Hello everyone!
I apologize for not updating in a few weeks! It has been busy both at home and at
school. However, I am excited to share
some of the things we are doing in class!
I am most excited about the new unit we have begun in
reading. We have started a genre study
on Fantasy! This is such a loved genre
by this age group, and the books students are reading tend to lend themselves
to fun and exciting discussions. For
example, just today, the group reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
were discussing how the problems in the story, even though fantastical, could
apply to real life, such as: there are
plenty of people in the world who are “evil” and have “power.” How insightful!
In math, we are currently still working with fractions. We have been learning how to multiply
fractions as well as interpret fractions as division. For example 2 ÷ 5= 2/5. Shortly, we will begin to learn how to use
models in order to represent division of whole numbers by unit fractions as
well as division of unit fractions by whole numbers. I recommend continuing to explore Khan
Academy for videos and practices around these skills.
In writing, we are continuing to learn about what good
informational writers do while we explore our chosen topics within the theme of
Westward Expansion. Many of the lessons
so far have been about good researching skills within the domain of
history. For example, using a map to
make inferences about how geography impacted events.
In science this week, we are working on a design challenge!
Students are imagining they are a pioneer on the Oregon Trail and are trying to
find a way to filter water! Students
were given a set of materials and began building today! We will test our filters and then plan
redesign solutions based on what we learned from the first test. See the pictures below for some of the
designs!
Remember, parent teachers conferences are on the 7th,
14th and 28th. You
should have received a note with your conference time. If not, please email me.
Have a great week!
