Mr. Idlas

Week of June 14th

Math-

Wow, I can't believe that we only have one week left together! Thanks parents for your hard work and support this year! We couldn't have done it without you.

This week we will continue reviewing and learning fraction and decimal concepts that will be very important for students as they enter 5th grade.

Monday- Review, fractions that are greater than 1 on the number line.

Tuesday- Review, converting improper fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa.

Wednesday- Review, naming and comparing decimals to the hundredths place.

Thursday- Ordering Decimals to the hundredths Place

Friday- A celebration of the year. We will make drawings of our favorite memories from 4th grade and watch a movie.

Science-

Monday- How to make and read a bar graph. Explain the x-saxis, y-axis

Tuesday- Testing water samples from around the city. We will use dip test strips to test for lead and other chemicals. We will use a bar graph to graph our results.

Wednesday: Art as activism, use what we learned from the test strips to make recommendations for the city. Students will create posters to showcase what we have learned about pollution and environmental racism, in order to advocate change.

Thursday: Wrap up of the science unit. Bill Nye the Science Guy

Friday: Social Justice Friday- Celebrating justice, action and diversity. What have we learned and talked about this year? How can we make sure that we keep striving for social justice in our lives as we keep growing older.

Week of May 24th

Math-

As noted on the main page of the blog we will be taking the checkpoint Assessment on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday will be a make-up day as well as for students to complete anything they didn't finish the first day of testing.

Monday: 204 Takes the Checkpoint Assessment. 203 Learns to add fractions with unlike denominators by finding a common denominator.

Tuesday- 203 Takes the Checkpoint Assessment. 204 Learns to add fractions with unlike denominators by finding a common denominator.

Wednesday: Adding Fractions with unlike denominators day 2.

Thursday: subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.

Friday: subtracting fractions with unlike denominators day 2.

Science-

On Monday we will wrap up our presentations about mathematicians, scientists and engineers of color.

Tuesday: We will return to our pollution unit. We will discuss a number of chemicals that we will be testing for in water samples around Chicago. We will discuss which chemicals we want to be sure are not going into our bodies.

Wednesday: Mr. Idlas will bring in water samples from around Chicago. We will test the water samples for lead and perhaps some other parameters if we have time. We will graph our results.

Thursday: We will graph a second water parameter. We will also discuss which water samples we think are safest to drink

Friday: We will brainstorm ways that we can take action in the city around litter, air and water pollution.

Week of June 7th

Math-

On

Science-

On Monday and Tuesday students will have the opportunity to share their presentations about a black scientist, engineer, inventor or mathematician.

On Wednesday and Thursday we will continue our discussion about air and water quality in different parts of the city. Mr. Idlas will have water samples from all over Chicago. We will test the water quality and graph the presence of various pollutants in the water.

For Social Justice Friday we will discuss the idea that race is a construct and was a historical creation during the Colonial Period. We will discuss how we have experienced race in America. We will then listen to James Brown's, "I'm Black and I'm Proud," as a launching point to discuss Black Pride and Afrocentrism.

Week of May 17th

Math-

Remote students will have asynchronous math assignments assigned in Google Classroom and Seesaw. These assignments will include review for the Unit 8 test, as well as the test itself. Please have students complete this independently as this will give me the best possible data as we continue to prepare the kiddos for 5th grade.

Science-

Remote students should look out for asynchronous work on Google Classroom and Seesaw. Mr. Idlas is planning to start gathering water samples from all around the city. We will be testing the quality of the water as a class the we after next, once we have finished IAR testing.

Week of March 22nd

Math-

• Monday- Math Unit 6 Assessment

• Tuesday- Math 7.1

• Wednesday- MAth 7.2

• Thursday-Math 7.3

• Friday- Math 7.4

Science-

• Monday, Science Unit 4 Home Lesson 3

• Tuesday, Science Unit 4 Home Lesson 4

• Wednesday, Science Unit 4 Home Lesson 5

• Thursday, Science Unit 4 Home Lesson 6

• Social Justice Friday- Living with Illness.

Week of March 22nd

Math-

• Monday- Math Unit 6 Assessment

• Tuesday- Math 7.3 review

• Wednesday- Math 7.4

• Thursday-Math 7.5

• Friday- Kahoot and a 3 Acts task.

