Newsletter: March 30, 2017

From Shanna...

In Reading

This past week in reading we have been working on various comprehension strategies. We have learning to be more aware of the inner conversation that we have with ourselves as we are reading (how or what we think about what we are reading). By paying close attention to our inner conversation it helps us to remember what happens in a story, understand and make sense of the story, and merge existing knowledge with newly learned information from the text.

In Writing

Features of persuasive writing.

In writing, we are focusing on persuasive writing. We started out by comparing facts and opinions. Then, we move to developing our own opinions and trying to support them with facts to persuade the reader. After developing our own opinions about things we like, we began to formulate opinions about various fiction stories we are reading together. Later, we will move into developing opinions about non-fiction writing and finding evidence within that writing to support our opinions.

In Math

Polygons created by students.

In math, we have been studying geometry. We began by investigating polygons. The students had to create shapes using four triangles. Students learned about the words face, edge, and vertex. Then, we moved into investigating rectangular prisms (boxes).


In Science

Students testing objects to see if they are conductors or insulators.

Students building circuits using solar panels.

In science, we have been investigating electricity. The students and I built various circuits to light a light bulb and run a motor. We have been working with solar panels and open and closed circuits. Later, we moved on to conductors versus insulators. The students received test objects and they made predictions about those objects. Finally, they tested those objects to see if they were conductors or insulators.