In math we finished our module on decimals. This past week we started a new unit on multiplying and dividing fractions. This past week we focused on word problems that involved multiplying a fraction by a whole number. The students were surprised to learn that when you multiply a fraction by a whole number the product is smaller than the number you started with. For example, 3/4 x 32 = 24. The students drew number lines to help solve problems dealing with how much of a race runners completed. We will continue with this unit for the next few weeks.
This past week in writing we focused on narrative writing. Students wrote a read aloud story from a different character's perspective. We started with the read aloud, Dear Mrs, LaRue. This is a funny book about a dog, named Ike, who gets sent to canine obedience school by his owner. The book is a series of letters Ike writes his owner about exaggerated tales of mistreatment in the canine school. Students wrote a narrative retelling one scence of the book from a different character's point of view. Next students rewrote a scence from The Growin' of Paul Bunyan by William J Brooke. Students rewrote the scene from the perspective of Johnny Appleseed. This week in Writer's Workshop we will begin our non-fiction writing unit. In this unit students will be writing a non-fiction piece on a topic within Westward Expansion.
In reading we finished our historical fiction unit. We will begin a unit on test taking skills in preparation for MCAS. This year's MCAS ELA test is different from the MCAS test the students have taken in the past. Open response questions have been replaced with essay questions, where students will be expected to write a multi-page essay in response to a text that they read. Also, there will two part questions. For example, part A of a question may ask students to identify a main idea of a text, and part B will ask which sentence from the text bests supports the main idea. I feel it is important that students have experience with these new types of questions before they get to the test.
In Social Studies, we started a new unit on wetward expansion. Students learned about Manifesty Destiny and the different ways we acquired land in the west. This week will begin learning about the different groups of people who settled in the west.
Have a great week!
Students present on the American Revolution
Dr. Suess read aloud by Amherst College Field Hockey player
Presentation about the solar panels
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