Happy May! Hopefully this week will be full of sun and normal temperatures! One month from Sunday was the last day of school--we have so much to do before then! Here is a look at our week ahead:
* Rather than have the kids read a specific genre this month, we are going to have the kids read Newbery Honors or Newbery Award winners. Detailed instructions for the project to accompany their reading went home last week. Originally, the kids were to find a book to be approved by May 6th--however, because of MAP testing and other scheduling changes, they will have until May 8th to get a book. Here is a link to some titles to look for. http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal The LMC will be pulling some books for the kids, but we also encourage you to access the AH Memorial Library as well.
* Packets for our Walk-a-Thon went home last week. Our class is scheduled for a time slot on May 17th from 3:00-3:30. We are looking forward to raising money for JDRF!
* Our class has been chosen to be taste testers for new menu items on our school lunch menu. This will be done during the lunch hour on Tuesday, May 14th. While the kids will be served different dishes, they are also invited to bring a sack lunch in case they do not like the lunch options enough to get a full meal. Of course, if your child has a food allergy or sensitivity, he/she does not need to participate.
* This week we will finish up our unit on making inferences in reading. The kids will read with a question in mind and use inference skills to answer these. We will also continue to work with theme in picture books. The kids will finish up their guided reading books this week and begin book clubs by next week.
* We planned out our story about the new characters we created in our WEX program last week. This week we will work with using various speech tags and strong verbs to help enhance our writing. Be sure to ask your child about what problems, rising actions, and turning points they have in mind for their new story!
* We begin Unit 9 in math. Our focus this week will be on the relationships between fractions, decimals, and percents. The kids will work on conversions between all three of the things for the "easy" fractions (1/2, 1/4, 1/5, 1/10, etc), using a calculator to convert, and finding a percent off of a number.
* In science, we will take another surface walk to notice more changes in our earth's surface. The kids will receive a study guide over erosion, abrasion, and landforms. The quiz over this material will be on Thursday. Next week, we will begin to learn about earth's plates and volcanoes.
* We will start lesson 7 in our History Alive program. The kids will learn about six British colonies and compare the different regions they were located in. We will take a look at the type of government, climate, jobs, geography, and reasons for founding. The kids will do research in the computer lab using various websites, work on using keywords during their search, and then create a project on the ipads to teach others about their colony.
* I think that covers everything--have a great start to the week! ~ Mrs. Galazka
