Greetings Parents,
First, let me begin by giving a big thank you for your abundant kindness toward me. Your gift was very dear to my heart and will allow me to do much needed projects at home. Over and over again, you amaze my by your charity and good will towards me. I am blessed be your child's presence in my class and your benevolence.
Here are the plans for the week.
Math
This week in math, students will be increasing their knowledge of fractions by considering equivalent fractions and simplest form. Considering that many of the students in the class had never dealt with fractions before this unit, I would encourage you to consider times to help them use them. Here are some simple ways that might serve you well. At dinner, drink some of your beverage and ask your child to estimate the amount left, as a fraction. Thus, you might take a drink and the student might say, "There is still 1/5 (one fifth) of the beverage left." You might be driving to school one morning and you might ask, "How far do you think we have gone on our way to school?" The student might think for a second and say, "We've gone about 1/3 of the way." Even if exact fractions cannot be given or if the student has a poor understanding of how far a car ride is, these simple questions can help them think in terms of fractions and will serve them well.
Language Arts
Idiom and Poem
No idiom or poem this week to being out of school Friday.
Literature
This week we begin the Little How on the Prairie. We will be reading the first four chapters. We also have reading groups in the weeks ahead so be looking for the Signup Genius for that.
Writing and Grammar
We will be continuing the effort of becoming efficient and precise summarizers by focusing on using complete sentences that highlight the most important information. We are also developing our dictionary skills.
History
This week in history we are finishing up our study of the early explorers. On Monday we will discuss Samuel de Champlain and New France. We will spend some time reviewing together during Tuesday and the students will be assessed on Thursday.
Science
Last week students were introduced to the challenging question, "The sun rises and sets--what is moving?" We considered the ancient theory of Aristotle that the earth was at the center of the universe, but found Copernicus's theory to more satisfactory. However, Copernicus's theory still had its challenges, such as imprecise calculations regarding the location of the planets in the sky. Thus, we will introduce Kelper as an important theorist who proved that the planets do not move in perfect circles, as Aristotle and Copernicus believed, but in ellipses. This small, but significant, adjustment to the path of traveling planets allowed for the solar system to make more sense. Following that discussion we will ask the next major question, "Why does the earth orbit the sun and the moon orbit the earth." Primarily in this section, we will be discussing gravity.
Assessments at a Glance
Monday - None
Tuesday - None
Wednesday - None
Thursday - History & Spalding
Friday - NO SCHOOL
Please, let me again say thank you for your abundant kindness. It is truly my pleasure to assist you in the noble task of educating and building up your child into the great man or woman he or she is destined to be.
Best,
Michael Naaktgeboren
First, let me begin by giving a big thank you for your abundant kindness toward me. Your gift was very dear to my heart and will allow me to do much needed projects at home. Over and over again, you amaze my by your charity and good will towards me. I am blessed be your child's presence in my class and your benevolence.
Here are the plans for the week.
Math
This week in math, students will be increasing their knowledge of fractions by considering equivalent fractions and simplest form. Considering that many of the students in the class had never dealt with fractions before this unit, I would encourage you to consider times to help them use them. Here are some simple ways that might serve you well. At dinner, drink some of your beverage and ask your child to estimate the amount left, as a fraction. Thus, you might take a drink and the student might say, "There is still 1/5 (one fifth) of the beverage left." You might be driving to school one morning and you might ask, "How far do you think we have gone on our way to school?" The student might think for a second and say, "We've gone about 1/3 of the way." Even if exact fractions cannot be given or if the student has a poor understanding of how far a car ride is, these simple questions can help them think in terms of fractions and will serve them well.
Language Arts
Idiom and Poem
No idiom or poem this week to being out of school Friday.
Literature
This week we begin the Little How on the Prairie. We will be reading the first four chapters. We also have reading groups in the weeks ahead so be looking for the Signup Genius for that.
Writing and Grammar
We will be continuing the effort of becoming efficient and precise summarizers by focusing on using complete sentences that highlight the most important information. We are also developing our dictionary skills.
History
This week in history we are finishing up our study of the early explorers. On Monday we will discuss Samuel de Champlain and New France. We will spend some time reviewing together during Tuesday and the students will be assessed on Thursday.
Science
Last week students were introduced to the challenging question, "The sun rises and sets--what is moving?" We considered the ancient theory of Aristotle that the earth was at the center of the universe, but found Copernicus's theory to more satisfactory. However, Copernicus's theory still had its challenges, such as imprecise calculations regarding the location of the planets in the sky. Thus, we will introduce Kelper as an important theorist who proved that the planets do not move in perfect circles, as Aristotle and Copernicus believed, but in ellipses. This small, but significant, adjustment to the path of traveling planets allowed for the solar system to make more sense. Following that discussion we will ask the next major question, "Why does the earth orbit the sun and the moon orbit the earth." Primarily in this section, we will be discussing gravity.
Assessments at a Glance
Monday - None
Tuesday - None
Wednesday - None
Thursday - History & Spalding
Friday - NO SCHOOL
Please, let me again say thank you for your abundant kindness. It is truly my pleasure to assist you in the noble task of educating and building up your child into the great man or woman he or she is destined to be.
Best,
Michael Naaktgeboren