Week of 5.29.2017

Highlights for the Weeks of 5/29/2017
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling & Reading

NO Spelling or Reading this week! Please encourage your child to read at least 20 minutes per day during the summer. The public libraries in the area all have marvelous Summer Reading Programs that encourage children to read during the break. Be sure to check them out!

Social Studies - The West

We will prepare for our classroom luau, which is the Western region feast, scheduled for 5/31. Students will learn about the history of the luau, make their own grass skirts and feast on the traditional luau foods of barbecued pork, salmon, fruit salad and Hawaiian punch! We will have fun hula dancing and watching the Disney film, Lilo & Stitch. 

Mapmaker, mapmaker, make me a map! Below are photos of students finishing up their U.S. maps. This was a year-long project in which they created the map region by region.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Finding Circumference and Area of Circles

Students will review how to find circumference and area of a circle using Pi. Our last day of math is Wednesday, 5/31. On that day we will have a Pi day celebration - reviewing what we have learned about circles as we enjoy some special pi/pie of our own!

FYI...

5/29 - Memorial Day - No School
5/30 - Bowling Field Trip
6/1  - Field Day / Picnic / Talent Show
6/2 - Last Day of School - Students Dismissed at 11:35

FUN IN THE FAB LAB...

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 5.22.17

Highlights for the Weeks of 5/22/2017
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Words with "kn", "gn" & "wr"

This week's spelling list consists of words that contain the silent letters such as knob, gnome, and wreck.  The final TEST is scheduled for Friday, 5/26.

Reading- Unit 2 - "Journeys" - A Poetic Journey

The comprehension QUIZ for Love That Dog is scheduled for Monday, 5/22. Students will be allowed to use their novels for the quiz. We will also read a Time for Kids magazine that focuses on how veterinarians care for animals in the wild. Students will independently complete a comprehension QUIZ on the magazine on 5/26.

English - Poetry

The Poetry books are finished and should be submitted on or before 5/22.

Social Studies - The West

The chapter 12 TEST is scheduled for Tuesday, 5/23. We will also complete the West region portion of our U.S. maps. 

Science - Simple Machines

Students will learn about how simple machines make our lives easier. Catapults are due 5/26. Please ask your child to see the project description sheet. 

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 7 - Division & Decimals
Multiplying and Dividing by powers of ten will be our focus at the beginning of the week. We will begin our study of circles on Friday.

All year we have studied strategies for solving math problems. Below is a photo of the many strategies that students used to solve the equation 125 X 16 = ? on a homework assignment. It is very gratifying to see them independently applying what they have learned.

FYI...

5/29 - Memorial Day - No School
6/2 - Last Day of School

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 5.15.17

Highlights for the Weeks of 5/15/2017
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Words with "ought & "ound"

This week's spelling list consists of words that have the letters "ought" and "ound". We will also revisit using context clues to determine the meanings of unknown words. The vocabulary focus will be on types of figurative language. The final TEST is scheduled for Friday, 5/19

Reading- Unit 2 - "Journeys" - A Poetic Journey

We are coming to the end of our novel study. I am so proud of the growth that I have seen in the reading skills of the students. Their ability to interpret and make inferences about text has grown in leaps and bounds from the beginning of the year. So many of them have told me that they love this book. Who would have thought that poetry could be so much fun?

A comprehension QUIZ for the novel is scheduled for Monday, 5/22.

English - Poetry

Students will be writing a Cinquain poem, a color poem, a Five "W" Poem and a poem of choice this week. We will also learn about hyperbole...a type of figurative language that involves exaggeration. Poetry books will be submitted on or before 5/22.

Social Studies - The West

The West map QUIZ will be on Tuesday, 5/16. We will continue our study of the West with a look at the climate and resources of the region. Look for the chapter 12 TEST to be scheduled the week of 5/22.

Science - How Does your Body Think & Move? / Simple Machines
The nervous and muscular systems will be our focus this week. We will also preview the next Science unit, which is Simple Machines. Look for a Catapult project description sheet to come home on Thursday.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 7 - Division & Decimals

We will continue our study of strategies for dividing with fractions. There is a Fraction Division CHECKPOINT scheduled for Wednesday, 5/17. We will finish the week with a look at division story problems and interpreting remainders.

Juliana demonstrates student-led learning as she leads the class in a discussion about the day's homework: 

Troy explains an alternative method for solving a division problem.

Sometimes we need a "brain break" to get the oxygen flowing.  Below is a video of math students up and moving to "You're Welcome"  - as led by JC...

FYI...

5/29 - Memorial Day - No School
6/2 - Last Day of School

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 5.8.17

Highlights for the Weeks of 5/8/2017
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Contractions

This week's spelling list consists of contractions, which are words resulting from shortening an original form. The vocabulary focus will be on types of figurative language. The final TEST is scheduled for Friday, 5/12

Reading- Unit 2 - "Journeys" - A Poetic Journey

We will continue our novel study of Love That Dog which tells the story of the journey of the main character, Jack, and how he learns to love poetry. There are a number of supplemental poems that are included in this book. Ask your child to tell you about the poetic elements that we discussed in Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening poem.

English - Poetry

To coincide with our novel study, students will continue to create their own original book of poetry. They will be writing poems in several formats and will be including a variety of figurative language that we have studied throughout the year. This project will be completed via Google Classroom. 

Social Studies - The West

Students will create their own map of the West region. Look for the West map QUIZ to be scheduled the week of 5/15.

Science - How Does your Body get Oxygen and Nutrients?

We will finish our study of the respiratory and digestive system and move on to the muscular and skeletal systems. Below is a video of students running in place during the "Pulse Rates" Investigation. We were studying the impact of movement on pulse rates. 

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 7 - Division & Decimals

The mathematicians had a ball with the Volume Breakout. This activity required that partners solve 4 volume problems to open locks in order to "break out" and earn a certificate. Below are photos of partners collaborating to accomplish this task...

This week in math we will continue our study of Division strategies. A division CHECKPOINT is scheduled for Friday, 5/12.

FYI...

5/12 - Early Dismissal - Students dismissed at 11:35

Mrs. Karen Bell