Boxing Day

Plodding Along

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 1-5 ten times each. Write one sentence for each word. The sentence must accurately reflect the meaning of the word. Students may need to use a dictionary here for help. The words are repulsive, sacrastic, savagely, stifled, and vicious. (2) Do the chapter four study sheet for A Wrinkle in Time. (3) Do “Classifying Words” and “Getting the Main Idea” worksheets. (4) Do “Use Reasoning,” pages 460-461 and “Test Prep,” pages 462-463 in the math book.  Also do “Story Time” on the back of the answer sheet. There will be tests on both Topics 20 and 19 tomorrow. (5) Do "What's X?". We will work on this skill all this week and it will be tested on Friday.

Quick!

Today went by quickly. We checked, corrected, and discussed homework. We read another chapter of A Wrinkle in Time. We went to Tech Center. The students learned about Ishi, the last of the Yahi people, with Mr. Pratt. Ishi's life reveals that very deeply troubling part of the Gold Rush as well as the some more uplifting parts of human nature. In math, we learned to express probability in fractional form.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 1-5 ten times each. Write one sentence for each word. The sentence must accurately reflect the meaning of the word. Students may need to use a dictionary here for help. The words are frenzy, gorgeous, intention, intently, and luxurious. (2) Do “Adding Endings” and “Listening for Syllables” worksheet. (3) Do “Classifying Word Groups” worksheet. (4) Do “Writing Probability as a Fraction,” pages 457-458 in the math book.  Also do “Toss or Spin” on the back of the answer sheet. (5) Do "What's X?". We will work on this skill all this week and it will be tested on Friday.

Yet Another Great Day!

As usual, we had a great day. We checked, corrected, and discussed our homework. We read another chapter of A Wrinkle in Time. We worked with room 7 on the really hard part of "Who Will Buy?" where four independent parts are singing simultaneously. Many high school choruses would have problem with this, but our students are making astounding progress. 

After recess, the students went to room 7 and I worked with those fourth graders on Science. After lunch, we worked on peer revisions and edits to our tree house stories and we studied some more things with probability.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 1-5 ten times each. Write one sentence for each word. The sentence must accurately reflect the meaning of the word. Students may need to use a dictionary here for help. The words are disillusion, dispersed, essence, exclusive, and ferocious. (2) Do “Outcomes and Tree Diagrams,” pages 454-455 in the math book.  Also do “Triangle Shapes” on the back of the answer sheet. (3) Do the Wrinkle in Time study sheet. (4) Finish the final draft of the tree house composition.

Back to Normal

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 1-5 ten times each. Write one sentence for each word. The sentence must accurately reflect the meaning of the word. Students may need to use a dictionary here for help. The words are compulsion, confidingly, crevice, decipher, and dilapidated. (2) Do the study sheet for chapter 1 of A Wrinkle in Time. Be sure to use complete sentences. (3) Do the "Using Short Vowels" worksheet. (4) Do the "Making Compounds" worksheet. (5) Do "Finding Combinations," pages 452-453 in the math book, and do "Is it Possible?" on the back of the answer sheet. (6) Do "What's X?". We will work on this skill all this week and it will be tested on Friday.

Tree Houses

Today was the first day of the CST Mathematics Test. It seemed to go pretty well, though as always I studiously avoided looking at the test or how the students were doing on the test. All I would notice would be the wrong answers and it would drive me crazy.

We did another Science experiment today, or rather, we started one. We took the vinegar solution from the four rock samples we had worked on yesterday and poured them into small plastic lids to dry. Once they're dry, the students will examine the crystals which are left. More on that as it happens....

In the afternoon, we had some "free choice" activities in Physical Education and we did some art. Our lesson today in art dealt with "formal balance." This is an art term which refers to symmetrical or almost symmetrical shapes. Architecture is good for studying this, and the students drew their ideal tree house. The irregularities of the tree insured that the symmetry would not be perfect, but there would still be similar shapes and weights on both sides. Some of the work the students did, as you can see, were just wonderful.

Homework: None today! Have a great day!

CST, Day 2

Today was our second day of the California Standards Test in Language Arts. I think the students did pretty well on it, though I studiously avoid looking over their shoulders at the answers they put down. It would drive me crazy because all I would see would are the wrong answers!

Testing took up most of the morning until recess. After recess, we did Science. We are continuing our look at rocks and how geologists study rocks. We looked at hardness and the Mohs Scale before, and the students learned how to scratch rocks to help identify minerals. Today we looked at using acid to determine the presence of calcite or calcium carbonate in rocks like limestone and marble. The students were slightly disappointed that they did not get to use "real" acids like hydrochloric or sulfuric acids, but they were pleased to discover just how much of a chemical reaction a weak acid like household vinegar could produce. Notice all the fizz in the vial below.

We practiced the song "Who Will Buy" from Oliver! This involves four independent parts, so I am astonished at how well they are doing with it. We have talented students here in rooms 19 and room 7. We also finished our unit in math. We will not have the test until Friday. It seems a little much to give a regular math test on days when they will have the CST math test.

