Book Report: Your book report for February must be a historical fiction. The presentation will be Wednesday, February 29. For this book report the you will create a book quilt, which should be a 3x3 quilt block with each of the squares being about 8x8. You should share something from the book in each of the 9 squares. Some examples would be: character traits, setting, summary, illustration, conflict, solution, your favorite part, etc. Make sure all 9 squares are filled in, and you will share your quilt with the class.
Math: In math we are working on unit 9. The first two lessons focused on reading and plotting coordinate pairs. The next lesson focused on the area of rectangles. This week we will work on the area of triangles and parallelograms and the volume of prisms. We will also continue to work on the extended response.
Writing: This week in writing the students will continue to work on researching an event in history. Our prompt is: If you could go back in time and change an event in history what would it be. The class will make two timelines. The first showing how history really evolved with all the major events before and after the event. They will also make a parallel timeline showing how the world might have been different if they could go back in time to change the event. Imagine if JFK would have lived because you stopped Oswald... what would the next few decades been like? Would the U.S. have gone to war in Vietnam? Would RFK have run for president and been killed like his brother? The final project will include these two timelines showing what the world was like and how it would be different and a written plan explaining how they would actually succeed in stopping the event. We will also work on using the BIG6 steps for research. These steps are task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation.
Science: We have finished the digestion unit and our next unit will focus on stars. This unit will be done after our unit in social studies.
Social Studies: On Monday, we have our Harriet Tubman field trip. On Tuesday, the students will learn about the French and Indian War which leads to the taxes that are placed on the colonists. The students will learn about taxes, and the taxes that the colonists are required to pay. They will also learn how the colonists protested these taxes.
Spelling Unit 21:
precede predict prefer pretend pretest prevent preview previous proceed
process proclaim professional program progress project promise property
pronunciation propose protect ceramic opponent aquarium resources prefix
acquaintance prearrange preparation preserve presume process profound
productive prohibitive proportional hyperbole personification alliteration simile
onomatopoeia metaphor
ISAT SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, March 6: Session 1 for both reading and math
Wednesday, March 7: Session 2 for both reading and math
Thursday, March 8: Session 3 for both reading and math
BOX TOPS:
The PTA is always collecting box tops. They can be found on many different products such as: Progresso soups, Kleenex boxes, Suddenly Salad, Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, and many more products. Check all of your purchased goods and send in your box tops. This is an easy way for the school to make money to enrich our children at May Watts.
READING INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
To earn the prize, the fifth graders will need to read 400 minutes for this month. The prizes this month will be a ticket to the Kane County Cougars May Watts Night on May 24 & a free personal pizza at Pizza Hut. The Kane County Cougars ticket includes a free hot dog and drink voucher, tshirt, and an opportunity to run around the bases.
LMC NEWS:
Young Authors entries are due on Thursday - late admissions will not be accepted, so bring them in on time.
We are looking for parent scorers for the Young Authors entries. Reading will be done during the school day on Monday - Wednesday, March 5-7. Parents can sign up to read at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4A4AB2EA13-readers
The Book Fair is coming! Preview will be on March 7-9, with sales March 12-17. We will be open during the Fun Fair! Flyers will go home next week. Our online homepage can be accessed directly by going to http://goo.gl/7jFU4 or go to www.scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs and follow the path to May Watts.
Important Dates:
Harriet Tubman field trip Monday, February 27
Spelling Test Wednesday, February 29
Book Report due Wednesday, February 29
Final manuscripts for young authors due on Thursday, March 1
Paw print redemption Thursday, March 1
No School Friday, March 2 Teacher Institute
