Week of 6/2/14 - 6/6/14

Highlights for the Week of 6/2/14

in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Review

This week's spelling lesson will be a review list. Students must earn a 100% on the pretest to qualify for challenge work. The final TEST on this lesson will be given on Friday, 6/6. The workbook pages OR challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - I Can Apply Reading Strategies

Author Peg Kehret

The Peg Kehret book clubs are going extremely well.  I am very pleased and impressed with how the student discussions have developed. Students will have their second book club meeting on Monday, 6/2, third book club meeting on Wednesday, 6/4, and their fourth, and final, meeting is scheduled for Friday, 6/6. 

English-Pronouns

Object pronouns, and correct use of the pronouns, "I and Me" are the topics that we will study in English this week.



Social Studies - The Tlingit / End of the Year "Wrap Up"
Students will complete their Tlingit masks, and share them with the class on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we will create a "suitcase" in which your child will pack up all of his/her regional projects to bring home. At the end of the week, we will begin preparing for our classroom luau, which is the Western region feast scheduled for 6/9.  ALL students will participate in the luau.

Science - What are the Types of Rocks / What is the Rock Cycle?

The formation and identification of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks is what we will study in the beginning of the week.  Students will take an open note/book QUIZ on chapter 7, lesson 1 on Tuesday, 6/3.

We will finish the week with a look at the rock cycle.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Perimeter & Area / Geometry

The TEST on Unit 13 is scheduled for Monday, 6/2. Just a reminder that students should use handouts to review circumference and area of a circle. We will finish the year with a look at geometry.

Don't forget...

June 10 - Bowling Field Trip - 12:10-2:15

June 12 -- Last Day of School - Students dismissed at 11:00

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 5/26/14 - 5/30/14

Highlights for the Week of 5/26/14

in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - None

Due to the short week, we will not have a spelling lesson.

Reading - I Apply Reading Strategies

Author Peg Kehret

The date of the first meeting of our Peg Kehret Book Clubs is Thursday, 5/29. During the meetings, students will use their discussion sheets to guide the conversations about the books that they are reading.  Students will take turns being the group leader, who is responsible for controlling the discussion. I will be observing two groups at each meeting, and students will be graded on the how well they participate in the discussion, and how well they listen and respond to others.  

English-Adverbs / Pronouns

Students will be taking the pretest to qualify for challenge work for the Pronouns unit on Monday.  We will begin the Pronouns unit with a look at "What is a Pronoun" & "Subject Pronouns".

Social Studies - The Tlingit
The native american group of the West, The Tlingit, is the next unit that we will study in Social Studies. Students will learn about the culture of the Tlingit in the past and present.  They will create their own Native American masks at the end of the week, much like the Tlingit did in the past.

Science - What are the Types of Rocks?

Students will complete a lab that investigates properties of minerals.  The properties that they will test include hardness, color, luster, texture, streak and magnetism. They will use their investigative skills to determine the identity of each mineral based upon their properties.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Perimeter, Area & Geometry

Students will take a QUIZ on lessons 1-2 of unit 13 on Tuesday, 5/27. This quiz will also include circumference, which is not in the My Math book.  Students should review the work that we completed together in class to prepare for the quiz. The rest of the week will be spent focusing on measuring area (including circles), and how area and perimeter are related.  Look for a TEST on Unit 13 to be scheduled the week of 6/2.

Don't forget...

May 26 - No School - Memorial Day
June 12 - Last day of school

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 5/19/14 - 5/23/14

Highlights for the Week of 5/19/14

in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Silent Consonants

This week's spelling list will focus on words that have silent consonants. The final TEST on this lesson will be given on Friday, 5/23. The workbook pages OR challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - I Can Apply Reading Strategies

Peg Kehret

The second book club meeting will be on Monday, 5/19. The third, and final, book club meeting for the novel, Number the Stars, is scheduled for Thursday, 5/22. During the next unit in reading, we will once again spend time participating in  Book Clubs with various novels by the author, Peg Kehret.  Students will have the opportunity to read a novel at their own learning and interest level and discuss the novel in collaborative learning groups.  We will preview the selections on Friday, and students will prioritize their book choices. Throughout the unit, they will continue to improve their comprehension skills by applying the reading strategies of summarizing, connecting, predicting and questioning.

