March 19-24

Wheels, Levers and Pulleys

Simple Machine Presentation

Week of March 19th
Important Dates:
Mon, Mar 26th  Spring Break begins
Tues, April 3rd - Classes resume

Reading:   The students will continue to read The Miraculous Adventures of Edward Tulane. They will understand the meaning of the word persevere as it relates to the story and a poem entitled Try, Try Again.  They will describe a time when they have had to persevere and how they handled it.

Spelling:   Unit 23-  Words with "oi" and "oy" & Proverbs
 This week's list includes words with the letters "oi" and "oy". Students will learn that these letter combinations make the same sound and are both diphthongs. "Oy" is usually found at the end of a syllable and "oi" is usually found in the middle of a syllable. We will also study proverbs - what they are and what some of them mean. The final test is scheduled for Friday, 3/23.

Social Studies:   We will continue our study of the Southwest.  The students will  be assigned  a state and create a travel brochure.  Class time will be given however, some may be assigned for homework. We will also continue to learn about the Grand Canyon this week.

Science: Ch. 17 TEST will be Friday, 3/23.
I will be introducing  our "Invention Convention" project. The students will be asked to identify a problem in their lives and come up with an invention that helps to solve this problem. Think simply...this does not have to be a complex invention. An informational letter, project timeline/calendar, rubric and contract will be handed out in science class on Monday, March 19th. All students are expected to complete this assignment. The contract, or plan, for the invention is due in class on Thursday, March 22nd. I will then review each contract with students, to make sure they are on the right track. Once I confirm that they are moving in the right direction, students will be free to begin constructing their inventions. Inventions aren't due until after spring break; April 24th. The construction of the invention will be done at home.


Mrs. Spakausky and Mrs. K.'s Math Class: We will continue Unit Five Geometry and Measurement.  This week we will focus on symmetry and polygons. We will review different types of triangles, quadrilaterals and other polygons.  Later in the week we will focus on area and perimeter.

March 12-16

Congratulations, Ben!

PRIDE! Winner for the month of February.

 "Calm Classroom" Focus Activity

Penny's on the forehead....ask your child about this focus and relaxation activity. :)

 Midwest Celebration for Social Studies

Important Dates:
March 16-- Wheels Levers and Pulleys program
Mon, Mar 26th  Spring Break begins
Tues, April 3rd - Classes resume


Reading:   We  will continue to read The Miraculous Adventures of Edward Tulane.  The students are completing journal response questions as we read through the chapters. The focus is making sure text evidence is provided in their response as well as answering the question completely.

Time For Kids: There will be a Time For Kids quiz on Thursday.

Spelling/English:  Unit 22 - An adjective is a word that describes a noun. This week's lesson consists of a collection of adjectives and a review of similes and metaphors. The final test is scheduled for Friday, 3/16.

Social Studies:   We will begin our study of the Southwest. There will  be a map quiz on Thursday.  The students will also be designing a travel brochure for one of the southwest states.  They will use a variety of resources for their brochure.

Science: Chapter 17: Machines
We will begin our unit on Simple Machines. This week the students will learn what a scientist means by work, what a simple machine is and how a lever changes the way work is done.

Mrs. Spakausky and Mrs. K.'s Math Class:  Unit 5:  Geometry and Measurement
This week we will review acute, straight, obtuse and right angles. We will focus on measuring angles with a protractor.

March 5-9

Family Shamrocks are due Monday, March 5th :)

Reading:   This week we will continue our "Journeys" Unit. We will begin reading the novel The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. This story tells the tale of a china rabbit who goes on an adventure and learns how to love. We will begin by close reading an excerpt from the first chapter.

English:   We are working on our friend essays. We will also focus on adjectives in our writing this week.

Spelling:  Unit 21 - Relative Adverbs, Relative Pronouns, Reading content words
This week's lesson will include the spelling and use of relative adverbs, relative pronouns, and content words. A relative adverb relates back to a time, place or reason to provide more details about a noun. A relative pronoun relates back to something or someone else. The reading content words are familiar to students, and they should be able to spell them and to apply them (Example: identify a simile or a metaphor.)The final test is scheduled for Friday, 3/9.

Social Studies:   We will complete our study of the Midwest. There will be an open book quiz on Friday covering what we have learned about the Ojibwa.  On Friday we will also have our Midwest Resource Day and enjoy some of the foods from the Midwest.

Mrs. Spakausky's and Mrs. K.'s Math Class:   We will continue Unit Five Geometry and Measurement.  This week we will focus on angles. The students will become familiar with acute, straight, obtuse and right angles. We will learn how to use a protractor to measure angles later in the week.