Behind the Scenes - Week of January 2nd

Weekly Spotlight:
*No school on Monday.
*Return back to school on Tuesday.
*Math test on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.

Coming Attractions:
*MAP Reading Test on Tuesday, Jan. 10
*MAP Math Test on Friday, Jan. 13.
*No school on Monday, Jan. 16 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
*Early Dismissal on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
*Bingo Night on Friday, Jan. 27, 7:00-8:30.

Thank you!!!
I would like to thank all the families that donated to the wonderful Spa gift certificate. I am looking forward to using it!!! Also, thank you to all the families that sent in items for our winter celebration. We all had a wonderful time!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will begin chapter 4 on the Human Body. This week, the children will learn about the digestive system and respiratory system. Students should review their notes each evening. We will finish this lesson next week. A quiz covering chapter 4, lesson 1 will be on Thursday, December 16.
Links for Human Body Survivor:
http://www.owen.k12.ky.us/trt/resources.htm
http://www.teacherplanet.com/resource/body.php
http://www2.asd.wednet.edu/pioneer/barnard/sites/Science/bodsys/bodysys.htm

Social Studies - We will begin our study of the Midwest Region. Our first lesson focuses on how the Great Lakes were formed and their importance to the Midwest.

English - We will take this week off from normal English lessons. Instead, we will be working on extended response writing. Our writing follows this recipe:
*Turn the question around
*Text proof
*Interpretation (in my own words)
*Text proof
*Interpretation (in my own words)
*What I learned or general statement about the reading passage

Spelling - Our spelling procedure has changed. We will not be taking pretests. Our spelling lists will now include vocabulary. Our class is piloting a wonderful vocabulary program. Ten of the words will be from the regular 4th grade list. Eight of the words will be vocabulary words. Our spelling homework for this week will be:
Tuesday: Practice Sheet (due Friday)
Wednesday: Practice spelling all words (in cursive) and review meanings of vocabulary words.
Thursday: Practice spelling all words (in cursive) and review meanings of vocabulary words.
Friday: Test Day. The first ten words will be like a normal spelling test. The children will also need to know the spelling and definition of each vocabulary word.

Reading - This week we will be working on predicting outcomes. Readers can often guess ahead of time, or predict, what will happen in a story, based on information the author has given. Additionally, readers can change or adjust their predictions as they read.

Mrs. Sulima's Math:
Monday - No school
Tuesday - Fill out "how to study" sheet. Extended Response. HW: Study for Ch. 7 Test.
Wednesday - Review for Chapter 7 Test & Extended Response. HW: Study for Ch. 7 Test.

Thursday - Chapter 7 Test.
Friday - Begin unit on Geometry.



MAP Practice Games:http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm

http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/

http://www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?schoolname=school357&statusFlag=goGenie&geniesite=133&myButton=g5plugin&db=g133_b545

Behind the Scenes - Week of December 12

Weekly Spotlight:
*Creature & Planning Sheets due on Monday.
*Matilda test on Tuesday - 4 types of questions, character study, categorize & classify, making generalizations, and plot.
*Creature Feature on Wednesday, 1:30-2:00.
*Unit 5 - Capitalization & Punctuation Test on Friday.
*Winter Holiday Celebration on Friday.
*Winter break, Monday, Dec. 19-Monday, Jan. 2.

Coming Attractions:
*Return back to school on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
*No school on Monday, Jan. 16 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
*Early Dismissal on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
*Bingo Night on Friday, Jan. 27.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - Our Prairieview Creatures will arrive to school on Monday. We will be writing descriptions of our creatures on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, we invite you to come and view our Creature Feature from 1:30-2:00. The children will be doing informal presentations. We will begin our study of the Human Body when we return in January.

Social Studies - Table groups have been studying an aspect of the Cherokee life. They will present to the class this week. When we return from break, our study of the Midwest will begin.

Spelling - We are going to take the week off from spelling. This will give us time to write our creature descriptions. Spelling will continue after break.

English - We will finish Unit 5 this week. Our focus for the beginning of the week will be quotations. Proper use of quotations can be tricky. Please review this with your child. We will fill out our "how to study" sheet on Wednesday. Our Unit 5 test will be on Friday. Enrichment projects will be due the day of the test.

