November 2018
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| Testing out the pumpkin catapults in Science |
As we close out term 1 and begin term 2 of the 2018-2019 school year, we'd like to reflect and share a bit about what has been going on in school over these past few months. There certainly has been a lot of growth as we see it every day with our students!
In Math, we continue working on multiplication of 2X3, 2X4 and 3X3 digits. Currently, we are heading into Order of Operations with the goal of going back to revisit multiplication again. To help your students at home, continue working on the memorization of math facts, the Chegg flashcards, and X-tra Math. All of these can help your child get a strong handle on their math facts.
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| Working as a team to solve Quizlet |
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| Using the catapult to launch a mini-pumpkin |
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| Working as a team to stack cups given certain limitations |
In Science, we have covered the basics of science discovery by going over the scientific method, using tools in the science classroom, making observations and collecting data. We are now in our Engineering unit and look forward to students going through the design process to create. One aspect of this process is the revision process and helping students to realize that a necessary element is going over their work with a critical eye to make adjustments and improvements. This is often a difficult process for students and one that sometimes takes time to cultivate.
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| Which water transport system works best? Let's experiment... |
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| Science observations |
In Social Studies we have finished our Government unit which aimed to help students understand how our government works and what a democracy is. With this basis, we are now heading way back in time, to the 1600s, and seeing the start of this democratic mindset in the beginning colonies. Our first discovery begins with the Jamestown colony. We are starting with its rough beginning, then we'll move forward to the other 13 colonies. One of the overall goals of this Colonization unit is to help students see the perspectives from the different groups of people involved in this period of history. With these groups of people at the forefront: the English, the Native Americans, and the Slaves, was America a land of opportunity for all? We will be reading the book,
Blood on the River by Elise Carbonne to supplement this unit. This book will help us to see the beginning of Jamestown from the point of view of the character, Samuel Collier and all that he experiences.
In English, we are fine-tuning our reading goals based on what we have read the last term. Our goals are located in the students' Google Drive folders. If you would like to take a look, have your child show you what they have written for goals in term 2. We are currently writing responses to Wonder, adding dialogue to our writing, and writing stories from different perspectives! Please continue to encourage your student to read at least 20 minutes at home each night.
Thank you to all who were able to come in for a conference or touch base through email or phone calls. It was so nice meeting everyone, even for such a short 7-minute timeframe.
We appreciate all you do at home to support us working with your students. Please continue reaching out with questions and touching base with email. All are helpful to keep the lines of communication open!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Enjoy the long weekend.
In Social Studies we have finished our Government unit which aimed to help students understand how our government works and what a democracy is. With this basis, we are now heading way back in time, to the 1600s, and seeing the start of this democratic mindset in the beginning colonies. Our first discovery begins with the Jamestown colony. We are starting with its rough beginning, then we'll move forward to the other 13 colonies. One of the overall goals of this Colonization unit is to help students see the perspectives from the different groups of people involved in this period of history. With these groups of people at the forefront: the English, the Native Americans, and the Slaves, was America a land of opportunity for all? We will be reading the book, Blood on the River by Elise Carbonne to supplement this unit. This book will help us to see the beginning of Jamestown from the point of view of the character, Samuel Collier and all that he experiences.
