January 7th, 2008
Class activities for Monday, January 7
Spelling: None today due to introducing an in-class computer usage schedule. Starting this week, students will receive 25 minutes per week to use our classroom computer. Tasks will initially including practicing typing and time for checking their Gmail. Later tasks may include research and blogging.
Cursive: Cursive pages 50-52 are available and due Friday.
Reading: Students received new Literature Circles book groups based on their latest STAR reading assessment. Check your students STAR reading level in the reading section of SnapGrades. This Literature Circles cycle has two new differences: first, students are reading non-fiction magazines; secondly, students will be writing responses in a notebook. Students will practice at least four reading strategies for each reading day: determining importance, visualizing, questioning and connecting.
Writing: Today was a drafting day for our Military Thank You class book. Students are working on poems, thank you letters, short stories, story dialogues, post cards or letter exchanges with a fictitious soldier, or pledges.
Each student will write and illustrate a page of the book. The page can also be submitted for the last portfolio piece, due January 17. We are also having a contest to create the book’s title, cover illustration, dedication page, and interior illustration. The contest submissions are due Friday, January 11.
Math: We discussed strategies for solving number stories (story problems):
- Understand the problem;
- Make a plan;
- Carry out the plan;
- Check your work.
Homework is to complete Journal p. 62.
Science: We continued Storm Spotter training today, looking at the severe weather climate for our country. Interestingly, the Midwest (plains states) has the highest likelihood for severe wind, hail and tornadoes. The Southeast has the best chances for severe thunderstorms. Tornadoes are most likely to occur in May or June, during the afternoon, in the Texas/Oklahoma area, Florida or northern Indiana. However, climate doesn’t always match the weather, as we are having thunderstorms and tornado watches during a January night in Michigan!
View the presentation we are using and other resources at the bottom of this page.
Social Studies: We started learning the difference between weather (how hot or cold, wet or dry a place is now) and climate (what the weather is usually like over a period of time). We noticed that the weather right now in Michigan is much different than our January climate.
- Yellow magnets: 0
- Orange magnets: 0
- Red magnets: 0
- STAR Awards: 0
- Current Hours with No Orange Magnets: 77
Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet.
Notes:
- View grades, assignments, attendance and even the report card at SnapGrades.
- Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
- This week’s juice volunteers: thanks to responsible and generous families, we have a juice backlog, so no juice volunteers needed for a few weeks!
