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Subject Update

Language Arts

Before Thanksgiving break, the students took their trimester one writing assessment.  This week they will be reviewing this assessment, looking at their strengths, areas for improvement and setting trimester two writing goals.  

Last week, students took their trimester one reading assessment.  They will be reviewing this assessment correcting their errors and determining how they could make their written response better.

We are also beginning a Gingerbread unit.  We will be reading a variety of gingerbread stories. We will explore the story elements of setting, character, problem, plot, solution, and chant in these stories and the students are charting these elements in a gingerbread summary book.

After reading and exploring different versions of the “Gingerbread Man” stories, the students will begin to write their own version. They will turn their story into a picture book.

Mathematics

Students are continuing to work on Chapter 6, Fractions and Mixed Numbers.  So far, the students have learned to find equivalent fractions, and simplify fractions, and add and subtract unlike fractions with and without renaming.  This week students are learning to convert mixed numbers to improper fractions and improper to mixed. 

It is important that students practice their multiplication and division facts daily.  Knowing these facts will be crucial to their success in future concepts.  For practice, they can use links from the blog to various game sites, flash cards, XtraMath and Freckle.

Social Studies

Students are continuing to work with their partners to present their knowledge of the eastern land, climate and resources in a Keynote.

Science

Last week the students completed a real-world design challenge entitled Save our Shores.  After reviewing articles, videos and pictures of beach erosion in Situate, Massachusetts, the students were presented with their challenge.  They are competing for a job in the town to design a structure to help protect the shores from water.  They needed to build a prototype to withstand erosion caused from ocean waves. Their structure needed to withstand the pressure from at least one cup of water. The students built their structure to protect a sand castle house.  Once all structures were built, we tested them by pouring cups of water down a chute and towards their house and structure.  The structures were able to withstand from 4 to 32 cups of water!  Below are some photos of The final structures before the water hit.