December is kicking off to a great start!
Writing- Students have been busy note taking and gathering information from resources on the ancient Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. We are writing like historians! Students have finished their informational writing drafts and are beginning to revise their work to include specific geographical information, timelines, and information from their research. Next week, we will narrow our focus and begin new drafts for future publishing within the same content area.
Reading- Book clubs have come to a close and students reflected on what makes book club conversations the best they can be. Students considered the importance of writing about reading, strategies for keeping the conversation going, and referencing the text in order to fuel conversations. Close reading, analyzing characters, and developing themes are some skills that students will be using and enhancing in future book club sessions!
Moving forward, we will dive into informational reading and begin “tackling text complexity” in our next reading unit. Students will spend time identifying main idea and details, writing summaries, inferring, and identifying text structures.
Math- Our current unit has introduced students to the standard algorithm for multiplication and revisits the partial quotients division method through standard computation and number stories. Students have practiced these skills through games such as Remainders Race (in class), Race to 100 (in class), and Quotient Café (online) as well as writing number stories to fit certain requirements such as number sentences or given quotients. For example, “create a word problem where the quotient is 37R3” or “create a word problem using the number sentence 412/3=n”. Our end of unit assessment will be this Tuesday.
Looking ahead, our next unit is Geometry. This unit is filled with vocabulary so quizzing at home is encouraged for extra practice and reinforcement.
Science- Students are enjoying using tools such as a cloud identification chart and a dichotomous key to identify cloud types. Gathering observations of weather will allow students to notice patterns and make connections between cloud types and forecasting. We will begin reviewing the water cycle this week and discuss the differences between weather and climate.
Writing- Students have been busy note taking and gathering information from resources on the ancient Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. We are writing like historians! Students have finished their informational writing drafts and are beginning to revise their work to include specific geographical information, timelines, and information from their research. Next week, we will narrow our focus and begin new drafts for future publishing within the same content area.
Reading- Book clubs have come to a close and students reflected on what makes book club conversations the best they can be. Students considered the importance of writing about reading, strategies for keeping the conversation going, and referencing the text in order to fuel conversations. Close reading, analyzing characters, and developing themes are some skills that students will be using and enhancing in future book club sessions!
Moving forward, we will dive into informational reading and begin “tackling text complexity” in our next reading unit. Students will spend time identifying main idea and details, writing summaries, inferring, and identifying text structures.
Math- Our current unit has introduced students to the standard algorithm for multiplication and revisits the partial quotients division method through standard computation and number stories. Students have practiced these skills through games such as Remainders Race (in class), Race to 100 (in class), and Quotient Café (online) as well as writing number stories to fit certain requirements such as number sentences or given quotients. For example, “create a word problem where the quotient is 37R3” or “create a word problem using the number sentence 412/3=n”. Our end of unit assessment will be this Tuesday.
Looking ahead, our next unit is Geometry. This unit is filled with vocabulary so quizzing at home is encouraged for extra practice and reinforcement.
Science- Students are enjoying using tools such as a cloud identification chart and a dichotomous key to identify cloud types. Gathering observations of weather will allow students to notice patterns and make connections between cloud types and forecasting. We will begin reviewing the water cycle this week and discuss the differences between weather and climate.