Weekly Update: February 18th

Happy President's Day!   Enjoy the day off!

Class Updates: 

Social Studies: Students wrapped up Ancient Rome this week and learned about the collapse of the Roman Empire. Students will have an assessment on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we will be doing a massive review going all the way back to Greece and reviewing materials about Athens, Sparta, Alexander the Great, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire. On Thursday and Friday of next week, students will be working on their performance task to demonstrate their mastery of the Classical Civilizations unit. 

Science:  This week in science students have figured out that organisms have adaptations for survival.  Ask them about the butterflies in our classroom.  We ended the week researching different biomes in an effort to figure out if our wrinkled fingers are an adaptation.  Here's an idea for a great at home science experiment:  Students can do the dishes!  First they should try to pick up wet dishes in the sink with dry hands.  Then when their fingers get wrinkled/prune-like from doing the dishes, they can try picking up wet dishes again.  Do their fingers have better grip when they are wrinkled?

Literacy:   We presented most of the Historical Fiction presentations this week. Your students have learned some great technology skills this year! Students continue learning about how and why ordinary people have worked so hard to protect and defend human rights in America.  They will be reading about heroes like Mother Jones, and her work as an activist for workers' rights.  

English: We're about halfway through The Giver right now and students are coming to class ASKING to read (a teacher's dream)!  We've been discussing how wonderfully the author Lois Lowry builds suspense in her writing.  Ask your student which assignment Jonas receives in the book and why there is so much suspense around it.  Next week we will dig deeper with select reading skills, including: allusion, hooks and cliffhangers, similes, metaphors, and personification.  

*Note: there is NO February IRP due this month!  Students may begin reading their independent reading books for their March IRP if they want to get a head start!  I will be taking classes to the library on Friday, February 22nd.

Math: Last Friday we finished surface area and volume, overall students did very well on this unit!  Nice work.  We are going to start scale next week, students will learn about enlargement and reductions and how scale relates back to our proportions unit.  

Weekly Update: February 11th

Progress Report Envelopes are due to Advisories!
Advisories are also collecting Box Tops!

Book orders are due to Mrs. McGuire on Wednesday, February 13th!

Class Updates: 

Social Studies: Students spent the week researching a topic of their choice in relation to Ancient Rome. As they gathered research, students were asked to put together a slide show to display the new findings on their topics that they acquired via research. This was due on Friday. Please check the gradebook! Next week we will learn what ultimately caused the Roman Empire to fail.

Science:  This week in science students took the Genetics Assessment.  We started a new unit too.   Students are working on a real world science problem, "Why do our fingers and toes get wrinkled when we put them in water?"

Literacy:   Work focused on structure of the text in informational text, using Junior Scholastic Magazine. Students worked hard to convert facts into key concepts, or big ideas. Working from the same materials, we analyzed primary source materials, like editorials and historical journals.  Their Historical Fiction projects were due Friday, by 11:59 pm!  If they were not turned in, they will be marked as miss in the grade book.  I will certainly accept them late, but they will not receive full credit. Presentations begin on Monday! Latin 8 Mastery Test, Friday, February 15th!   

English: This week classes were busy in the world of Study Sync, and more specifically, analyzing point of view.  Ask your students about the different points of view authors use in a text.  Together we discussed the point of view Lois Lowry uses within The Giver as well as the benefits and limitations.  Next week we'll dive back into the book!  There will be a quiz on the point of view skill on Friday, February 15th.

*Note: there is NO February IRP due this month!  Students may begin reading their independent reading books for their March IRP if they want to get a head start!  I will be taking classes to the library on Friday, February 22nd.

Math: Students are wrapping surface area and volume.  We have learned about nets and surface area of rectangular and triangular prisms and will finish up with volume of rectangular and triangular prisms.  The study guide for this unit will go home on Monday and the test is Friday, February 15th.  Extra study materials are on Google Classroom.

Weekly Update: February 4th

The progress report window closes on Thursday, January 31st.  Progress reports will be sent home with students on Monday, February 4th. 

Class Updates: 

Social Studies: We spent most of the week learning about what everyday life was like for boys and girls in Ancient Rome. Ask your child about it! Starting Tuesday we will be beginning our first research project covering anything related to Ancient Rome!

Science:  This week in science we made babies.  Ask your student to explain the activity to you.  Look at pictures of some of the babies here!  Next Wednesday we will have our genetics test.  All students should have a purple paper in their binder to help them focus their studying. 

Literacy:   Structure of the Text and Analyzing Primary Source Material were the focus this week!  We've started notes for Latin Unit 8, but most importantly, your students should be working on their Historical Fiction projects, due Friday, February 8th.  All information necessary to complete this project is on Google Classroom under the banner HISTORICAL FICTION! 

English: We shifted our focus to a new science fiction unit this week. Students began reading The Giver and seem to be enjoying it so far.  Next week we'll dive into Study Sync, focusing specifically on the narration and point of view within chapter two.  Book orders will also head home this week and are due back on Wednesday, February 13th!

*Note: there is NO February IRP due this month!  Students may begin reading their independent reading books for their March IRP if they want to get a head start!

Math: Students tested last Thursday on circles, grades are posted in X2.  Next week we are going to start learning about surface area through nets of solids. Be sure to check the agenda nightly, we do have homework for math most nights.

Weekly Update: January 28th

The progress report window closes on Thursday, January 31st.  Progress reports will be sent home with students on Monday, February 4th. 

Class Updates: 

Social Studies: Students were introduced to Augustus and the start of the Roman Empire. We spent most of the week defining what an empire is and ultimately discussing whether or not the United States is an empire. On Friday, students learned about how a volcano not only destroyed a city but preserved it for many years to come. Ask your child about it!

