by Ivary & Paola | Sep 21, 2019 | 4th/5th Grade News
History & Geography
This week we wrapped up our World Lakes unit and began unit 2, Maya, Aztec and Inca Civilizations. Our objectives were:
- demonstrate understanding of lakes around the world and their geography
- identify the Maya as one of the earliest civilizations in the Americas, located in parts of Mexico and Central America
- describe how archaeologists have been able to learn more about the Maya
- identify the main achievements of the Maya and some specific discoveries
Mathematics
This week we continued to learn about Whole Numbers. Our objectives were:
- round numbers to the nearest thousand
- use rounding to estimate sums, differences, and products
- demonstrate understanding of Whole Numbers on the chapter test
- review prior knowledge needed to complete chapter 2
English
This week we began learning about writing paragraphs. Our objectives were:
- identify relevant details and match them to their topic sentence
- add transition words to paragraphs
- practice writing closing clinchers
- complete the Sentence and Paragraph assessment
- complete the spelling quiz and choose new words quiz next Friday, Sept.27
Lectura
This week we continued to dig deeper into our theme Herencia cultural. We discussed how is cultural heritage passed through generations and we read a realistic fiction piece titled Nuestra cancion. Students had a chance to compare and contrast this piece to last weeks selection, La tierra que perdí. Such beautiful pieces of literature. Students are working very hard on increasing vocabulary and using it in different contexts. This week students received a rubric that states the expectations of our first literature circle: Con carino Amalia. We answered questions and created a reading calendar. We are very excited to start our book club on Monday!
Other objectives for the week included:
- Explain the characteristics of realistic fiction.
- Apply reading comprehension strategies such as clarifying, asking questions, predicting and summarizing.
- Write a list of ideas that can be developed into possible narratives.
- Study the spelling patterns of words with stress on the penultimate syllable (palabras graves).
- Learn about simple sentences, and identify subject and predicate.
- Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific language; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
- Determine a central idea of a topic and how it is conveyed through particular details; distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
- Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a context (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
Ciencias
This week we wrapped up our first investigation, The Sun. The weather did not cooperate as we had expected. We will make sure we bring out our sun trackers later on this fall when the skies are clear to continue to analyze and measure all the different time patterns associated with the position of the sun.
Students received globes and flashlights and simulated Earth’s rotation. Using the model, students discussed concepts such what is sunrise and sunset, direction of the rotation of the Earth and what “appears” to happen, and what in reality happens. We discussed vocabulary such as rotation versus revolution. Reviewed all vocabulary introduced in investigation 1 in context. Next week, we are so excited to start our second investigation: Planetary Systems!
by Ivary & Paola | Sep 14, 2019 | 4th/5th Grade News
History & Geography
This week we continued learning about World Lakes. Our objectives were:
- describe Lake Tanganyika, Victoria, and Chad as well as their continent
- describe Lake Titicaca and Maracaibo as well as their continent
- describe the Great Lakes as well as their continent
- describe Lake Baikal, the Caspian Sea and the Aral sea as well as their continent
Mathematics
This week we began our first chapter, Whole Numbers. Our objectives were:
- review prior knowledge needed to complete this chapter
- read and write numbers to 10,000,000 in standard, word, and expanded form
- identify the place value of any digit in numbers to 10,000,000
- compare and order numbers to 10,000,000
English
This week we began our first writing lesson Sentence Structure. Our objectives were:
- understand and identify complete sentences (subject and predicate)
- identify sentence fragments and run-on sentences and fix them
- Find the topic sentence and write details based off a topic sentence
- write our first spelling list quiz next Friday, Sept. 20
Lectura
Essential Questions: How do you define heritage? How does heritage affect who you are? How is cultural heritage passed through generations?
Reading Comprehension Strategies: Making Connections, Visualizing, Summarizing, Author’s Point of View
Our objectives for this week in literacy were to:
- Explain the characteristics of autobiographies and discuss the author’s point of view.
- Apply reading comprehension strategies such as making connections, visualizing, and summarizing when reading the selection.
- Write a list of ideas that can be developed into possible narratives.
- Study the spelling patterns of words with stress on the last syllable.
- Learn about proper and common nouns.
- Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific language; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
- Determine a central idea of a topic and how it is conveyed through particular details; distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
- Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a context (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
Ciencias
This week, pairs of students constructed Sun trackers. After using a compass to orient the Sun tracker north-south, students made hourly records of the position of the tip of the shadow cast by a golf tee. Students imagined themselves as observers on Earth and positioned around a lamp to observe day and night. They discover that rotation of Earth results in day and night and, in the process, figure out which direction Earth rotates on its axis.
Character Education
This month in Character Education we are focusing on Kindness. We have done a few hands-on lessons with cotton balls, sandpaper, a tub of water with rocks/leaves/feathers/pinecones. Our objectives for the lessons were:
- What makes a good friend?
- Words, tone, and facial expressions can affect our message to our friends.
- Cotton ball words/tone/facial expressions are received as kind. (Please, Thank you, May I help you? Good job!)
- Sand paper words/tone/facial expression are not kind.
- Each Kindness by Jaqueline Woodson – to show how each small act of kindness has a ripple effect.
- Compliment circles- practice giving and receiving compliments (say thank you!)
by Ivary & Paola | Sep 7, 2019 | 4th/5th Grade News
History & Geography
This week we began our first unit: World Lakes. Our objectives were:
- familiarize ourselves with Google Classroom
- understand the procedures and expectations for History
- read maps and globes using longitude and latitude, coordinates, and degrees
- identify the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, and the three climate zones
Mathematics
This week we set routines and expectations for Math. Our objectives were:
- practice writing math notes in our math journals
- practice group rotations
- familiarize ourselves with Prodigy and Homework expectations
English
This week we set up our writing journals. Our objectives were:
- look at old writing journals for expectations of how our journals should look
- set up our writing journals
- understand the spelling routine for the year
Lectura
We are so excited and ready for our school year. We have planned so many fun-filled, engaging and meaningful activities designed to maximize every one of our students opportunities to develop their unique skills. We can’t wait to share these with our students and families.
This week we were very excited to hear all the fun summer stories and adventures. Students got to share some of the special moments they experienced with their families and friends. After that, we took the time to revisit our school’s expectations and procedures. Students got familiar with our Literacy and Science expectations and procedures. We discussed how identifying our strengths and setting up clear/specific goals will help us have a successful year. Lastly, we spend some time assessing(diagnosis) our students Spanish through some fun games, reading and writing activities. We can already tell: This is going to be an epic year!
Ciencias
Investigation 1 part one: The Sun
Focus Question: What are shadows and how are they formed? How and why does your shadow change during the day?
This week, students has a chance to get familiar with our science resources as well as our science expectations and safety rules. We started our first investigation for the fall module: The Sun. Students traced their shadows two times in the afternoon, and compare the tracings. They use this information to determine the position of the Sun as it appears to move throughout the day.
