This week we continued with our focused question: How do people benefit from innovations? We started reading an expository piece titled Antes de Colon: Las Americas en 1491 by Charles C.Mann. We will finish this piece next week. Students also had a chance to continue to work on their expository writing pieces. Most of them completed step 5 and had an opportunity to conference with peers to receive constructive feedback. We will be ready to continue to work on steps 5 and 6 next week. The grammar focus this week was adjectives.
Ciencias
OMSI Science Camp!
History
This week we learned about the Industrial Revolution.
We learned about the luddites that were against factories
We learned about Robert Owen and socialism
We read about a new economic order.
We read about a man named Karl Marx and communism
(Written by: Christian)
Math
This week we learned about:
We learned how to find the area of composite figures
We also are preparing for our chapter 10 unit test
(Written by: Juliette)
English Language Arts
We finished D.A.R.E. to revise.
We added “Rockin’ Beginnings” and “Jammin’ conclusions”.
We added transition words, variety of sentences, and titles too.
Essential question: How do people show inner strength?
This week the big idea, Descubrimientos, was analyzed from a personal perspective. Students shared their thoughts about personal growth and the ability to discover our strengths and potential. We read several historical fiction pieces that illustrated these concepts in context. We also spend time reading and learning the meaning of old adages that continue to bring so much life and expression to everyday language, until today.
Students spent time working on our expository writing project. They were given a prompt and will have 2 week to develop this project in class, which has multiple steps. We completed steps 1, 2 and 3 in class this week. Students need to be ready to work on step 4 next week.
The following is the prompt for our informative writing project:
Imagina que trabajas como voluntario en un museo de tu comunidad y en unas semanas se inaugurará una exhibición sobre el Antiguo Egipto. Tu supervisor te ha pedido que des una presentación sobre el arte y la arquitectura del Antiguo Egipto. Tu presentación explicará lo que nos muestran estos artefactos sobre la estructura social del Antiguo Egipto. Tu público serán las personas que visitan el museo.
Ciencias
Students learned about Punnett squares to predict the probability of offspring traits when the genotypes of the parent larkeys are known.
Mathematics
This week we learned about the area of a triangle.
We learned about how you find base or height when you only have area and base or height
How to know when it is base or height
We also worked on a take home math test
(Written by: Jack)
History & Geography
This week we learned about the Industrial Revolution
We learned about the conditions in the Industrial Revolution era
We learned about Adam Smith and how he came up with ideas to balance the economy
We learned about Charles Dickens and his position in the Industrial Revolution
Then started watching Oliver the Musical
(written by: Maddie)
English Writing & Spelling
In writing this week we
Worked on our conclusion
Did research and took notes for our informative writing.
In Greek and Latin Roots this week we
Did our packets and posters about -Carn, -Anim, -Phys
Finished our greek and latin roots test
(Written by:Sophia)
Specialists
Character Ed. with Ms. Jennie
Over the past few months we have focused on the themes of Courage (February), Overcoming Adversity (March), and Appreciation of Nature (April). We finished Number the Stars several weeks ago and are now reading The War That Saved My Life. We’ve also continued to focus on one poem each month and in June will have a special poetry day to celebrate. Kids are encouraged to find a poem they love and either practice reading it in order to present it, or go for the extra challenge of memorizing it. This is NOT required but highly encouraged! It strengthens kids’ confidence to stand up in front of the class and read or recite something! Poetry day will be on June 5th.
In May, we will continue to focus on appreciating nature along with our annual May tradition of talking about and celebrating other cultures. Our culminating project for this topic will be our 4th Annual Bake Sale to raise money for a special cause. This year we will be raising money for the Ryan’s Well Foundation, which was born out of a six-year old’s desire to help dig a well for people without access in Uganda. Check out this inspiring story here: https://www.ryanswell.ca/about-ryans-well/ryans-story/ This ties in so well to our own water fountain “project” this year and hopefully will remind our kids that no matter what your age, you can make a difference in the world! The Bake Sale will be held outside after school on Wednesday, May 29th. We will ask for your participation in donating a batch of baked goods to sell. More information to come!
Unit 5 Discoveries- The Big Idea: How can discoveries open new possibilities?
