December 4th, 2009
Class activities for Friday, December 4
Spelling: We reviewed common /s/ spelling patterns: s, ss, sc, ci, ce, cy. This will be the skill tested on next week’s spelling test.
Cursive: Cursive worksheet pp. 27, 28 and 47 are available and due on Monday.
Reading: Groups continued to work on Literature Circles projects in order to share their book with the class.
Writing: Today was a work day; students worked on their draft. The next piece of writing will be a fiction piece, due Friday, December 18. Students should be drafting by now.
Math: None today due to making a class decoration (see below).
Science: We reviewed the magnet experiment from yesterday and students noted that magnets only stick to certain, special metals (stay tuned for the “reveal” of which metal that is!).
Social Studies: None on Fridays.
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 holiday traditions in Mexico.
- Yellow magnets: 0
- Orange magnets: 0
- Red magnets: 0
- STAR Awards: 0
- Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 3
Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with SnapGrades?
Notes:
- Our trip to Michigan’s Capitol and Historical Museum is Tuesday, December 8. We need chaperones for the trip. Get more details.
- Friends in Service Here (FISH) donations for our six-year old boy are due before December 11. Thanks for your generosity!
- Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
- View grades, assignments, and attendance at SnapGrades.
Our Mission:
Every student in Room 130 leaves improved and prepared for 5th grade.