Room 5 News
January 15, 2020
Important Classroom Information
- Monday, January 20, 2020: No school, Martin Luther King Day
- Friday, January 24, 2020 @ 9-11: grade 3 field trip to Cary Hall
Classroom Updates
This month, our social emotional learning blocks will focus on optimism. This week we learned about how having a growth mindset can help us be more optimistic. Ask your child how he or she can use a growth mindset in and out of school.
Math:
In class we are wrapping up our unit on multiplication and division. Throughout the unit, we have learned about properties of multiplication including: the commutative property and the distributive property. We also learned strategies to help us with the x1, x2, x5, and x10 tables. Students also learned about division and how multiplication can help us with divide. Our next unit will focus on fractions.
Writing:
Last week, we began our information writing unit. In this unit, students will pick an "expert" topic and write their own non-fiction books. So far, students have chosen their expert topic, created a table of contents for their books, and have started drafting their chapters. In the coming days, students will strengthen their writing by adding specific details to help their readers understand more about their topic. We will also discuss which text features we can use to engage our readers.
Reading:
In reading, we continue to work through our nonfiction reading unit. Last week, we revisited the different ways we can stop and think while reading nonfiction texts (see the document below). This week, we will begin to focus on finding the main idea and supporting details in a section of our text.
This week, we are learning the Y as a vowel rule. Students learned the proper use of y as a vowel when spelling new words. See the image for more information. In the coming weeks, we will begin to explore multi-syllable words. Students can use Flippity to practice word study rules we have learned throughout the year. See the links below to access Flippity at home.
Social Studies and Science:
In social studies and science, we continue reviewing key concepts we've learned during our Weather, Climate, and People unit. By the end of the unit, students should be able to answer the following question: How do weather, climate, and the environment influence the way people live?
Technology: Math and Literacy Resources to Use at Home
Below you will find the links for: IXL, XtraMath, TypingClub, and Flippity.
Ask your child
- What is the purpose of writing and reading nonfiction texts?
- What is division? How is it related to multiplication?
- What does it mean to have a growth mindset? How can it help you be more optimistic?
Let me know!
Feel free to email me at: marthur@lexingtonma.org