Classroom Update

In reading workshop this week we continued with our Fantasy unit. Students started a new fantasty book in their guided reading groups. The students are really enjoying their fantasy books. I am loving how excited the students are about their books! :)
 This week students focused elements of fantasy books. Students learned about archetypes of fantasy books. Archetypes are elements that you will find in many fantasy books. Some archetypes that you typically find in fantasy books are the hero, the villain,  and the wise person. The students brainstormed other archetypes you can find in fantasy books such as good vs. evil, dragons or other mythical creatures, castles, and the forest. Students  identified archetypes that appear in the fantasy book that they are reading. Students also learned that fantasy books often follow a quest structure, and that a character's  quest can be  external,  internal, or both. Students also learned about the author's craft of foreshadowing.

In math we continued with finding volume of solid shapes. This week we learned how to find the volume of irregular solid figures by decomposing it into right rectangular prisms. On Friday, students took a short assessment on finding volume.

In Writer's workshop students finished writing, revising, and editing their westward expansion informational piece of writing.  Students will begin using the Chromebooks to start publishing their final piece.

In science we completed the Mystery Science unit, "What do Plants Eat?" Students learned about the plant's stomata that take in air for the plant. Students took part in a science experiment to determine if air has weight. Students also learned about testable questions and how scientists perform experiments. Students wrote a testable question related to the growth of plants. For example, how does temperature affect how quickly a plant grows. Once  students wrote a testable question, students designed an experiment to test their question. Students learned about dependent and independent variables and that an experiment always has a control. The students will be conducting their plant experiment over the next three weeks. Some of the testable questions that they students are testing include; How does adding food coloring to a plant affect the color a plant grows, how does giving a plant milk instead of water affect how tall a plant grows. and how does doubling the amount of water given to a plant affect how tall a plant grows. I am excited to see how the plants grow. I will keep you updated on the progress of the students' experiments.

Have a great day!