December 15th - December 19th

“Teachers can open the door, but you must enter it yourself.” — Chinese proverb

Landform Picture Gallery

Upcoming Event:

• MAP testing on December 16th, 2019
• STEM Fair on December 26th, 2019

In Writing Workshop, we are starting a new genre of writing. It is called writing about reading. This unit is about writing opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g. because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons and provide a concluding statement or section.

Before we start this unit, it is important for students to understand the difference between fact and opinion. Therefore, next week students will work on understanding the difference between fact and opinion.

In Reading Workshop, we have starting a new genre of reading - Bigger books mean amping up reading power. This means we are reading fiction books that take longer to finish. We are focusing on:
Chapter books that have one central plot-line, readers must carry the story from chapter to chapter. The focus of this unit is literary language

There are 4 parts to this genre. They are:
1. Reading with Fluency
2. Understanding Literacy Language
3. Meeting the challenges of longer books
4. Tackling goals in the company of others

Students have been exposed to different figurative language like alliteration, rhymes, simile and unusual phrases.
Alliteration: the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. For example:

• She sells seashells on the seashore
• Sandy Shaw’s soft swede shoes

Simile: a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g. as brave as a lion).
Similes are used as a method of comparison. As cold as ice. Tall like tree.

Unusual phrases: ‘piece of cake’ – very easy; ‘hit the nail on the head’ – accurate

Rhymes: A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounding words. For example –
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are

In Math, students will continue to explore polygons

In STEM, students will plan and prep for the upcoming STEM fair.

In Social Studies, students will utilize this time preparing for the STEM fair.

Reminders

• Reading on razkids and completing the quiz at the end.
• Bring a dictionary to school.
• Last day of school before winter break is December 26th, 2019.