Reading - In reading this week the students will evaluate the text. They will think about the author's writing and decide if he/she did a good job of helping them to understand the story. They will also review the strategies used throughout the theme. On Monday, each child will receive a readers' theater script - A Christmas Carol. They will need to practice their part(s) all week. We will present our readers' theater on Friday before our winter holiday celebration. On Friday, we will be watching a few versions of A Christmas Carol. The children will compare and contrast the different versions.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Tuesday - Working with Coordinates
Wednesday - Chance/Probability
Thursday - Chance/Probability
Friday - Chance/Probability
We will review and finish this unit when we return in January. Our next unit will be geometry.

MAP Practice Games:http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/
http://www.belleplaine.k12.mn.us/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?schoolname=school357&statusFlag=goGenie&geniesite=133&myButton=g5plugin&db=g133_b545

Behind the Scenes - Week of December 5

Wow! It is already December!

Weekly Spotlight:
*Spelling pretest on Monday.
*All-School Concert on Thursday, 9:00 am.
*Matilda Vocabulary quiz on Thursday.
*Chapter 3 Science Test on Thursday.
*Spelling test on Friday.
*Bowling field trip on Friday in the afternoon.
*Movie Night on Friday, 6:30-8:45.

Coming Attractions:
*Matilda Test on Tuesday, Dec. 13 - Review 4 Types of Questions, character study, categorize and classify, and making generalizations.
*Creature Feature on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 1:30-2:00.
*Unit 5 English test on Friday, Dec. 16.
*Winter Break from Monday, December 19 - Monday, January 2.

Bowling Field Trip:
Our bowling field trip to Brunswick Zone is scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, December 9. Students may bring money to purchase snacks at the bowling alley. Brunswick Zone is offering a concession special: 2 slices of cheese pizza & a 16 oz. drink for $3.23 (including tax). Please keep in mind that we will be going bowling after lunch. For more information, please see Mrs. Cushing's BLOG.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - On Monday, the children will be introduced to the Prairieview Creature Feature project. They will need to plan and create a creature that can survive in Prairieview School. The creatures and planning sheets will be due back to school on Monday, December 12. On Monday, Dec. 12 and Tuesday, Dec. 13, the children will work on a written description of their creature in class. On Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 1:30-2:00, we invite you to come visit our classroom to meet the Prairieview Creatures. This week the children will also fill out a "how to study" sheet for the chapter 3 test. Our test will be on Thursday. Review the following concepts to prepare for the test:
*Key vocabulary - basic needs, adaptation, natural selection, instinct, hibernation, migration, learned behavior, fossil, & extinction.
*What basic needs are shared by all living things?
*How do adaptations allow living things to meet their needs? Give examples.
*How do instinctive behaviors help animals meet their needs? Give examples.
*How do learned behaviors help animals meet their needs? Give examples.
*How do living things of long ago compare with those of today? Give examples.
*What can we learn from footprints, bones, impressions, and petrified wood? How are these formed?
*What is a living fossil? Give examples.
*Describe the causes of extinction.

Social Studies - The children will be learning about the Cherokee Tribe.

English - We will continue our study of Capitalization and Punctuation. We will finish this unit during the week of December 12. Our test on this chapter will be on Friday, December 16.

Spelling - Our spelling pretest will be on Monday. The children will take the spelling test on Friday. Spelling tests are now required to e written in cursive. Please have your child practice their letter formations at home.

Reading - Our reading strategies for this week are questioning and categorizing & classifying. Recognizing the question a story may raise is a good way to make sure you understand it. Also, as people read they wonder about the things they are reading and they form questions in their mind. Good readers usually do this without thinking. The students will practice the questioning strategy this week. Classifying involves grouping like items, and categorizing involves naming the group. Grouping the items makes it easier to remember them. Students will also classify and categorize information in the stories they read this week.
Our Matilda vocabulary quiz on Thursday will cover: formidable, resented, seized, vigorous, malicious, & vital. Students should know a definition & synonym for each. They should also be able to use the word correctly in a sentence.

Mrs. Sulima's Math Class:
Monday - Bar Graphs & Double Bar Graphs.
Tuesday - Line Graphs.
Wednesday - Circle Graphs/Pie Charts.
Thursday - Review all concepts covered to this point.
Friday - Open book/notes Checkpoint Review quiz on line plots, frequency tables, median, mode, mean, range, pictographs, bar graphs, line graphs, & circle graphs.