Science:  This week in science we are continuing to look for patterns in how traits are passed on.  Students have analyzed human pedigrees and the results of their own plant crosses.  Look at pictures here!

Literacy:   Rhetorical devices were just one of the topics we discussed this past week, as we listened to excerpts of some very famous speeches, and read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.  We enjoyed looking at students' first few slides of their Omnictionary projects.  Hearing students give suggestions and constructive, supportive criticism was absolutely wonderful.  In the week ahead we will spend some time looking at the structure of text, and begin Latin Unit 8. 

English: Students spent time this week finishing their character change unit once I-Ready testing was complete.  A new science fiction unit was also introduced in class and students played a true or false game, relating to topics covered in our new book, The Giver.  Ask them some of the topics they discussed in class and whether they agreed or disagreed with the statements.

IRP projects are due this week!  This month students should have created a summary, timeline, and a letter to the author.  Students should submit their completed projects on Thursday, January 31st.

Math: We are finishing up are unit on circles and area. This week we will finish learning about complex figures, a topic they started in 6th grade. The test for this unit is on Thursday, January 31st!  Study guides are posted on Google Classroom and will be handed out on Tuesday in class.  Be sure to check out the instructional videos this weekend if you're still struggling with radius, diameter, circumference, and area.

Weekly Update: January 22nd

We have iReady testing on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  Remember to eat a good breakfast and get plenty of rest.

Book Orders!! Thank you for the book orders that were submitted this week!  Books were ordered  Wednesday and should arrive within the next 7-10 days.

Class Updates: 

Social Studies: Students explored the rise and fall of Julius Caesar and wrapped up the collapse of the Roman Republic this past week. They were assessed on this topic Friday. We will begin the Roman Empire on Tuesday.

Science:  This week in science we started looking for patterns in how traits are passed on.  We started by analyzing pedigrees of human traits and then started a cross with plants.  Our "baby" plants should be sprouted by next week so that we can analyze those results.  Students should be studying all of their genetics notes each night.  We'll have a few quick quizzes next week.

Literacy:   Children can certainly make a difference!  Ask your children how!  Latin Unit 7 is a wrap, and next week, while we are doing iReady testing, students will learn how to read and analyze a famous speech. The first Benchmark for the Omnictionary project is Thursday. Check Google Classroom for details!

English: Students worked in the library all week creating character change cartoons using a new online resource.  Ms. Sand, our librarian, helped facilitate this fun learning experience. Students also created captions and dialogue for each of their cartoon blocks.  Next week brings our final assessment for this character change unit.

IRP projects are due on January 31st! Students should be finished reading their independent reading books at home and starting to compile their projects!  This month students are creating a summary, timeline, and a letter to the author.

Math: Last week students did well on their tests overall, I was very proud.  Grades have been put in the grade book. This week we will continue to work with circles and learn about area.  There is a lot of new vocabulary so it would hurt to study those new terms! 

Weekly Update: January 14th

Book Orders!! New orders went home this week in English and are due back on Wednesday, January 16th!  If you'd rather place an order online, please click here and follow the book club instructions.

Class Updates: 

Social Studies: Last week we started our new unit on the Roman Republic. This week students researched and discovered a war that used war elephants--this war is known as the Punic Wars. We spent the majority of the week on this topic as it is one of the major conflicts that the Roman Republic was involved in. Students were assessed on this topic on Friday.

Science:  This week in science class we have been very busy figuring out the differences between DNA, chromosomes and genes.  How do we get our genes is the question we are ending the week with.  Students are in the middle of a flower dissection that will lead them to answer this question next week.  Check out pictures of our flower dissection on the science blog!

Literacy:   In addition to beginning Latin root unit 7 this week, and receiving the Google Classroom assignment for their Historical Fiction project, we began to discuss human rights and social injustice.  This begins a unit in which students will learn about how brave Americans have fought to correct social injustices in our country.  Next week we will take a close look at how the work of thousands of children from Alabama helped to change history!  And on Friday, Latin 7 Mastery Test!  

English: This week we concluded our character change unit with A Christmas Carol and students had an opportunity to work on their January independent reading projects during class.  Together we discussed the various ways Scrooge changed his character throughout the text and how people, in general, change their ways for the better.  Next week we'll be in the library all week with Ms. Sand, working on an interactive character change project.

Math: Last week we started working in inequalities to wrap up our equations unit.  Students will receive a study guide on Monday to start preparing for their test on Wednesday, January 16th.  After we are going to start our geometry unit with circles.

Weekly Update: January 7th

Class Updates: 

Social Studies: Happy New Year! We returned from break starting a brand new topic: The Roman Republic. We spent this week learning about Rome's geography and how a republic works. We will move deeper into Rome's rich history next week.

Science:  We've started off the new year with a new phenomenon:  Why do I look the way I do?  Students have shared a lot of questions that they have about their own traits.  They have figured out that traits are inherited, environmental or both.  Next week we will continue investigating our questions and look at chromosomes and DNA.

Literacy:     Happy New Year!  Students finished their wonderfully narrated Atlas Obscura projects just before vacation, and we've enjoyed watching one another's videos.  Kudos to everyone!  Students were given the opportunity to work on Omnictionary projects this week, as we had chrome books in the class.  Monday we will begin Latin Unit 7.  The test will be next week!

English: Welcome back! Despite the shortened week, students stayed busy in class!  We visited the library and students chose historical fiction novels for their new project this month.  Students will be creating timelines, writing letters to an author, and providing summaries of their novel and historical event.  Furthermore, students will use these novels for a project in their literacy class as well.  Students should be reading a total of one hour this weekend.

Math: Last week students learned about two-step equations.  Students were taught the traditional way we solve equations while linking back to the tape diagram model students learned in the last module.  Students will have a quiz on Tuesday, January 8th.  Be sure to study!