Sulima's Scoop - Week of April 4

Weekly Reminders:

*Spelling pretest on Monday (Review week).

*No school on Tuesday - Teacher Institute.

* "Check your Progress" math quiz on Thursday.

*Chapter 17, lesson 1 science quiz on Friday.

*Spelling test on Friday (I will choose 20 of the 30 words).

Plan Ahead:

*Straight A's Recognized on Tuesday, April 12 School Board Meeting.

*OLSAT Testing on Tuesday, April 12.

*Inventions due on Tuesday, April 12.

*Spring Open House on Thursday, April 14, 6:30-8:00.

*Progress reports issued on Friday, April 15.

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - We will begin chapter 17. This chapter will explore the 6 simple machines. Our inventions are due on Tuesday, April 12. Please come to the spring open house on Thursday, April 14 to see all the wonderful inventions.

Social Studies - The children will finish their Midwest brochures. Also, the children will have their next map test on Tuesday, April 19. This test will cover the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest. Capitals will be worth bonus points.

English - The children will be working on an expository essay - My personal hero. These will be displayed at the spring open house.

Spelling - This week is a review week. The pretest on Monday will be over 30 words. If your child receives a perfect score, they will be done with spelling for the week. If they miss one or more, they will need to do the spelling workbook pages for the week and take a test on 20 (of the 30) words on Friday.

Reading - This week in reading the students will read two more selections with unexpected heroes. We will discuss their character traits and compare them to people we know who may possess these same traits. We will also review cause/ effect and fact/opinion this week.

Mrs. Sulima's Reading Class:

Our final Word Masters list will come home this week. Here is a link your child may want to use to practice these words:

http://quizlet.com/4766271/wordmasters-4th-blue-2010-2011-3rd-list-flash-cards/

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday: Adding Fractions with unlike denominators & Adding Three Fractions. HW: WB pg. 51 & 52.

Tuesday: No school.

Wednesday: Adding Mixed Numbers & Rename Mixed Number Sums. HW: WB pg. 53 & 54.

Thursday: "Check Your Progress" quiz. HW: None.

Friday: Subtracting Fractions with Like Denominators. HW: None.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of March 21

Weekly Reminders:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*Invention Convention Contract due on Thursday.
*"Check your Progress" math quiz on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Plan Ahead:
*Spring Break-week of February 28.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - On Monday, I will introduce the "Invention Convention" project to the class. The children will have until Thursday to plan out and draw a diagram of their invention. On Thursday, I will meet with each child to discuss and approve their inventions. After my approval, your child can begin constructing their invention. These projects will be due on Tuesday, April 12.

Social Studies - We will continue working on our Midwest Persuasive Travel Brochures.

English - Expository writing will be our focus this week and the two weeks after spring break. We will work on four paragraph essays. These essays will include an introduction, 2 detailed body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Spelling - Our spelling pretest will be on Monday. Please have your child practice their words at home in cursive. Our test on Friday will be in cursive.
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Reading - Next week in reading, students will be focusing on the skills of identifying fact and opinion, and evaluating. A fact is a statement that can be proven to be true. An opinion tells what a person thinks, believes or feels. Good readers should be able to identify when an author is using a fact or an opinion in a story. Evaluating text involves considering how well the author expresses and supports ideas. Students will be practicing these skills while reading the third story in our “Heroes” theme, Lou Gehrig, The Luckiest Man.
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Accelerated Math Menu:
Monday - Multiples - LCM & LCD. HW: WB pg. 46.
Tuesday - Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions. HW: WB pg. 47.
Wednesday - Compare and Order Fractions. HW: WB pg. 48 & "check your progress" quiz tomorrow.
Thursday - "Check your Progress" quiz. HW: None.
Friday - Adding Fractions with Like Denominators. HW: Enjoy your Spring Break.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of March 14

Weekly Reminders:
*Spring Ahead on Sunday.
*Spelling Pretest on Monday.
*Roller Skating Party on Monday, 3:45-6:30.
*Chapter 15 Science Test on Tuesday.
*MAPs parent meeting on Tuesday, 6:30-7:30.
*PTO Fundraiser at Nonnies on Wednesday. Click here for more information: http://www.ccsd66.org/PTO/FundRaisers/nonnies.pdf
*Math "Check your Progress" quiz (chapter 4, lessons 1-4) on Thursday.
*Spelling Test on Friday.

