November+7-11

Homework this week: Thursday Night: Tomorrow hand in the four reading logs from this week. Be sure to edit!! Also we will have a quiz on spelling words. If you didn't use Spelling City I will collect the work you did on spelling for the week. http://www.spellingcity.com/ || ||  ||   || Root, Suffix and Prefix Practice || ||   ||   ||
 * **Helpful links for the week** || **Helpful documents for the week** || **Document for Next Week** ||  ||
 * http://www.commonlymisspelledwords.org/
 * []

Choose a reading book of your choice. Each night read for 20-30 minutes and rerspond to a different reading log choice from our green reading response sheet. Be sure to check your grammar and spelling. Ask a peer, parent, or after-school study hall teacher, to check your work, sign, and date your paper each night. You should have 4 entries done by the end of the week.

Spelling: Use the list of commonly misspelled words and pre-test with a peer in class. [|Word List]Once you have identified 10 words you struggle with look up definitions for those words, use them in a sentence, and write the tip/hint for remembering the spelling of that word from the word list link. __**OR**__ have your parents create a free account for you in Spelling City and try to create your list and practice your words for the week.(We will troubleshoot questions regarding Spelling City in class) [|Spelling City]On Friday you will take a final test.

Math: This week I want you to work on your basic facts. Please work on X-tra math and complete 1-3 tests each evening.[|Xtra Math]

Today in class: Friday, November 11 I apologize that I can't update the home page today. Something is up with WikiSpaces.

Math: We did a worksheet. We worked on dividing fractional parts and determined how much money was obtained in the fictional fundraiser.

Language Arts: We used class time to practice prefixes and suffixes. They can use the Quizlet Link to study more from home. We will have a final test on this next week sometime. We will use that data to help plan our next focus group. We also took our spelling quizzes.

Social Studies: We had a great discussion about how to use the GeoCaching website to find interesting places to "visit" in Mexico. We also discussed that they should really want to visit the places they research which will enhance their Google Tours.

Science. Today we worked on worksheets to reinforce their knowledge. They also drew pictures of neurons and the path of a nerve impulse.

Report Cards went home today.

Thursday, November 10

Math: We are continuing with fraction work. Specifically the first chapter of our book. Students have been looking at thermometers for fundraising and based on the fraction deciding how much money has been raised. All fictional data at this time. I hope to get some data from our own fundraiser too.

Language Arts: We read "Tater Tots" and will make a prediction about what will happen once the whole school finds out that Kid Net is shutting down. We also did some spelling work and prefix and suffix work.

Social Studies: We are looking for a good web link for Mariachi music if anyone knows of one please send it my way. We will finish our Mariachi Music discussion tomorrow. We also had time to start exploring some of the wonders of Mexico. **Cultural** places like Chichen Itza and **geographic** wonders like silver in the central highlands in Guanajuato and **historic** buildings and plazas. We are preparing to plan our own Virtual Visit to Mexico. I'd love for families to participate and help their students plan a wonderful visit. From this information we will create a Google Tour and your child will be the narrator/tour guide. Guideline Sheet:

Science: We learned about the different parts of the brain. We also learned about the peripheral nervous system. It has been a lively discussion and students seem generally engaged. We will start doing some worksheets and use other materials to help reinforce the information we have been discussing throughout the week. It has been a fascinating way to end each day.

Today in class: Wednesday, November 9


 * Math: We worked on a variety of activities in investigation 1 in the Bits and Pieces book. Most students were working on folding fraction strips to find a variety of comparisons between fractions. They began to see relationships between how to make 4ths into 12ths, etc. Some students worked on comparing answers from the homework regarding measuring progress and finding fractional parts. They are also beginning to compare the fundraising efforts of the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in the ficitonal class in the book. Ask your child for details regarding which activity they participated in. **


 * Language Arts: Today students worked on a variety of activities. We began by finishing up our reflective writing regarding a bullying incident in the book. We shared how we could be allies in the situation. Students were also given time to work on their spelling activities. Please help your child sign up for a Spelling City account if possible. We are continuing some prefix and suffix work as well. **


 * Social Studies: Today we were exploring places to visit in Mexico. We were creating a list of keywords for doing searches to gather deeper information about Mexico. We explored what historical, geographical, and cultural meant. We discussed how to put information into our own words and when we read a word like arid and don't understand the meaning to stop and look it up rather than just write it down. We also discussed if you read something like mariachi band to search it and listen to mariachi music before including it in notes and research. We will be doing a mini tour of Mexico as a final project. **


 * Science: Be sure to ask your child about the typoglycemia paper we went over in class. It has something to do with first and last letters of words and spelling and comprehension. We are having engaging conversations in class about the brain. Students took survey today about their right brain and left brain strengths. Ask them about their results. **

Today in class: **Tuesday, November 8**

Math: We began with our new math book Bits and Pieces II. We answered questions about fractions and school fundraisers. We made a comparison to our own magazine drive fundraiser and I am currently looking for more data for students to use from our fundraiser to make comparisons to the "class" in the text book.

Language Arts: Students started writing their letters of support to "targets" from the book pages 155 to 157. They are approaching this as if they were there and how they would become an ally to the targeted student. We also had a lock down drill during this time so we will continue this activity tomorrow.

Social Studies: We had a guest speaker, Doug Dunbebin, from RETN, come in today to teach us about copyright. We will be working with RETN this year to produce videos to air on their television channel and their website. I will be taking a small group for a tour and to film some RETN promos which will air on their network (after-school, beginning in December). We will also begin producing Bullying Public Service Announcements which we hope to air on RETN as well. The PSAs will be a final project for the Revealers. Students will write scripts and produce their videos.

Science: We continued to work on our study of the brain. We viewed a brain on the IPAD2. We worked on worksheets regarding nerve impulses. We also took a few minutes to e-mail Doug Dunbebin to thank him for presenting to our class.

Today in class: Monday, November 7

Math: We finished up "Data" today, by examining graphs and frequency tables. and creating graphs based on stem and leaf plots. We will begin our Bits and Pieces fraction unit next. One activity has us exploring fractions based on fundraising activities. Fictional in the book but we will try to compare some of this with our current magazine drive fundraising.

Language Arts; We read the chapter called the office. Tomorrow we will disect some of the notes to the Revealers and decide how we would handle the situations if we wanted to become allies to the targets in the book. We also did a pre-test of commonly misspelled words. Students will continue to work on their 10 identified words during the week.

Social Studies: We reviewed geography of Mexico. Students will soon explore 5 places they would like to visit in Mexico and create a google earth tour of those areas. More details to follow.

Science: We continued using our science packets to explore the wonders of the brain. Today the emphasis was on the path of a nerve impulse. We learned about sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons. Also we learned about the parts of a neuron.