Wow! Our room is filled with Pumpkins. Thanks for all of your hard work at home. The pumpkins are adorable. I will post some pictures soon!
I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Halloween! I also hope that it dries up enough for some trick or treating this evening.
We will have a math test on Monday. I am sending some homework home this weekend to help your student prepare. We will have a chance to go over the homework together Monday morning.
This weekend at home......
Read and Record x2. Do this on the October Gold Card. I will pass out November Gold Cards and award prizes on Monday.
If you did not finish your word work this week, please do. Each child should have one mini-proverb poster and one root poster. Most students are finished.
Complete the following problems in My Math:
page 313: all,
page 316: 4
page 317: all
page 318: 6, 8, 14, 16
Next Friday, we will be making collages. Students may bring in one or two family photos. We will be cutting them !
Tonight at home....
-complete math p. 303 both sides and unfinished classwork
- read Science Fusion p 391-398 and complete the response activities on a separate sheet of paper
-work on your Pumpkin Project. Final drafts may be finished on a separate sheet of paper. We will present our projects on Thursday.
Reminders....
We have a field trip on Wednesday. Please bring a bag lunch.
We will celebrate Halloween on Thursday. Students may bring treats to share. There are 30 students in our class.
Weekly study guides went home today. We will test on Thursday!
The Haunted Houses are freaky! Today we published our Haunted House listings. The real estate slump will be over when the public hears about these unique properties. One boasts over 9,000 square feet, real feet. Another comes complete with freaky portraits that talk back to visitors. We created haunted house models to make an inviting picture of these dream homes. The authors' purpose was both to persuade and inform, and I think that the 201 authors have accomplished both. You can see them on Report Card day.
We also reviewed the Distributive Property, and took our Reading test on Think Central.
This weekend at home.....
complete the "solving word problems" page.
make sure that you are staying on track with your Pumpkin Project. The writing and the pumpkin are due next Thursday. I will allow time to work on it next week, but you may want to get started. Next week will go so quickly!
read and record on your log.
*****All field trip money and forms are due NO LATER than Monday! If your child has lost the form, simply hand write a note stating that s/he is able to attend the trip on 10/30. Please include your signature and emergency contact number.
Your spine will be tingling when our "Haunted House For Sale" real estate listings are finished! These houses are filled with bone-chilling features! We will finish them tomorrow.
Your students know that I had to leave Disney early today.
Tonight at home...
complete the My Math homework "The Distributive Property." There is a great brain pop on the topic. If you need some support, this is a good place to turn. Study jams is another great resource.
finish the rough draft of your Haunted House For Sale writing.
get ready for tomorrow's spelling and vocabulary test. Reread the story, Invasion From Mars to get you ready. You can find it on Think Central.
Reminders and Notes
Tomorrow is picture day. It is also a gym day. We will not have time to do a full costume change between pictures and gym.
Field Trip forms. Please bring the form and money in tomorrow.
The pumpkin project is due on Thursday, 10/31. Students are welcome to supply their own pumpkin for decoration. I will supply a very small "mini pumpkin" and will have these to distribute tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will also explain how to complete the second half of the project: the writing piece. I can't wait to see 201's amazing creativity!
Halloween Celebration: Pod 200 will celebrate during the last period of the day. Students should not wear or bring costumes to school. Students may bring candy or tokens to share with classmates. Please be aware that candy should be nut-free. There are 30 students in our classroom!
revisited our Measuring Matter foldables. Students were given the opportunity to correct mistakes and omissions. Most improved their grade significantly!
collected images to support our NE region Educreations Report. Tomorrow we will create "trial" presentations to get familiar with the app.
received our new Think Central login information. Students recorded their info inside their homework folders.
worked with this week's story, Invasion form Mars.
listened to me read a bit of Romeo and Juliet from the Shakespeare for Kids series. What a battle!
worked on multiplying double digit numbers that include zeroes. We reviewed the partial products method, and previewed the distributive property.
used our Science Fusion texts to review the Phases of Water. Students took an open book quiz on Think Central.
Tonight at home......
continue to work on the Pumpkin Project character inferences. Complete three tonight. Make sure to use strong adjectives and to include the evidence that provides the proof.
Complete the My Math Homework page 283. Yes, we are skipping quite a few pages!
