Classroom Update

Math

We are well on our way to completing our work with fractions. Before winter break students learned how to add and subtract both fractions and mixed numbers. We also started our unit on multiplying fractions before vacation. These past two weeks we continued working on multiplying fractions using area models and two different strategies for multiplying mixed numbers. This coming Monday we will begin the last part of our fraction work by looking at the division of fractions.


Reader's Workshop

Students have been working hard before vacation reading and preparing to meet in book clubs. All groups have had some really good conversations about the books they are reading. Many connections have also been made to our read aloud Wonder. Some groups have completed their book and other groups will be finishing next week. A final book club meeting will discuss turning points in the story and theme.


Writer's Workshop

Students are in the process of revising their persuasive essays. Students choose a topic that they feel strongly about and would like to persuade others to take action. We have begun revision with two strategies, adding evidence and unpacking or analyzing evidence. We will continue to work on other revision strategies next week.

Social Studies

Before vacation students learned about early explorations in China, Africa, and Europe. Students are now in the middle of their partner research project on an assigned explorer. Now that students have completed their research, they will create a presentation that will teach their classmates about their explorer. Students have also been learning a lot about how to research information using books and the Internet, an important skill for our upcoming Birds of Prey informational writing project. We began talking about plagiarism and why is it  important to paraphrase or put informational into your own words when doing research and taking notes. Along with this we talked about the need to cite the sources that they are using to find information on their explorer. And finally we discussed how to find reputable Internet sources and how to effectively Google search.