Mrs. Jaroslawski's website (3-16)

• Monday, May 21: Final Copy with Picture for American Hero Report Due.
• Tuesday, May 22: TEST ALERT: Social Studies Chapter 10
• Monday, May 28: No School: Happy Memorial Day!
• Tuesday, May 29: Our class hosts Mass.  Join us!
• Wednesday, June 6: American Hero Speeches!  2:00 p.m. in the FSCR.  All parents welcome to attend!
• Monday, June 11: Field Day!
• Tuesday, June 12: 1/2 day of school.  Last day for students!

READING: We will begin reading Skinnybones. Our story of the week is Tales of the Trickster.  We will also be working on compare and contrast, comparing settings, functional documents, prefixes, and suffixes.  Vocabulary words are cunning, insightful, investigate, majority, technique.  We are also working on our American Hero speeches and oral presentation skills.  Reading homework is assigned on Monday and due on Tuesday.  The reading test is every Friday.

GRAMMAR/WRITING: We will study adjective and adverbs.  We are working on the parts of the writing process, journal writing, and paragraph writing.  We will be working on writing and memorizing our American Hero speeches.  We will be in the drafting, revising, and editing stages of creative story writing to go with our Wayside School project.

SPELLING: Words of the week are written in your child’s planner and sent home on Monday.   Students turned in spelling extra credit last week.  Spelling homework is assigned on Tuesday and due on Wednesday.  Students can complete a practice test at home for a smart cookie.  Please sign the practice test, have your child write the misspelled words 3 time each, and turn it into me by Friday.  The spelling test is every Friday.

HANDWRITING: We will continue our study of cursive.  We will be working on refining skills, writing with a slant, and using cursive to write more quickly.  Handwriting homework is assigned on Thursday and due on Monday.   This week’s subjects that are in cursive are grammar, reading, social studies, science, and morning work (DLR).

SCIENCE: We will begin our life science unit.  We will be combining lessons from different chapters to meet our curriculum goals.  We will complete the following:

• PLANTS: Chapter 1 “Plants and How They Grow,” Lessons 1 & 2 on pgs. 6-13.    Focus questions include: What are the main parts of a plant? and Why do plants need roots and stems?  There will be a quiz on plants, no test.  The quiz is scheduled for Friday, May 25.  There will not be a study guide.
• ANIMALS: Chapter 2 “How Animals Live,” Lessons 3 & 4 and Chapter 4″ Plants and Animals Living Together” Lesson 1 on pages 48-57 and pages 102-105.  Focus questions include: How do adaptations help animals? How are animals from the past like today’s animals? and How do living things interact?  The test on animals is scheduled for Monday, June 4.  A study guide will be posted.
• HUMANS: Chapter 4: “Plants and Animals Living Together” lessons 3 and 4 on pages 120 – 127.  Focus questions include: What is a healthy environment for people? and How can people stay healthy?  There will not be a quiz or a test on this information due to time constraints!

SOCIAL STUDIES:  We are working on Chapter 10: Michigan’s Government.  Students will discover the core democratic values that all Americans share and how to live them, how the United State’s government works, how Michigan’s state government works, and how local government works. Vocab: core democratic values, common good, representative government, patriotism, justice, equality, democracy, citizen, federal, legislative branch, executive branch, judicial branch, issue, bill, veto, budget, county, charter, city council, mayor, city manager

This week: Reviewing for the test on Tuesday!

Test Date: Tuesday, May 22.  A study guide is posted.

See Mrs. Plafchan’s website for information on math and religion

Hello everyone,

I have finished checking the rough drafts of the American hero reports and I will be handing them back to the students tomorrow.  Thank you for all of the time and effort you spent helping your children succeed with this project.  It is a great opportunity to teach students research skills, writing skills, how to choose important details, and also gives them each a great role model to look up to.

Most changes are minor in nature!  Topic and closing sentences in the first and second paragraphs were most often forgotten and spelling needs to be corrected.

To finish this project, students need to write a final copy on a lined sheet of paper in cursive.  Attached to the front of the biography should be a picture of their American hero, hand-drawn and colored with the hero’s name at the top and the student’s name at the bottom.  (Students are allowed to trace a picture if needed.)

These reports will hang proudly in our hallway and next week, and we will turn the second paragraph into a speech!  Students will practice the speech in school and at home.  It will need to be memorized.

Dates:

Monday, May 21: Final Copy and Picture Due!

Wednesday, June 6 @ 2:15 p.m. in the FSCR: Speeches!  Parents/grandparents are invited.  Siblings at St. Regis should stay in their classrooms.  Students will need to dress like their hero.  Students wear their uniform to school and must be able to change into their costume on their own in the afternoon.

• Monday, May 14: Rough Draft for American Hero Report Due.
• Monday, May 21: Final Copy with Picture for American Hero Report Due.

READING: We are reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School. Our story of the week is The Strong One.  We will also be working on antonyms, summarizing, plot, and diagrams.  Vocabulary words are darkened, decorated, gnaw, securing, symbol, weakest.  We are also working on Reader’s Theater and oral presentation skills.  Reading homework is assigned on Monday and due on Tuesday.  The reading test is every Friday.

