Mrs. Blankenship's News You Can Use
Week of February 15, 2016
Remember that the students will have a holiday Monday, February 15th!
Curriculum Focus
Writing- A new skill covering writing a narrative based on a given text will be our new focus. The students will read the passage and prepare a written response by relying on the provided information and responding to a prompt. I will model this skill over the course of several days. The students will be completing a practice packet that has a similar format to the daily grade that will be given the week of March 11th. I expect that the previous writing skills that we have covered in class (ex. planning, editing, sensory language) will be demonstrated with this new skill. We will also continue working on a poem based on the Great Depression. This is part of a project grade for Dr. Shaw's social studies class. The students will need to either draw or bring in a picture reflecting their poem. If your child accesses the internet for this picture, I have instructed him/her to go through the Gwinnett County Media Research link provided in their eClass. I have specifically instructed them to not "Google" an image since the appropriateness of the image cannot be guaranteed.
Grammar- The students will be introduced to the proper use of the semicolon. This is an easy skill to master, so I am hopeful that the DG can be given Friday, February 19th.
Word Study- We have finished assessing all roots for this marking period. The next spelling grade will come from the final copy of the narrative writing grade that will be given the week of March 11th. Students are expected to be able to recall the meanings of all roots studied this year, so a regular review is encouraged. All roots are on Quizlet.
Math- In math next week, we will continue our study of volume. The students have learned how to calculate basic volume of regularly shaped rectangular prisms already. We will move onto composite volume over the next four days. This is a tricky skill. Think of two shoe boxes, one stacked on the other at a right angle. The daily grade for the volume skill will be February 23rd.
Science- In science next week, we begin our investigation of chemicals changes with several hands-on activities. The students will learn about the triggers that cause chemical changes. There will be a lab experiment in this part of our unit that will count as a test grade.
Social Studies- In social studies, we will begin chapter 8 by learning about the causes and events that led up to World War II. A note about this unit… We will be learning about the Holocaust and the treatment of the Jewish people in the concentration camps. It is a sensitive topic that is part of our curriculum. Please talk to your son or daughter about displaying the proper sense of respect and maturity during our study of this time.
Announcements!
- Thank you to those who have returned the Title I Parent Survey. For those who have not, please return the survey Tuesday, February 16th. I have been asked for 100% participation from my class.
- Due to the internet outage, mid-term reports will be sent home next week.
- Early Release days are February 24th and 25th.
- Chick fil A Spirit Night is Thursday, February 25th.