Weekly concept/Genre: Myths | Myths
Essential question: Why do we tell myths again and again? | Why do people tell and retell myths?
Objectives:
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (eg, audience, auditory, audible).
Consult reference materials (eg, dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
Use the relationship between particular words (eg, cause / effect, part / whole, item / category) to better understand each of the words.
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (eg, stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (eg, visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
Ciencias
Students put eight letter tiles in cups to simulate the four-gene genotype of larkeys. After preparing a female larkey genotype and a male larkey genotype, they breed the pair by drawing one allele for each gene from each parent. The combination of eight random alleles is the genotype of the F 1 offspring. After breeding two F 1 offspring, one male and one female, students will decode the genotype to see what traits both offspring have. The key words for science this week were: homocigotico y heterocigotico. Ask your child to tell you about this.
Mathematics
This week we learned about the Coordinate Plane. We learned
How to find the lengths of line segments
Real world problems with line segments
Using graphing to solve real world problems
(Written by: Juliette)
History & Geography
This week we learned about the Industrial Revolution
We learned about the cotton gin, the Spinning Jenny and the flying shuttle.
We learned about the constant variations in population.
The population went down when there were wars, plagues, and poor sanitation.
The population went up when factories produced more food for a lower price.
The company owners were greedy, so they kept the machinery secret.
(Written by: Evan)
English Writing & Spelling
In writing this week we
Shared argumentative writing
Brainstormed ideas for Informative writing
Did research and took notes for our writing.
In Greek and Latin Roots this week we
Did our packets and posters about -Deci, -Cent, -Non
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.
Ciencias
Specialists
Art With Ms. Kelly
Watershed Art Design for StreamTeam Earth Day competition: Students reviewed information about watersheds and their importance to our environment. All the students did a great job creating their own landscape drawings and/or paintings of a watershed. I submitted their artwork to Clark Public Utilities StreamTeam art competition which sponsors Earth Day on April 20. I’ll let you know if any of our students win a prize, and I’ll pick up the artwork after Earth Day and return it to the students.
Art with Miss Karen: The students used oil pastel and colorful ink to make a beautiful design with their hand print and patterns.
Japanese Cherry Blossoms: The students made some lovely paintings of cherry tree blossoms in Japan, using cardboard scraps, q-tips and paint brushes. They learned about the gift of 3000 cherry trees from Japan to our nation’s capitol in 1912. These are on the bulletin board at school.
This week we spent most of our time on science. We were very efficient with the use of our time and were able to cover our Literacy fundamental routines. These included:
Essential Question: How do people uncover what they have in common?
Genre studies: Fiction
Spelling: Consonant Clusters
Word Work: Homophones and Homographs
Grammar: Understand the use of possessive pronouns.
Ciencias
What are the basic genetic mechanisms that determine the traits expressed by individuals in a population?
This part of the investigation/ discussion introduced students to the structures and mechanisms of heredity. They learned the structures involved: cell, nucleus, chromosome, allele, and gene. They were introduced to the functional relationships that determine genetic processes: genotype, phenotype, dominant allele, and recessive allele. Students practiced decoding the genotype of a larkey to discover what traits it has. They read an article that included a brief history of the discoveries leading to the understanding of genetics and a review of the structures and mechanisms involved.
• The individuals in every population vary from one another in their traits. • Heredity is the passing of information from one generation to the next. • Chromosomes are structures that contain hereditary information and transfer it to the next generation; they occur in nearly identical pairs in the nucleus of every cell. • Genes are the basic units of heredity carried by chromosomes.
Mathematics
This week we learned about circles!
We learned how to find the area of a circle
We learned how to find the length of arcs
We learned how to find the perimeter of a circle, also called the circumference
We learned how to find the area and circumference of different figures
(Written by:Christian)
History & Geography
This week we learned about the Romantic revolution and the Neoclassical revolution.
We learned the differences between neoclassical and romantic revolucion.
We learned about the arts, and composers of that time
We read a poem by William Wordsworth and drew bits of the poem.
(Written by:Maddie)
English Writing & Spelling
In writing this week we continued working on our argumentative writing piece.
Worked on CUPS which stands for capitalization, usage, punctuation, and spelling.
