We started this week off on a musical note!  The fourth and fifth graders attended Springfield Symphony Orchestra’s Young People’s Concert today.  The conductor introduced the audience to the 4 parts of the orchestra, and musicians demonstrated how certain instruments can sound like animals.  All the pieces the orchestra shared with us today were were chosen to follow an animal theme.

Here’s what we’re up to for the rest of the week:

Writing: We are continuing to work on poetry.  This week, we are learning about the use of repetition and how the sounds of words can influence the meaning of a poem.  We will also be learning about common organizational structures of poems.

Reading: We are approaching the end of our first novel reading groups.  As we wrap up these novels, we will be talking about theme and look for symbols in our readings.

Spelling/Grammar: It’s a spelling week this week!

Science: We will be learning about the parts of a circuit and about the different types of circuits.  We will also be experimenting with fruits and vegetables to see if we can produce an electrical current.

Social Studies: We will be entering the Age of Exploration, and talking about the many European explorers who explored the world in the 1500s and 1600s.

Math: Our focus is on adding and subtracting numbers with decimals this week.  The key:  line up those place values!