February 16th, 2011
Class activities for Wednesday, February 16
Spelling: We reviewed the usage of either/or and neither/nor. We learned that the verb must agree with the closest subject in these sentences:
- Either grapes or a peach is a good snack.
- Either a peach or grapes are a good snack.
Today was also the McGrath Spelling Bee. Joel and Indira represented our class well! Congratulations to Joel who was the 5th grade winner of the spelling bee and will be representing our school at the district bee!
Cursive: Ten cursive sentences of seven or more words each are due on Fridays.
Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles. Some groups worked on solving unknown words by separating them into pieces.
Writing: We continued to review core democratic values. Today, we thought about the three found in this line from the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The Letter to the Editor persuasive writing project will be due March 4. Students will be asked to select a public policy issue and make an argument for or against it. Students in fourth grade typically choose a local issue; fifth graders will be asked to select a national issue. Here are a few websites showing public policy issues:
- ProCon.org – Pros and Cons of Controversial Issues
- Public Agenda for Citizens: Understanding the Issues
- Student Voices-News and Discussion on Current Events and Politics
- PollingReport.com Issues
This week, we will be reviewing core democratic values of our country. Students can also start to consider which public policy issue they would like to write about.
Here’s an overview of this persuasive letter project, and here’s a checklist to help with writing the letter.
Math: We reviewed mixed numbers and improper fractions today. Homework is to finish Journal pp. 126, 130.
Science: None today due to library.
Social Studies: We discussed the core democratic values of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
- Yellow magnets: 0
- Orange magnets: 0
- Red magnets: 0
- STAR Awards: 0
- Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 0
Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with SnapGrades?
Notes:
- Middle School Course Selection Forms are due Thursday, February 17 or earlier.
- Sign up for Spring Parent Teacher Conferences at mrhowd.com/conferences
- View or edit the spring “Paper and Coffee” juice volunteer list.
- View our class calendar.
- Check grades, assignments, and attendance at SnapGrades.
Our Mission:
Every student in Room 130 leaves improved and prepared for 6th grade.