Complete the Physical/Chemical Changes page.
Reminders:
Picture Day is this Friday, not Thursday!
Spring Maps scores are coming home today. You have seen these scores. This new report is a bit easier to read and digest. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Take notes as you view the presentation. For extra credit, write 10 silly, humorous, or interesting sentences. Create a code that identifies the helping, main, and linking verbs.
Today we read Invasion from Mars and discussed the terrifying radio broadcast of War of the Worlds in 1938. We also discussed the Partial Products strategy for multiplying large numbers. Toward the end of the day, we spent more time discussing the phases of matter.
Tonight at home....
complete two of the four vocabulary activities. Students should select two words from this week's vocabulary list that are the most challenging.
complete two of the "character inferences" sections for you Pumpkin Book project. Remember to be specific and cite text.
complete the my math homework: Finding Partial Products.
Parents, please do not be alarmed. If your child turned in a gold card today, I still have it! They will be returned on Monday. There is no homework this weekend unless...
you are a student who is has not turned in Postcards or the Measuring Matter foldable.
you have not finished your final draft of the Itsy Bitsy Spider makeover.
you have not gotten a book approved for the Pumpkin Project. Please bring in a book by Monday!
Reminders/Notes:
The Pumpkin Project due date has been changed to Thursday, October 31. Next week's homework will be centered around the "character traits" graphic organizer. I will be checking them each day to make sure that students are pacing themselves and that they are completing the work correctly. The following week's homework will focus on the essay writing. I will explain it all to students on Monday. If you need a mini pumpkin, I will have them next week. Students are welcome to purchase "regular" sized pumpkins or gords. Right now, all you need to do is make sure that you have a book, read, and think about your final pumpkin! Start Planning!
Picture Day is Friday! Bring in those forms, please!
Bring in a clear, plastic water bottle, with lid, for Wednesday's lab. We have about 12 bottles now, thanks to Bianca and Alex! :-)
I have posted a link/code on Edmodo so that 201 students can join my Educreations page. This is a fantastic platform for creating presentations. If you have time, you can log on and play with this resource so that you can "get to know it." We will use Educreations to create presentation on the NE region next week
I will be posting next week's study guide soon. Look for it on Edmodo.
A note about Halloween: School policy dictates that Halloween "celebrations" will occur the last period of the day. Keep your costume at home, and send me a picture! At the end of the day, we will be playing games and enjoying some free time in 201. Students may bring an individually wrapped treat to share with peers in 201. There are 30 students in our class. We will assemble goodie bags and pass them out at the end of the day.
There is no school for students on Friday, November 1st! Aren't you lucky this year!
Extra Credit Research:
What does Esprit de Corps mean? Why did I select this phrase as the heading for the blog? Please post your reply in the comments or on Edmodo.
Why did I group these three video segments together? Is there a common theme? Please provide examples.
Parents, ask your child about today's title. It was a productive day in 201, but we all need to practice these words.
Tonight at home....
complete the Math Enrich sheet.
get today's math test signed. Please make corrections by making a model or writing an equation. If you got 100 %, get the test signed and bring it back.
finish your Stormalong postcards. They should be error-free and contain details from the text. I will collect 2 postcard tomorrow. Color? Yes. Neat? Absolutely.
read the play that is found after Stormalong. These two stories are different genres, but the theme is similar. What is the Theme? Answer in three to four sentences.
Today was busy, as usual. We began with the Brainpop of the Day, which just happens to coordinate with this week's vocabulary focus skill: Using Reference Sources. We then logged on the Think Central, and began our daily reading work. Next, it was off to see Ms. Ahern for music. Back in the Pod, we met in small groups to work on either problem solving with Mrs. Ginn, or problem solving with a partner. At noon, we were off the the Science Lab. Students used the Triple Beam Balance, graduated cylinders, and old fashioned division to find the Mass, Volume, and Density of objects. Tomorrow, we will create triple bar graphs that will help us compare our results. Students will go to ST Math after lunch, and our school day will be over.
Reminders:
All books for the pumpkin project need to be approved no later than Monday. I will give directions so that kids can begin completing the Character/Inference sheet next week.
Picture Day is October 24th. Send in your forms before the 24 if you would like a class and or/individual pictures
We will take a Math test tomorrow on problem solving with single digit multiplication and division.
