February 15th- Early release day
February 17th- Long School movie night at 6:00
February 20th- No school for Presidents' Day
March 3rd- Spring pictures
March 10th- Half day (dismiss at 11:40)
Math: We have started chapter 8 which covers fractions and decimals. Students are learning to use the greatest common factor to simplify fractions and the least common multiple to compare fractions. Our next chapter deals with adding and subtracting fractions.
Writing: We are just finishing up our argument letter to Dr. Parker about whether or not chocolate milk should be served in schools. Students decided which side of the issue they were on, and then they developed three reasons with supporting evidence for their side. The piece was more guided, and we will be starting a more independent piece this week. For this new piece, students will write an argument essay on another debatable issues. They can choose from: should kids have cell phones, should there be recess in middle school, are zoos good for animals, or should we get rid of the penny. It will be interesting so see what they choose!
Reading: We are continuing to look at different argument texts. Students are learning to read the texts and focus in on the author's claim as well as the reasons and evidence that support the claim. The students are still in their research group that is studying a debatable issue. They had one quick debate about their topics a few weeks ago, and they have been busy finding more evidence since that first debate. Our second debate will happen this week, and students will be trying to come up with counterclaims and rebuttals. Below are some pictures from the first debate.
Book clubs will be finishing up soon, and students will select a new book they want to read.
Science: We have been studying the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates, and we are focusing on the five classes of vertebrate animals: birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Animal projects were completed last week, and students will soon do a gallery walk to view one another's projects. Below are some pictures of how they turned out!