Science-

• Monday, Science Unit 4 Home Lesson 6

• Tuesday, Science Unit 4 Home Lesson 7

• Wednesday, Science Unit 4 Home Lesson 8

• Thursday, Science Unit 4 Home Lesson 9

• Social Justice Friday- Living with Illness.

Week of March 1st

Welcome back to school hybrid learners!

As we get closer and closer to 5th grade I am trying to push students to be more independent and take responsibility for their schoolwork. I have been sending emails directly to students when I've noticed that they have missing work. I have been cc'ing parents to keep you all in the loop as well.

Math-

• Monday- MAth 6.3

• Tuesday- Math 6.4

• Wednesday- MAth 6.5

• Thursday-Math 6.6

• Friday- Kahoot and a 3 Acts Task

Science-

• Monday, Social Justice Monday- letter writing to Ruby Bridges

• Tuesday, Introduce Rock Project: Go over the 3 types of rock.

• Wednesday, Rock Project : Find a Rock or a Mineral to Make a Presentation on

• Thursday, How to Use Google Slides to Make a Presentation

• Social Justice Friday- For Social Justice Friday we will learn about one of the topics that students expressed interest in when we brainstormed what we are interested in learning for Black History Month.

Week of February 22nd

Math-

• Monday- Review Day

• Tuesday- Unit 5 Assessment

• Wednesday- Math 6.1, Extended Division Facts

• Thursday-Math 6.2, Area: Finding Missing Side Lengths

• Friday- Kahoot and a 3 Acts Task

Science-

• Monday, Unit 3 Culminating Writing Assignment.

• Tuesday, Introduce Rock Project: Go over the 3 types of rock.

• Wednesday, Rock Project : Find a Rock or a Mineral to Make a Presentation on

• Thursday, How to Use Google Slides to Make a Presentation

• Social Justice Friday- For Social Justice Friday we will learn about one of the topics that students expressed interest in when we brainstormed what we are interested in learning for Black History Month.

Week of February 8th

Math-

• Monday- Math 5.8, Subtracting Mixed Numbers

• Tuesday- Math 5.6 Queen Arlene's Dilemma

• Wednesday- Math 5.6 Day 2, Queen Arlene's Dilemma

• Thursday- Math 5.9, Line Plots

• Friday- Kahoot and a 3 Acts Task

Science-

• Monday, Science 3.3 In this lesson, students read and discuss how scientists use data and ideas about rock layers to make arguments about what caused the dinosaurs to go extinct. First, students read a book, Arguing to Solve a Mystery, which presents arguments from multiple scientists about dinosaur extinction. Next, students write about which argument is most convincing and why.

• Tuesday, Science 3.4, In this lesson, students use the Simulation and writing, and work with diagrams to begin to apply ideas about how geologists infer the order of past environments. Students complete an investigation in the Sim, which enables them to connect the order in which rock layers formed to the order of past environments in a location.

• Wednesday, Science 3.5, In this lesson, students discuss a newly discovered fossil in a different rock layer of the rocky outcrop at Desert Rocks National Park and write about how and in what order the rock layers formed. Students discuss the new evidence in an Evidence Circle in order to make a claim about what the environment was like when the rock layer formed.

• Thursday, Science 4.1, In this lesson, students are invited to consider how rock around the world is shaped, broken, worn down, and exposed. First, students are introduced to a new mystery in Desert Rocks National Park: why Desert Rocks Canyon has so much more exposed rock than nearby Keller’s Canyon.

• Social Justice Friday- For Social Justice Friday we will learn about one of the topics that students expressed interest in when we brainstormed what we are interested in learning for Black History Month.

Week of January 24th

Math-

• Monday- Review For the Chapter 4 Assessment

• Tuesday- Students will take the Chapter 4 Assessment

• Wednesday- Students will Review for the Cumulative Assessment

• Thursday- Students will take the Cumulative Assessment

• Friday- Kahoot and a 3 Acts Task

Science-

• We got a little behind in science because we decided as a class that we would watch and discuss the inauguration on Wednesday of last week. As such, the schedule looks somewhat similar.

• Monday, Amplify 2.1, In this lesson, students begin to explore ways that geologists use rocks and fossils to make inferences about what the environment of a place was like in the past.

• Tuesday, Amplify 2.2, In this lesson, students collect data about rock samples, read about the rock types they’ve observed, and use the Simulation to consider the question How do rocks provide information about what an environment was like in the past?

