Coming up this week (9/24/12)

Where is the time going??  This coming week is the last full week before progress reports are issued for Quarter 1!!  Here's a peek at what we'll be working on:


Language Arts:  The students are really enjoying the group novel reading of Racing the Past.  This week we will dig deep into the main character and begin to map his character traits as we watch him change throughout the story.  The students are also busy keeping track notes as we read and will be discussing their notes in small groups as they reflect upon their reading.  We're still busy learning about the differences between fiction and non-fiction using our textbooks.  Our lessons this week will focus on narratives and using "marking up the text" to help us with our comprehension. We're also getting our grammar skills fit by working out our use of vivid verbs to put muscle into our writing.  Daily Oral Language is also making an appearance on our Smart Board a few days per week.  
  

Our first book shares are due on Friday, September 28th!!!  I can't wait to see all of the great presentations I know my students are going to share with us.  These are all novels the kids have read on their on, independent of our classroom work. 


Social Studies:  We've moving through the stone age.  This week, we'll look at ancient Mesopotamia and talk about Hammurabi's Code of Laws.  We'll compare and contrast the paleolithic period and the neolithic period while we discuss the hardships people faced living at this time.  The students will participate in an activity to help them understand the problems that early people faced when they found the need to govern themselves. 


It's going to be another fun-filled, but busy week!