the short Thanksgiving week, I did end up pushing back out test until after the holiday.  We will review and plan on not taking the test until after Thanksgiving, when I feel everyone is ready for it.

This week we held an Iroquois League Simulation and did an activity on the Columbian Exchange.

Word Study
  The lesson 10 test will be Monday- they should study the lesson pages to review the purpose of a prefix and that it does not change the spelling of a root word.

November 7th - 11th

Middle School Website: This is the link for the middle school website.   
http://www.hamiltonschools.us/schools/hamilton-middle/    HOMEWORK:                                                                                                                                      MATH:  5 review problems #'s 2-6

Social Studies:  Test next week.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER PROJECT: 
DUE DECEMBER 8 
 Students have chosen books and I checked to be sure these were at an appropriate reading level for them. I have gone over the next assignment and given it to students. They have 4 options to choose from for this report.
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  MATH:    The students did so well on the Place Value test. We have begun our unit on Multiplying and Dividing Fractions. Students are learning that fractions are division and can be written in three ways. We are also looking at how to perform the algorithm of multiplying a whole number times a fraction and have been using the iPads to draw visuals of what it looks like. We will add in multiplying a fraction times a fraction next.

LANGUAGE ARTS 
Writing: Students completed their "challenge" paper. It was a good growth mindset lesson as they wrote about something they found challenging and then how they overcame fear and difficulty to meet the challenge. Next we will write a persuasive pamphlet from a turkey's point of view convincing others not to eat turkey for Thanksgiving.

READING: This coming week we will read chapters 6-8. We have another picture book that goes along with this genre unit as well. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving break will be the assessment over this unit. We will work as a class, smaller guided reading groups, and independently. Through this book we will practice reading comprehension strategies, simile, metaphor, personification, vocabulary in context strategies, and grammar. 
 SCIENCE   Simple machines is our topic of discussion now. We have done an investigation about levers and watched a couple Rube Goldberg contraptions that contain many types of simple machines that we try to identify.
 
Studies:- Mrs. Custer

In social studies this week, we learned more about some of the things that motivated European explorers, including the desire for silk, spices, land and other natural resources.  We held an overland trade simulation to understand more clearly why sailing around the world to the west seemed like a better means of trading with Asia.  We also read some entries from Columbus' diary and a primary source document from King Henry VII of England to John Cabot, giving Cabot freedom to explore the world on behalf of England.  Next week we will review our lessons on the New World, including the history of the Native Americans and explorers, to prepare for our next test.

Word Study
We took the Lesson 9 test Friday. These will come home on Monday. Next week's skill lesson is prefixes and their purpose/meaning. 

November 1st -4th

2 Hour Delay Wednesday November 9th 

Middle School Website: This is the link for the middle school website.   
http://www.hamiltonschools.us/schools/hamilton-middle/   

HOMEWORK:                                                                                                                                       MATH:  Lesson 9 four problems.

Book Report Project:  Most students have presented and we will complete presentations on Monday. 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER PROJECT: DUE DECEMBER 8
Students have chosen books and I checked to be sure these were at an appropriate reading level for them. I have gone over the next assignment and given it to students. They have 4 options to choose from for this report.  
      Students volunteered their ideas for managing their time on the assignment. Having a plan of how many pages must be read each day, starting right away, working on parts of the assignment that could be done ahead of time were a few.
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  MATH:    We are at the end of our Place Value unit. The test will be Tuesday. We have been reviewing all of last week. Our next unit is multiplying and dividing fractions. This unit will take up until Christmas break.
LANGUAGE ARTS 
Writing: We began another narrative, but this one is a personal narrative focusing on a challenge or goal and how we were able to overcome the challenge/meet the goal.

READING: We began our genre unit novel "Guests". This week we got through chapter 1 and 2. We will begin chapter 3 Monday.
We will work as a class, smaller guided reading groups, and independently. Through this book we will practice reading comprehension strategies, simile, metaphor, personification, vocabulary in context strategies, and grammar. 
 SCIENCE   We have been investigating and discussing balanced and unbalanced forces. Investigations have included tug-of-war, arm wrestling, and a balloon/string set-up. So it's been pretty fun, too!
Tower Garden- Students are taking daily photos of their plants and will later use the "Quik" app to create a time lapse video. We will continue record measurements on a weekly interactive graph and create a record of observations.
Next week students will watch video clips about how plants in soil and plants in the Tower Garden access their basic needs- water, light, nutrition, and air- and then compare the systems.
 Studies:- Mrs. Custer

This week we reviewed Native Americans based on 7 regions in North America and then began a study of European exploration to the New World.  We read some of Christopher Columbus' own words regarding his first expedition and broke into groups to read more about how and why Europeans wanted to travel to this New World.  There is no homework this weekend.

Word Study
We took the Lesson 8 test Friday. These will come home on Monday. Next week's lesson is -er  as used to mean "one who" or "more".