Wednesday Feb. 19, 2014

Recess tutoring in action!  LOVE IT!  Being teachers, being leaders, taking responsibility for their own learning.

Today we began with an RSA on adding/subtracting fractions and mixed numbers.  We coasted into a mini-presentation from our student council representatives (Natalie and Nick) about upcoming events and showing compassion in our school.  Excellent work student council peeps.

Today's Targets

From there we read our target for Social Studies and continued on to Chapter 2 of My Brother Sam is Dead.  A big life lesson has popped up as Sam and his father Life are getting into arguments.  We have discussed that sometimes you will not always agree with your parents opinions and points of views, so it can take a toll on the way a family unit works together.  Ask your child- whose side would they be on, the Loyalists or the Patriots?

In math we continued to subtract mixed numbers and introduced borrowing today.  Check the video below for further examples and explanations.

Subtracting and borrowing (1:00 and 7:23 for best examples)

After lunch and recess, we returned to a special presentation by some of our girls (Kaitlyn, Cassidy, Elena, and Natalie) who went above and beyond to create a PowerPoint about Tilikum and if he should be free or kept in captivity.  Way to push yourselves girls!

In writing, we reviewed parts of speech in partners by various websites online.
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/parts-of-speech_1.htm

We finished reading by reviewing homework and proving our answers with text evidence.  We began to pick through a PSSA passage about the Moon.  As a class, we broke the poem into stanzas, analyzed the figurative language, and gave deeper meaning to each line.  In addition, we discovered that the Latin root "luna" means Moon.  Finally, we learned how to use Smart clickers to report our understanding so we can receive instant feedback connected to a specific standard.

Tonight's Homework

Math
- subtracting mixed numbers (Some with borrowing!  Use your blue notes!)
Reading
- NewsELA on Fence Music in Mexico is due Feb. 25th- (Blue and Purple- 930, Pink- 730, Green- 490)
- Niagra Falls reading annotated, highlighted, number proofed and all questions answered
Other
- LDC and spelling signed
- Planner signed
- Friday is 60s, 70s, and 80s spirit day (please donate a canned good or coins of compassion)
- Study Island (optional due Friday Feb. 21)
     PACCS Math: adding/subtracting decimals; adding and subtracting fractions
     PACCS Reading: Author Point of View; Information from Sources