Week of 10/9/17

Highlights for the Week of 10/9/2017
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling -  Unit 7 - "Suffixes "-ness", "-less",  and "-en"
This week's spelling/vocabulary list will include words with the suffixes -ness, -less, and-en.  We will study the definitions of these suffixes and how to determine the meaning of unknown words by breaking the words into base words and suffixes and by using context clues. The final TEST is scheduled for Friday, 10/13.

Reading - Unit 1 - "Courage"


We will be digging into an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech". Students will use their close reading skills in the whole group and with partners to interpret the message, language, vocabulary, and perspective of the piece.



During the week of 10/2, students participated in center activities that focused on  Cause and Effect. Each center presented a different opportunity to work with this text structure in a meaningful way. Below are photos of students participating in the center activities...

Independently playing a Cause/Effect Jeopardy game.

Working with a teacher.

Collaborating with small groups...

 

Read to Self

Social Studies  - The Northeast / The Narragansett
The "Northeast Feast" was a big hit!  Our classroom "chefs" /teachers served up a variety of tastes from the Northeast including maple syrup (on pancakes), cranberries & grapes. 

The final copy of the Northeast Descriptive Paragraph project is due on Monday 10/9. Students should submit their work through Google Classroom no later than 8:00 a.m. on the 9th.  On October 4th we held a "writer's workshop" (pictured below) during which students worked on turning their brainstorming organizers into paragraphs. 

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 / "How Are Animals Classified?"
The next unit in Science will be "How are Animals Classified?". We will begin with a look at invertebrates.

The photos below are from a STEM activity that challenged students to make the longest paper chain possible using one piece of construction paper, scissors, and glue. The conclusion that we reached was that the paper had to be cut into long thin strips in order to make the longest chain.

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

Using clocks as a reference for finding common denominators will be our focus this week. Then students will look at how to decide which model (money or clocks) works best for different denominators.

FYI...

Monday, 10/9: No School - Columbus Day 

Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for October 24th & 25th. Look for an email from me next week to sign up for your conference.

Enjoy the Holiday Weekend!

Mrs. Karen Bell