• Wednesday, Amplify 2.3, In this lesson, students read about, consider details of, and model sedimentary rock formation in different environments.

• Thursday, Amplify 2.4, In this lesson, students apply their understanding of how rocks can be used to learn about a place in the past by exploring what differences in rock layers suggest about environmental changes.

• Social Justice Friday- For Social Justice Friday we will talk about bullying as it relates to size. After examining our own biases, we will work together to draft an anti-harassment policy. Please email if you have any questions or concerns: jaidlas@cps.eduNo School (MLK Day)

Week of January 17th

Math-

• Monday, No School (MLK Day)

• Tuesday- EM 4.5, Students use multiplication or division to decide if one million dollars will fit in a large box.

• Wednesday- Tuesday- EM 4.5, Students use multiplication or division to decide if one million dollars will fit in a large box. We will take time to evaluate students' work and strategies for solving the problem.

• Thursday- Unit 4 Test Review

• Friday- Unit 4 Test

Science-

• Monday, No School (MLK Day)

• Tuesday, Amplify 2.1, In this lesson, students begin to explore ways that geologists use rocks and fossils to make inferences about what the environment of a place was like in the past.

• Amplify 2.2, In this lesson, students collect data about rock samples, read about the rock types they’ve observed, and use the Simulation to consider the question How do rocks provide information about what an environment was like in the past?

• Amplify 2.3, In this lesson, students read about, consider details of, and model sedimentary rock formation in different environments.

• Social Justice Friday- For Social Justice Friday we will talk about bullying as it relates to size. After examining our own biases, we will work together to draft an anti-harassment policy. Please email if you have any questions or concerns: jaidlas@cps.edu

Week of January 10th

Math-

• Monday: Math 4.11 Students find the area of rectangles and rectilinear figures using multidigit computation.

• Tuesday: Math 4.12 Students solve multistep multiplication problems and use estimates to assess the reasonableness of their answers.

• Wednesday: Math 4.13 Students explore the lattice method of multiplication.

• Thursday: Lesson 4.5 Day 1

• Friday: Lesson 4.5 Day 2

Science-

• Monday: Amplify Science 1.3 Day 2, How Fossils Form

• Tuesday: Amplify Science 1.4, Sedimentary Rock Formation

• Wednesday: Amplify Science 1.5, Modeling Sedimentary Rock Formation

• Thursday: Amplify Science 1.6, Writing a Scientific Argument. In this lesson, students consider initial ideas, formal claims, and evidence related to the mystery in Desert Rocks National Park and the question How did the fossil get inside the rocky outcrop?

• On Friday we will start our second Social Justice Friday Unit, Diversity. Our first topic will be: What is a Disability? This lesson helps students increase knowledge about people with disabilities and explore ways to sensitively communicate with people with disabilities. If you have any questions, concerns or think there is anything that I should know about your child before teaching this lesson please reach out to me by email: jaidlas@cps.edu

Week of November 9th

Math-

• On Monday we will quickly review the unit 2 material and then take the Unit 2 assessment. We have been reviewing the last 2 days and students have 2 review assignments in Seesaw. The second assignment reviews material from Unit 2, as well as unit 1. The first 3 pages are review for the test, and the latter 4 pages include challenge problems as well as material we covered in unit 1. I will be offering extra credit, so I strongly recommend that students complete the entire packet.

• On Tuesday we will be starting Unit 3. Be on the lookout for an email with a parent letter about the material we will be covering.

Science-

• In science we will continue our Unit on vision, and how the senses help animals to survive in their environment.

• Over the course of the week we will introduce a simulator that helps to explain how vision works and why we need light to see.

• On Friday we will continue with Social Justice Friday and will focus on the immigrant experience in America.

Week of October 26th

Math-

• On Monday we will learn to convert units of time to smaller units of time and solve number stories involving time.

• On Tuesday we will learn to create and interpret statements and equations for multiplicative comparisons.

• On Wednesday students will solve number stories involving multiplicative comparisons.

• On Thursday students will learn to classify triangles by angle properties

• On Friday we will do a fun and challenging 3 Acts open ended problem

Science-

• On Monday students we will start our second unit with a pre-unit assessment that will be graded for completion.

• On Tuesday students will explore how an animal uses its senses to get information from its environment.

• On Wednesday students will read "Investigating Animal Senses," a book about students who investigate how animals use their senses to find food.

