New year. New quarter. Fresh start. 1/2-1/10

This quarter in reading we are focused in historical fiction. We are reading Soft Rain and exploring what makes a text historical fiction. We are using it as our model text as we learn the different roles of our literature circle groups. As we read, we are focusing on context clues, inferences, mood, theme, reactions, asking questions, and such. We will be reading and exploring figurative language as well.

In writing we are researching animal adaptations.  We are going through the research process and using print and online resources. Last week we practiced writing topic sentences for each paragraph.  We will be working on concluding sentences this week and wrapping up our research.

In math we are working with area and perimeter. We explored different areas with the same perimeter and discovered patterns. We broke down various word problems and discovered how to use the perimeter or area to fins the missing side. We also took a short assessment on Friday. 

We also explored various quadrilaterals and sorted them based on their angles and sides.

In science we are beginning our animal studies unit. We are starting with learning about nutrition. The class has been learning about planning a healthy meal and eating all of the food groups. Students made a sample meal plan for a day. I challenged them to change some of the foods they eat to make sure they are eating a balanced diet. I have even shared how I am adjusting my calories too.

There are some great games kids can play at my plate.gov. Unfortunately we were not able to explore the games due to technical difficulties.

 We took a virtual field trip to Mc Donald's to learn about different food choices. We talked about the man who only ate at McDonalds for a month and lost 37 pounds. We saw how this is possible based on some of the lower calorie choices.

Specials this week:

Computer

Art

PE

Music

Friday is early release, so we will not have specials. We will be having electronics day as a reward for filling our ticket jar. We will also be having hot cocoa left over from our polar express party. We are in need of some cups.  Please comment below if you can bring in some. Thank you!

*No school on Monday, January 20. Enjoy your long weekend!