Week of January 30 - February 3

Happy Monday!

Puberty Night

Please note that Puberty Night has been rescheduled for next Thursday, February 9^th.

Blog Homework

The kids seem to really be enjoying the blog homework.  This week’s reading log will require them to get on the blog and visit the links below to read about a few major Revolutionary War battles and summarize their learning.

Battle of Lexington & Concord:

http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312848/boflandc.htm

Battle of Bunker Hill: 

http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/maps/bunkerhill/

Battle of Saratoga:

http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/maps/saratogamap/

Battle of Yorktown:

http://www.virtualology.com/virtualwarmuseum.com/revolutionarywarhall/THEBATTLEOFYORKTOWN.COM/

Upcoming Tests:

Social Studies Test over the Revolutionary War (chapter 13) on Friday

There aren’t many reminders this week, but we are learning all kinds of good stuff!  Check it out!

Social Studies  We will continue studying the Revolutionary War with a test and open response on Friday.

Math  A new unit begins this week involving exponents, negative numbers, and order of operations!

Science  We will begin a month long study of the human body where the kids will now get an in-depth understanding of the major body systems, their components, and their functions.

Reading  We are wrapping up literature circles and beginning a new Response to Literature unit where the kids will analyze the story elements and the way events and characters come together to form a story.

Writing  Our opinion pieces are now entering the drafting a revising stages!

Blog Activity: Alaska's Winter Woes

        Since we've hardly gotten any snow this winter, I thought you might enjoy reading an article about a state that has received more than its fair share of snow.  Please read the article and respond below.  Explain what you think would be the greatest hardship suffered by the people of Alaska due to all of the snow and ice why.  
The link is:  http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3756854

*Reminder:  I'm looking for thoughtful answers with details and correct use of conventions.  :o)

Chinese New Year Celebration

Read Aloud about Chinese New Year with Mrs. Rauh

This book told us what animal is represented by the year we were born!  Very cool!

Below are pictures of the kids making their Chinese lanterns.  These turned out so cute and we're going to hang them from our ceiling!

 

Week of January 23-27

Chinese New Year

Today we had the privilege of having a visitor, Mrs. Rauh, come into our classroom to teach the kids about the Chinese New Year.  The kids loved it!  I will try to attach pictures this afternoon.

Puberty Night

Puberty Night has been rescheduled for Thursday, February 9th.

Early Release

Please don’t forget that tomorrow is an Early Release Day.  Dismissal will be at 12:25pm.

School BOB Competitions

Our school level BOB competitions will take place the week of February 13-17.  Please encourage your child to read as many BOB books as possible.  Remember, any child who reads 7 books is eligible to take the test to possibly compete in the district-wide competition this spring!

Upcoming Tests

Math Test on Friday

Antonyms Quiz on Friday

Our Lessons For the Week

Social Studies  Our focus in Social Studies is turning to the Revolutionary War and exploring how the colonists finally succeeded in defeating the British Army.

Math  We are wrapping up a unit on adding and subtracting fractions and data analysis.

Word Study  Our study of antonyms will continue this week.

Writing  The kids are developing thesis statements and beginning drafts for opinion writing.

Reading  Literature circles are wrapping up!  Our last meetings will be Friday, Monday, and Tuesday.

What is your opinion on fines for not finishing your food?

        Have you ever found yourself at restaurant ordering more food with a meal than you can possibly eat?  To go along with our study of opinion writing, I found this great link where I'd like for you to read an article and watch a video about restaurants that actually charge customers extra for any food leftover on their plate after they finish a meal.  Read the article and watch the video at the following link:  http://www.dogonews.com/2011/12/5/should-restuarants-penalize-customers-for-leftover-food.  Then leave a comment on the blog so we can debate about whether or not this fine is fair.  What do you think?  Should restaurants have this fine or not?  Support your answer with information from the video or the article.
*PLEASE use correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.  Also, give some thought to your answer and develop a good argument.  Remember, what you write is posted on the Internet for all to see!*

MLK, Jr. Homework

Please read the article at the link below and watch the video that follows.  You will learn all about Martin Luther King, Jr., the man who led the Civil Rights Movement.  Thanks to him and many other brave people, we now live in a country where it is unconstitutional to treat someone differently based on the color of their skin.  After viewing the video, please write a comment to share one thing you learned and please write one way our life would be different if not for the brave leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.dogonews.com/2012/1/16/remembering-the-legacy-of-martin-luther-king-jr

Blog Question

Do you think the colonists had a choice or was declaring their independence inevitable?  How else might they have handled their grievances against the king?