Math,science, and number corner                                                                   

In math this week we have been mostly working on multiplying  money. We have learned that it is harder than it looks because it has certain rules. Mrs.Crowther taught us a few different ways to do it. Many people have come up and shared the way that they are most comfortable with. We also found out what other people like to do at home when we made a list of different ways to solve multiplication problems .Even Mrs.Crowther did not know some of them!

In science this week we have worked on the study of Vermont. With our road maps we have done a little outlining/labeling. We have started a test on a laptop that makes us have to do a lot of research on specific websites. A “build a map project” has come home. Each student has ten days to finish it.  You can  build with all sorts of things like wood,paper mache,clay,and much more! They have a checklist to follow in order to get good grades but if they finish and they want more they can add things that are not on the list!

In number corner we did not do much, but we made a few observations  and predictions about the calendar. Some of  the observations were... “I observe that it goes 1 white then 2 Yellow then 1 blue and then it starts over again.” And some predictions were...“I predict that the 15th will be yellow.” Mrs.Crowther was very proud of our thoughts!

Reading and Writing       

    This week in writing we are working on our informational (or non-fiction.) pamphlets. The pamphlets are about the human body. Everyone has chosen a system in the human body to focus their pamphlets on. We have also picked a major organ or a part in the body to explain something about that part of the body.We are in partnerships of our choice to work and help each other. Partners must be writing about the same system. We are hoping to finish our pamphlets before winter break.

In music we have been writing to music. We have been writing whatever comes to mind while listening to the music. It could be a poem, a story, or any kind of writing.

    This week in reading we are still reading a book with our partner. We have been leaving tracks of our thinking throughout the book.  None of us have finished, but some are close! We have also been making a word wall. When we are reading our books we find words we can’t pronounce or don’t know the meaning of  and write it down on our own word walls. You can also put words you like on your word wall. At the end of reading, everyday Mrs.Crowther calls on a few people to share a word on their word wall to put on our class word wall. We are also working on “Someone, Wanted, But, So”. We each have a sheet which we kind of answer “Someone, Wanted, But, So” by writing the main characters name, what they wanted, what was in their way and we are still waiting to find out what happens in the end of the book which is the answer to “So”.We are also doing our usual reading.

Other important news and events
    -Chorus concert 12/13/12
    -Big Vt project came home! Due 12/17/12
    -Reduced weekly homework to make time for the VT map.

    By Nigel Wormser and Heidi Berger