Plan Ahead:
*Support our school district by attending the Spring Fling at Cabana Charley's on Saturday, March 19. Hope to see many of you there! Go to the district homepage to find out more about this exciting event, bid on online auctions, and find out more about the wonderful raffle prizes!
*Spring Break: Monday, March 28 - Friday, April 1.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - The children will take the chapter 15 test on Tuesday. We will begin our unit on Simple Machines during the week of March 21.
Items to review for test:
*What is electricity?
*Constructing a simple circuit
*Explain static and current electricity
*Recognize how electricity moves in circuits (series and parallel)
*Key words from lesson 1 ~ static electricity, current electricity, series circuit, parallel circuit, conductor, and insulator.
*Compare the effects of a magnet and an electric current on a compass.
*Compare the properties of magnets with those of electromagnets.
*Recognize the usefulness of magnets, electromagnets, generators, and motors.
Key words from lesson 2 ~ magnet, magnetic pole, magnetic field, electromagnet, generator, and electric motor.
*Recognize that energy can change forms (potential to kinetic).
*Producing electricity from other forms of energy (wind, falling water, sun, heat from inside Earth, buring fuels).
Key words from lesson 3 ~ potential energy, kinetic energy, hydroelectric power, geothermal power, solar energy.
*Identify energy uses and their sources.
*Describe the uses of chemical and mechanical energy and how chemical energy can be changed to other forms of energy.
*Identify the need for energy conservation.
*Key words from lesson 4 ~ chemical energy & mechanical energy.

Social Studies - Each child will be researching a state in the Midwest this week. We are using trade books, Encyclopedias, and other resources for research. I have asked the children not to use the Internet for researching. We will use the Internet when we are looking for pictures and graphics to put on our brochure.

English - We will be exploring expository writing this week. Our focus will be on writing an introduction, 2 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Spelling - Our spelling pretest will be on Monday. If your child misses 1 or none, they will be challenge spellers. They will receive their challenge list on Monday. On Friday, we will take our regular spelling test or challenge spelling test. Whichever test your child is taking must be done in cursive. Please practice at home.

Reading - Next week, students will read about Gloria Estefan, a famous singer whose acts of kindness have made her a hero to many people. Our strategy will be making judgments. Making judgments involves deciding whether or not a character's actions are appropriate for a situation. Readers can ask themselves, “Do I agree with this? Is this right or fair?

Accelerated Math Menu:
Monday - Factors, Primes, and Composites. HW: WB pg. 41.
Tuesday - Greatest Common Factor. HW: WB pg. 42.
Wednesday - Fraction Sense. HW: WB pg. 43.
Thursday - Check your Progress Quiz on lessons 1-4. Fractions in lowest term. HW: WB pg. 44.
Friday -Fractions in greater terms. HW: WB pg. 45

Sulima's Scoop - Week of March 7

Weekly Reminders:

*No school on Monday - Pulaski Day.

*Third Trimester - ALL Tests and Quizzes need to be done in cursive.

*Chapter 15, lesson 3 Science quiz on Tuesday.

*Spelling pretest on Tuesday.

*ISAT Science Part 1 & 2 on Wednesday.

*Chapter 8 Social Studies test on Thursday.

*Spelling test on Friday.

Plan Ahead:

*Chapter 15 Science test on Tuesday, March 15.

*MAPs Parent Meeting on Tuesday, March 15, 6:30-7:30.

*PTO District Fundraiser at Nonnies on Wednesday, March 16. Click here for more information: http://www.ccsd66.org/PTO/FundRaisers/nonnies.pdf

*Spring Break - Monday, March 28-Friday, April 1.

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - The students will take an open-book/notes quiz on chapter 15, lesson 3 on Tuesday. During the rest of the week, we will finish chapter 15 by studying how people use energy resources. We will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Thursday. The chapter 15 test will be on Tuesday, March 15.

Social Studies - Our test on chapter 8 will be on Thursday, March 10. To prepare for the test, review the following items:

-Explain how the Great Lakes were formed.

-Describe how the Great Lakes are connected to the Atlantic Ocean.

-Define the words waterway, canal, lock, and barge.

-Explain why the flow of the Chicago River was changed.

-Explain the advantages of shipping by water.

-Describe the landscape and climate of the Badlands 67 million years ago.

-Define erosion and describe the way it changes land.

-Define prairie and describe the types of life that live there.

-Explain why the climate of the Badlands changed.

-Explain why the Midwest is an important agricultural region.

-Explain why some farmers irrigate their crops.

-Identify the rainfall in the Midwest and explain how it affects the growth of crops.

-List ten crops grown in the Midwest.

-Identify some crops grown in the Central Plains and the Great Plains.

English - We will begin a writing project during the week of March 14.

Spelling - Students will take the pretest on Tuesday. The words this week have prefixes or suffixes. The test or challenge test will be on Friday. Tests will need to be written in cursive.

Reading - Next week we will be using the predict/infer strategy, as well as cause and effect. Thinking about story events and personal knowledge helps readers predict likely events. With cause and effect, students will focus on why story events happen and what happens as a result.

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday - No school, Pulaski Day.

Tuesday - Computing with Customary Units. HW: WB pg. 131 (due Thursday).

Wednesday - No math due to ISAT Testing.

Thursday - Finding the area of parallelograms and triangles (we will review finding area of square and rectangles). HW: WB pg. 139.

Friday - Mini-quiz on Tuesday and Thursday lessons (open-book/notes). Pretest on next unit.