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Spelling: Today we reviewed prefixes (letters added to the beginning of a word: prewriting, preheat, reheat) and suffixes (letters added to the end of a word: lovable, quickly, flying). Students are working on the unit 4 spelling worksheets; a copy can be downloaded by visiting the Spelling page. The next spelling test will be on Friday, and the worksheets will be due at that time.

Cursive: Cursive worksheets will be made available tomorrow.

Reading: Today was a discussion day in Literature Circles. We also read our shared reading book, Esperanza Rising.   

Writing: None today due to technology.

Math: None today due to a double science time.

Science: We read about current electricity in our books. We looked at how a switch is used in a flashlight. We observed that a magnet can be used to make electricity when used with a coiled wire and a capacitor. We also began discussing electrical safety and did a mini-experiment to show what would happen when a broken cord is used in a circuit. We used steel wool to simulate the broken cord, and the result was a fire. Homework is to complete Investigation Review p. 86.

Social Studies: We graded the chapter 11 worksheets and reviewed for the social studies test tomorrow, which will include these topics:

• branches of government: legislative, executive, judicial
• levels of government: local, state and federal
• services: which level is responsible for which service
• balance of powers: how the branches balance the powers of each other 

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, December 8: Erica and David. Click here for a full list of juice volunteers.
• We are looking for donations of cardboard tubes (toilet tissue, paper towel, wrapping paper) for class projects. The tubes can be sent in any time during the year; this project will be on-going. Thanks for any help you can give!

Spelling: Today we learned that an r following a vowel changes the vowel’s sound: hut/hurt, heat/heart, cat/cart. Students are working on the unit 4 spelling worksheets; a copy can be downloaded by visiting the Spelling page.

Cursive: Cursive worksheets pp. 39, 40, and 44 were reviewed today.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles.  

Writing: Today we learned two additional strategies writers can use to make their characters come alive: action and the reaction of other characters. Using these, in combination with dialogue and description, helps to make characters seem to lift right off the page.

The next piece of writing is due Monday, December 4.

Math: Students participated in Math Skills today, and completed a MiniQuiz over products, factors, prime numbers and multiples.

Science: We took advantage of the wet weather to observe a “pond” forming in the courtyard at the curious location of directly above the stormwater drain. Students inferred there must be too much water for the drain to handle. We also walked down to the Gibson Drain at the southern edge of our playground. We observed that the water level was quite high, the speed was fast, and the color was murky, all cause by an influx of water from the two inches of rain we have recieved in the last couple of days.

El Nacimiento: This December, we will be looking at how Esperanza, the Mexican girl from our shared reading story, Esperanza Rising, would have celebrated holidays in December. Mexico has many more days of significance during December, January and even into the beginning of February, than we have in the US. Today, we learned about the primary holiday decoration in Mexico: the Nacimiento (the birth or the nativity).

This scene is usually placed in a prominent location, and can be as large as an entire room. The Nacimiento contains various people, animals, cacti, mountains, lights, cellophane waterfalls, mirror ponds, houses, and spanish moss. There could be as many as 200 different figures in the display. Ours is in our showcase, Esperanza’s was in her hallway. Visit MexConnect for other Christmas traditions in Mexico.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers for Friday, December 8: Erica and David. Click here for a full list of juice volunteers.
• We are looking for donations of cardboard tubes (toilet tissue, paper towel, wrapping paper) for class projects. The tubes can be sent in any time during the year; this project will be on-going. Thanks for any help you can give!