First full week of school of 2023 is a busy one!  Here’s what we’re working on:

Writing: Poetry!  We’ll be analyzing the use of rhyme (internal and end rhyme) and repetition in poetry.  Students will also write some of their own poems showcasing these poetic tools.

Reading: Getting back into My Side of the Mountain and Island of the Blue Dolphins. In their writing about the novels, students are working on referring to specific passages from the text.  In their group meetings, they are practicing sharing the discussion and making sure everyone gets a chance to contribute.

Spelling/Grammar: Spelling week!

Science: It’s an experiment heavy week!  We started the week by using a simple circuit with a battery and light bulb, and playing with different lengths of a piece of pencil lead to demonstrate how resistance affects electric current.  Mid-week, we will be experimenting with different materials and fruits/vegetables to see if we can create an electric current.

Social Studies: We have answered the question: Why did Columbus sail west from Europe?  We have a new question to look into: Why did many European countries set up colonies in North and South America?  To begin answering this question, students are working on small research projects on European explorers that went on expeditions in/around the American continents. We will focus on what they were looking for, the information they brought back, and how their expedition impacted American and European peoples.

Math: We’re starting our studies on decimals!  We began by learning about the base ten system.  This week will will cover the multiple forms of writing decimal numbers, rounding, and comparing.