Volume 1.1 August 30, 2010
READING
This week in Reading, we will read literary text. We will review all the reading strategies good readers use (predicting, inferring, questioning, monitoring, summarizing, and evaluating.) Students will identify the elements of the stories they read by explaining the main problem, sequence of events, and solution. They will also identify details that create the setting and mood. Finally, students will analyze characters by inferring their personality traits, motivations, and relationships to other characters.
While there is no written homework this week, students should read at least four nights for at least twenty minutes each night. Don’t forget to record the title on the Home/School Reading log!
LANGUAGE
We will review common and proper nouns.
Students will write a poem and begin a creative story. We will focus on organization and voice.
SOCIAL STUDIES
We will learn about the geography of Maryland as we explore the answers to our essential question: How do geographic tools (maps, globes, and atlases) help us better understand our world?
*Map elements-such as legend & scale
*Longitude/latitude
*Hemispheres *Bordering states and waterways
*Using intermediate directions and coordinates
SCIENCE
We will learn about the Solar System. Students will compare and contrast properties of different celestial objects, explain and support that our Solar System is sun-centered, and identify the sun as Earth’s closest star.
MATH
We will begin the year with our unit on Place Value. Students will learn to read, write, represent, and compare numbers through 1,000,000. We will focus on writing numbers in expanded and word form, and identifying the place value of a digit in a given number.
We will begin our Multiplication/Division Unit in two weeks, so students should be practicing their multiplication facts every night. They should use the triangular flash cards we made in class.
To allow more time for multiplication facts memorization, homework will not begin until next week. Students will have math homework most nights (except Fridays, unless they need to review for a test.)
UPCOMING EVENTS/REMINDERS
Sept. 3……2-Hour Early Dismissal
Sept. 10….PTA Meeting & Movie Night, 6:30pm
Sept. 13….Planetarium Field Trip, 9:15am-11:30am
Sept 13…..Open House, 7:00pm
Sept. 14….No School for Students (Election)
Sept. 17….School Picture Day
Sept. 30.…Interims Distributed
Oct. 1……..No School (Calvert County Fair Youth Day)
Oct. 15……No School (MSTA Convention)
*Fridays are School Spirit Days! Wear your SLES t-shirt or our school colors: teal, white, and black!