Thursday, January 28, 2010

Division Math Test Tuesday


Students should be able to:
  • Find multiples and use them to rename numbers
  • Know and use multiplication facts, related division facts, and extended facts.
  • Divide using a friendly number strategy with the partial-quotients algorithm.
  • Divide using an "at least...not more than strategy" with partial-quotients algorithm.
  • Make magnitude estimates to correctly place the decimal points in quotients.
  • Measure and draw line segments to the nearest 1/2 inch.
  • Estimate distances using a map scale.
  • Write an open number sentence for number stories.
  • Determine what to do with a remainder.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Cultural Inquiry Projects


We've started group inquiry projects for social studies and reading. The students turned in questions they would like to research and everyone was able to get their first choice.

  • Sports: James, Alejandro, Jeonpyo, Jordan, Matthew, and Carlos. These students will be studying the effects of a culture upon its popular sports.
  • Yodeling: The 3 Camilas and Briana. These students will study how yodeling affected and was affected by different cultures.
  • Double-dutch Jump-roping: Catalina and Sunny. These students will study the cultural effects of cities on the types of games that are played there.
  • Automobiles: Nick. This student will study the effect of mass-produced automobiles on the American culture.
The presentation of their projects will be February 11th. They will take an exam about culture over Voice Threads (on the Internet) on February 12th. 2nd - 5th grade are involved in this cultural project and are aided by the Spanish teachers, the Art teacher, the Music teacher, and the Computer and PE teachers! Talk about collaboration.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Healthy Lunch Final Project


Next Wednesday students will bring in a healthy lunch that they have designed. I sent home information today, but in case this information gets misplaced, here is the info:

1. Design a lunch to bring to school and eat in the classroom.

2. Your lunch must have the following characteristics:

· Girls: Total calories less than 660

· Girls: Total calories from fat less than 198

· Boys: Total calories less than 780

· Boys: Total calories from fat less than 234

· It should be a “healthy” lunch and include at least one fruit or vegetable and some kind of protein in addition to carbohydrates.

3. You must show your calculations on the Lunch Work Sheet.

4. Get your data for the Lunch Work Sheet from the Nutritional Facts Label on the back of food packages.

5. If you want to eat something that doesn’t have a label, you can probably find the nutritional information on http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/Foods/900/Food.aspx or www.nutritiondata.com

6. So, you must:

· Bring in the lunch that you planned.

· Show your calculations on the Lunch Work Sheet.

· Turn in the Nutrition Facts label for each food.

If you want to go the extra mile for a 4, you may calculate the percentage of vitamins and minerals that are in your lunch, for example: 54% of Vitamin A, 62% of Vitamin C, etc.


To get a 3: Do all that is highlighted in yellow.

To get a 3+ do all that is highlighted in yellow and what is highlighted in blue.

To get a 4 do all highlighted in yellow, blue, and pink.


Thursday, January 14, 2010

Math Test Monday


To prepare for the math test, the best thing to do is:
  • Make sure you understand important vocabulary: acute angle, obtuse angle, right angle, adjacent angle, reflex angle, equilateral triangle, isosceles triangle, scalene triangle, polygon, quadrangle, parallel, congruent, regular polygon, parallel, protractor, and tesselation.
  • Go back through your math journal and correct the answers you have wrong. Use your Student Reference Book and get help if you still don't understand.
  • Review place value using your Student Reference Book.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Water Makes You Wet


Water Makes You Wet was the name of one of our lessons today. PLEASE make sure your child comes to school with an umbrella or rain jacket. It's no fun learning in soggy clothes.

New Unit: North American Culture


To start building background knowledge about North American culture, I've created a Livebinder site which I would like the students to watch/read. By the end of next week, I would like to have them finish watching/reading all of the categories! Please take notes on the selections and/or describe what you watched and what your reaction is to the selection. The site is http://livebinders.com/edit?id=5907 Have FUN!

If you watch 6 each night, you will be done a little ahead of time.