GRAMMAR/WRITING: We will study adjectives that compare (-er, -est).  We are working on the parts of the writing process, journal writing, and paragraph writing.  We will continue working on our American Hero biographies.  We will start creative story writing to go with our Wayside School project.

SPELLING: Words of the week are written in your child’s planner and sent home on Monday.   Students turned in spelling extra credit last week.  Spelling homework is assigned on Tuesday and due on Wednesday.  Students can complete a practice test at home for a smart cookie.  Please sign the practice test, have your child write the misspelled words 3 time each, and turn it into me by Friday.  The spelling test is every Friday.

HANDWRITING: We will continue our study of cursive.  We will be working on refining skills, writing with a slant, and using cursive to write more quickly.  Handwriting homework is assigned on Thursday and due on Monday.   This week’s subjects that are in cursive are grammar, reading, social studies, science, and morning work (DLR).

SCIENCE: We are taking a break from science to work on our last social studies chapter.  We will finish the year with life science: plants, animals, health, nutrition, exercise, and the human body.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  We are working on Chapter 10: Michigan’s Government.  Students will discover the core democratic values that all Americans share and how to live them, how the United State’s government works, how Michigan’s state government works, and how local government works. Vocab: core democratic values, common good, representative government, patriotism, justice, equality, democracy, citizen, federal, legislative branch, executive branch, judicial branch, issue, bill, veto, budget, county, charter, city council, mayor, city manager

This week: Lessons 1 -4: pgs. 292 – 318.  Topics are: Our Core Democratic Values as Americans, Our Nation’s Government, Our State’s Government, and Local Government.

Test Date: Tuesday, May 22.  A study guide is posted.

See Mrs. Plafchan’s website for information on math and religion

• Wednesday, May 9: Outline for American Hero Report Due.
• Thursday, May 10: TEST ALERT: Science Chapter 12 & Simple Machine Project Due.
• Monday, May 14: Rough Draft for American Hero Report Due.
• Monday, May 21: Final Copy with Picture for American Hero Report Due.

READING: We are reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School. Our story of the week is Stone Soup.  We will also be working on synonyms, making inferences, characters, and charts.  Vocabulary words are agreeable, banquet, curiosity, gaze, guests, and untrusting.  We are also working on Reader’s Theater and oral presentation skills.  Reading homework is assigned on Monday and due on Tuesday.  The reading test is every Friday.

GRAMMAR/WRITING: We will study adjectives, articles, titles, and abbreviations.  We are working on the parts of the writing process, journal writing, and paragraph writing.  We will be in the final copy stage of compare and contrast writing.

SPELLING: Words of the week are written in your child’s planner and sent home on Monday.   Students turned in spelling extra credit last week.  Spelling homework is assigned on Tuesday and due on Wednesday.  Students can complete a practice test at home for a smart cookie.  Please sign the practice test, have your child write the misspelled words 3 time each, and turn it into me by Friday.  The spelling test is every Friday.

HANDWRITING: We will continue our study of cursive.  We will be working on refining skills, writing with a slant, and using cursive to write more quickly.  Handwriting homework is assigned on Thursday and due on Monday.   This week’s subjects that are in cursive are grammar, reading, social studies, science, and morning work (DLR).

SCIENCE: We are working on Chapter 12: Forces and Motion.  Students will discover different ways to describe position and motion, how force affects motion, and how simple machines work.  Vocab: motion, position, relative position, speed, force, friction, magnetism, gravity, work.

This Week: Reviewing for the test on Thursday! A study guide is posted.  The simple machine project is also due on Thursday.  For more information, a previous post.  For help with the project, visit the simple machines website in the previous post.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  We are working on Chapter 10: Michigan’s Government.  Students will discover the core democratic values that all Americans share and how to live them, how the United State’s government works, how Michigan’s state government works, and how local government works. Vocab: core democratic values, common good, representative government, patriotism, justice, equality, democracy, citizen, federal, legislative branch, executive branch, judicial branch, issue, bill, veto, budget, county, charter, city council, mayor, city manager

This week: Chapter introduction and vocabulary; Core Democratic Values Activity

Very Tentative Test Date: Tuesday, May 22.  A study guide will be posted.

See Mrs. Plafchan’s website for information on math and religion

http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/index.shtml

Click here for project information.

The simple machine project is due on Thursday, May 10, which is the same day as the science test on chapter 12.  I realize this is the day after the American Hero outline is due.  We talked at length in class today about using time wisely and not waiting until the last minute for either project.  Just like simple machines help make work easier by spreading it out over a longer distance, students should do the same with the work for their projects!

Projects may be turned in early, whenever they are finished.

Happy “simple machine” Hunting!