• On Wednesday students will view videos of animals using their senses, reflect on their learning through writing, and are introduced to the Mystery Box activity, which draws their attention to the sense of vision.

• We will have Social Justice Friday at the end of the week.

Week of October 19th

Math-

• On Monday we will learn that a whole number is a multiple of each of its factors.

• On Tuesday we will learn to classify numbers as prime or composite.

• On Wednesday students will complete an open ended math problem. They will use multiplicative reasoning to make predictions based on information in an open response problem and then make mathematical arguments to support their predictions (conjectures).

• Thursday we will take a second look at the open ended problem and make revisions to our work.

• On Friday we will do a fun and challenging 3 Acts open ended problem

Science-

• On Monday students will prepare for and write a design argument about a proposed improvement to Ergstown’s electrical grid.

• On Tuesday students will begin work on their final assignment as systems engineers—making a recommendation for improvements to the whole electrical system in Ergstown. Students receive a new message from Mayor Joules requesting a recommendation for the top two improvements to Ergstown’s electrical system

• On Wednesday students will prepare and present arguments about the best two solutions for improving Ergstown’s electrical system.

• On Wednesday we will finish culminating writing activity, in which students write design arguments about solutions for Ergstown’s electrical system and answer questions about why a lamp will not light up after it has been plugged in and turned on. This will be the End-of-Unit Assessment

• We will have Social Justice Friday at the end of the week.

Week of October 5th

Math-

• On Monday we will learn about angles, triangles, and quadrilaterals

• On Tuesday we will learn about how to find the perimeter of squares and rectangles

• Wednesday will be a review day before our assessment

• Thursday we will take the Unit 1 Assessment. Please see our test guidelines on the Home page of this website

• On Friday we will do a fun and challenging 3 Acts open ended problem

Science-

• On Monday we will learn about Energy Converters, or how energy is harnessed and converted into electrical energy

• On Tuesday students will complete a writing assignment that will ask them to show what they know about energy sources and conversions

• On Wednesday students will learn about a design challenge where we will watch how students build a wind turbine

• Thursday we will continue to work on the design challenge

• For Social Justice Friday we will work on understanding our identity through the lens of what different families can look like

Week of September 28th

Math-

• On Monday and Tuesday we will be working on an open ended problem that uses concepts of place value, where the place values represent values different than the usual base-10 systems. This lesson cements the concept of place value, and is a useful idea later down the road in mathematics. This is especially true for students who are interested in computers and coding, where all numbers are represented in binary, or base 2.

• On Wednesday and Thursday we will start learning about converting inches, feet and yards. Then we will discuss geometrical concepts including lines, line segments, rays, parallel and perpendicular lines and so on.

• On Friday, we will do another 3 Acts open ended lesson that will be completed in class.

• Please note that our first test of the year will be coming up the following week of October 5th.

Science-

• We will continue to explore why there was a blackout in Ergstown.

• Students will continue to use the science library as well as the online student apps.

• Now that we have begun to identify what went wrong in Ergstown, we will start thinking about ideas concerning how the problem of blackouts could be fixed.

• We will also start to discuss power plants, as we try to answer the question, where does the energy that powers devices in Ergstown come from?

Week of September 21st

Math-

• We will continue to work with place value concepts.

• We will also learn the standard algorithms of addition and subtraction.

• On Friday we will do an in class activity called a 3-Acts Task. The goal is to get students using math in 'real world' contexts and applying what they have learned.

• I have rolled out the website Prodigy Game. Its a fun website, I find that it is best used as something fun to do when all other work is complete. Note that there is an option to 'become a member.' Note that students do not gain any additional math content, only game content, so there is absolutely no need for membership.

Science-

• We will continue to explore why there was a blackout in Ergstown.

• Students will continue to use the science library as well as the online student apps.

• At the end of the week students will have an assignment to write a paragraph why they think that the blackouts occurred.

Week of September 14th

Math-

• We will be easing into the Everyday Math Curriculum. Be on the lookout for an email with the parent letter explaining the content of our first unit.

• We will also be continuing to build best practices for math class, including skills around communicating mathematical ideas, how to make the best of independent work time, working collaboratively online, and problem solving strategies.

Science-

• Our first unit is all about electricity. The students will work in the role of system engineers, trying to figure out why there are power outages in the fictional town of Ergstown.

• Students will take a pre-assessment (graded for effort only, to help Mr. Idlas with planning) on Monday.

• we will start lessons in the following days.