Week of September 28-October 2

Happy New Week Parents! Just in case there was anyone who did not get the reminder sent via email concerning this week's activities, I am providing it here:

Good Afternoon Parents,

This is just a reminder for all students of grades 3-8.  This week the teachers of grades 3-8 will be administering the IOWA Standardized Test. Testing will begin on Tuesday, September 29, 2015. To ensure that the students perform their best, we are asking that the students sleep at least 8 hours each night and eat a nutritious breakfast. No sweetened cereals please. Try to include a fruit and protein. Thank  you for helping us to provide great environment in which to learn and grow. Have a Blessed Weekend!

Please watch this quick video on taking multiple choice tests to familiarize yourselves with the skills:

7th and 8th Grade Students: Thanks to all students who submitted their Personal History Projects last week. They were well done and very enlightening. Keep up the good work!

5th and 6th: This is a reminder to make sure that your Maps of the World/Different Countries/Places are complete and ready to turn in on Wednesday, October 30, 2015.

Get good rest tonight and have a great week!

September 21-25, 2015

Happy New Week Parents and Students!

Last week's field trip to Stone Mountain was a great success and students had a great time! This week will be pretty action packed as we approach the close of the first quarter of school. Students will be bringing home midterm reports today in an envelope. Please sign and return those forms by Wednesday of this week. 

This week's lessons in  Language Arts will center around what makes a complete sentence, the understood subject of imperative (commands and directives) sentences and subjects of interrogative (questions) sentences. We will also be learning more about prominent individuals of Hispanic heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15-Oct 15) and the Ancient and Modern Olympic Games (7-8).  We are also reviewing Author's Purpose (all grades).  5-6th Graders will also be working on creating a Spanish/English Picture Dictionary as they encounter Spanish words from the story (Esperanza Rising) and in their environments. This is an ongoing project until the theme story concludes.

In Social Studies, we will be wrapping up Chapter 1 for all grades and preparing for a Test on Next Tuesday (September 29, 2015).  7-8th graders have a project in which they must create a Personal History which includes the 5 themes of Geography: Location, Place, Regions, Movement, and Impact/Interaction with Environment. Students may create a PowerPoint Presentation, a monologue, a poster, a video or other way to present the information. Students will be graded on Presentation (participation and involvement--25 pts), Display (25pts), Creativity (25pts), Focus on 5 themes (5 pts each--25 pts total). 

5-6th Graders will be living like a Geographer this week and creating a map or other type of representation of a place of their choice on earth using the tools Geographers use such as globes, photographs, or GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Students will choose a location in the world to create a map, image or other type of representation (globe, relief map, replica of satellite imagery) of that place on the earth. They may use Google Earth, Maps online, satellite imaging, globes and Photographs of those places. Students will be graded on accuracy (as much is as possible--25pts), use of resources (cite where information was found--25pts),  Creativity (25pts) and Appearance (Don't repeat--be neat!--25 pts). Please include the following: compass rose, scale, type of map/projection. Latitude and Longitude are welcome, but not required. Please do not print out a copy of a map made by someone else as it will not be accepted.

In Spanish we are still on Lesson 3 about enfermedad y salud (illness and health). We will have a quiz this week on Lesson 3. Please be sure to watch the videos on Ser and Estar on Last week's blog post. You can go to the post by clicking here.

Videos:
 This week's videos will focus on the use of Primary Sources...

  And our featured person of Hispanic Heritage for Hispanic Heritage Month:
 

Here is a quick video on how to cite sources for Internet and other uses:

Homework for this week:

Study for Vocabulary and Bible this week (Tests on Friday)

Complete Social Studies Projects (7-8th due Wednesday (Sept 23); 5-6th due Wednesday (Sept 30)). Watch the video on Primary Sources posted above and bring in a personal primary source (from your home, heritage or family) to share with the class by Wednesday of your project's due date (E.g. Ms. Wilson's picture of her Great-Grandmother from earlier in the school year is a primary source).

Watch the video posted above on Sonia Sotomayor (first Hispanic Supreme Court justice). Write a short summary of what you learned about her accomplishments and her heritage.

Complete Study Guide (to be given this Wednesday) for Chapter 1 in Social Studies (all Grades). All Test will be on Tuesday (Sept 29). 

Be on the look out for some other videos later this week!

 
English Homework:
Students will complete p.40-55 this week (7^th)
Students will complete p. 37-49 this week (8^th)  
Students will complete p 37-43 this week (5^th) 
Students will complete p35-48 this week (6^th)

Homework and Vocabulary Words

Good Evening Parents and Students!

I just wanted to make available the vocabulary words for the test on Friday. Students should already have these words and definitions in their notebooks; however, I am making them available for your convenience.

5/6th Grade:

fiesta
porcelain
sympathetic
Abuelita
crochet
resurrected
generations
trellis
valise
papaya

7/8th Grade:

disinfect
nonchalant
dissatisfied
unemployment
deodorant
nonpayment
disadvantage
unbreakable
nonpartisan
deception
unwieldy
displeasure
nonconformity
unguarded
disconnect
nonflammable
depreciate
disrespect
nonproductive
disembark


Videos on the use of Ser and Estar:

Week of September 14-18, 2015

Happy New Week Parents and Students!

Thanks to all the Grandparents who were able to attend this year's Grandparent's Day. Your students made them feel loved and special.

Both students and parents may join my Remind messenger by using the following link: https://www.remind.com/join/daja5 or by sending the text message @daja5 to 81010. If you ever need to send me a message directly, you can email at daja5@mail.remind.com, chanisha.wilson@gmail.com or through Class Dojo. Speaking of Class Dojo, if you joined the Dojo in the 5th grade class and found yourself removed from the list, please let me know and I will send a new sign up or input your email to be sure that you are receiving all notifications. 

This week in Language Arts we are focusing on using our punctuation accurately and determining what makes a simple and complete subject/predicate in a sentence. In Reader's and Writer's workshop we will practice building stamina in our writing and determining why authors write.

All students will continue to focus on applying the 5 themes of Geography as they continue with Chapter 1 in Social Studies. 7th and 8th grade will have an upcoming project soon, so please be on the lookout for that information by the following week.

In Spanish students will review the basic greetings and social questions ( How old are you? What is your name?) and add new structures dealing with health (salud) and illness (enfermedad).

Video: Author's Purpose--This is just an introductory video about Author's Purpose and choosing a purpose for writing.

Here is another video that should make you smile when you think about the Author's Purpose.

Homework: 

Spanish--Create a Picture Dictionary of the words and structures from Lessons 1-3. Due Friday
Language Arts-- Use three of the six practice activities from the Super Speller List in your Student Notebooks to prepare for your Vocabulary Test this Friday.
Create a section in your WNB for Noticing the World and Crafting Sentences (2 total)-- Ongoing
Complete the following Prompt: Look at the picture below. Decide your purpose for writing this piece (P.I.E.--persuade, inform, entertain) and then create a piece of writing based off of your purpose and the picture. This is due on Thursday.


Bible--Study Lesson 3 Memory Verse for Test on Friday