Class Update 12/8-12/12

As Christmas is approaching, our class meet to discuss a Christmas party.  There is a sign up genius that went home through Skyward to sign up for supplies.  There will also be a letter coming home to explain the day once we get all the details sorted out. Students voted to participate in a secret Santa gift exchange similar to what they did in third grade with Mrs. Mentink.

Reading/Writing/Social Studies

This week we finished up main idea detail and introduced text structure (compare/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution, and chronological order).  Our focus is comparing and contrasting.  Students were introduced to this topic with an activity comparing and contrasting Hershey's hugs and kisses.  We created a Venn diagram and then practiced writing a comparison essay. Students will continue to work in small groups at their reading level to focus on this skill.  They will also have the opportunity to practice this skill in social studies where they are learning about the 13 colonies.  

Math

Grade 3 - Third grade is continuing to work on our measurement unit.  This week we have been focusing on telling time to the nearest minute.  We are also talking about telling time before and after the hour (2:22 is 22 minutes after 2 and 38 before 3) and elapsed time (how much time has past from the start to the end of an activity).  

Grade 4 - The fourth graders have been working on division!  We completed the Unit 3 assessment early in the week and are now tackling number expressions and number equations-another comparing and contrasting activity. 

Grade 5 - Fifth graders are working on reviewing adding and subtracting fractions and practicing multiplying and dividing fractions.  All four operations should be fairly fluent at this time.  We will be taking the Unit 3 assessment in the beginning of next week.  A review will be coming home tonight to study over the weekend.