Reading – Looking Back…. Students enjoyed our unit on the power of language. We reviewed types of figurative language, hunted for examples in our independent reading books, and students wrote fun, creative examples of each type. There were lots of active, cooperative activities where students dove deeper into word choice, word connotation, and shades of meanings of synonyms. It was a fun unit. Looking Forward… We have just begun our final unit and last class novel for the year, A Long Walk to Water. The book details the true story of one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan” and his very long journey to find safety in the midst of war, as well as, the fictional character, Nya, and her story of how a lack of water dictates her life. We will take a break from the book for the next few weeks to polish our TDA skills before PSSAs and enjoy reader’s theater during testing.
Writing- Looking Back… Students finished their tourist websites and we enjoyed a wonderful celebration of the cultures around the world with students sharing great food, interesting customs, music, and dance. We then moved on to our next project, which is a persuasive writing assignment. Students chose some relevant, meaningful topics as the focus of their writing. Be sure to ask your child about their claim and how they plan to support it. Looking Forward… Students will continue to research credible sources to support their claim with convincing evidence. They will learn the importance of a counterargument and how to incorporate it in their writing.
Science-Looking Back… 6F finished their Physics unit and have moved on to Social Studies with Mr. P. 6P has begun our physics unit and has been investigating energy; the various forms of energy, the transfer of energy, the difference between speed and velocity, and the laws of motion. Students have participated in many hands-on activities to demonstrate these concepts. Looking Forward… 6P students will finish the physics unit, experimenting with gravity and electromagnets, enjoying a tasty demonstration of OHM’s Law, and creating slides to explain and present usable energy sources. Encourage your child to review class notes regularly. Science concepts often require some memorization and regular review will benefit your child. As always, science sets are available in GimKit for a fun way to review concepts covered in class.
**Be on the lookout for a new video coming soon!