Wonderopolis

Fun web site to try at home!

http://wonderopolis.org

Terra Nova Week

It's testing week, so we have no homework!  Please help your child get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and come to school with pencils and a "free time" book.

Tests are as follows:

Monday and Tuesday -- Sequences, Analogies, Reasoning Tests
Wednesday - Reading Tests
Thursday - Math Tests
Friday - Vocabulary, Language, Spelling, Math Computation Tests

No spelling test this week, but students can practice for next week's test if they would like.  We will be on Unit 18.

Spelling Lists

Students can still be reading for Book-it (Optional) and Six Flags (Optional).

Spelling Test

Today we took our unit 17 spelling test.  We will not have a spelling test next week due to Terra Nova testing all week.  We will still be having a shortened language arts block next week, but there will be no homework assignments due to testing.  We will also be having practice for our upcoming musical.

in social studies we are reading about our global economy.  We are reading pages 127-131 in our social studies book.

We are continuing to learn about different inventors and inventions.  The Time For Kids magazines that we have been reading have contained some great articles about this topic.

Next week, please help your child get a good night's sleep, arrive at school on time, eat a healthy breakfast, and have a book to read if they have free time during quiet testing.  I will encourage them to do their very best to "show off" all they have learned this year!

Our Economy

We are continuing to read Chapter 4 in Social Studies.  A test is not scheduled until AFTER next week's Terra Nova Tests.

Tomorrow is our spelling test.  Please be sure to have your child study their or/er/ar word list.  We completed Spelling review workbook pages 69 & 70 today.

For fun, we replaced our read-aloud story with a fun Paddington video.  We will be starting a new read-aloud book next week.

In grammar, we are continuing to work on pronouns, and we are continuing to read and learn about inventors/inventions.

Story Test

Today we read and reviewed our story, So You Want to Be an Inventor.  It was fun to learn about the stories behind many of the inventions we use on a daily basis.  Here's a quick video about necessity being the "Mother of Invention."

Schoolhouse Rock Invention Video

Our Spelling Test will be given on Friday.  Our words all have er, or, and ir endings.

In social studies we are continuing to read Chapter 4.  We are currently working on Lesson 3, pages 119-125.

So You Want to Be an Inventor?

Our story today is called So You Want to Be an Inventor?  Students should reread the story on pages 414-427 tonight for homework.  The pink story sheet is due back tomorrow for our vocabulary and comprehension test.  Here's the link to the eBook:

eBook

Here's a site called "Who Invented it?" about modern inventions.  You may wish to view it with your child and select inventions appropriate for their understanding level.

http://www.whoinventedit.net

Schoolhouse Rock invention video:

Schoolhouse Rock Inventions

We completed the Robust Vocabulary section from Practice workbook page 101.

We completed Spelling workbook pages 67-68 to practice for our Unit 17 test on Friday.

Spelling Lists

Our class finished reading Paddington.

Has your child been reading for January Book-it? How about Six Flags Reading Club?  Both are optional but encouraged!

Fact & Opinion

Today we reviewed the skill of distinguishing between facts and opinions.  We also took our spelling test.

We had an amazing assembly about good character and bullying.  You can click here to see the web site of our special guest, Matt Wilhelm.  He was on America's Got Talent and was an X Games champion.
http://probikeshows.com

Our read aloud book has been Paddington the Bear.  

Newsletters were sent home today with next week's spelling words.  Continue to read for Book-it.

Reference Sources

Today we learned when to select different reference sources.  We looked at encyclopedias, globes, almanacs, dictionaries, atlas, thesaurus, and world record books.  Our workbook page, Practice p. 86, assessed our knowledge of these tools.

We also read "The Adventurers" on p. 393-399 in our Storytown book.

We also completed a packet about Facts & Opinions.

Tomorrow we will have a Unit 16 Spelling test.  Tomorrow is Chicago Sports Day.  Wear some Chicago sports gear to show your support!  No school on Monday due to Dr. Martin Luther King Day.

The Adventurers

Today we read the story "The Adventurers" in our reading book.  Since it was a Readers' Theatre selection, we practiced reading with expression and fluency.  This story is found on pages 392-399.

We worked on learning about Pronouns and completed Grammar page 49 to practice pronouns and their antecedents.

Here's a site we used to review with some fun pronoun video clips:

Pronouns

Our Unit 16 Spelling Test will be given on Friday.

Pronouns

We have been working on pronouns in class.  Here's a good link to videos, worksheets, etc. to help you review pronouns at home:

Prounoun Link

In class, we completed Grammar Workbook page 49 to learn about pronouns and their antecedents.

We also finished reading and completing activities in our years'-end (2014) Time for Kids magazine. This magazine helps us to learn about current events.

We read The Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg, and we continue to discuss the genre of fantasy.  There is NOT a reading story for home this week.  We are a bit off schedule due to the "Cold Days" last week.

Spelling test on Unit 16 will be on Friday.


In social studies, we completed Chapter 4, Lesson 2 on pages 106-111.  We do take a brief quiz after each section.  We are currently learning about the economy.   Today's lesson was about consumers, producers, and the supply/demand factor.

Friday is Chicago Sports Day.  You can wear some fun sports gear!

Monday Review

Today we completed a few review workbook pages in spelling in order to prepare for our Unit 16 test on Friday.   Please remember that some students do not need to take the test on Friday since they scored a 90% or higher on our "practice" test last Friday (this was due to the "Cold Days" off of school).

Spelling Units

We read the book Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg as we continue our author study and explore more books in the fantasy genre.

In social studies we are continuing to learn about the economy in Chapter 4.  Here's a link to some online flash-cards that can help you practice social studies Chapter 4 economy vocabulary words at home.

Quizlet Economy Vocabulary Practice

We also had our "Erin's Law" assembly this morning.

Cold Day Catch-Up!

We had to improvise a bit and make some changes in our classroom routine based upon our days off of school.  Since we had a crazy week, we will carry over this week's spelling words to next week.  HOWEVER, I did let students take their spelling test today if they felt ready (they made their own choice regarding this).  Students who receive a 90% or higher will NOT need to take the spelling test next week.  We will carry over these same words for next week's test.

We did reread the story The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg, and we watched a movie of this story. After this review, students were prepared to take their story comprehension and vocabulary test, so we did take it today.  However, we will continue our Chris Van Allsburg unit into next week so that we can read more of his great fantasy stories in class.  We are also working on a "Year in Review" activity using our Time For Kids magazines, so we will most likely not be having a Tuesday reading story next week.

Spelling Lists (We are on Unit 16):

Spelling List


Stranger Video

The Stranger

Tonight's homework is to reread the story "The Stranger" by Chris Van Allsburg on pages 370-384.  This is a fantasy story that our class enjoyed very much.  Here's a link to the eBook:

eBook

Here is a short movie based on the story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7NSj--t_UQ



We will have a story comprehension and vocabulary test tomorrow.   We also completed Practice workbook pages 77-78.

In social studies we started Unit 4.  We read pages 102-111 and we are learning about our country's economy.

Welcome Back!

Back to School in 2015!!! Thank you for reading at home over the break.  Book-it forms for DECEMBER should have been sent in today.  JANUARY forms were distributed prior to the break.  Book-it is OPTIONAL, but it is encouraged!

We went over our spelling words.  Unit 16 words are listed here:

Spelling Lists

We completed Spelling workbook pages 63 & 64.  These words end with al, il, el, and le.

Our Time for Kids magazine is a "Year in Review" issue.  We will be working on reading it and using it to complete activities during this week at school.  What do you remember most about 2014?