Our U.S. Presidents!

I'm sorry that I wasn't able to be with you yesterday. Enjoy your weekend and day off on Monday. The clip above is a tribute to the great men who have led our nation over the years. It was something I found in my search that I thought you'd enjoy. See you on Tuesday!

Cafe Day!

Today, we had cafe! Each group came well prepared! We are nearing the finish of our novel, and Holling has completely won us over. The groups buzzed today about his fearlessness and humor. We also enjoyed his date! Mrs. Baker and Holling have developed a special relationship and understanding, as well. We're moving on to "March" this week!

Ms. Rader and Mrs. Mac will be joining groups for our culminating activity - 60s Day! This will be coming in March, and we're looking forward to all of the fun activities that await us.

Homework:
Reading - Read "March" in The Wednesday Wars. Complete your new role.
Math - Chapter 5 Test tomorrow. Complete pg. 288-289 #s 1-8 and 11-20. Fraction Poem due (10 lines) tomorrow.

Author's Purpose

Today we learned about why authors write! We learned how to determine their purpose even when they don't state it. As you can see in the clip above, authors write for many reasons; to inform, persuade, entertain, describe, and express. To answer questions about the author's purpose we need to determine the type of writing that is used, find the main idea, and think about the writer's attitude. By thinking about these things we can understand what the writer wants us to feel, think, or do. We have studied and discussed examples of writing, and we spent some time talking about facts and opinions, as well as biased, and unbiased writing. We will continue the lesson on Friday. Enjoy the clip!

Homework:
Reading - Please be prepared with your reading assignment and role completed for cafe. (January and February are the assigned chapters.)
Math - worksheet

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today we showed our LOVE for books at our CISPO sponsored book fair. We enjoyed the great variety of books, pencils, tablets, and posters available! We were also excited by the fact that CISPO gave each of us $5.00 to shop! It was a great Valentine's Day gift! Thank you, CISPO!

Our persuasive letters are nearly finished and quite convincing! We've been typing the letters, and they'll soon be on display for others to read.

Homework:
Reading - Study page 103 - Poetry vocabulary words. Quiz tomorrow. Also, read and complete your role for Thursday's cafe.
Math - worksheet
Science - Packet is due tomorrow.
Wellness - D.A.R.E. work is due tomorrow.

Gallery of Heroes Musical! Thank You, CISPO!

This morning we had a visit from a troupe of actors/singers from the Pittsburgh CLO. They came to share a musical based on the true story of a writer who traveled the world named Nellie Bly. Her life was amazing and we enjoyed hearing the story in song. Thank you, CISPO, for another exciting educational program!

As a class, we've been taking a closer look at poetry. We often sing poetry when listening to our ipods or radios. Song lyrics are a form of poetry, and the music often matches the rhythms and rhymes of the words. Poets play with words, rearranging them until they find the right combination of rhythm and rhyme. They use figurative language, so much of what is written cannot be taken literally. The combinations of lines and stanzas are interesting and fun to read.

Homework:
Reading - Read January and February in The Wednesday Wars and prepare your role for Thursday. Study your Poetry words on p. 103 in Buckle Down. Quiz on Wednesday.
Math - Worksheet due tomorrow. Fraction poem is due on Friday.
Wellness - D.A.R.E. work due on Wednesday, along with Parent/Guardian signature
Science - Packet due on Wednesday