Week of April 3rd.

Parents,
PARCC testing will begin this week. Please remind your child to have a fully charged Chromebook each day. They will also need their earbuds for testing.

Important Dates
Mon, Mar 27th - Fri, Mar 31st - Spring Break ~ No School
Mon, April 3rd - Classes resume
April 4-6 ELA PARCC test
April 7 Math PARCC test

Reading: The students will continue to read The Miraculous Adventures of Edward Tulane. They will understand the meaning of the word persevere as it relates to the story and a poem entitled Try, Try Again.  They will describe a time when they have had to persevere and how they handled it.

Spelling:   We will not have Spelling this week due to PARCC testing.

Social Studies:  We will continue our study of the Southwest.  The students will  be making a travel brochure for one of the southwest states.  They will use a variety of resources for their brochure.

Science:  We will begin chapter 4,  The Human Body.  We will learn how the digestive and respiratory systems work. I am asking that each student bring in an empty plastic water bottle for an investigation we will be doing later in the week.

Mrs. Bucklin's Math Class:  We will continue Unit 6, Multiplication, Division, Data and Fractions. The students will also take the Math PARCC test on Friday.

Week of March 20th

Important Dates
Mon, Mar 20th - Roller Skating Party 3:30-6:30 pm
Mon, Mar 27th - Fri, Mar 31st - Spring Break ~ No School
Mon, April 3rd - Classes resume

Reading: The students will continue to read The Miraculous Adventures of Edward Tulane. They will understand the meaning of the word persevere as it relates to the story and a poem entitled Try, Try Again.  They will describe a time when they have had to persevere and how they handled it.

Spelling:   Unit 24 - Greek & Latin Roots
This week's words each contain the root "auto", "homo", "tract" or "phobia". We will study the meaning of these roots and how to determine the meaning of a word that contains them. The final Test is scheduled for Friday, 3/24.

Social Studies:  We will begin our study of the Southwest. There will  be a map quiz on Thursday. 

Science:   I will be introducing  our "Invention Convention" project. The students will be asked to identify a problem in their lives and come up with an invention that helps to solve this problem. Think simply...this does not have to be a complex invention. An informational letter, project timeline/calendar, rubric and contract will be handed out in science class on Monday, March 20th. All students are expected to complete this assignment. The contract, or plan, for the invention is due in class on Thursday, March 23rd. I will then review each contract with students, to make sure they are on the right track. Once I confirm that they are moving in the right direction, students will be free to begin constructing their inventions. Inventions aren't due until after spring break; April 25th. The construction of the invention will be done at home.

Mrs. Bucklin's Math Class:  We will continue Unit 6, Multiplication, Division, Data and Fractions. This week we will focus on multiplying  a 2 or 3-digit whole number by a 1-digit whole number and two 2-digit numbers using strategies based on place value and the properties of operations. The students will learn how to use equations or rectangular arrays to explain strategies for multiplying with multi-digit numbers. There will be a quiz over module one on Thursday.

Week of March 13th

Important Dates
Mon, Mar 20th - Roller Skating Party 3:30-6:30pm
Mon, Mar 27th - Fri, Mar 31st - Spring Break ~ No School
Mon, April 3rd - Classes resume

Reading:  We  will continue to read The Miraculous Adventures of Edward Tulane.  The students are completing journal response questions as we read through the chapters. The focus is making sure text evidence is provided in their response as well as answering the question completely.

English:   We will focus on adjectives in our writing this week. We will also learn the correct way of ordering adjectives when describing a noun. 

Spelling:  Unit 23-  Words with "oi" and "oy" & Proverbs
 This week's list includes words with the letters "oi" and "oy". Students will learn that these letter combinations make the same sound and are both diphthongs. "Oy" is usually found at the end of a syllable and "oi" is usually found in the middle of a syllable. We will also study proverbs - what they are and what some of them mean. The final test is scheduled for Friday, 3/17.


Social Studies:    We will complete our study of the Midwest.  There will be an open book quiz on Monday covering what we have learned about the Ojibwa.  The students will also  share their "Just Look" State books this week. On Tuesday we will have our Midwest Resource Day and enjoy some of the foods from the Midwest.

Science:   We will complete chapter 3,  Adaptations.  The chapter test is Friday.  The students should review their notes and reread the chapter to help prepare for the test.

Mrs. Bucklin's Math Class:  We will complete Unit Five Geometry and Measurement.  The unit test is  Tuesday, March 14th.  Please make sure your child is reviewing the pretest which we went over in class on Friday. We will review for the test on Monday.

Week of March 6th

Important Dates:
March 3--End of Trimester 2
March 27--Spring Break begins

Reading: This week we will continue our "Journeys" Unit. We will begin reading the novel The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. This story tells the tale of a china rabbit who goes on an adventure and learns how to love. We will begin by close reading an excerpt from the first chapter.

English:   We will focus on adjectives in our writing this week. We will also learn the correct way of ordering adjectives when describing a noun. 

Spelling:  Unit 22 - An adjective is a word that describes a noun. This week's lesson consists of a collection of adjectives and a review of similes and metaphors. The final test is scheduled for Friday, 3/10.

Social Studies:   Just Look State books are due on Tuesday. Students will present their books on Thursday and Friday.  We will also read and learn how  the Ojibwa have maintained cultural traditions and have contributed to the Midwest.

Science:  We will continue chapter 3,  Adaptations.   We will  read and learn how instinctive behaviors and learned behaviors can help animals survive. Animals can migrate or hibernate to avoid severe weather. We will also learn how fossils form and how animals of the past compare with those of today.

Mrs. Bucklin's Math Class:  We will complete Unit Five Geometry and Measurement.  The unit test is  Tuesday, March 14th.  A practice test will be sent home on Friday. This will help the students prepare for the test.

Have a great week!