Hello 206 families and friends!

I can’t believe we are nearing the end of February!  

In reading, we are still immersed in and loving our class novel, The Lightning Thief.  We had a thoughtful conversation on how sometimes those you trust may not be what they seem – as we are beginning to wonder if Luke is really as nice and helpful as he appears.  This was one of the warnings Percy was given. We are continuing to fill in our Gods/Goddesses trading cards and discussing each of the Mythological characters, their power and unique symbol.  We watched some short videos on different Greek Myths. We also read The Trojan Horse.

Students have begun their Original Mythological Character project.  They are creating a Mythological character that has a unique power. This power either explains how something works or came to be, or protects/helps something in the world. It is so wonderful to see the creative ideasI Students are in the beginning phase of the project.  They chose names based on the unique power or symbol of their character.  For example, I created two Mythological characters to share with the class: Googleus the God of the Internet and Perdusa the Goddess of Lost Things.  Be sure to ask your student about their God/Goddess.  We also started a new word work notebook dedicated to the different roots and affixes we are learning.  We first brainstormed all the different ways words impact our lives.  Students came up with so many wonderful ways to describe words in our daily lives (see image below). 

In Math,  we practiced creating mathematical models (visual) of multiplying whole numbers to fractions and applied this concept to word problems.  Students also created their own measuring devices by calibrating paper strips using different fractional parts.  Student partnerships came up with different ways to divide up their “rulers”, for example,   by 1/5s, 1/3s, ¼,s etc. They then identified the equivalent fraction for each.  Students are becoming more comfortable using fractions.

In Super Science we read the article, Lightning at Sea? We learned that although most rain falls over the ocean, lightning is most likely to occur over land.  Ask your student what researchers discovered.  We then came up with a list of questions regarding lightning that we will research next week. This topic partners well with our class novel, The Lightning Thief.  

Please reach out if you have any questions. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Beth

Hello 206 families and friends!

Another busy week – check out what Room 206 has been up to!!

In reading, we are continuing our class novel, The Lightning Thief, and it does not disappoint!  The trio – Percy, Annabeth and Grover – are in the thick of it – trying to locate Zeus’ master bolt. They are now in Denver, and are heading to California, as the entrance to the underworld is in Los Angeles! We are continuing to catalog all of the Gods, Goddesses, half-bloods and demons we come across. We also started to fill in our Gods/Goddesses trading cards. Each card is dedicated to one of the Gods or Goddesses, and identifies their special power, symbol, etc.  Students are also refining their paper props for their Gods and Goddesses game.  We now have a beautiful shield with the head of Medusa, an invisibility helmet and a detailed master bolt! 

In Multiplicity Lab,  students tackled the question –  how many blocks in an irregular shaped structure?  They worked in partnerships and used interlocking blocks to recreate the structure.  This led to a conversation and computation of volume and surface area. We also extended our fraction work, including multiplying a fraction to a whole number, adding mixed numbers, and composing and decomposing fractions with a numerator greater than the denominator.  Students then worked in partnerships to calculate all of the different ways they could name a given fraction and or mixed number. They created posters and presented their findings to the class.  

In Science, we saw a video on the water cycle and each student created a drawing illustrating the 4 stages (evaporation, transpiration, condensation, and precipitation). We then performed an experiment to see how and why it rains by creating a rain cloud in a jar! Students noticed as they added more food coloring to the cloud (shaving creme), it got heavier and heavier, until it fell to the ground as rain.  

We also discussed a possible service project involving water.  We watched a video on 4Oceans, a not for profit involved in cleaning our oceans of plastic garbage.  We talked about Lake Michigan, close to our homes, and how we could possibly raise awareness and money to keep our lakefront clean.  This is something we will continue to investigate and discuss.  This project goes nicely with The Lightning Thief, as Percy is the son of Poseiden, and water has special powers and meaning in the novel.

In Social Studies, we watched a series of films on Black History Makers and the significance of Black History Month.  We watched a video on Jackie Robinson, and read the picture book, Hidden Figures, which focuses on three “human computers”: Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan. 

Students also enjoyed Valentine’s Day. They had fun passing out valentines and wearing cozy clothes or pajamas!

Reminder: be sure to ask your student to check their homework folder each night.  The folder includes their monthly planner and flyers, etc. They also keep their home reading journal (Key to the Master Reader) in their folder. We increased our home reading time to 40 minutes or more every night. There is a tic tac toe response grid located on the inside cover of their journal.  They can choose one of  the responses to complete each night. 

Students should also spend 20-30 minutes a few times a week on the Mobymax program. This is a wonderful program that students can access at home.

Please reach out if you have any questions. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Beth

Hello 206 families and friends!

We had a busy week – check out what we have been up to!!

In reading, we are almost halfway through our class novel, The Lightning Thief, and it continues to be incredibly exciting.  Percy is now on his quest to find Zeus’ master bolt. He visited the Oracle to find out his destiny, and is troubled by two of the prophecies.  We are continuing to track the events of each chapter on the story arc.  Each day a different student is the scribe, and is in charge of writing the important events on post-its to add to the story arc.  We are also adding to our list of heroes and villains, and the mortal and immortal world. This becomes tricky as Percy is straddling both worlds.

The Gods and Goddesses games are still on! Students have been creating amazing props using different craft materials.  To make sure everyone is included, students broke into 2 groups and discussed various scenarios to act out.  We will continue this next week. I am impressed with their creativity and team approach. 

