Reading We will continue our study of various genres, including Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Biography, and the Newbery Medal winners. Each class will be doing a different kind of book report based on a particular genre. We will continue to develop our reading comprehension skills using a variety of reading strategies. We will use predicting, inferencing, and foreshadowing skills as we read different forms of literature based on stories in our Imagine It! series, as well as our novel studies. We will use the Skills Practice book as a way to further the skills we are learning. The vocabulary that correlates with our stories will be used to build upon the skill of using "words in context." Students will practice many types of sentences and apply the correct word meaning based on how it is being used in a sentence. This is an invaluable skill that will assist them the rest of their lives as lifelong learners. Language Arts Our next unit in Language Arts includes a study of poetry. Students will read various works of poetry and learn to identify the speaker and recognize and interpret sensory details as well as figurative language. Students will also have the opportunity to write and share their own original poems. Math- Unit 7 reviews fraction concepts previously introduced and extends knowledge by developing a thorough understanding of equivalent fractions. This unit also provides activities related to chance and probability. Unit 7 focuses on fractions as parts of a whole (ONE), fractions on number lines, uses of fractions, ordering fractions, finding fractions of sets, identifying equivalent fractions, and basic ideas of probability. Please refer to the Unit 7 Family Letter for home activities and practice. Social Studies- Events Leading up to the American Revolution For this unit the students are learning about the events the colonists experienced that pushed them to fight for their freedom. Many different types of learning activities are being used along with the text book. Activities like skits for active learning, and note taking skills are being applied in this unit. The students will learn about events like the French and Indian War, The Stamp Act, The Boston Tea Party, and the Battle of Bunker Hill. After we wrap up this unit, we'll be learning about the Revolutionay War. Science- Matter Students will be studying three states of matter-solid, liquid, and gas. This unit will focus on how the particles of solids, liquids, and gases differ and what may cause the particles to move closer together or further apart. The textbook, Science Court group activities, and Science Lab experiments will be used throughout our unit.