Writing Workshop: Next week we will move into opinion essays. The students always enjoy this unit because at the end we will have actual debates and they will be “scored and judged” on their debate skills by their classmates. We are teaching them to look at a topic, look at the pros and cons of both stances, and then pick a side. We then teach them a format to use for writing opinion essays- hook, thesis, and then reasons/examples to back up their opinion.
IB Unit: The students are loving learning about Ancient Greece and their daily life, as well as the roles art and architecture played in their lives. Next week we will introduce the Greek Gods/Goddesses and discuss how the Ancient Greeks felt they played a significant role in their lives (an earthquake might mean Poseidon was angry, families often left offerings to the Gods, bad crop harvest might mean Demeter was unhappy, et). Students will look at some of the pottery and vases they made for both art and use in the home. We also have a virtual scavenger hunt for the kids to work on that will teach them all about Ancient Greece, their practices, and the Gods as well.
Reading/Daily 5: We will review making connections- specifically connections among characters.
Science: Next week we will study gravity and friction. We will learn about Newton’s Laws of Motion and review how gravity and friction affect motion. We will also review the concepts of kinetic vs. potential energy.
Social Studies: The students really enjoyed learning about the Civil War and the reconstruction that took place afterwards. Next week we will learn how cattle driving took off in Texas after Reconstruction and how necessary it was because of the huge debt Texas still had. Students will learn about Joseph Glidden inventing barbed wire as well as do a virtual lesson that lets them do a cattle drive simulation and design their own cattle brand.
Upcoming Dates:
May 6- Park opening at School
May 8- STAAR math
May 9- STAAR reading
May 15-18- Portfolio Picnic