Important Dates

Oct. 7th - Virtual Field Trip

Language Arts

What are we learning?

• The students are learning to evaluate character development against their own experiences to create new understandings about human experience.
• The students are learning to consider multiple points of view within a text.
• The students are learning to analyze the significant moments in their lives for larger lessons and ideas.
• The students are learning to revise their memoir using literary techniques to elaborate on the message.

Home/School Connection

• Ask your student the following discussion questions about their book club book or memoirs. 
• What can a character’s journey teach us?
• How is reading a social experience?
• How can my experiences impact others?
• How might elaboration support or detract from the significance of a memoir?

Math

What are we learning?

• The students are learning to represent and determine equivalencies among fractions, mixed numbers, decimals, and percents.
• The students will learn to multiply and divide fractions and mixed numbers.

Home/School Connection

• Find fractions, decimals, and percents in the real world and find their equivalencies together.
• Practice adding and subtracting fractions to reinforce previously learned skills.

Science

What are we learning?

• I will investigate and understand the organization of the solar system and the interactions among the various bodies that comprise it.

Home/School Connection

• Ask your student to name the planets and tell you what makes each of them unique. 
• Have your child explain why Earth is the only planet that is suitable for life as we know it.

Social Studies

What are we learning?

• The student will locate continents, oceans, key geographic features on maps, diagrams, photographs, etc. to evaluate their importance to the early history of the United States
• The student will locate, describe, and compare/contrast the distinct features of geographic regions of North America
• The student will locate major water features and evaluate their importance to the early history of the United States

Home/School Connection

• Have your student teach you or a family member about the continents, oceans, and key geographic features found on maps.
• Talk about the places you have been or seen in tv shows and movies. Try to determine with your student what region they are in.
• Talk about the importance of major waterways and how cities tend to be built around them.

Click here to see what students are learning in Specials!

AAP Content

Systems in the Universe: A Closer Look at the Earth, Moon, & Outer Space

• In this unit, students will examine Earth’s Systems and the interdependent relationship between Earth, the Sun, and the Moon.  Through hands-on investigations, students learn to inquire, observe, experiment, solve problems, collect and record information, and come to conclusions concerning matters about the solar and Earth systems. In addition, students will explore systems for establishing effective book clubs. Through book clubs, students will engage in rich discussions to further their conversational skills and deepen their understanding of texts.  
• Current PBL: How can you, as an engineer and travel agent, create a new resort on a planet in our solar system and show why it would be the most amazing vacation spot in the galaxy?
  • Be sure to ask your student about the Space Resort they are designing! In addition to all of the cool features they have created, ask them about how they plan to combat some of the challenges their planet’s environment/atmosphere presents to their future guests.
• Our next unit explores how systems influence other systems. Starting next week, we will dive into human migration and settlement in the United States.

Advanced Math: Proportions and Linear Relationships

• In this unit, students will explore proportional relationships, in which changing one value will cause its corresponding value to change at a specific multiplicative rate. Students develop proportional reasoning by noticing the multiplicative relationships between numbers in various contexts such as unit rate, scale models, and percent applications. 
• Real world application: People use proportional reasoning to compare unit rates at the grocery store to find which item is a better buy. Consumer math, such as calculating tax, tip or discount are skills that are used on a regular basis when consumers go shopping or dine out at restaurants. Architects, contractors, and landscapers use proportions when creating blueprints or scale drawings. Bakers, and chefs use proportional reasoning to adjust recipes. Cosmetology and custodial jobs use proportional reasoning when concentrations of mixtures and solutions are used. Proportional reasoning has many practical, real-world applications. 
• Skills to practice:
  • Identifying equivalent Fractions, Decimals & Percents
  • Finding a percent of a given amount (etc. 10% of 350)
  • Reviewing multiplication and division strategies for large numbers

Home/School Connection:

• What is a system?
• Why do we need systems?
• How do systems work?
• What is an example of one system's impact on another system?
• What systems and processes make Earth a unique planet?
• How might a natural system influence a human system?
• What are benchmark fractions/decimals/percent? How can they help you in math?
• What is a proportion? How do we use proportions in everyday life?