Thank you to Bianca, and Alex for sending in the food coloring and bottles. We do not need any more food coloring, but we do need more plastic bottles. The bottles should be clear and should have lids.
Can you send in a jug of Corn Oil? If so, let me know.
Tonight at home....
Finish the "Hamburger" problem. We worked on this in small groups today, and all students should know the solution. At home, answer all of the questions on the sheet and use the answer sheet to explain your solution and show all of your work.
Complete two more sections of the "Literary Reactions" sheet. Focus on Dear Mr. Henshaw, pages 50-60. Please use direct quotes, or explain the event in detail. In the reactions section, tell me how you react to the passage and WHY. What does the passage tell you about the character? Can you infer anything? Please, lets see some deep thinking tonight!
Back by popular demand......Here is Mr. Lee's Multiples Video
I hope that all enjoyed a restful long weekend. Kudos to the students who completed all of their assignments and came to school prepared and ready to roll! Check those Gold Cards to see if your child received a stamp.
Today we.....
Continued our research on the Northeast region. Students should be ready to begin their Educreation multi-media reports by the end of this week.
Discussed fragment and run- on sentences. We discussed how punctuation can make us better, more understanding readers.
Met in small groups to practice our fluency and reading strategies. We paid special attention to the punctuation!
Worked with this week's vocabulary words. Students picked two challenging words for today's focus. One of this week's words is tidal. Kids have lots of questions about the relationship between the moon and tides. I have inserted a You Tube video to help us begin learning about tides.
Reviewed how to measure matter, and discussed the relationship between density, volume and mass.
Worked on problem solving in math, using our multiplication skills and models to check if solutions are reasonable.
Discussed the homework, including the Pumpkin Project
Tonight at home....
Read Dear Mr. Henshaw until you read page 50. I know that many are finished with the book. They will need to reread in order to complete this week's reading assignment.
Work on two sections of the Literary Reactions page. Here is how it works: On the left hand column, record a direct quote from the book, and make sure to record the page number. Select a section that is interesting and makes you think! In the right hand column, record your reaction. What do you think? How does it make you feel and why? Can you make a connection to another text? What does it show you about the character?
Complete the My Math homework on page 183
Finish today's two Word Work activities. Most students are finished or near completion.
Look over the Pumpkin Project packet with a parent. This project is due on October 30th. Books should be approved by Monday, October 21st. See the "October Book Project" tab on this blog for samples and a project overview.
We need.......
about eight clear, empty, plastic water bottles with caps. If you have one, bring it in tomorrow.
corn syrup. One half gallon container should do the trick.
food coloring. If you can spare a color or two, we will put it to good use in the lab.
Please send me an email if you are able to bring in any of these items by tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I will be distributing materials and explaining a special book project. Check out the tabs on the website. I have just added a new one: October Book Project. Click here for a general overview and some student samples. The details should be in the Homework Folder tomorrow.
We just can't seem to agree today. There were many great ideas!
This weekend:
finish your Vocabulary Interview. It should be error free! Remember, your purpose is to inform and entertain! Make sure that we really get to know your word!
Read Stormalong and answer the "Analyze Text" questions.
Note that this week's study guide is posted on edmodo.
Finish today's problem solving activity. Remember to Show/Model/ and Explain clearly!
Reminders:
There is no school on Monday. It is Columbus Day.
Picture forms went home yesterday. October 25 is picture day. If you need a new form, please contact the main office.
I am home with a sickie today, but I plan on being back tomorrow !
Tonight at home...
- reread The Power of Wow to prepare for tomorrow's test
- complete the My Math homework for the Factors an Multiples lesson
-finish your Reading Response page
Hello Team 201! I am posting two videos that will help you understand the properties of matter. Today, we talked about physical properties. Next, we will explore chemical properties. You will learn how to distinguish between a physical change and a chemical change. I hope that these videos will help you get started! You can also watch a Properties of Matter video on Study Jams. Click on the Study Jams tab from the blog. Once you are there, search in the Science section for the video.
Today we went to the Science Lab and measured the volume of regular and irregular shaped objects. Ask your child to tell you about water displacement. We also finished up our Mayflower research, we worked on Vocabulary Interviews, discussed a Bill Nye video, and spent some time with Tim and Moby learning about measuring matter. In math, we measured volume and we used the Associative Property to make multiplication faster and easier.
