November 30 - December 4

M - Art/Music
T - Media
W - P.E.
Th - Music
F - Orchestra Hall/Minneapolis Institute of Art field trip - Remember to send a bag lunch to school!

Math -
Students will:
5.11 - Represent and solve word problems with extra or hidden information.
5.12 - Identify word problems with not enough information to solve and identify the information needed.  Students will also rewrite word problems with not enough information.
5.13 - Solve word problems requiring two steps.
5.14 - Solve multi-step word problems requiring two or more steps.
5.15 - Write and answer questions using horizontal and vertical bar graphs.  Students will create bar graphs to represent data from tables.  Students will also find the mode and range of data.

Word Study -
Students will:
*Understand that syllables that end with a short vowel and consonant are closed syllable words and have a VCCV pattern
• Understand that VCCV words divide between the two consonants
• Understand that syllables that end with a long vowel are open syllable words and have a VCV pattern
• Understand that VCV words divide between the long vowel and consonant
 • Spell VCCV and VCV pattern words

Reading - Genre Study - Historical Fiction
Students will:
* Demonstrate prior knowledge about historical fiction by answering genre-specific questions.
* Discuss and analyze "Signing the Declaration of Independence."
* Build academic oral language and vocabulary as they engage in partner and whole-group discussion.

Writing - Students will be doing some pre-writing on their Realistic Fiction stories.

Science - We will continue going through the Engineering is Elementary unit about acoustical engineering.

Yikes!  That sounds like a busy week, we might have to take a break and get outside to enjoy the SNOW :)

November 23 - 25th

M - Music
T - Art  *Return library books
W - P.E./Media  GAME DAY!!!
Th - No School
F - No School

Wednesday will be a game day in our class!  The students can bring in a card game or board game from home.  They will have some time in the morning and the afternoon to play their games :)

I will not be sending homework this week...please continue to have your child read and work on Dreambox when they have time.

Reading - With the short week, we will not be starting the next week in our reading curriculum.  Instead we will review the concepts already learned (main idea/details, sequencing, analyzing characters).

Writing - We have been reading examples of Realistic Fiction and discussed the features of realistic fiction writing.  Last week each student generated a list of possible topics.  This week, they will pick one topic and begin planning where the story will take place, who the characters will be, and the events that will happen in their story.

Word Study - No Word Study this week

Math -
5.8 - Interpret information in tables.  Students will write and solve problems based on tables with data.
5.9 - Students will use information in tables to create and solve word problems.
5.10 - Students will create a simple table and practice completing tables with missing information.

Science - We are beginning our Engineering is Elementary unit (Sounds and Acoustical Engineering).  Students will begin the unit by discussing everyday examples of technology and how they are designed to solve problems.

November 16 - 20

M - Art  *Return library books
T - P.E./Media
W - Art/Music
Th - Media
F - P.E.

Math -
5.4 - Review the names and values of U.S. coins
        Determine and compare the values of collections of coins and bills
5.5 - Represent amounts of money in various ways
        Practice counting the exact amount of money to make a purchase
5.6 - Practice making change from purchases
5.7 - Round money amounts to the nearest dime or dollar
        Make estimates in situations involving money
5.8 - Write and solve problems based on tables with data

Reading - We will be starting Unit 3 (Identifying Sequence of Events) this week.
Students will:
* Identify the sequence of events in pictures and text.
* Identify and use the signal language for sequence of events.
* Determine important information in text.

Word Study -
Students will:
* Understand that words with a vowel and final y just add the inflectional endings.
* Understand that words with a consonant and final y change the y to i before adding -es or -ed.
* Understand that words with consonant and final y do not change the y when adding -ing

Writing - Realistic Fiction
Students will:
* Discuss the features of a realistic fiction story
* Brainstorm a list of topic ideas

Science - Sound
Students will:
* Observe the vibrations made by various objects that produce sound
* Conduct investigations to build explanations by observing, communicating, comparing and organizing.

November 9 - 13

M - No School/Conferences
T - Art/Music
W - Media
Th - P.E.
F - Music

Math - We will be taking the test on Unit 4 (Figures, Angles, and Triangles) on Tuesday.  We will start Unit 5 on Tuesday.
5.1 - Round numbers to the nearest hundred and estimate sums and differences.
5.2 - Round numbers to the nearest ten and estimate sums, differences, and quantities.
5.3 - Compare and order whole numbers and the values of expressions.

Word Study - Students will -
* Understand that irregular plural words have different rules for their plural spellings.
* Understand that words with f or fe change the f or fe to v before adding -es.
* Understand that some words change the vowels and/or consonants to form the plural.
* Understand that some irregular plural words have no spelling change and are both singular and plural.

Reading - We are on Unit 2, Week 3 this week.  This week the students will be reading the Reader's Theater called Our New Home.
Students will -
* Utilize punctuation to signal short pauses while reading.
* Demonstrate understanding of the text through purposeful pausing.
* Use effective pausing to make their reading sound like talking.

Science - We will begin our first science unit this week!  The students will be learning about the Physics of Sound.
Students will -
* Observe sounds made by objects when dropped.
* Compare sounds to develop sound discrimination.
* Create a code.
* Communicate with others using a drop code.
* Identify a variety of sound resources and receivers.

It was wonderful to visit with you all at conferences!  Thank you for taking the time to come in and visit about your child.  I look forward to watching them work towards their goals in the next few months.