Monday P.E. | Tuesday Out and About | Wednesday Art | Thursday Geek Out | Friday Art |
Calendar Highlights:
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Upcoming Out & Abouts:
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Remember to order your FGCS 19-20 yearbooks! As your student may (or may not) have told you; the yearbook order form that is usually included with your paperwork at the beginning of the year was not included this year. We have been told that some families may think they have already ordered one, when in fact they haven’t!
Here’s the link!
Upcoming - Merlin Geography Geek Out Presentations will be on March 19th from 2:20 - 3:00. Families are welcome to drop in. It will be a science fair set up and we will have 2-3 rounds of presentations so all students can have a chance to show off what they have learned. Please keep an eye out this week for your student’s time slot assignment.
Homework This Week
- Reading: Read the newsletter on Monday, and read a book of choice Tuesday-Thursday!
- Writing: Spelling. See the back of the spelling list to review each night's task, and grab a template if you want to help yourself stay organized.
- Math: Expect a 20 - 30 minute assignment each day.
Project
Last week, students began the “Road to Independence” simulation. Students have a colonial identity & experience simulations of events that led to the Declaration of
Independence. Each student got an identity card which details a colonial job, income, home colony, and political views (Patriot, Loyalist, or Neutralist). Students began the week by analyzing and explaining differences between patriot, loyalist, and neutralist perspectives using primary source quotes. Then students participated in the Stamp Act simulation, where they were required to purchase stamps for each legal document (paper used in class for assignments) they used during class. If students turned in a legal document without a stamp, they were fined and required to purchase a stamp! Many students were unhappy about this tax as they didn’t feel that it was fair. To end the week, students prepared for and held the Stamp Act Congress, where the Patriots put forward 5 major proposals including repealing the Stamp Act. Patriots and Loyalists had to develop speeches in order to convince Neutralists (Mystery Word) to vote for their party. In the end, patriots were able to convince Neutralists to vote “Yea” on 3 proposals, and loyalists were able to convince them to vote "nay" on two proposals. As a class we discussed that in 1765, all 5 of the proposals were passed and recorded in a document called The Declaration of Rights and Grievances. This week, students will participate in the Townshend Acts simulation along with the Tea Party Simulation.
Ask: If you lived in colonial times, would you agree with Loyalists, Patriots, or Neutralists?
Extend the Learning: Quiz yourself or your family!
Literacy
Last week we continued to write our historical fiction short stories, and spent time brainstorming new ways to show thoughts and feelings. Because we finished our historical fiction lit-circle books, our reading has mostly been reading short informative pieces about the colonies and the tensions leading up to the declaration of independence. This week, as we move forward with our short stories, we will discuss the balance between dialogue, action, and thoughts and feelings in a story, and practice doing some peer editing.
Ask if your student is willing to share their historical fiction short story with you. You might also ask how they plan to tie everything together in their story and what the main message is that they want their readers to get.
5th Grade Math
Last week, students practiced multiplying fractions by fractions. We began by using the area model to visualize dimensions of a square unit. Students practiced building their own squares and rectangles using geoboards, and they learned how to find the side lengths and area of their geoboard creations. Mathematicians were able to visualize the area of their square, and they began using equations to represent their findings. Moving into this week, students will continue multiplying fractions by fractions, and begin applying their skills in order to solve fraction multiplication story problems.
Ask: How are multiplying fractions by fractions different than multiplying fractions by whole numbers? What happens to the product? Does it get bigger or smaller?
Extend the Learning: Use the Geoboard app to create different squares or rectangles, then show your family how to find the side lengths and the area of your square or rectangle. Remember, the entire geoboard is 1 square unit.
6th Grade Math
Last week in sixth grade math, we came back to finding area of shapes. We knew how to find the area of squares, rectangles, and triangles before this, but we realized that it becomes more complicated when the measurements are in fractions or decimals. We thought about how we would use fractions and decimals to measure and find area in the real world, and realized that while inches lend themselves well to fractions, centimeters (and any other unit in the metric system) lend themselves well to decimals. We will continue to practice these skills this week as we move into finding the area of composite shapes.
Ask: What’s your plan for remembering area formulas? Which makes the most sense to you? The least?
Extend the learning (or do some more practice) by playing this game on standard algorithm!