November 12- 16

Happy fall!  I hope that all of you had a great weekend, even though we experienced our first taste of fall weather this Sunday!  On that note, please be sure and make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for recess.  We will go outside unless it is raining or snowing!  BRRRRRRRRRRR!

This week in Math, we have a test scheduled over multiplication using two digit by one digit numbers, and estimation.  Students can work through the review on page 215 to study for the test.  Again, practicing and knowing our multiplication facts are essential the further we get into our school year.  We will begin grading and recording the 100 fact tests, as well.  After the test, we will continue multiplying bigger numbers, and work with problem solving using patterns.

In Science, we will continue our unit in conservation looking into organisms, populations, communities, living and non-living things, and ecosystems.  Most of these activities we go outside and observe the ecosystem around us. 

In Reading this week, we will continue using our Fab 5 with their independent reading book.  Again, this is just a 5 sentence summary.  The only catch is that the summary can only, and must be 5 sentences.  We will complete Fab 5 every time we begin reading to refresh our memories over what they have read.  We will evaluate our Reader's Notebook entries today and have the students notice any trends in their responses, as well more guided questions. We will be reading The Cranky Bear   as a class, and evaluating comprehension and character analysis. 

In Language Arts, students will begin and finish a short research project through next Tuesday.  Students will focus on how to take double column notes, looking at main idea and details.  Each student will be researching facts about a certain color, that will be chosen by taking a personality test.  The students will then develop an opinion piece about their color using at least three facts as to why students should choose their color.  We will present our papers and vote on the most persuasive color on Monday, November 19, and wear the chosen color on Tuesday, November 20.  Short research projects and argumentative or persuasive writing are a big push in the new teaching standards.  Be looking for more of those.  

In Spelling, we will begin using cross-curricular lists.  This will hopefully promote a better understanding of the words and concepts in the other areas of the curriculum.  This weeks words focus on math.