This week I'll just take a moment to let you know what each grade level is studying in their time with me. Let's start with 5th grade... Fifth grade math class has been all about negative numbers lately. We have looked at how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide negative numbers. They have also used coordinate grids, order of operations, solving inequalities - all involving negative numbers too. We'll take our test on this number sense chapter next week and move on to a geometry unit reviewing perimeter and area and studying volume challenges. Upon return from Spring Break, it will be PARCC testing time, and we'll be finishing the Stock Market game (which ironically ends April 15 for us!) Fifth grade language arts students are finishing up what has been a long-term Peak Project. Each child picked a topic of their choice. Then they spent the last month learning how to do research, take notes, site sources, and write a research essay. They have been having to learn how to budget work time for a long-term project. In addition, all of our work for this has been in Google Classroom through Google Docs so they have a great knowledge of how to use these features as they move to middle school. (Many Preston teachers use these formats to have students complete assignments.) All essays were due today. Next week they'll be creating a visual project that can be used to present their learning to our group after Spring Break. Please check in with your student to see how they are coming along on all of this work. Fourth grade math students are just finishing up our unit on fractions. Adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions have all been on the agenda this last week. We'll take our test on this unit early next week, and begin a very quick unit on perimeter and area. The kids will do their last Math Olympiad contest of the year on Tuesday, March 8, too. When we return from break, just like 3rd and 5th we will enter the PARCC testing season so math and homework time will be limited. When we do have time together, we'll be completing a unit on decimals and percents calculations. Fourth grade language arts/creativity started again this week. The students will be with me during the whole month of March. We'll be reading Among the Hidden for literature circles and exploring the crazy-popular genre of dystopian literature through this book. We'll also continue our vocabulary work through our study of Greek/Latin root words in English. I think we'll have some fun with a reader's theater too and explore how reading a play is different than reading fiction or nonfiction. Third grade math class is continuing to try out the new curriculum with me. Our current unit in the enVision 2.0 text is looking at solving two-step problems involving all of the basic operations (+, -, X, /) using bar diagrams and letters in equations (AKA algebra - which they love when we talk about it because they feel so smart!) The test for this problem-solving unit will be early next week. We'll move on to a quick measurement unit after Spring Break between testing sessions. Third grade language arts/creative kids will rejoin my class again in April.
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Tracey BeanWerner Elementary Archives
May 2018
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