We completed our peer reflection
In Greek and Latin Roots this week we
Learned the roots tri, quad, quint, quar, and penta which means three, five and four.
Finished writing new words in our bingo board and completed our definitions
• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases.
• Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
• Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
• Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
• Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
• Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
• Understand the use of possessive pronouns.
• Spell word with x.
Dear families, in an attempt to help students with their Spanish reading at home (I have noticed students have been lacking Spanish reading practice!), and reinforce some of the concepts seen in class, students will be bringing Spanish reading homework packets every Monday. It is their responsibility to turn in their homework on Friday. Please make sure that your child has a consistent daily reading routine in Spanish of at least 15 minutes every night. I always remind the importance of practice, in order to achieve advanced levels of accuracy in their second language. Thank you for your continued support!
Ciencias
During this investigation, students investigate the underlying mechanisms of change in population. They learn how organisms inherit traits from their parents and how dominant and recessive alleles interact to produce traits in a population. Some of the big concepts we will see during this investigation are:
• Heredity is the passing of information from one generation to the next.
• Chromosomes are structures that contain hereditary information and transfer it to the next generation; they occur in nearly identical pairs in the nucleus of every cell.
• Genes are the basic units of heredity carried by chromosomes
This week, students looked at four of their features to determine what trait they have: little fingers straight or bent, earlobes attached or not, hairline forms a widow’s peak or not, and tongue can curl or not. They determined the distribution of the four traits in the class. Students then studied a population of larkeys, a make-believe animal, to analyze their traits.
Students are encouraged to bring some family photographs to share with the class!
Mathematics
This week we learned about pi!
We listened to 100 digits of pi song
We also figured out how to use it in fraction and decimal form to calculate circumference and area.
The equation for area is πr2
The equation for circumference is πd
(Written by:Evan)
History & Geography
This week we learned about Napoleon and his role in the French Revolution.
We talked about how Napoleon Bonaparte changed France after the Reign of Terror.
We discussed his successes in France and his downfall
We read journal entries by a Napoleonic soldier.
English Writing & Spelling
In writing this week we continued working on our argumentative writing piece.
We added titles to our argumentative writing.
We exchanged words in our writing.
In Greek and Latin Roots this week we
Finished our greek and latin roots packet (Bi, du, amphi/ambi) which means two, or both.
This week we not only celebrated the joy of reading with Dr. Seuss’ fun filled activities, but also the joy of writing. Students got to share with the class their argumentative writing pieces they worked so hard on. We also continued with our regular literacy routines leaning about idiomatic expressions and spelling words with letters not found in the English language! Ask your child about this. They also learned about the difference between demonstrative pronouns and adjectives. To end our week, we read the biography of a very influential woman in Latin America, Frida Kahlo, the challenges she had to face throughout her life and the significant contributions to art. All in all, we had a full week!
Ciencias
Some of the moments captured during our Presentaciones de Ciencias: Adaptaciones.
Mathematics
This week we learned about algebraic inequalities.
We learned about how to correctly do real world problems.
We got a little deeper in algebraic inequalities, and expressions.
We also had our Chapter 8. math test.
(Written by: Juliette Murrow)
History & Geography
This week we learned about the Scarlet Pimpernel.
We watched/talked about a clip from The Scarlet Pimpernel
We learned that he saved nobles from the guillotine
He was loathed by revolutionary leaders
(Written by:Rafa L. )
English Writing & Spelling
In writing this week we continued working on our argumentative writing piece.
We finished rearranging.
We also began exchanging words for better, more descriptive ones.
Thank you 3/4 grade class for inviting us to the puppet show! We very much enjoyed it!
• End of Unit 3 – Expository Writing Assessment. Drafting/Editing/Revising/Publishing
• Unit 4 overview “Retos”. Students get familiar with the theme of the unit and the main activities.
• Cite relevant evidence from the text
• Determine the author’s point of view
• Review the characteristics of informative texts
• Read a text and paraphrase sections to check for comprehension, explain thinking and negotiate meaning.
• Spelling: words with ll /
Working on our special project!
Working on our special project!
Ciencias
This week students continued to work on their science research projects. The objectives for this project are:
• Select an organism.
• Identify the features of the organism, structural and behavioral characteristics such as eye color, fur pattern, timing of migration, etc.
