Thanksgiving Update...

Hi Parents,

Thank you for checking out our latest post!  Read below to find out all the exciting things we've done this week  in class...

Grammar/Phonics: This week, we reviewed the two sounds  of the -ea spelling pattern. We also looked at all the standard conventions we should be applying to our writing every time we write.

Reading:  We finished up learning about the five nonfiction text structures authors use to organize their writing in order for us to better understand the passage or book. The purpose of learning to identify these text structures is to ultimately help us identify the main idea and supporting details.  We used graphic organizers on leveled passages to record important information and we answered comprehension questions.  We also read several chapters in our read aloud, The One and Only Ivan.  We looked at the characters and their motivations. We identified character traits and text evidence supporting these traits.  We looked at challenging vocabulary and used context clues to determine the meaning.

Writing:  We looked at mentor  authors' introductions in nonfiction books and practiced using their ideas in our introductions. We wrote several different introductions before determining which one we wanted to use in our chapter books.  We also wrote two complete chapters, learning how to organize the information within each chapter. We discussed the importance of topic sentences as well as how and when to begin new paragraphs within these chapters.  We discussed  the style of writing that should be used when writing an informational text.

Math:  We worked on multi-step word problems involving all four operations.  We completed a word problem packet, reviewed the various strategies to help us visualize the problem, and worked on the computation together. We also spent a day simply looking at clue phrases we may see in word problems and their corresponding , such as half as many, fewer than, how many more, double the amount, etc.  We then took a mid-quarter assessment. We continued our study of area, practicing multiplying length times width in order to calculate square units.

Social Studies/Science:  We began our unit on European Exploration.  We learned why explorers began navigating across the Atlantic (to find a quicker route to Asia for trade, which accidentally helped them reach the new world).  We talked about Christopher Columbus and his journey to America.  We had a special in-house field trip on Thursday, learning about Georgia's ecosystems and comparing habitats, soil, and animals in the various regions. We  LOVED seeing our own classmates present their Target projects.  It was amazing to see the hard work and effort they put into these presentations.

Class News and Announcements...

Enjoy your week off and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Please take special note of the SCIENCE FAIR flyer that came home this week. I would like 100% participation in this school-wide event.  We will be choosing class winners to move on to the grade level round.

If you have not returned the "Tattle-Tales" permission slip, please do so as soon as we return from the break.

Please emphasize to your child the importance of reading every day over this week-long break. We are almost HALFWAY through the school year and fourth grade is fast approaching.  Let's go into the new year strong!