Mr. McCoy's Summer Weekly Log
Friday, June 24, 2016
Big Game Hunt
Big game was our quarry, this week, as we continued our perilous trek across Africa—and as we continued our work on the "Facing Africa" research project, featuring We Video-generated presentations. Students also worked to write longer, more coherent sentences, using conjunctions--as well as punctuating sentences correctly. Students also brought “The Road to Bussa,” a play, to glorious life. Our math focus was on adding related fractions, subtracting related fractions, comparing fraction products, repeated subtraction with fractions, and fractions and division. We played thrilling games of "Fraction Capture," "Fraction Fairway," "Hole in One," "Putt-Putt Golf," “Yote,” “Senet," "Mystery Doors,” “Three Wishes,” and “Which Way Will You Choose?” And Abbott and Costello (as well as the Three Stooges) continued to battle the Mummy! So…pack up your gear, load up your camel, and keep reading: More about this week’s “Big Game Hunt” can be found on the trail below!
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African Folk Tales
Here are the links to this week's African Folk Tales:
13-"A Good Fortune in Camels"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q834E17cAJ8
14-"The Fisherman and the Ring"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXXw53sqZzM
15-"The Magic Crocodile"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVxq-ZP3CXU
16-"The Contest Between Fire and Rain"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QkmWUyvTYw
17-"The Hare and the Crownbird"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt1lsdTGkI4
The Egypt Game
And, here are this week's editions of The Egypt Game:
Part 14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oulz0yKbhW4
Part 15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpaUfBR01zk
Part 16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZzmfVg16io
Part 17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00DFXhVAbag
Part 18
African Beginnings
We have continued to explore African Beginnings, Part 3. Here is the Educreations presentation for this segment of the book:
http://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/african-beginnings-3/8801383/?ref=app
History of Africa Website
This week, we have delved further into learning about the people who lived and worked near the Nile River. Here is a website containing additional information about this topic:
A Fantasic Trip to Ancient Egypt--and the Nile River
In conjunction with our study of the people of the Nile, here is an informative video:
Academic Success
One of the most important factors in achieving academic success is to recognize that people all have their own learning style. Be aware of what way your child learns best. Approach a subject from lots of different angles—games, activities, books, flashcards, computer software, etc. Working with a TV or radio playing is not a good idea. Neither is working with friends, because too much time is wasted chatting. The best thing to do is to get right down to work!
Planning Ahead
In preparation for your child’s upcoming fifth grade year, it’s not too early to ensure that your child has a special place set aside to study, do homework, read , or just to think, will really help your child enjoy getting down to work. It needs to be a place free of distractions.Here’s a checklist for the “perfect homework place.” Check off each one if you decide to include it in your work area:
___ a good writing surface
___ a comfortable chair/lighting
___ pencils and a pencil sharpener
___ a ruler
___ shelves for books
___ a clock
___ a storage area of supplies
___ a dictionary/thesaurus
___ a set of encyclopedias
___ an atlas
___ plenty of paper
___ an atlas
___ plenty of paper
Another Motivational Tip
Point out the new things you learn with enthusiasm. Discuss the different ways you find new information, whether you’re looking for gardening tips on the Internet or taking a class in American literature. Let your child see you in action: Choose an activity that unfamiliar to you both, such as playing tennis or speaking Spanish, and schedule a lesson or pick up a couple of instructional tapes. “Parents are the single most important modeling agent in a child’s life, and if you demonstrate that learning is a life time adventure,” your kids will get the message.