Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Behind the Scenes - Week of October 10

Weekly Spotlight:
*No school on Monday - Columbus Day.
*No school on Tuesday - Institute Day.
*Verb test on Thursday.

*A Family Apart quiz on Thursday.
*Mario Kart Assembly on Thursday.
*Math Quiz on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*Movie Night on Friday, October 14, 6:30-8:45.
*Book Fair on Thursday, October 20, 6:30-8:00.
*Halloween Parade and Party on Friday, October 28.
*Bingo Night on Friday, October 28, 7:00-8:30 - Mrs. Sulima will be there!!!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will begin our study of plant life cycles. The children will also test their airplanes on Wednesday. Directions for the paper airplanes are in your child's science pocket.

Social Studies - Our trip through the Northeast will continue this week. We will explore the Chesapeake Bay. This is our last lesson in the Northeast Region, chapter 4. We will fill out a "how to study" sheet on Friday. Our chapter 4 test will be on Tuesday, October 18. Your child should review the following concepts for the test:
*Key words: glacier, gorge, hydropower, hydroelectricity, lighthouse, peninsula, vineyard, bog, sap, mineral, quarry, bay, inlet, watermen, & crab pot.
*Identify the two Great Lakes between which Niagara Falls is located.
*Identify the two main features for which Niagara Falls is known.
*Identify the three mountain ranges in the northeastern part of the Appalachian Mountains.
*Identify the two states in the Northeast that do not border the Atlantic Ocean.
*Identify key steps in the production of maple syrup.
*Explain why grapes grow well in certain areas of the Northeast.
*Identify the largest of the Finger Lakes.
*Explain why water is essential to the production and growth of cranberries.
*Define the name of the people who fish Chesapeake Bay.
*Explain how pollution from a factory gets into Chesapeake Bay.
*Explain why Chesapeake Bay is important to the Northeast.
*Describe actions a resident of the Chesapeake Bay area could take to help preserve the bay.


Spelling - We will not have a spelling lesson this week.

English - Our Verb Test will be on Thursday. Enrichment projects are due the day of the test. The children will take our next English pretest on Friday. Pretests and contracts will be returned to your child the following week.

Reading - We will continue focusing on the reading strategy of text organization. Many non-fiction authors organize their selections in time order. They also use features such as headings, pictures, captions, and charts to help the reader better understand the information. These skills will be practiced through the use of our Science and Social Studies textbooks.
Our class will also finish A Family Apart by reviewing character traits and taking a final comprehension, vocabulary, and character traits quiz on Thursday The children will be allowed to use the novel during the quiz. No other notes or handouts will be allowed.

Mrs. Sulima's Math:
Monday - No school.
Tuesday - No school.
Wednesday - Properties of Multiplication.
Thursday - Mental Math & Patterns in Multiplication.
Friday - Check your Progress quiz over lessons 1-4. Estimating Products.