English-Adverbs / Pronouns

The Adverbs & Prepositions TEST is scheduled for Thursday, 5/22. Students should review the practice pages and textbook pages 234-245 while preparing for the test. The review at the end of the chapter on pages 250-254 is also helpful. The last (I can't believe I am typing the LAST!!!) unit in English this year will be pronouns.

Social Studies - The West / U.S. Map & The Tlingit

The chapter 12 TEST is scheduled for Monday, 5/19.  We will spend the next two days completing the Western region portion of our U.S. maps, which finishes our year long map project. Our study of the Tlingits, the Native American group of the West, will begin on Thursday.

Science - Gravity / Time For Kids

We will finish our study of gravity and other natural forces on Tuesday.  On Wednesday, students will take an open note/book QUIZ on lesson 3 of chapter 16 on Wednesday, 5/21.  We will finish the week by reading a Time for Kids magazine about tornadoes, and taking the comprehension QUIZ on Friday.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Perimeter, Area & Geometry

The Unit 10 TEST is scheduled for Monday, 5/19. Area, perimeter and geometry are the next topic that we will focus on in math.

Don't forget...
May 26 - No School - Memorial Day
June 12 - Last day of school

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 5/12/14 - 5/16/14

Highlights for the Week of 5/12/14

 in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Unusual Spellings

This week's spelling list will focus on words that have unusual spellings. The final TEST on this lesson will be given on Friday, 5/12. The workbook pages OR challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - I Can Apply Reading Strategies
Our novel study of Number the Stars will continue this week. Students will independently prepare to have their first meeting by reading chapters and completing the book club discussion sheet. The discussion sheet revisits the strategies of summarizing, connecting, predicting and questioning, as well as learning new vocabulary and identifying character traits. The first meeting of the book clubs will take place on 5/14.  I will be observing and assessing student collaboration during the meetings.

English- Adverbs and Prepositions

We will finish this chapter with a look at negatives and prepositions.  Look for the Adverbs & Prepositions test to be scheduled the week of 5/19.

Social Studies - The West
Our study of the West region will be completed with a look at resources. Students will complete a project about the West using Tagxedo software.  The project will be completed in school. The test on chapter 12 is scheduled for the week of 5/19.

Science - Simple Machines / Catapults
ALL STUDENTS will participate in the catapult project, which is due on Monday, 5/19. Look for the project sheet to come home on 5/12. The catapults do not need to be complex, however, they must include a simple machine. SCIENCE STUDENTS will take an open note/book QUIZ on lesson 3 of chapter 17 on Tuesday, 5/13. The chapter 17 TEST will be given on Thursday, 5/15.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Fractions and Decimals
This week's math concepts include addition of decimals, comparing & ordering decimals, and the problem solving skill of extra or missing information.  Look for the Unit 10 TEST to be scheduled the week of 5/19.

FYI...
5/16 - Early Dismissal - Students dismissed at 11:00
5/26 - No School - Memorial Day

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 5/5/14 - 5/9/14

Highlights for the Week of 5/5/14

 in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Final /ər/, /l/ or /əl/

This week's spelling list will focus on words that end with the /ər/, /l/ or /əl/ sounds. The final test on this lesson will be given on Friday, 5/9. The workbook pages OR challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - I Can Apply Reading Strategies

Our novel study of Number the Stars will continue this week. We will revisit making connections and questioning as we read chapters 5-6. Identifying character traits, and vocabulary will also be part of our book study.



English- Adverbs

Comparing with adverbs, and using "good and well" will be the topics in English this week. Students will independently complete a graded review of lessons 1-3 of the unit on Friday.

Social Studies - The West
The West map QUIZ is scheduled for Monday, 5/5. We will begin our study of the climate and resources in the West later in the week.

Science - How do Other Simple Machines Help People Work?
Science students will take an open note/book QUIZ on lesson 2 of chapter 15 on Monday, 5/5. We will complete this unit with a look at how inclined planes, wedges and screws make work easier. 

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 10 - Fractions & Decimals

Place value of decimals through the hundredths place is what we will focus on this week. Students will take the QUIZ on lessons 1-3 of Unit 10 on Thursday, 5/8. We will finish the week with a look at the relationship between fractions & decimals.

FYI...

Students will be taking the MAPs test the week of 5/5.  Our class will be taking the math test on Tuesday, and the reading test on Wednesday. Please see that your child comes to school well rested, and with a healthy breakfast and snack those days!

Mrs. Karen Bell