Springing Forward

We managed to all arrive more or less on time this morning, everybody apparently getting the message to change the clocks. It may seem odd, but I usually have one or two students each year who are stunned to come and find school already in session. But this year we had all sprung forward our hour and were ready to learn.

We are starting on the Unit Test for the “Mystery to Medicine” unit. The students did the Comprehension section, and they generally did quite well on this. The scores are in the gradebook. We then went over the crossword puzzle from last week. These are tough words and all will be on the unit test in one form or another. We will use them as vocabulary and spelling words this week. I’ll pick the easiest 20 or so for Friday’s spelling test, and we will be writing sentences on all of them during the week as well as, of course, constantly reviewing and discussing.

After recess, we started studying the transcontinental railroad. This is just as important as the Gold Rush, though it is not as immediately interesting to the students. Again, we have a great American Experience documentary that we will start watching tomorrow.

After recess, we took another look at our plants and read about the cleanup of Lake Erie. We went out to Physical Education, and when we returned, we studied how to add decimals. They key, of course, is lining them up by the decimal place, and once the students remember this, the skill is one of the easiest of the year.

Homework:  (1) Do sentences for each of these spelling and vocabulary words:  antibiotics, artificially, bacteria, brink, clean, condemned, confident, contaminated, disinfected, end. (2) Do the “Linking East to West” study sheet. Also do the handouts about the railroad and railroad time tables. (3) Do “Addition and Subtraction,” envision Math, pages 299-300 and “Where Do You Live?” (4) Do Fraction Review and Massive Multiplication worksheets. Be sure to show all work on the multiplication.