Weekly Update

Reading & Writing Workshop
Students continue to enjoy poetry workshop.  This week poetry partners worked together to make inferences in poetry.  Students learned sometimes they need to use clues in the poem to figure out what the poet is writing about.  Students also learned how to write a few types of specific poems.  The first poem students wrote was an acrostic poem.  Many students wrote acrostic poems about themselves and their friends.  Students also learned how to write an ode.  An ode is a poem written about someone or something the poet especially loves.  It is written like a letter.  The last poem students learned to write is a Japanese poem called a haiku.  These short poems use sensory language to capture a feeling or image.  They are often inspired by an element of nature.  They are written in three lines of seventeen syllables (5/7/5).  Students practiced writing a haiku about an animal with their poetry partner.  When students read their haikus aloud, we tried to guess the animal students had written about.

Math
We wrapped up Unit 6 this week with a review and assessment.  Please look for your child's Unit 6 test to come home soon.  We also used the iPads this week to practice "Math Talk."  Students worked with a partner to record themselves solving area and perimeter problems using an app called EduCreations.  Students enjoyed sharing their recordings with the class.

Science
We finished up all the parts of our first investigation in our Measurement Unit.  Your child will bring home a few sheets stapled together, which covers the content we learned in Investigation 1.  We also started our second investigation.  Students explored using a balance scale.  They weighed different items using a nonstandard unit--paper clips and a standard unit of measurement--grams.  After investigating how the balance scale works, students worked together to sequence the steps for weighing an item using a balance scale.  Below, Zain is putting his steps in order.

All-Star of the Week
Hemali was our fantastic All-Star of the Week!  We enjoyed learning a little more about Hemali from her parent letter.  Perhaps this music lover will reach her goal of becoming a future popstar!  Hemali also enjoyed lunch with her dad on her lunch buddy day.