Week of March 4th

What crazy weather we had on Friday! Hopefully the snow day provided extra time for rest and relaxation!!!

Dates to know:
MCAS Long Composition - Tuesday, March 19th
Sports Day - Wednesday - March 27th
Good Friday - No School - Friday, March 29th
ELA MCAS - Monday and Tuesday - April 1st and 2nd


Reading

• We read a book about Harry Houdini, the greatest escape artist. Part of our biography unit is to discuss how the setting affects the character. Since he was one of the first real magicians, the class believes that this is the reason why he was so famous. They do not believe that he'd be as famous today since others can do those tricks.
• On Wednesday, students read a passage called Digging Dirt. This is a nonfiction MCAS passage about dirt and soil. Students worked in partners to answer the multiple choice questions. Later that day, students worked on creating their own organizer and finding specific evidence to support their thinking. 
• The class started another non-fiction MCAS passage called Voyager, which is about one of the first airplane rides that successfully completed a flight around the world after overcoming many challenges. 

Writing

• We learned how to "show, don't tell" within nonfiction writing. This is a strategy that will help students stretch out their ideas. 
• On Tuesday, students completed the Mock Comp. I am in the process of typing up a strengths and goals sheet for each student, which will hopefully go home on the 12th or 13th. 
• On Wednesday, we talked about what went well on Tuesday and we came up with a list of tips and ideas to help us on the real day. 
• Using a Google Presentation, we revisited the structure of a conclusion paragraph in an expert project. Students drafted their conclusion paragraph and began to revise their writing. 

Math

• On Monday, we began our unit on decimals and exploring the place value of tenths, hundredths and thousandths. 
• Students began comparing decimals and using place value to help them determine which one is larger or smaller. Students learned a new game called Decimal Compare to help them practice this idea.
• Students participated in a math workshop where they placed fractions on a number line, played Decimal Compare and chose activities from the fractions and decimals menu. 

Social Studies

• On Monday and Wednesday, we read a picture book called Coming to America, which highlights the history of immigration. As we read the book, we filled out an organizer to keep track of all the information.
• On Thursday, students read a story called Grandfather's Journey. This book is about a man's immigration from Japan, the reasons why he left and how hard it is to live in a new land when you miss your old home.