• Identify the different variations, the range of expression of a feature within a population, such as all different eyes colors, all the different fur patterns, etc.
• Describe the impact of the surroundings, including biotic and abiotic factors, and the adaptations that affect the survival of organisms in a sensitive ecosystem.
• Explain how adaptations helped this particular organism survive, or not, in its environment.
Dear families! Students will be doing their science presentations next week. You all are invited to attend and see the great work your child is doing in class! Presentations will be at 2:30 in the following order:
Thursday 7th: Lily, Maddie, Tamra, Evan, Rafa
Friday 8th: Christian, Jack, Juliette, Sophia, Sophie
Mathematics
This week we learned about linear equations.
We learned how to write linear equations
How to solve simple inequalities
How to plot with coordinate plane.
(Written by: Lily Hubbard)
History & Geography
This week we learned about the French Revolution.
The Oath of the Horatii was a painting by Jacques-Louis David.
The Reign of Terror was when the Jacobins (extreme radicals) took control of the government and executed everyone who was remotely against the Revolution.
Maximilien Robespierre completely supported the Revolution and was a Jacobin.
(Written by: Sophie Jacobs )
English Writing & Spelling
In writing this week we continued working on our argumentative writing piece.
We practiced on using transition words.
We made corrections to our argumentative writing pieces.
We worked on making our reasons more clear.
(Written by:Christian )
Specialists
Art with Ms. Kelly
Our art projects this month were:
Clay Masks with Miss Karen
LOVE Designs
Learn about Robert Indiana’s LOVE designs and sculptures.
Use letters and patterns to create artwork.
Portraits in the style of Picasso
Learn about the different styles of portraits created by Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, and American artist Lois Jones.
Create an abstract portrait by using various diagonal lines from folded paper.
Add colors and patterns to the portrait.
The students designed some very colorful, creative portraits!
As we concluded our Literacy unit 3, Logros (Achievements), we did our end of the unit assessments. We took time to reflect on the topics and objectives covered during this unit. Students took a reading and grammar assessment, and also started working on their end of the unit writing assignment. We have a created a calendar that has a specific deadline for every step of their assignment. The assignment has six steps. This week we finished step 3, and will be ready to dig in step 4 on Monday. This writing assignment will be done mostly in class, but everybody is welcome to access their Maravillas accounts and elaborate on their projects from home.
Expresa tu opinión: Financiamiento de telescopios espaciales
Imagina que eres un senador y representas a tu estado. Te han pedido que des un discurso de cinco minutos frente al Congreso. Tu discurso anunciará claramente tu posición acerca de dar dinero a la NASA para los proyectos de telescopios espaciales. Tu público serán los demás miembros del Congreso.
Ciencias
This week, students worked with a simulated population of walkingsticks that exhibited color variation. They used two levels of the multimedia simulation to investigate the impact of predation on the insects in three different environments. They conducted predation interactions over five generations, collected population statistics, and graphed the numbers of individuals with each color trait in each generation. They discovered that the ratio of individuals with specific color traits varies, depending on the color of the environment in which they live.
The class got started with their science independent research projects. Students selected an organism and will conduct a research, followed by a presentations of their findings to the class.
Mathematics
This week we started learning about linear equations and did a percentage review for the 100th day of school.
Independent variables can be any number, but dependent variables depend on the independent variable. For example, in y=x+3, x is the independent variable and y is the dependent variable.
Bar models also help considerably because they show the data in a visual format.
The percentage review was a fun spin on seemingly ordinary math. We split up into groups and did it in fun ways
(Written by: Evan Gaasch)
History & Geography
This week we learned about the Religion, Culture, and Art during the French Revolution
The people completely changed the calendar, as a result there was no trace of the Church.
They followed the idea of the Greeks and Romans to make things in their lives simpler. Like their hair, clothes and the way they spoke.
The revolutionaries encouraged the people to try new ways of art. They had the idea of new art, from the Greeks and the Romans.
(Written by: Maddie Johnson)
English Writing & Spelling
In writing this week we continued working on are argumentative writing piece.
DARE stands for delete, add, rearrange and exchange
We took our greek and latin roots quiz this week
This week we worked on the D in DARE. D is for delete
Reader’s Theater
