Updates and announcements

Winter break is fast approaching and students are working hard to get to the finish line.

In our class, we have been discussing the homework and project work for the last few weeks. We talked about how if the projects and large assignments are done a little bit every night, they will not go over the recommended amount of time for homework. This is especially true when students do not have Spalding homework, or if there is no math homework. Students also know to prioritize (finishing the 100-point project first, then worrying about the state brochure assignment later). This is a great exercise in time management.

On Thursday, I will be working off-campus. Students will be in good hands with Ms. White.

Our week in learning

Students will take their mid-year grammar test on Tuesday.

Students will begin their next writing project this week on Persuasive Writing. They’ll write an essay as a turkey to a farmer entitled “Wait, wait! Don’t Shoot!” As pre-writing and rough drafts come home, please help your child edit for spelling and grammar errors.

The 100-point project is due on Thursday this week.

Students will have their weekly roots test this week.

This week in science, students will consider the benefits and harm that eukaryotic protists can potentially bring to mankind, incorporating these viewpoints into a class discussion. Students may use this web site as a resource for the discussion worksheet: https://www.ck12.org/biology/protists-and-disease/lesson/Protists-and-Human-Disease-BIO/

Additionally, students will learn about how prokaryotic organisms choose to live together in a colony. Finally, students will be introduced to the stages of mitosis. They will take a short quiz over mitosis next week.

This week in History, students will take their “Golden Age to Glorious Revolution” test on Monday. Starting on Tuesday, students will begin their work on an in-class Feudal Japan project. In groups, students will be assigned a chapter from the book and design a lesson to teach their peers. They will create a poster board in class as well. There will be no homework for this project, everything will be done in class. As a group, students will teach their chapter on Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Students have finished the 50 states unit and will demonstrate their knowledge by creating a brochure for a randomly chosen state. States will be chosen and information given on Monday. Their final brochure is due for presentation on Wednesday, 12/13. We will present on their states until Winter break.

This week in Math, students find the area and perimeter of odd-shaped figures, and explore the area of a triangle (½ x base x height). This is the last week of math groups for the quarter! We will have math groups from 8:00-9:00.