Homework:  (1) Do the Science study questions. (2) Do "Draw a Picture" on pages 444-445 and "Test Prep" on pages 446-447 of the math book. I did not seem to copy the answer page here, so do the work on a piece of regular notebook paper.

Technical Difficulties

Today not everything seemed to go right. The pencil sharpener broke - though Mr. Pratt managed to fix it - and the DVD player wouldn't show my DVD of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  Despite these problems, we had a reasonably productive day. We checked, corrected, and discussed our homework. We went to Tech Center where Ms. Richards had them doing some fun stuff with fractions and decimals. The students went to Mr. Pratt for History and Drama, and his students did rock scratching with me. I should figure out a better way to phrase that....

In the afternoon, we discussed nutrition and went out for some physical education. As usual, we did our rotations. We took our math tests after that. We didn't have enough time to correct them, but we will tomorrow.

Homework:  (1) Write spelling words 10 times each in cursive as well as one sentence. The words are laughter, likelihood, plumage, precious,  and professor. (2) Do the "Adding, Subtracting Fractions" and "Factors" worksheet. (3) If necessary, finish Practice Test 4. We will correct this tomorrow.

Just the Homework Today

Homework:  (1) Write the spelling words ten times each in cursive and one sentence for each. The words today are chestnut, condition, desperately, handkerchief and judgment. (2) Complete the study sheet for chapter 17 of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (3) Do pages Make a Table" and "Test Prep" pages 430-433-423 in the envision Math book. 

Autry

More Thanks!

Again, thank you room 19 families for the lovely presents this week. A particular thank you for the Ralphs gift card. That really comes in handy!


Despite the heat, we had a great day. We read chapter 15 of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe where Aslan comes back from death. We have been reading this having students take the parts of the various characters and read what is in quotation marks while other students - or me, sometimes - reads the narration. This has been really successful both at encouraging expressive oral reading and attention to quotation marks and paragraphing. We went to Tech Center where most of the students finished work on their web pages. After recess, we did a writing assignment to focus on the skills of using transition words. After lunch, we continued our look at healthy eating by creating posters for different types of foods. We'll finish those later this week, and I'll post some examples. In Science, we worked on the scratch test some more using real rocks. In math we continued looking at functions and equations. Today we are making equations which use multiplication and division. 


Homework:  (1) Write the spelling words ten times each in cursive and one sentence for each. The words today are magnificent, offence, proceeded, resistance, and succeeded. (2) Complete the study sheet for chapter 15 of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (3) Do pages "Multiplication and Division" pages 422-423 in the envision Math book. Also do "Experience Expressions" on the back of the answer sheet. 


Remember that tomorrow is the field trip to the Autry Museum. Please bring lunch in a paper or plastic bag.

Aw Shucks!

First of all, let me thank the families of room 19 for the lovely flowers. What a nice way to start the day!

We had a productive day as usual. We began by checking and correcting and discussing all our homework plus some of the test prep activities from last week. I was really impressed by how the students asked questions when they had a wrong answer to discover why it was wrong. That is just such a great sign of maturity.We also read the climactic chapter of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when the White Witch kills Aslan.

In Science we are working not with Mock Rocks but with real rocks. The students worked on observing and describing the words today. Tomorrow they will be doing the scratch test to determine hardness. Since most of the rocks are white, that will be the key thing which will help identify them.

In math, we began our work on functions.

Homework:  (1) Write the spelling words ten times each in cursive and one sentence for each. The words today are boulder, campaign, hesitating, horizon, and loneliness. (2) Complete the study sheet for chapter 14 of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (3) Do pages "Addition and Subtraction" pages 420-420 in the envision Math book. Also do "Tournament Time" on the back of the answer sheet. (4) Do "Fractions and Mixed Numbers 2." We will be reviewing this skill all this week and will have a test on it on Friday.

Thanks!

First of all, thanks to all the students and parents for contributing to our class project. I believe it went for a nice price on Friday night, and my congratulations to its new owner. Many thanks to the Nam and Kang families, too, for the always-in-short-supply copy paper, too. I do feel quite appreciated.

As usual, a very productive day. Since we had no homework to correct we went over our math tests from Friday. The results are on the gradebook. We read chapter 13 of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We discussed compound subject and compound predicates in writing, and the students evaluated a writing sample for the trait of Organization, and they did a revision as a quickwrite.

After recess, we went to the auditorium to work some more on the play. It's coming along quite nicely. After lunch, the students reviewed nutrition in Health. We worked on batting skills in PE. And for math, we talked about formulas.

Homework:  (1) Write the spelling words ten times each in cursive and one sentence for each. The words today are affected, arrange, assaulting, audience, and awkward. (2) Complete the study sheet for chapter 13 of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (3) Do pages "Formulas and Equations" pages 418-419 in the envision Math book. Also do "Cricket Weather" on the back of the answer sheet. (4) Do "Fractions and Mixed Numbers 1." We will be reviewing this skill all this week and will have a test on it on Friday.