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We’re trying out doing Math Skills online. Practice these skills just like math skills.

Directions:

1. Do ten problems.
2. If you get a score of 70% or higher, go to the next skill.
3. If your score is less than 70%, do at least ten more problems until your score gets to above 70%. Then move on to the next skill.

Skills:

• Multiplying Tens
• Multiplying Hundreds
• Multiplication without Renaming 2 digit
• Multiplication of two digit numbers
• Multiplication without Renaming 3 digit
• Multiplication

Spelling: Today was “prest-o change-o word-o,” in which students practiced changing words into other words. The unit 8 worksheets are available here.

Cursive: We have reviewed the entire alphabet, upper and lower case. From now on, the weekly cursive assignment will be to write 10 cursive sentences of 7 or more words each. This assignment will be due Friday. 

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles. Some groups worked on chunking unknown words, and using context clues, as reading strategies.

Writing: We reviewed the Core Democratic Values of patriotism and justice today, adding them to our mini-book. The next piece of writing, a “take a stand” persuasive writing piece, will be due on March 23.   

Math: Students learned a new multiplication method called the lattice method. Homework is to finish journal pp. 131 and 133. Students not working in a group with me today were also asked to check three of their homework problems by multiplying using another method they know, and to bring back the calculations tomorrow.

Science: Today we played a game to review for tomorrow’s science test, which will include these concepts:

• forms of energy
• light and colored light
• prisms and color filters
• shadows
• how light moves

Social Studies: Students completed a social studies test over the Underground Railroad.    

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers: A new volunteer list will be sent home soon.  
• Thank you to the nine chaperones who have volunteered for the Mackinaw trip. At this point, we have no more availability for additional chaperones. Spaces may open up as the trip gets closer.
• Spring Conference times are now available for April 2, 3 and 4! Sign up at the office windows.
• Upcoming Events: New writing piece due (March 23); Spring Conferences (April 2, 3 and 4); Straits of Mackinaw field trip (May 11). See the class calendar for more information.
• We are looking for donations of medium and long cardboard tubes (have plenty of short ones, thanks!) 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: We practiced adding the -th suffix on to number words, and found out that for words ending in y, the y is changed to an i before adding eth (fiftieth, twentieth). The unit 8 worksheets are available here.

Cursive: We have reviewed the entire alphabet, upper and lower case. From now on, the weekly cursive assignment will be to write 10 cursive sentences of 7 or more words each. This assignment will be due Friday. 

Reading: Today was a discussion day in Literature Circles. Some groups worked on inferring and visualizing as reading strategies.

Writing: We are starting a unit on persuasive writing and taking a stand on an issue. We began today making Core Democratic Value minibooks, and learned about equality. The next piece of writing, a “take a stand” persuasive writing piece, will be due on March 23.   

Math: Today students practiced the partial products method with two digit numbers (52 x 48) by solving number stories. Homework is to finish journal pp. 128-130.

Science: Today we reviewed the shadows experiment and Light Investigation Review from last week.

Social Studies: We played a game to review for the Underground Railroad test to be taken tomorrow.    

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers: A new volunteer list will be sent home soon.  
• Upcoming Events: New writing piece due (March 23); Straits of Mackinaw field trip (May 11). See the class calendar for more information.
• We are looking for donations of medium and long cardboard tubes (have plenty of short ones, thanks!) 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: We used this time to practice the test-taking skill of matching up words in questions to words in the text, and to words in our answers. The unit 8 worksheets are available here.

Cursive: We have reviewed the entire alphabet, upper and lower case. From now on, the weekly cursive assignment will be to write 10 cursive sentences of 7 or more words each. This assignment will be due Friday. 

Reading: Same as the spelling activity.

Writing: None due to technology.

Technology: Students worked on their weather splash screen movies, and also worked on their wiki site.      

Math: Today students practiced the partial products method with two digit numbers (52 x 48). Click here for a simplified version of the partial products method. Look in the SRB for more details. Homework is to finish the multiplication worksheet started in class.

Science: No science today due to art.

Social Studies: We graded the worksheet from Thursday and then wrote notes about the Underground Railroad in mini-books.   

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers: A new volunteer list will be sent home soon.  
• Upcoming Events: Straits of Mackinaw field trip (May 11). See the class calendar for more information.
• We are looking for donations of medium and long cardboard tubes (have plenty of short ones, thanks!) 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 continued to review irregular verbs (catch-caught, run-ran) and homophones. The unit 8 worksheets are available here.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences of seven or more words each were due today.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles. Some groups worked on questioning and inferring as reading strategies.

Writing: We talked about using interesting, fresh language in writing (gray-wrapped rocks, dull scraping of rusty grass along the beach). A piece of writing was due into portfolios today.     

Math: Students took part in math skills today. 

Science Inquiry: Students tested questions about electricity, static electricity, flight, ramps and rollers, magnets and light.

Behavior Update:

Ask your student what kind of choices they made.

The Weekly Wrap (our week in 60 seconds):

• Spelling: compound words, vowel sounds, irregular verbs, suffixes, homophones 
• Cursive: ten cursive sentences 
• Reading: Literature Circles groups, inferring, questioning, predicting
• Writing: specific and general details, question leads, use fresh language, piece due March 2 
• Math: estimating sums and products, partial products multiplication, symmetry, transformations 
• Science: Shadows, Light Investigation Review, Science Inquiry 
• Social Studies: Underground Railroad songs, code quilts, Michigan connection
• Homework Fun: Wednesdays from 4:00-5:00. There are openings!  

Notes:

• Juice Volunteers: A new volunteer list will be sent home soon.  
• Upcoming Events: New writing piece due (March 2); Straits of Mackinaw field trip (May 11). See the class calendar for more information.
• We are looking for donations of medium and long cardboard tubes (have plenty of short ones, thanks!) 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!