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Week of March 18-22, 2024 
*Be sure to check the photo galleries if you haven't yet--I added pictures of our handmade launcher project from Wednesday, March 20!
*Friday, March 22-Early Release at 1:00, and next week is Spring Break. School resumes April 2.

*This week, IAR testing continues: two days with ELA (Monday and Tuesday). Please avoid appointments those days, as making up tests can be tricky. We've been practicing and reviewing a great deal of paragraph writing as we approach testing.
*WIN time: students will either be with me, Mrs. Rauch, or Miss Collins from 8-8:30 to work on specific Math skills using iXL online; we will continue to alternate weeks between ELA and math.  This week, WIN time will only be on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; the other mornings we will be preparing to take our state tests.
*Chess does meet this week; March 20 at 7:15 in the cafeteria.  I also sent an email to all members that there is a wrong date listed on the original schedule: April 12 should be April 17. :) 

April 2024 monthly newsletter--Check it out!! It has updated general info every month and is available through a link on the left side of my webpage at pcwolves.net. (plus...I put the party treat schedule on it)

Scott BR Book reading:  
 Current BR Book: Students continue and will finish the novel Blood on the River: Jamestown 1607. This is a Wit and Wisdom class book and students have been reading the second half and completing a short homework slideshow connected to this last chunk of chapters. We'll be working together with the novel in a few weeks after students have had a chance to finish reading it. The slideshow includes: listing 5 life lessons Samuel learns in various parts of his journey and the major moral dilemma he faces near the end of the book (deciding what would happen if a different path had been chosen and what would the reader have done?); three vocabulary words or figurative language examples from the section (meaning, cited evidence, and elaboration as to HOW the evidence helps show the meaning). This slideshow and the signed bookmark is due Friday, March 22 (if wanting to finish before break) or April 2 (right after break). Several students procrastinated on the first half of the book and the accompanying slideshow, so I'm hoping for a higher turn-in-on-time percentage. I created a schedule of reading that the students copied onto the back of their bookmarks; this schedule will have them finishing the novel by Thursday of this week, if they follow the recommendations.

"In-Class"  Reading:  (continued from last week, since much time was spent practicing paragraph writing, editing, and revising). Monday and Tuesday will be devoted to our state IAR ELA testing (90 minutes each).
        Recently, we started tackling the theme of "Moral Dilemmas" together (which will eventually lead into our class discussions and work with Blood on the River).  We finished a guiding reading of the short story "Honus and Me" which included a main character who had a tough decision to make regarding an item found in an attic: a rare Honus Wagner baseball card.... Students will find quoted evidence to support the good moral characteristics of the main character Joseph and why the decision he had to make is so tricky. We'll read excerpts from the novel The Boy Who Dared, in which life or death moral dilemmas are faced in Germany during WWII. If time permits, we'll compare and contrast two quick stories: "Walking with Grandpa" and "Two Tickets to the Big Game"-- both of which contain some major decisions-- before reading a poem and song lyrics that have a similar theme (moral dilemma) but slight differences in setting and details.

Scott MathMonday: (we'll have math after lunch Monday and Tuesday due to IAR test times) Half the time will be spent in iXL and the second half will be playing a memory and fact-family card game with groups. HW: None. Tuesday-We'll head back to Topic 4, Lesson 4-6, Inequalities. While I show problems from the main XL for 4-6, students will write their answers on whiteboards and compare with neighbors before checking together. HW: XL for Lesson 4-6, additional practice. Wednesday-We'll continue to work with inequalities by taking notes in the workbook, Lesson 4-7. The main focus is representing the inequalities on a number line (closed circle vs. open circle). HW: none. Thursday-XL for Lesson 4-7, additional practice. HW: finish the XL. Friday-Flashcard problem review with a group (these are self-checking and reviews several skills from throughout the year since AimsWeb will happen at the end of April. No HW. 

Language:  Continuing our main focus: Young Author writing. Minimum requirements: 3 double-spaced typed pages (they have a Google Doc in Language/Homeroom classroom for this purpose). I'll hopefully edit and revise with each student. The final version is due March 21 so they can be ready for judging. If students finish their books, they'll need to make a cover on cardstock. Monday and Tuesday we'll use class time to practice patterns again using silly animal pictures (this was popular the first time we did it, so we're giving it another shot). Thursday, students will practice personification by using pictures of items that look like they have a face and creating funny quotes of what these items could say if they could talk. I've also introduced a recipe poem writing project and kids have started brainstorming ideas for themselves of places they know that contain many items; they'll narrow down the place list to one and then list at least 25 items that can be found in that place (for the poem, it's a recipe for that place, like items in their bedroom, garage, vacation place, etc.)

Social Studies:  To go along with the Medieval Europe unit in the pilot Social Studies book, we'll be learning about King John and the Magna Carta (King Charlemagne was an effective leader, King John--not so much...). The kids have already watched a couple of informational videos; together, we'll be completing a Who? What? When?...etc. list to jot the main info.
Two extras this week include helping a younger grade roller skate on Thursday and Friday (I've split the class in half for each day) and a cardboard launcher that will be explained in the science section. After testing brain breaks: How can you step through a notecard; quarter circle creations to combine for a bulletin board.
On Friday, the Weekly Reflection of Q4 will be completed on the quarterly slideshow.

Science:  Half the class has finished assembling their ISS stations (they're hanging from the ceiling in the hallway)! Those that haven't, will soon. Wednesday morning, a project will be completed: build a toilet paper roll launcher, document the process, launch a small car, record ten distances, find MMMR, and create a Google bar graph to show their data. It's mostly independent, using many skills we've practiced this year. If time permits, students will also be starting a weather scavenger hunt on a Google Doc using provided links; they'll have a few notes to take.
Extra Ted-Ed video this week that kids will work on in the half hour they are not helping the younger kids skate (half Thursday, half Friday): One of the World's Oldest Condiments.

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