Week of 4/4/2016

Highlights for the Week of 4/4/2016

in Mrs. Bell 's Classroom

Spelling - Theme 5 Review
This week's lesson is a review of the following rules: VCV words, prefixes and suffixes and words that end with "y". Students must score 100% on the pretest to earn challenge work. The final test will be on Friday, 4/8.   Cursive & Google Classroom activities are also due that day.

Shel Silverstein

Reading - Journeys - Poetry 
The next cycle of our Journeys unit will focus on Poetry. We will begin by studying author's viewpoint through Shel Silverstein's poetry. Author's viewpoint is how the author expresses his/her feelings about a topic and/or the purpose for writing. We will also revisit the topic of first and third person. When text is written in first person point of view, a character in the story tells the story, and pronouns such as "I", "me" and "we" are used. Third person point of view is when a narrator outside of the story is telling it, and pronouns such as "he", "she" and "they" are included. We will also study types of figurative language that is used in poetry.

Social Studies - The Ojibwa
Our week begins with a study of the culture of the Ojibwa Native American group from the Midwest. We will learn about the Ojibwe culture of the past, and how the Ojibwa people preserve their traditions in the present day. Students will complete a GRADED REVIEW of the lesson on Wednesday, 4/6. Next stop on our journey across the U.S. is the Southwest region. Students will create a map of the region in preparation for the map QUIZ, which is scheduled for the week of 4/11. We will begin this region with a look at the magnificent landscape of the Southwest - in particular, the Grand Canyon.

Science - How Does Your Body Get Oxygen & Nutrients?
We will finish our study of the circulatory system on Tuesday. Students will take an open note/book QUIZ on Wednesday, 4/6. The nervous system is next on our agenda.

DON'T FORGET that the INVENTION is due on 4/26.

Below are some photos from our "Wheels, Levers & Pulleys" in-school field trip. A huge THANK YOU  to the parent volunteers who helped to make our morning a success. We had fun while learning about simple machines!!!

Work = Distance X Force...Here's Alex demonstrating that pushing on a wall does not equal work!

Zoe & the gang learn that using wheels makes moving a load much easier.

Lily uses the pulley chair to lift herself.

Using a lever to lift the teacher is easier when the fulcrum is closer to the load (aka Mrs.  Bell).

How does changing the angle of the inclined plane change the effort needed to lift the load?

What impact does the position of the fulcrum have on the effort need to lift the load?

Friction can be helpful or harmful...

Complex machines are made of many simple machines!

Gears are found in clocks and other household items.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 5 - Multiplication & Division of Fractions
We have mastered the art of multiplying a whole number by a fraction by studying the following strategies: multiplication algorithm, repeated addition, chunking (everyone's favorite!), multiplying by the unit fraction and then by the numerator, trading places & "quarters". Be sure to ask your child if he/she can describe each strategy, and which is his/her preferred method. Multiplying two fractions is the next concept on the agenda!

Don't Forget...

3/25 - Spring break begins

4/4 - School resumes after Spring break
Week of 4/11 - PARCC testing begins

Mrs. Karen Bell