The "Buzz" from Mrs. Bell's Class: Week of 10/3/2016

Friday, September 30, 2016

Week of 10/3/2016

Highlights for the Week of 10/3/2016
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

elling - Unit 6 - "Suffixes "-ed" and "-ing"
This week's spelling/vocabulary list will include words with the suffixes -ed and -ing. We will study how adding these suffixes to base words changes their spelling. The final TEST is scheduled for Friday, 10/7.

Reading - Unit 1 - "Courage"

The Courage unit begins by exploring how one person can make a difference . We will introduce Martin Luther King by reviewing the words of the U2 Pride song which highlights his life. In order to gain some background knowledge, students will work in small groups to close read a biographical article on Dr. King. We will then move on to a fiction piece titled, "Happy Birthday Dr. King".

Social Studies - The Beautiful Northeast

The final copy of the Northeast descriptive paragraph project is due on Monday 10/3. Students should submit their work through Google Classroom no later than 8:00 a.m. on the 3rd. We will complete our study of the NE region with a look at the Native Americans of the area, the Narragansetts. Our focus will be on the culture and traditions of the group and how they have changed over time.

Science - The Scientific Method
Our first unit in Science will begin with a look at the Scientific Method. We will apply this method to all investigations that we perform this year.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 2 - Adding & Subtracting Fractions

We will begin Unit 2, which is one of my favorite units of the year! In Unit 2, students will learn how to add and subtract fractions with like and unlike denominators. They will learn a number of strategies for finding common denominators in order to perform the operations. Look for an overview letter to come home with your child on Monday. The unit begins with a look at simplifying fractions. Once we have studied this concept, it is my expectation that all answers on homework, checkpoints and assessments will be given in simplest form. We will also look at using a "money model" to find common denominators for fractions.

"Work Places" has become an essential part of learning in math. During Work Places, students work with partners to play a variety of games that support skills such as multiplying and dividing. Below are some photos of a Work Place session this past week...