Monday, February 13, 2012

Talking Trash

Our day began with an assembly about the environment. Our presenter was a gentleman named Michael Klubock who created a group called the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education. He explained how trash ends up in the oceans and on the beaches because of the storm drain system and showed how plastic and other pollutants can be fatal to fish and birds.

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We did all the usual things in addition. We checked and corrected our math from Friday. We read “The Ants and the Grasshopper,” a Chinese fable, and discussed the elements of fables. We examined four different minerals in Science – basalt, limestone, marble, and sandstone – and read about calcium carbonate. Tomorrow they will be using a mild acid – house vinegar – to test for calcite in these rocks. We read some more from James and the Giant Peach. Some of the students practiced songs or lines from The Music Man while others went to art or PE during our mixing block. Finally, we discussed the relationship between fractions and decimals in math.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 1 to 5 five times each in cursive. Write a sentence for each word. (2) Answer the questions on page 459 of the hardcover Treasures book in complete sentences. (3) Do the “Calcite=Calcium Carbonate” study guide. (4) Do the “Alphabetical Order” and “Pronunciation” worksheet which go along with James and the Giant Peach. (5) Do “Fractions and Decimals” pages 276-277 in the math book and “Shady Spots” on the back of the answer sheet. (6) Do the “Decimal Multiplication 1” practice sheet.

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