Sunday, November 27, 2016

T3W4

I hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving Break.  Our next few weeks are going to be busy, so please see below for the details.


Events
Atlanta History Center Field Trip -- Monday, Nov. 28th 
MAP testing -- Tuesday, Nov. 29th - Thursday., Dec. 1st, @ 12:05pm - 1:15pm
Village Gathering -- Friday, Dec 2nd @ 8:00am
Celebration of Learning -- Friday, January 6th @ 1:45pm


Last Week's Notes & Events

Math - We are still working on adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers.  Students took the mid-module assessment on Wednesday and we went over it on Thursday.      This week we are going to finish up with fraction addition and subtraction.




Social Studies -- Last week we discussed the Battle of Greasy Grass (Little Bighorn) and the Trail of Tears.  This week we are shifting focus from internal migrations to immigration.

Reading/Writing -- Students began their opinion summative essays and we are continuing our work with analyzing literature.
 


Science -- Students inquired into how different configurations of a battery and wires could make a battery light up. 

 Explorations -- Mr. Barracano came and taught an exploration about directing film.  It was awesome!

Thanksgiving Luncheon -- Thank you to everyone who came out!

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

T3W3

My apologies for the late update.  On weeks when report cards are due I get a little behind on everything else.  That being said, we have a lot going on during this week before a much needed Thanksgiving break.


Announcements
Thanksgiving Luncheon:  (TOMORROW!)  Thursday, November 17th at 11:05am

Thanksgiving Break:  November 19-27, 2016

Movie Night:  F.AVE Movie Night is coming up soon, Friday, December 2nd from 6:45-9:00 p.m., and the Movie Night committee is excited to announce that a limited number of scholarships are available! If you are interested, please email Kerri Shannon (Movie Night co-chair) at kerridshannon@gmail.com. Confidentiality will be maintained throughout the process. The scholarship deadline is Friday, November 25th.

Reading
In our literature study of  we are continuing our work in understanding symbolism, themes, character motivations, and plot elements.

We discussed the symbolism of beasts in other texts and compared/contrasted that to text evidence from Gathering Blue.  In analyzing the dysfunction of the community, students decided that the beasts symbolize fear, danger, control and death.  To close we contrasted the beasts of Gathering Blue to the lack of beasts in The Giver.  They decided that the theme of "control" was the commonality between the two texts.

Students discussed the different types of conflict in literature and found text evidence of each type.  For the extension, some reading groups compared and contrasted Kira's conflict in Gathering Blue to Jonas's conflict in The Giver.

Social Studies
Students are exploring various types of migrations along with their economic and cultural impacts.  Next week we are going to move beyond internal migration and begin inquiring into immigration from places outside of the United States.

Math
For the past several weeks we have been working on adding and subtracting fractions.  Students took the mid-module today and tomorrow we are going to move onto 

Writing
Students began their summative opinion essays today.  In light of recent political events, students are going to research the Electoral College and make an argument for or against it.  We discussed the organizer, sources, and the basics about the Electoral College.  Their papers are due on Wednesday, December 7th and they will have class time to complete their essays.

Science
This term we are completing several activities about electricity and magnetism.  Georgia Power came this week to talk about different types of energy and students were able to see what types of materials were conductors and insulators.  In class, students explored how static electricity works.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

T3W2

Unit of Inquiry:  Where we are in place and time
Central Idea: Innovation and migration are key factors in shaping our world.

ELA:  Students will continue working on identifying and understanding text evidence.  They will look at opinion writing samples so they can see examples of effective and not-so-effective arguments.  Additionally, we are about halfway through Gathering Blue and students are gaining a deeper understanding of the elements of a dystopian novel.  We are also delving into symbolism and seeing excellent examples of how authors use rich details to show and not just tell.  

ELA Homework:  Vocabulary, Read for 30 minutes daily

Math:  We are beginning our unit on fractions and this week we are focusing on making equivalent fractions and adding fractions with like and unlike denominators.

Science:  We are completing several hands-on activities and lessons that focus on electricity this week.  It should be electrifying!

Social Studies:  We are continuing to look at different migrations and what motivated them.  Last week we compared and contrasted three sources about African American migration.  Students created a cause and effect thought map that included the details about when and why African Americans left the south.  This week we will discuss westward migration, the Transcontinental Railroad, and forced Native American removal.  

Here are some questions your child should be able to answer by the end of the week:
What was the economic impact of the Western Cattle Trails?

Patrick drank 34 liter of water Monday before jogging. He drank 45 liter of water after his jog. How much water did Patrick drink altogether? Write your answer as a mixed number. 

Announcements
Tuesday, November 8th - Teacher Workday & NO School for students.  
--Remember to vote (PLEASE!)

Wednesday, November 9th - Orchestra Field Trip (here's the FORM if you need it)

Tuesday, November 15th - Explorations