Tonight at home......
Complete the Lesson 6 Enrich activity
Complete page 171/2 in MY Math
Complete 2 sections of your Reading Response page. Use Dear Mr. Henshaw.
Today in 201 we talked about how heat can be transferred via conduction, convection, or radiation. Tomorrow, we will go to the Science lab to measure the volume of irregular shaped objects. We also discussed D.M. H., did some problem solving in math, discussed the Mayflower voyage, and did some esparking.
Tonight at home....
Complete the My Math p 165
Complete the Enrich problem, showing : Ask/ Know/Show/Explain
Read Dear Mr. Henshaw 20- 30 and complete the Reading Response of your choice.
Finish the Conduction, Convection, and Radiation cartoon.
Watch this video, if you can. Our next unit in Science is.......Matter!
discussed Theme and worked to find actions and evidence that would support our ideas about theme.
solved problems with variables in math, and worked with the problem solving strategy: make a table.
accepted Mrs. Ginn's apologies about last weekend's math homework.
received this week's study guide for spelling, grammar, and comprehension.
went to Computers, lunch and recess.
Tonight at home.....
please complete the Character Sketch section of the Reading Response page. Use Dear Mr. Henshaw. Your subject is Leigh Botts. Make sure to add plenty of details!
complete the My Math Homework and Review pages: 157-160
Read Dear Mr. Henshaw. 13-20.
Extra! Extra! Tomorrow we will talk about HEAT. This Bill Nye Video will get you ready!
Read Dear Mr. Henshaw and respond to the following questions in writing. Make sure to restate the question and add details from the text. Use phrases like.....In the text it states....This shows me that.....I think this means that.......The authors writes that....I can infer that.....
Pages 1–12: Why does Leigh's attitude toward Mr. Henshaw change?
Complete the math word problems page
Finish any unfinished center work: 3 Greek and Latin Root pages, 1 Idiom page and the Conversation activity. Most kids finished these activities during class today.
Please sign and return this week's reading test.
Some students have not turned in this week's reading response homework activities. When it is turned in, the "zero" will be changed in the grade book.
This week's grammar lesson teaches us about how to use quotation marks correctly, and today we worked on creating conversations. You kids came up with some extremely creative ideas. We have conversations between the sun and moon, ketchup and mustard, and even vanilla and chocolate! We worked hard to edit our work, making sure that the punctuation and spelling were correct.
Tonight at home........
finish the Reading Response page. Make sure to add details and examples to your work . The paper may be small, but your ideas need to be BIG! Some students were instructed to rework certain sections. Give it your all!
My Math homework pp 145 and 146 and the Lesson 2 Enrich page
Read for pleasure and record the minutes on your Gold Card. Rereading this week's story is a good idea. We have a test tomorrow!
Tomorrow we will.....
discuss Wednesday's Science Lab. I plan on doing the experiment again in the classroom so that we can compare and discuss the results.
take our Weekly Reading Test. Study those spelling and vocabulary words.
continue our tour of the Northeast region
work on problem solving in multiplication and division
Reminder:
Students are expected to know their multiplication facts by heart. Those who are "winging it" will find that math will get increasingly difficult. Practice at home.
Here is a link to one of my favorite math resources that can help you practice.
talked more about roots and words. Students worked on the roots narr-, vis-, opt-, bi-, di- and hydro-.
we launched our unit on the NE region of the United States.
met in smaller groups to practice reading fluency and work on our comprehension.
took the REACH fall performance task. This will be used as a growth benchmark, not as a formal assessment.
worked on multi-step problem solving
Tonight at home....
Complete one more section of the Reading Response page. You can use this week's story for the non fiction response section. Don't forget to add plenty of details!
Complete the Science pages about Heat Energy. This will help you get ready for tomorrow's lab!
Complete My Math Homework and get ready for tomorrow's test, which will cover estimating sums and differences, working with variables and multi-step addition and subtraction word problems.
At note about Dear Mr. Henshaw
Many students have gone to the trouble to get the novel from the book store or library. I have purchased 9 copies from ebay. Still, we are many copies short! Please try to get the book from the library. We will begin reading this week!
