Welcome to the week of December 7th!
Parent/teacher conferences will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Each of these days is an early dismissal.
BOOK FAIR for our class is Monday, December 7th!
LANGUAGE ARTS
Reading: Making connections will be the comprehension skill that we will
highlight again this week. How can we relate to the character's
situations and feelings to better understand the story? Close
attention to detail provides us with insights that deepen our
connections to the characters and plot. Our connections will
be of three kinds: text to self, text to text, and text to world.
Writing: We have been putting to good use the many skills and techniques we
have been learning for expository writing. Each night the
students have been writing one portion of their next essay. They
have added "Golden Bricks", vivid verbs, and plenty of
elaboration. This week we will add our 3rd main idea paragraph
and conclusion. We have some great writers and I am sure we will
have wonderful pieces.!
SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES
In science, we will begin our animal project report. Students will
select an animal and research it. We will be looking for the
physical traits of the creature, its habitat, and its eating
and socialization habits. Students will then write a 5 paragraph
essay based on their research. Additionally, students will create
a powerpoint presentation, a poster, or a diarama to illustrate
their essay. All of this work will be done in school, however
students may choose to do additional research at home.
Our next early American civilization under study will be the
Aztecs. This will be the second leg of our three part investigation
into early American peoples. We will look into the structure of
their society, their religious beliefs and their tragic downfall.
We will then add this information to our ongoing travel brochure
project highlighting the Maya, Aztecs and Incas.
CHECK OUT THIS GREAT WEBSITE FOR SCIENCE GAMES:
WWW.ENGINEERINGINTERACT.ORG/RESOURCES/ALIENATTACK
Looking for some kid-friendly websites? Check these out:
www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/index.html
www.yahooligans.com
www.sheppardsoftware.com
www.pbskids.org
www.funbrain.com
www.worldalmanacforkids.com
www.timeforkids.com
www.chesskids.com