During Quarter 2, we will focus on writing realistic fiction. We will begin by applying pre-writing strategies to write story blurbs to generate ideas for fiction writing.
This week we will continue to draft our realistic fiction stories. We will use our character attributes web and our story mountains to write our rough drafts. Our focus this week will be on adding dialogue to our work in an effective way. We will focus on the importance of the conversation to the overall piece of writing as well as the grammatical structure for including dialogue in our work.
A link to a website for information on the 6 Traits of writing is below:
http://writingfix.com/classroom_tools/post_its.htm
http://writingfix.com/classroom_tools/post_its.htm
Natural Reader:
This tool can be downloaded on your home computers to assist students with reading text that may be challenging. We use this in class for webpage research and for revising our writing. Students can listen to what they have typed and determine if it sounds right to revise. In addition, when gathering research, this tool allows them to read difficult text. We have this program at school, but it is a great tool for home use as well:
www.naturalreader.com
Social Studies: Impact of Geography
In this unit, students will demonstrate their understanding of using maps and how humans adapt to their environment. We will determine where the major population centers are in Maryland today and predict why people live in certain areas. We will review the three different kinds of maps:
physical: show land elevations, sea levels, mountains and other physical features
thematic: use to show one topic (crops, pollution, population, etc.)
political: show boundaries between states/countries
We continue to review geography vocabulary and will have two quizzes this month. The first quiz will assess student's knowledge of the elements of a map on December 7. The second quiz will take place on December 20. It will be on the vocabulary sheet given out this week.
Students should continue to work on their Map Projects at home. A description of the project as well as a rubric should have come home with your child last week. This map is to be made at home and is due on December 13. We will present them in class.
In this unit, students will demonstrate their understanding of using maps and how humans adapt to their environment. We will determine where the major population centers are in Maryland today and predict why people live in certain areas. We will review the three different kinds of maps:
physical: show land elevations, sea levels, mountains and other physical features
thematic: use to show one topic (crops, pollution, population, etc.)
political: show boundaries between states/countries
We continue to review geography vocabulary and will have two quizzes this month. The first quiz will assess student's knowledge of the elements of a map on December 7. The second quiz will take place on December 20. It will be on the vocabulary sheet given out this week.
Students should continue to work on their Map Projects at home. A description of the project as well as a rubric should have come home with your child last week. This map is to be made at home and is due on December 13. We will present them in class.
This week we will classifying shapes based on angles and length of sides. We will determine if the shapes are right, acute, obtuse, scalene, isosceles, and equalateral. We will classify different quadrilaterals based on their sides.
Unit 2 Assessment December 5 (both Mrs. Johnson & Mrs. Dynda's Classes)
Math 4:
Unit 2 Topics Include:
Demonstrate mastery of basic multiplication and division fact families
Identify and apply multiples and factors of numbers.
Solve for the unknown or variable in an equation.
Generalize a pattern by stating a rule.
Write and simplify numeric expressions using number properties.
Complete a function table using a given rule.
Our focus will shift to using our knowledge of multiplication and division by solving for the unknown. We will use everyday situations to analyze the questions:
*What is the known in the problem?
*What is the unknown?
*How can I write an equation to show the relationship between the known and unknown quantities?
*How can I solve the equation?
*What does my solution tell me about the unknown?
Students were given a review packet that is due to class on December 11.
Our unit 2 Assessment will take place on December 12 & 13.
*What is the known in the problem?
*What is the unknown?
*How can I write an equation to show the relationship between the known and unknown quantities?
*How can I solve the equation?
*What does my solution tell me about the unknown?
Students were given a review packet that is due to class on December 11.
Our unit 2 Assessment will take place on December 12 & 13.
*A great website that allows students to work at their own pace on word problems/real world application of multiplication & division:
http://www.thinkingblocks.com/
We continue to use the Khan academy website to help practice our math at home. This is a great site where students (if a log in is created) can track their progress and have example problems to work on. It has been featured in CNN as an up and coming way for teachers to assess individual students learning.
http://www.khanacademy.org/
Reading:
Our focus this week will continue to be analyzing a characters thoughts and actions to focus on the motivation of the character and make predictions about actions in the future. We will use stories from our Junior Great Books curriculum to support learning to that end.
Shared Inquiry reading, discussion, and writing activities may be used with a wide range of literature to encourage students to use high level thinking processes as they explore curricular themes.
http://www.thinkingblocks.com/
We continue to use the Khan academy website to help practice our math at home. This is a great site where students (if a log in is created) can track their progress and have example problems to work on. It has been featured in CNN as an up and coming way for teachers to assess individual students learning.
http://www.khanacademy.org/
Reading:
Our focus this week will continue to be analyzing a characters thoughts and actions to focus on the motivation of the character and make predictions about actions in the future. We will use stories from our Junior Great Books curriculum to support learning to that end.
What is Junior Great Books?
Junior Great BooksHow Does it Support the Curriculum?
The Junior Great Books inquiry model of questioning, discussion, and writing supports the Maryland essential learnings for reading and writing. Shared Inquiry training combined with Junior Great Books literature and interpretive activities support teachers in the implementation of the MCPS English/Language Arts Curriculum, K-8.Shared Inquiry reading, discussion, and writing activities may be used with a wide range of literature to encourage students to use high level thinking processes as they explore curricular themes.
Spelling:
*Our spelling program involves the use of developmental word study rather than traditional spelling books. This“Words Their Way” approach allows students to practice target spelling patterns that best address their individual needs as a speller. Our next spelling assessment will be on Friday, December 14. We will then resume spelling after Winter Break.
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