Reading
We send home another STAAR-like homework on Monday night this week. Students will have until Friday to read the passage, jot down notes and answer questions. We will check the answers and share strategies in our class discussion on Friday.
In class we will be inferring with non-fiction text features. We will review what we know about captions, photographs, titles and subtitles and then work to infer the author's purpose for including them in the article.
In class we will be inferring with non-fiction text features. We will review what we know about captions, photographs, titles and subtitles and then work to infer the author's purpose for including them in the article.
Writing
We wrote our first kernel expository essays last week. Our topic last week was something we can just not do without. Your children really got into the work and their kernels are priceless! Topics ranged from video games to books, hair gel to chocolate and water to puppies. Our LOVES were all over the map. This week we will continue to flush out other ideas and write another kernel essay. After we compile a bank of possibilities your children will pick which topic they wish to take through the writing process.
One of the biggest moments of success and fun was while I was listening to kids share their kernel essays. Our WITS author, Mrs. Bolton, has been teaching mini-lessons on figurative language. She's covered similes, metaphors and personification so far. One of our students last week used a simile in his conclusion to drive home the reason he just couldn't live without books! The quick writes they do with Mrs. Bolton each week are fun and imaginative. It was so fun to watch them apply it to our new genre of writing last week!!
One of the biggest moments of success and fun was while I was listening to kids share their kernel essays. Our WITS author, Mrs. Bolton, has been teaching mini-lessons on figurative language. She's covered similes, metaphors and personification so far. One of our students last week used a simile in his conclusion to drive home the reason he just couldn't live without books! The quick writes they do with Mrs. Bolton each week are fun and imaginative. It was so fun to watch them apply it to our new genre of writing last week!!
Spelling
Spelling continues this week. New words will come home on Wednesday, January 28. Spelling homework is due 2/3/15. Spelling tests will be given on 2/4/15. Many children struggled last week to get back in the rhythm of spelling. Please check in with your child to make sure he or she is on track to complete spelling homework on time.
Social Studies
During Story of America we will create trading cards to help us solidify our learning about the explorers below:
Christopher
Columbus (1451-1506)-An Italian explorer working for Spain who sailed
to the Americas while trying to reach Asia from Europe.
William Clark and Meriwether Lewis – American
explorers who, in 1803, led The
Corps of Discovery in exploring the land west of the Mississippi River. They
journeyed overland across North America to the Pacific Coast and back.
Daniel Boone (1734-1820)-An American pioneer
leader who helped settle the state of Kentucky and created the Wilderness Road,
a trail in the Appalachian Mountains that early settlers used to move west.
Juan de Oñate (ca.
1550-1626) A Spanish explorer
who founded the first European settlements in the upper Rio Grande Valley,
including the city of El Paso.
A study guide will come home Monday, 1/26. Our test will be on 2/3/15.
4th graders will take a practice STAAR test on Thursday. We will have an alternate schedule. Lunch will be at 12:45 and specials at 1:15 on Thursday of this week.
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