Reading: This week in reading we will read the story "Summer of Fire". With this story, we will focus on figurative language and graphic aids. The students will learn how to read a timeline, and they will create their own timeline for the story. They will also answer another extended response question. The following is the extended response question for this story. What are the good and bad effects of forest fires on the environment? Use information from the text and your own ideas to answer the question. We will also continue to work on using context clues and affixes to define words. The vocabulary words for this week are: geyser, veered, canopy, tinder, dwindled, embers, and policy.
Book Report: The next book report is due on Thursday, January 13. This book is a choice book. The students need to make an A to Z book report. They will make a chart with the letters from A to Z going down the left side of the paper. For each of the letters, write a word or phrase that represents a part of the book. This should be a person, setting, part of the plot, solution, key words, time period, etc. from your story. Your words should give a summary of your novel.
Math: In math we have been working on unit 6. The first lesson focused on organizing data and using our landmarks. The landmarks are maximum, minimum, mode, median, range, and mean. The students learned how to make and interpret a stem leaf plot, worked on using personal measures, probability, and the relationship between sample size and reliability. This week we will work on the extended response in math. With the math extended response, we look at the students strategy to solve the problem, their computational knowledge, and their ability to explain how they solved the problem and why they used those strategies to solve the problem. We will also learn about analyzing, displaying data, and using the landmarks. The students will also learn about adding and subtracting fractions without common denominators.
Writing: This week the students will write another expository paper. The prompt for this paper is the following: If you could take 3 things with you to a deserted island what would they be and why? The focus skills will be on introductions and conclusions. We will also continue working on our A to Z book.
Science: This week in science we will continue learning about magnets. We have already learned about the basic parts of the atom. The proton has a positive charge and is located in the nucleus. The neutron has no charge and is also located in the nucleus. The electron has a negative charge and is located in the outer shells of the atom. The students also learned about an element and how to read the periodic table of elements. They built a 3D model of a salt molecule. The students learned about a natural magnet called lodestone. They will also learned about permanent magnets and temporary magnets. We are using the following permanent magnets: cow magnet, horseshoe magnet, bar magnet, donut magnet, and disc magnet. They also learned how to make a magnet and the metals that can be made magnetic. This week they will learn about magnetic lines and fields and where a magnet is the strongest.
Social Studies: We will go back to social studies next quarter.
Spelling: Unit 14 Words:
There is no spelling for this week. Our next pretest will be on Thursday, January 6.
Important Dates:
Classes resume on Wednesday, January 5
Paw print redemption Thursday, January 6
Science test over magnets Friday, January 7
Math test Thursday, January 13
Book Report due Thursday, January 13
No School Friday, January 14
No School Monday, January 17
Young Authors letter of intent due to the LMC on Friday, January 21
Paw print redemption Thursday, January 6
Science test over magnets Friday, January 7
Math test Thursday, January 13
Book Report due Thursday, January 13
No School Friday, January 14
No School Monday, January 17
Young Authors letter of intent due to the LMC on Friday, January 21
