Week of 11/21/16 & 11/28 16

Highlights for the Weeks of 11/21/2016 & 11/28/16
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling -  Unit 12 - Homophones

There will be no Spelling lesson the week of 11/21. The week of 11/28, the list will contain words that are homophones. A homophone is a word that sounds like another word, but has a different spelling and meaning, for example,  bear and bare.  The final TEST for the homophone lesson will be on Friday, 12/2.

ELA / Reading - Unit 1 - "Courage"

Students will continue their close read of the biographical piece about Gloria Estefan. The close read will be conducted in small groups and will include vocabulary work and responding to text-dependent questions. On Thursday, 12/1, students will take a comprehension QUIZ on the Gloria Estefan text. At the end of the week of 11/28, they will begin a writing assignment based on the Gloria Estefan text. They will write and publish a newspaper article titled, "A Star with a Heart".  

Relative pronouns and use of quotation marks will also be discussed the week of 11/28.

Students enjoyed being introduced to the Gloria Estefan's lively music. Below are pictures of us taking a "brain break" in class while doing a conga line to her song "Conga".

Social Studies - The Southeast - "Sunlight and Storms"

The Southeast Map QUIZ is scheduled for Monday, 11/21. This will be followed by a look at the

climate of the Southeast. Be sure to ask your child about the destructive nature of hurricanes.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 3 - Place Value & Decimals

Comparing, ordering and rounding decimals will fill our time for the next two weeks. We will also take a look at fraction/decimal equivalencies and decimals on a number line.  A CHECKPOINT on decimal place value is scheduled for 11/30. 

Juliana leads the class in  Number Corner activities

In the photos below, students work with base ten pieces to help them understand the relationship between hundredths, tenths, and units...

FYI...

No School - 11/23-25

Happy Thanksgiving to you & your families!

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 11/14/16

Highlights for the Week of 11/14/2016
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling -  Unit 11 - Words with "ei" & "ie"

This week's list contains words that have the letter combinations "ei" and "ie". We will study the rule for spelling these words. We will also revisit how to find word meaning using context clues in text. The final TEST is scheduled for Friday, 11/18.

Reading - Unit 1 - "Courage"

On Tuesday, students will independently complete the writing assessment that requires them to compare how Jackie Robinson and Malala Yousafzai showed courage. After that we will begin a new portion of our Courage unit that focuses on the life of Gloria Estefan. 

Science -  "How Are Animals Classified?" - Invertebrates Project

Groups will present their slide shows on Monday, 11/14. Please see the project description and rubric in Google classroom for assessment criteria.

Social Studies - The Southeast - "Coastal Plains to Mountains"

It's time to move on to the next region in Social Studies which is the Southeast. Students will create their own Southeast map at the beginning of the week, and we will study how the geography of the southeast changes as you move inland from the coast. The Southeast map QUIZ is tentatively scheduled for 11/21.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 3 - Place Value & Decimals

This week we will study the "Give and Take" strategy, multiplying and dividing by 10, and how to model, read & compare decimals.

FYI...

Bingo Night - 11/11 - 6:30 - 8:00
No School - 11/23-25

Mrs. Karen Bell