So You Want to Be President

This week's selection is So You Want to Be President.

 Each child will spend the next two week's researching one of our nation's presidents.  Students will be given some time at school to work on this project, but time will need to be spent on this at home as well.  The project is due Friday, November 6.

We are collecting food and toiletry items for the school Harvest for Hunger.  So far, our class has collected 11 items.  We need to collect a lot more in order to win the school-wide contest!  Right now, Mrs. Pendleton's class is winning because they have brought in the most canned goods.

We are getting ready to start our unit on electricity.  Donations of C and D batteries would be greatly appreciated.

The next literature project is informational nonfiction due on November 22.  A rubric and graphic organizer to aid in the process were sent home last Friday.

What Jo Did

Our reading selection this week is What Jo Did.  To view a powerpoint of vocabulary and skills, click here.  For other What Jo Did activities and resources, click here.  To watch cause/effect video, click here.

In science we are practicing the scientific method as we study conservation of matter.  For the steps of the scientific method, click here.  To watch a video of the scientific method, click here. (Email me for the username and password).

In math we are still working on number sense and operations.  This week is a review of addition and subtraction, but students are now being asked to find their solutions in multiple ways and to explain those solutions.  We are moving beyond simple computation and into pulling out the important information from a word problem.

Subtraction Algorithm game

Algorithm explanations
Subtraction algorithm examples

Walkathon

Don't forget, our walkathon is Thursday, September 26!  It's not too late to donate to this worthy cause.  The funds generated by the school walkathon go directly to the students in the form of Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math technology.  Without the walkathon, we would not be able to support this amazing source of individualized instruction.  If each student collected $20, we would surpass our goal!

This week's reading selection is Letters Home from Yosemite, a nonfiction text about one of our country's most famous and beautiful parks.
Letters Home Powerpoint
Vocabulary flashcards
Games
Vocabulary Practice
Comprehension and vocabulary review

Conservation of Matter

In science we will begin to study conservation of matter, the principle that, in a closed system, matter cannot be destroyed or created.  It can only change frrom one substance to another.

• Brainpop: Conservation of Mass
  
• Heating and Cooling
  
• Characteristics of Matter
  
• Changing State
  
• Reversible and Irreversible Changes
• Law of Conservation of Energy and Mass

The Horned Toad Prince is this week's reading selection.

Vocabulary

Powerpoint

Estimation

We are practicing our estimation skills in math.
Thanks to mathworkshopadventures.blogspot.com for their estimation anchor chart idea.  We made our own today.


Estimation lessons and practice
Games, activities and videos
Rounding game

Grandfather's Journey

This week's reading selection:

Book Trailer
Vocabulary
Grandfather's Journey powerpoint


Internet agreement forms must be returned in order for your child to have access to the internet while at school as well as to participate in Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math.

Scenes from last week's observation vs. inference lesson:

  

Lewis & Clark & Me

Lewis and Clark and Me is the reading selection this week.
Links to try:
http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/
http://www.lewis-clark.org/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/
Vocabulary Quiz
Powerpoint

The reading and spelling tests will both be on Friday this week (regular schedule).

Don't forget to collect Box Tops for Education!!!