Monday PE -Studyhall before school | Tuesday -Studyhall before school | Wednesday ART -Studyhall before school | Thursday Make up PE -Studyhall before school | Friday ART -Studyhall before school |
2/29--Passport Club Check
3/1--Rough draft of Elder Story due
3/14--Final draft of Elder Story due
3/15--Volunteers needed for Fernhill Wetlands data collection
News of the Week
Literacy
- Writing homework this week: Work on elder story—specifically stretching out details, climax and resolution.
In writing, Merlins have grappled with how to make the elder story sound like the memoirs we’ve read in class. We created story arcs to remind us that these stories aren’t just events, but how the events are experienced. We also did a lesson on how to show, not tell. I would encourage parents to sit down and read the story your child has written so far. Ask questions to help your child see what details are missing from the story. In all narratives, but especially “true” stories the truth has to be embellished for the story to flow just right or to make up the details that can’t be remembered.
Ask your child to give you a telling example and a showing example .
Listen to your child read the lead to the elder story.
Extend the learning by reading or writing a small moment story as a family. Check out When I Was Your Age Volumes 1 &2 (not all stories were school appropriate.)
Project
Kerry continued engaging the Merlins with geography. In particular, we looked at o how humans interact with the environment. We enjoyed comparing pictures of Forest Grove from years past and present and how Boston changed over time too. Then, Merlins learned about different types of maps and the uses of these maps. On top of these rich activities, we are starting our next simulation which has us debate the pros and cons of declaring independence against England.
Ask your child to describe the different ways human interact with their environment.
Listen to your child describe the different types of maps we learned about.
Extend the learning by researching about the tensions between the 13 colonies and England.
6th Grade Math
Last week, the 6th graders put a lot of dedicated effort into understanding how to multiply and divide decimal numbers. I was impressed with the perseverance I saw to work on these skills. The hardest skill seems to be to identify if a story problem requires multiplication or division to solve. Try to find ways to bring this up in conversations at home. We have one more lesson to go and then we’ll do some review activities to apply what we’ve learned. Please stay tuned to the agenda and website for homework, as parts of the test will likely go home as homework starting on Wednesday.
Ask your child to divide 4.5 ÷ 12.
Listen to your child explain ways to tell if a story problem is division or multiplication.
Extend the learning by creating decimal problems that apply to your life.
5th Grade Math
Last week, mathematicians worked hard to understand the mathematical reasoning of converting mixed numbers to finite decimals. Mathematicians also learned expanded form of finite decimals. We spent time reviewing conversion of finite decimals to fractions and adding and subtraction finite decimals. We used a day to review concepts around mixed numbers to get ready for the test this week. The trickiest part of this was that subtraction of mixed numbers requires regrouping sometimes. Please spend time Monday night reviewing homework and reminding your mathematician to slow down.
ASK your child to solve the following problem: 7 4/7 - 4 6/7.
Listen to your child explain the mathematical reasoning behind converting a mixed number to a finite decimal.
Extend the learning by creating decimal and mixed number problems that relate to you life