Science Week of Oct 28

This week we will spend Monday and Tuesday covering the Respiratory and Circulatory systems.  Wednesday will be our Science Fair Project work day so come to class prepared to research or draft your work.  Please use GoogleDocs to do your work so that it is easier to stay organized.  Don't forget to consult the documents in the "Science Fair Project" folder!  Remember, you are allowed to do a little each week or you can work ahead.  Whatever you do, don't wait to do it all the night before it is due!!


BWI Science Night has been changed to January 30th, 2013!!

LA Week of Oct. 28

This week all classes will take a short break from Treasures in LA.  Each class will be working on various needs for the students' reading and writing.

Graven Homework
Monday-book contract #1 is due, finish reading literature circle book, final copy of monster writing is due Wed.
Tuesday-final copy of monster writing is due Wed.
Wednesday-final copy of monster writing is due....Which monster/student will win the contest????
Thursday and Friday-no school, but keep up the reading!

Wright Homework
Wednesday- Book Contract Due (YOU check to make sure the lexile level is appropriate and that there is a Reading Counts quiz available!!)

SS Week of Oct. 28

Classes will be tested on History Alive Ch. 3 this week and continue working on their Native American group projects.  All kids should keep working on the Native American group projects through Google Docs!!!!

Learning Target: I can make generalizations about the cultural ways of life among American Indian cultural groups in North and South America.

Homework

Monday-letter, Ch. 3 tutorial for extra credit is due Wed.

Tuesday-study, Ch. 3 tutorial for extra credit is due Wed.

Wednesday-Ch. 3 test, turn in Ch. 3 notes packets for a homework grade, turn in tutorial for extra credit

Thursday and Friday-no school

Monday-Group Presentations

Tuesday-Group Presentations

Veterans Day Observance

ASSEMBLY

Students are asked to invite veterans they know to our school assembly on Nov. 11.  Breakfast for the veterans and the students that invited them will be at 9:30am.  Shortly afterward, a BWIS assembly will honor our veterans.  Please return the red invitation form by Oct. 30 if your child has a vet to bring.

WRITING CONTEST

BWIS is holding a writing contest in conjunction with Veterans Day.  Two students from each grade level will get to read their writing during the assembly.  

Think about the sacrifice made by the women and men of our Armed Services in order for us to be free and safe.

Describe the sacrifice they have made and what it means to you.

Your well-written response (prose or poetry) should address the prompt above, be free of spelling and grammatical errors, and appropriate for reading aloud at the BWIS Veterans Day Observance.

Please submit your response to Mr. Firchau in room 132 by Wednesday, October 30.

Native American Group Project

Currently in SS class, students are working in groups on their tribe of choice to dig further into our studies of all of the North American cultural groups that we've discussed.  The kids are using Google Docs Presentations to demonstrate their learning.  Groups have been given guiding questions for their research as well as the rubric that Mrs. Graven will use to assess the final project.  All students should be working at home on this project also to help their group's progress.  Presentations will take place in class the week of Nov. 4.  Here's a few pictures of their work in the library this week.  Ask your child to show you their presentation!  They're doing a fantastic job so far!

Great Plains Moccasin Game

After learning about the Great Plains group this week in SS class, students were able to participate in a traditional game of the culture group.  It was a team hid and seek/guessing game of sorts that went back and forth.  Drums and shakers were also used in class just like the Great Plains groups did.  

Treat for Troops

• Big Walnut Education Association is collecting unwanted Halloween candy to send to troops. There will be a collection box at each school for students to bring in their unwanted Halloween candy. Candy can be brought in October 29-November 4. We will then collect all candy donations and send to troops.

Math Week of Oct 21st.

This week we will begin to explore Angles.  Students will review some past  vocabulary and learn some new vocabulary.  Students should review and keep their notes in their folders.  We identified  different types of angles, which most students retained  from last year.  We are learning to measure with a protractor Students are working hard to identify which numbers should be used for the angle they are creating or measuring.  This is one of my favorite units.  The students are catching on quickly.

Homework

Monday- Math Journal p. 66
Tuesday- Math worksheet 80
Wednesday-Math journal p. 65, 71
Thursday- Math journal p. 59, 61
Friday- Vocabulary Quiz

Science Week of Oct 21

We will wrap up our discussion of natural succession and how ecosystems are changed by natural and man-made occurrences.  The quiz will be Tuesday!!  For the rest of the week, we will be delving into Body Systems!  Our goals for this week will be to determine the major functions of each body system and how the systems are interconnected.

Additionally, this week marks the official start of our 2nd Quarter Science Project!!  Each student will complete a written report, a trifold presentation board, present to the class, and participate in the BWI Science Night on February 6th.  I am allowing three different types of science projects this year: Classic Science Fair Project, Design Challenge, or Concept Demonstration.  The written report is due Monday, December 9th.  Students will sign up for a day between December 9th and December 20th to present to the class.  

If students decide to take their project to the Big Walnut Science Fair on February 13th, they will earn bonus points that count towards their final science grade!  I have shared a folder of information about this project entitled "Science Fair Project" through your student GoogleDocs account.  This folder contains an informational sheet about the project, a pacing guide, report guides for each project type, a works cited info sheet, and a page with 200 science fair ideas!  Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.

You will have one day each week to work on your project in class.  The homework this quarter is to work on your Science Project!!  Use the Pacing Guide to help you focus on what to do each week.

Mon- Review for Succession Quiz
Tues- Succession Quiz
Fri- Science Project Work Day/ Library and Computers Reserved for research!!

LA Week of Oct. 21

This week's story is "Rattlers" and focuses on main idea and details.  It is a high interest nonfiction story about various snakes.  Read to find out how rattlesnakes catch their prey.

Essential Question: What do all of the important details in this selection have in common?

Strategy: Summarize

Skill: Main Idea and Details

Genre: Expository and Folktale

Fluency: Expression and Phrasing

Phonics/Spelling: Plurals

Grammar/Mechanics: Singular and Plural
Nouns, Capitalization and Abbreviations in
Letters

Literary Elements: Hero and Personification

Spelling Words-plurals

rattlers, fangs, countries, liberties, potatoes, rodeos, taxes, reptiles, surroundings, beliefs, difficulties, batches, abilities, lashes, identities, losses, possibilities, notches, zeroes, eddies

Vocabulary Words

species, survive, alert, vibrates,
surroundings, prey, predators, lunging

Graven

Monday-Read p.158-179, practice book p. 55-63 due Thursday

Tuesday-practice book p. 55-63 due Thursday

Wednesday-practice book p. 55-63 due Thursday

Thursday-selection test, practice book p. 55-63 due

Friday-spelling test, skills test

*Study Island for LA is currently unavailable until further notice.

LEXILE: Students will select a book within their Lexile level for silent reading.  They will 
need to take a Reading Counts quiz on this book this quarter.  Two book quizzes are required for the 2nd quarter. 

WRIGHT

Monday-Read p.158-179, practice book p. 55-63 due Thursday

Tuesday-practice book p. 55-63 due Thursday

Wednesday-practice book p. 55-63 due Thursday

Thursday-selection test, practice book p. 55-63 due

Friday-spelling test, skills test

BODKER
Mon- Read Treasures p. 162-175  Practice p. 56
Tues-Practice Book p. 55,58
Wed-Practice Book p. 57, Rough draft letter to parents or guardian.
Thurs-Reading Comprehension test Practice p. 59 , review Rattlers Story, study Spelling words
           Parent letter due Friday
Friday-Spelling Test, Skills test, Parent letter due