MrHowd.com

Spelling: None today.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences, seven or more words each, are due on Fridays.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles; some groups worked on using context clues as a reading strategy.

Writing: Students began drafting their novel fiction project today. During this project, each student has a daily word goal of 150-300 words. The novel is due Monday, March 26. See below for more details. Students should be drafting at this point.

Novel Writing Project
The final piece of the 3rd Marking Period will be our final fiction project of the year. Students will write and publish a novel. Each student will write their own novel, with a word goal minimum of 1,000-3,000 words, based on their reading level (each student’s minimum writing goal is equal to their reading level multiplied by 500). The novels will be written in Google Docs (docs.mrhowd.com) to make use of the word count feature. Final novels will be uploaded to Lulu.com and published as paperback books, which can be purchased for reasonable prices. So yes, students will actually write and publish their own novels. This project is based on the National Novel Writing Month Young Writers program. Here are more details:

• We will start this project in class on February 27 and it will be due on March 26; however, students can begin early.
• This is our final fiction project; the novel can be any type of fiction story (mystery, science fiction, fantasy, realistic, historical, etc.)
• We will be working in the computer lab most days, using docs.mrhowd.com to type the novel. Students can also work on this from any internet-connected computer outside of school.
• Students might want to start thinking now about how they will use a computer afters chool if they need to, and if they will go to the library, use a home computer, or use a friend or family member’s computer.
• If friends and family would like to order a paperback version of the book, we will upload the final texts to lulu.com. Most books will cost between $5 and $10.
• A big portion of this grade will be if students complete their own, personal word count goal.

Math: We reviewed multiplying by one digit numbers and students completed a MiniQuiz. We also practiced thinking about number stories that have extra or missing information. Homework is to finish Journal P6-6.

Science: None today due to our math skills time.

Social Studies: We learned about and labeled deserts on a map of the United States. View some videos of desert road trips!

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 0
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 15
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 3

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at JupiterGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with JupiterGrades?

Notes:

• Spring Parent Teacher Conferences are in March. Grab your spot here.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Spelling: We reviewed irregular verbs today:

• is/was
• are/were
• run/ran
• buy/bought

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences, seven or more words each, are due on Fridays.

Reading: Today was a discussion day in Literature Circles.

Writing: Students started a new writing project today. Their goal is to write their own novel! They started with a prewriting conference. During this project, each student has a daily word goal of 150-300 words. The novel is due Monday, March 26. See below for more details. Students should be prewriting at this point.

Novel Writing Project
The final piece of the 3rd Marking Period will be our final fiction project of the year. Students will write and publish a novel. Each student will write their own novel, with a word goal minimum of 1,000-3,000 words, based on their reading level (each student’s minimum writing goal is equal to their reading level multiplied by 500). The novels will be written in Google Docs (docs.mrhowd.com) to make use of the word count feature. Final novels will be uploaded to Lulu.com and published as paperback books, which can be purchased for reasonable prices. So yes, students will actually write and publish their own novels. This project is based on the National Novel Writing Month Young Writers program. Here are more details:

• We will start this project in class on February 27 and it will be due on March 26; however, students can begin early.
• This is our final fiction project; the novel can be any type of fiction story (mystery, science fiction, fantasy, realistic, historical, etc.)
• We will be working in the computer lab most days, using docs.mrhowd.com to type the novel. Students can also work on this from any internet-connected computer outside of school.
• Students might want to start thinking now about how they will use a computer afters chool if they need to, and if they will go to the library, use a home computer, or use a friend or family member’s computer.
• If friends and family would like to order a paperback version of the book, we will upload the final texts to lulu.com. Most books will cost between $5 and $10.
• A big portion of this grade will be if students complete their own, personal word count goal.

Math: We reviewed multiplying by one digit numbers. Homework is to finish Math Book p. 152-153, problems 25-30, and Journal P6-5.

Science: We learned that the moon is four times smaller than the earth, and the earth is four times larger than the moon. We also made new Sun, Moon and Earth minibooks.

Social Studies: We labeled bodies of water (rivers, oceans, lakes and gulfs) on a map of the United States. Homework is to finish labeling bodies of water on the map if not done in class.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 1
• Orange magnets: 2
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 3

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at JupiterGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with JupiterGrades?

Notes:

• Spring Parent Teacher Conferences are in March. Grab your spot here.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Spelling: We reviewed common spelling patterns for the /ou/ sound: ou, ow.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences, seven or more words each, are due on Fridays.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles; some groups worked on visualizing as a reading strategy.

Writing: Students worked on their persuasive “letter to the editor” about a way to improve our school or community. They also started their revising conference. Here is more information about this project, and here’s a checklist to help with writing the letter. This piece will be due Monday, February 27.

Math: We practiced multiplying two and three-digit numbers by a one-digit number. Homework is to finish Journal P6-4.

Science: None today.

Social Studies: We finished labeling a map of common landforms of the United States.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 1
• Orange magnets: 1
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 6

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at JupiterGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with JupiterGrades?

Notes:

• Spring Parent Teacher Conferences are in March. Grab your spot here.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Spelling: None today due to a preview of our next writing project.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences, seven or more words each, are due on Fridays.

Reading: Today was a discussion day in Literature Circles.

Writing: Students worked on their persuasive “letter to the editor” about a way to improve our school or community. Here is more information about this project, and here’s a checklist to help with writing the letter. This piece will be due Monday, February 27.

Math: Students reviewed multiplying with the standard method today. Homework is to finish Journal P6-3.

Science: Students completed an experiment to learn the size of the moon compared to the earth. Homework is to finish the Big Earth, Small Moon experiment if not done in class.

Social Studies: None today due to our math and reading skills time.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 0
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 2
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 4

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at JupiterGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with JupiterGrades?

Notes:

• Spring Parent Teacher Conferences are in March. Grab your spot here.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Spelling: None today due to extra time with writing.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences, seven or more words each, are due on Fridays.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles; some groups worked on chunking as a reading strategy for solving larger words.

Writing: Students worked on their prewriting conference today. They also worked on the draft of the their letter by typing it using Google Docs.

Our next writing project is a persuasive “letter to the editor” about a way to improve our school or community. Here is more information about this project, and here’s a checklist to help with writing the letter. This piece will be due Monday, February 27.

Math: We reviewed partial products and the standard method today. Homework is to finish Math Book pp. 142-143, 2-30 (even-numbered problems).

Science: None today due to our math skills time.

Social Studies: We labeled landforms on a map of the United States.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 0
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 2
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 4

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at JupiterGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with JupiterGrades?

Notes:

• Spring Parent Teacher Conferences are in March. Grab your spot here.
• Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at JupiterGrades.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.