In Mindset Math, we tackled the 10,000 steps investigation.  We discussed the importance of keeping active and the recommendation that people try to maintain 10,000 steps a day.  We then set out to tackle these 2 questions: If you walked 10,000 steps each day, how far would you go; and, if you walked 10,000 steps each day for a year, how far would you go? Students worked in partnerships to come up with different strategies and then shared with the class.  We settled on first figuring out each student’s individual stride length and then calculated the class average stride — 21 inches.  From there we were able to figure out how far we would travel taking 10,000 steps a day.  Armed with the knowledge that a mile is 5,280 ft, we discovered an average stride of 21 inches would walk approximately 3.25 miles a day and 22 ¾ miles a week.  The numbers got interesting when we calculated steps per year.  We also worked on story problems involving fractional parts and practiced drawing models to show our thinking.  This week we started math rotations. Students rotate every 15-20 minutes to a designated activity.  Currently the rotations include, working with the teacher, completing math problems with partners, and math games/Mobymax.  Students are doing well with this set up, and enjoy moving from center to center with their group. 

Next week in Science, we are going to focus on precipitation and lightning, as it partners well with our class novel, The Lightning Thief. We notice that  when Zeus and Poseidon become angry, storms erupt. Next week we will complete a science experiment that includes shaving cream and food coloring.  Stay tuned:)

In writing, students did a wonderful job on their opinion essay – Judging Their Collection.  We had an award ceremony including personalized trophies for all the winners, and a walk down the red carpet.  There were so many cool collections including, Pokeman cards, Shrinky Dinks, student paintings, chapstick, snacks, small stuffed animals and sport figurines. Check out the photos below.   

On Tuesday, we had presenters from Allstate who provided a Cyber Safety for Kids session.  We played games and discussed what it means to be safe online.  I was impressed with how much our students already know. Students shared thoughtful questions and ideas, and understood the importance of being safe online.  A Cyber Safety for Kids Activity Pack was sent home to reinforce the topics discussed. This is a topic we will continue to revisit, as we use computers in the classroom for word processing, research and Mobymax.

The class also had an amazing time at the Windy City Bulls Education Days Basketball Game at the NOW arena.  I was sorry I missed it, but the class shared highlights with me! 

Reminder: be sure to ask your student to check their homework folder each night.  The folder includes their monthly planner and flyers, etc. They also keep their home reading journal (Key to the Master Reader) in their folder. We increased our home reading time to 40 minutes or more every night. There is a tic tac toe response grid located on the inside cover of their journal.  They can choose one of  the responses to complete each night or create one of their own! 

Students should also spend 20-30 minutes a few times a week on the Mobymax program. This is a wonderful program that students can access at home. Please reach out if you have any questions. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Beth

Hello 206 families and friends!

I can’t believe it is already February!

In reading, we are completely immersed in our class novel. The Lightning Thief  by Rick Riordan.  Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger and we can’t wait to read the next one.  We now discovered that Percy is the son of Poseidon, which most of the clues pointed to.  I am impressed with how much Greek Mythology the students know – I am learning from them! Students are enjoying taking sketch notes for each chapter, which helps us keep track of all of the story plots.  This is helpful as so much happens in each chapter.  We have also started to track the events from each chapter on a story arc – and we noticed that so many of the events seem incredibly important and exciting, and we haven’t even gotten to the dramatic turning point! Students are also loving their independent reading books, which are novels depicting the younger generation of the Olympians.  The class is so excited by the stories of the Gods and Goddesses, that during indoor recess they each became one of the characters, and created paper props. They are still negotiating their roles, as they are realizing all of the Gods and Goddesses have big personalities!

In Science, we are still focusing on weather. This week in Mystery Science we watched a video on the coldest places on earth – which felt like it would be Chicago based on our weather this week! We also watched a video on how to determine the ideal location and weather for building a snow fort. We then did an activity that involved tracking the weather in 3 different locations to decide which would be the best place. 

In writing, students are finalizing their collection opinion essay, and are designing the trophies. Our award ceremony is pushed back to next week. More details to follow.

In math, we discussed probability and created a class probability meter. We started by having the students describe events they are 100% sure will and then those they are sure will never happen –  then we moved to things inbetween. Ask your student to tell you some of the things they thought of.  We also performed 3 experiments based on probability – we started with the coin toss. Students discussed the likelihood of tossing heads or tails and decided the chance was 50/50. To test our theory,  each student tossed a penny 10 times and recorded the number of heads and tails they got. We noticed some students had 8 heads and 2 tails, 6 heads and 4 tails, etc.  We then combined all the class data, (100 tosses) and when we added it up, we actually got 50% heads and 50% tails! – it was very exciting! Students noticed that as the sample size increased, it was more likely to reflect their hypothesis of 50/50 chance.

We did another experiment using M&Ms, to estimate the chance of picking a particular color of the candy.  We also converted the data into fractions and then percents.  We thought the blue m&m would be the least common color, but it turned out to be red!

We are also continuing our practice with fractions.  We started adding fractions with unlike denominators.  Students divided a pizza into different fractional ports with different toppings – to allow for everyone in their families different tastes. They then added the pieces together to equal one whole.  Ask your student all the different toppings they chose. 

In Social Studies we are focusing on Growth Mindset.  Each student came up with a personal mantra that helps them keep going when things seem challenging or difficult.  We then wrote the mantras on small posters and decorated them. They are hanging around the classroom as a visual reminder and motivator. 

Reminder: be sure to ask your student to check their homework folder each night.  The folder includes their monthly planner and flyers, etc. They also keep their home reading journal (Key to the Master Reader) in their folder. We increased our home reading time to 40 minutes or more every night. There is a tic tac toe response grid located on the inside cover of their journal.  They can choose one of  the responses to complete each night. 

Students should also spend 20-30 minutes a few times a week on the Mobymax program. This is a wonderful program that students can access at home. Please reach out if you have any questions. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ms. Beth