Friday, October 30th

Students had class time to complete and submit their Civil War essays.  Some didn't finish; however, I will accept late papers.  I will need them by the end of the day on Wednesday so I can grade them for the upcoming report cards.  

We read a few more pages in Gathering Blue and students worked on comparing and contrasting character text details.  Yesterday we reviewed literature elements and worked on a Venn diagram that identified the immediate differences and similarities of the Gathering Blue and The Giver.

I passed out next week's homework and went over the directions with the students.  The reading provides the basic information about Reconstruction and next week we will complete some related readings and activities.  The Reconstruction test will be next Thursday and students can begin studying with quizlet.  Lastly, I've attached some supplemental resources below for students who are interested in learning more about this time in history.

Reconstruction Resources

America's Library:  Reconstruction (Library of Congress)

Rise and Fall of Jim Crow

Library of Congress:  Reconstruction and its Aftermath

America's Reconstruction (University of Houston Digital Library)

Tuesday, October 27th

Students continued working on their Civil War informational papers, and many of them are ready to start drafting tomorrow.  I didn't give separate ELA or social studies homework this week, because I expect for students to work on their papers at home, as necessary.  The final draft is due on Friday.

We also finished reading and analyzing the Gettysburg Address.  Students worked in groups to discuss what they thought President Lincoln's main idea and supporting details were.  Thankfully, students are moving past simply sharing assumptions and getting better at having text-based conversations.  The notes from both flex group are below.

Yesterday's field-trip to the Atlanta History Center was fun AND educational!

Friday, October 23rd

We had our library time today and students continued working on their informational papers.  Also, I let students know what the short answer question would be on the Civil War assessment.  Students looked over their notes and brainstormed facts that could be included within their answers.

Atlanta History Field Trip
We are going to the Atlanta History Center on Monday.  Before the end of school, students received a reminder if they need to bring a lunch on Monday.

OPTIONAL Weekend Homework
Some students chose work on their research, notes, and outlines for their Civil War papers over the weekend.  Also, many students will use their study guides and the quizlet to prepare for the upcoming Civil War assessment.  

Wednesday, October 21st

We had a wonderful opportunity today to listen to Mr. Pomfret about his exciting job as an archaeologist for the Georgia Department of Transportation.  He and Mr. Carlson, a historian, discussed their work to uncover historical artifacts and they were able to share about their role in the search for the U.S.S. Water Witch.

During ELA I taught the students how to outline texts and how to use it when organizing notes for writing assignments.  We spent the remainder of our day working on the Civil War information paper.

Upcoming Assessments/Due Dates
Civil War  - Tues., October 27th
Civil War Informational Paper - Thurs., October 29th (I'm giving students a few more days to finish)
Reconstruction - Wed., November 4th

Monday, October 19th

We had a busy day today. After completing daily grammar we continued our Cornell notes on the text, "Emancipation Means Freedom."  

We then began to read and discuss the language used in The Gettysburg Address.  I read it aloud and students identified unknown words/phrases.  Students then worked with their table groups to find the meaning of those words and phrases.  During our next reading, we will begin to analyze the whole document to  understand President Lincoln's main idea and supporting details.

We concluded our day with watching the Civil War BrainPop video and using the information to complete the study guide. 

Homework:  read for 30 minutes daily, Civil War on the Sea reading/questions, Math worksheet

Friday, October 16th

This weekend, please review your child's informational paper rubric.  At this point, all students have chosen a topic and everyone is either writing research questions, finding sources, or taking notes.  Some students will want to share their Google Docs notes and here's how to login:
1.  Go to Google and click on "sign in"
2.  username:  23firstname lastname@csdecatur.net
     password:  student+lunch number
example:  23cassandrablack@csdecatur.net, student12345

The original deadline was Tuesday, October 27th; however, I may extend it by a day or two depending on how we utilize our class time next week.  

After you review the document, please sign the front page at the bottom and have your child return it on Monday.  Please make sure you do this because students will need it for our writing time on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, October 15th

We had our orchestra field trip today and it was a great experience.  The majority of students were on-task and showed how F.AVE students can enjoy cultural experiences and behave in public.  Some friends, unfortunately, needed multiple reminders to stay in their seats, to not talk during the performance, and to keep their feet off of the plush seats.  So, moving forward, I will make sure students have extra time before the field trip to review how we behave in public. 

The upcoming Civil War assessment will be on Tuesday, October 27th.  Students can begin studying on the quizlet and we are going to spend next week learning the rest of the content and completing the study guide.

Tuesday, October 13th

Students began their informational summative papers today.  We began with brainstorming Civil War topics and then we moved onto topic selection and question generation.  Tomorrow students will begin revising their questions and moving forward with research.

During Social Studies we worked on analyzing the ideas presented in "The Soldiers" from A History of US: War, Terrible War.  Students worked with their table groups to understand how the author developed and presented ideas.

As a reminder, our Orchestra field trip is on Thursday so please send in the field trip form if you have not done so.  Homework is also still due on Thursday, so students need to make sure they complete and turn it in on the due date.

Friday, October 9th

We had a productive week and students are getting a lot done.  Next week students will complete some activities associated with The Giver before we move onto the next book, Gathering Blue. We will also dig into the Civil War content over the next two weeks now that students have learned about, and been assessed, on the Civil War causes.  The next social studies assessment will be on Thursday, October 22nd.  Next week students will also begin working on their summative informational papers.  

Lastly, we are going on our field trip to the orchestra next Thursday, so if you haven't sent in your field trip form, please send it in as soon as you can.

This week's collaborative work

Monday, October 5th

Today we finished the Civil War causes PowerPoint.  I distributed the study guide and students should use their classwork, notes, and quizlet to fill it in.  Students who complete their class work and participate in class shouldn't have any difficulty finding all of the answers within the resources provided.

During ELA we completed and corrected our daily grammar work.  We also analyzed various plot points within The Giver and we should be done with the book in a week.

Homework:  Math, read for 20-30 minutes daily, Civil War causes study guide

***As a reminder, homework is due on Thursday.***

Mathathon Update

Now it is time to COLLECT AND SEND IN PLEDGES for the Mathathon. 

Each student received a pledge envelope on Monday in their communication folders and all kids who submit their donations by October 9^th will receive a prize!

Class Notes

Sojourner Truth - Main Idea/Details

Harriet Beecher Stowe

**IB document inquiry & Uncle Tom's Cabin cause/effect chart**

Civil War Causes PowerPoint notes