Weekly Reminders:*Wear green on Monday - St. Patrick's Day!
*Lesson 24 spelling pretest on Monday.
*Project Challenge on Tuesday.
*Simple Machines test on Wednesday.
*Thursday we will follow a Friday schedule. No music. We will have library check-out instead.
*Lesson 24 spelling test on Thursday.
*End of ISAT Celebration & Midwest Reading Party on Thursday.
*Spring Break - March 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. See you all on March 31.
Classroom Happenings:
English: We are going to work on a persuasive essay this week. To go along with the Presidential Election, we are going to do our own classroom election. Our election is going to be a "Candy Bar" election. The children will be choosing a favorite candy bar, researching its nutritional information, comparing it to other candy bars, and writing a persuasive essay on why their candy bar should win the election. I know that nutrition has been stressed this school year, but this is a project that I have done for the past few year and have always had huge success with it. The children are motivated by the topic and actually excited to write a persuasive essay. Many candy bar companies are coming out with healthier choices: lower fat, less calories, dark chocolate, granola based candy bars, etc. If you would like your child to steer in this direction please discuss this with them. The children will be making their candy bar choices on Monday.
Reading: The children will continue working on their poetry books this week. They will be given at least 30 minutes each day in class. The poetry books are due on Monday, March 31. When the poetry book is turned in it must include the self-reflection and at least 4 critiques from other people. I have told the children that only one critique can be written by a student in our class. The others can be done by parents, brother & sisters, grandparents, aunts & uncles, neighbors, or friends.
Science: We will finish our unit on simple machines on Monday by discussing movable and fixed pulleys. On Tuesday, we will review for the test. Our test will be on Wednesday. Your child should have been looking over science information all last week for homework (during ISAT week). This was basically the only homework I gave them during that week. When we return from spring break, we will begin our unit on Rocks and Minerals.
Items that you should review for the test:
*All key words
*identify and give examples of each simple machine
* parts of a lever
*pgs. 27-29 in simple machines packet
*where the fulcrum should be placed to use less force
*how a rough surface effects the force needed on an inclined plane and a flat surface
*how a smooth surface effects the force needed on an inclined plane and a flat surface
*coasting contest on pg. 23
*how a rough surface effects the force needed on an inclined plane and a flat surface
*how a smooth surface effects the force needed on an inclined plane and a flat surface
*coasting contest on pg. 23
*fixed and movable pulleys
Social Studies: The children will work on their Illinois Wax Museum project. Our focus for the week will be to work on our "Just Look" books. We will continue this project when we return from break.
Math: We will continue our measurement unit this week. Our focus will be on measuring weight/mass, measuring capacity, and measuring temperature. We will learn about customary and metric units of measurement with each of these. On Thursday, we will have an open book/notes quiz to complete this chapter. When we return from break, we will begin a unit on fractions.
Website of the Week:
Staying home for Spring Break? Here are some fun ideas...