• Friday, May 4: Half Day / Mother’s Day Celebration!  Meet in the church at 8:30 a.m.  Students sit with their mothers/special guests.
• Wednesday, May 9: Outline for American Hero Report Due.
• Thursday, May 10: Test: Science Chapter 12 & Simple Machine Project Due. (Will be posted this week and given in class on Tuesday.)
• Monday, May 14: Rough Draft for American Hero Report Due.
• Monday, May 21: Final Copy with Picture for American Hero Report Due.

READING: We are reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School.  Because of the short week, we will not have a story of the week, but we will have our next reading unit test.  We will also be learning and performing Readers’ Theater to practice our oral presentation and fluency skills.  We will review reading skills for compare and contrast, making inferences, reading for details, and main idea.  Reading homework will still be assigned on Monday and due on Tuesday.

GRAMMAR/WRITING: We will study adjectives.  We are working on the parts of the writing process, journal writing, and paragraph writing.  We will be in the revising, editing, and final copy stages of compare and contrast writing.

SPELLING: There will be no spelling list this week.

HANDWRITING: We will continue our study of cursive.  We will be working on refining skills, writing with a slant, and using cursive to write more quickly.  Handwriting homework is assigned on Thursday and due on Monday.   This week’s subjects that are in cursive are grammar, reading, social studies, and science.

SCIENCE: We are working on Chapter 12: Forces and Motion.  Students will discover different ways to describe position and motion, how force affects motion, and how simple machines work.  Vocab: motion, position, relative position, speed, force, friction, magnetism, gravity, work.

This Week: Lesson 2: How does force affect motion? pgs. 332 – 337; Lesson 3: How do simple machines work? pgs/ 338 – 343

Students will also have a project on Simple Machines which will be explained on May 1.  The test on chapter 12 is scheduled for Thursday, May 10, which is also when the project will be due.  A study guide is posted.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  We are taking a break from social studies to focus on science.  Our next social studies chapter will be chapter 10: Michigan’s Government.

See Mrs. Plafchan’s website for information on math and religion

• Monday, April 23: TEST ALERT: social studies

READING: We are reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School. Our story of the week is Unique Animals of the Southwest.  We will also be working on unknown words, compare and contrast, drawing conclusions, foreshadowing, and dictionary skills.  Vocabulary words are female, identical, odor, related, sight, venom.  Reading homework is assigned on Monday and due on Tuesday.  The reading test is every Friday.

GRAMMAR/WRITING: We will study pronoun-verb contractions.  We are working on the parts of the writing process, journal writing, and paragraph writing.  We will be in the drafting stage of compare and contrast writing.

SPELLING: Words of the week are written in your child’s planner and sent home on Monday.   Students turned in spelling extra credit last week.  Spelling homework is assigned on Tuesday and due on Wednesday.  Students can complete a practice test at home for a smart cookie.  Please sign the practice test, have your child write the misspelled words 3 time each, and turn it into me by Friday.  The spelling test is every Friday.

HANDWRITING: We will continue our study of cursive.  We will be working on refining skills, writing with a slant, and using cursive to write more quickly.  Handwriting homework is assigned on Thursday and due on Monday.   This week’s subjects that are in cursive are grammar, reading, social studies and science.

SCIENCE: We are working on Chapter 12: Forces and Motion.  Students will discover different ways to describe position and motion, how force affects motion, and how simple machines work.  Vocab: motion, position, relative position, speed, force, friction, magnetism, gravity, work.

This Week: Vocabulary; Lab: How can we describe motion?; Lesson 1: What happens when things change position? pgs. 327 – 331; Lesson 2: How does force affect motion? pgs. 332 – 337

Students will also have a project on Simple Machines which will be explained on May 1.  The test on chapter 12 is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 10, which is also when the project will be due.  A study guide will be posted.

SOCIAL STUDIES:  We are working on Chapter 9: Michigan’s Economics.  Students will discover what things people think about when starting a business, how Michigan uses its natural resources to provide goods and services, what goods Michigan workers produce, and how Michigan trades with other countries.  Vocab: free enterprise, market economy, entrepreneur, human capital, capital resources, investor, opportunity cost, specialize, migrant worker, service industry, competition, corporation, robotics, mircotechnology, biotechnology, interdependent, international trade, export, import, partnership.

This week: Test on chapter 9

Test Date: Monday, April 23.  A study guide is posted on the study guide page.

See Mrs. Plafchan’s website for information on math and religion

PLAY COOL GAMES!

http://www.coolmath-games.com/lemonade/

http://www.coolmath-games.com/0-coffee-shop/index.html

We visited these websites in class as a part of our study of economics in social studies.  Have fun!

Click here for a copy of the requirements, outline, and rough draft templates.

Due Dates:

• Outline: Wednesday, May 9 (teachers will check and give input to students)
• Rough Draft: Monday, May 14 (checked and signed by parent; teachers will also review)
• Final Copy with Illustration: Monday, May 21

When students have finished the project, they will turn their report into a short speech on their American hero.  Students will need to dress up like their hero and present their speech to you, the parents!  The American Hero Speeches are scheduled for Wednesday, June 6 at 2:15 p.m., pending school and parish offices’ confirmations.