Curriculum

🧮 Math - This week, the students will continue learning how to find equivalent fractions by multiplying or dividing by 1 whole (for example, 2/2 or 3/3).  They will also relate fractions to decimals using a number line.  For example, if 4  2/10 is on a number line, they can relate this fraction to also mean 4.2, read as four and two tenths.

🏡Weekly Homework: Spiral Review Week 11 - Due Friday, January 23th. (available on Friday, January 16th)

🧪 Science - This week, students will learn about the continuous movement of the water cycle. They will be able to explain the role of the Sun as a major source of energy in the water cycle.  Students will create a model water cycle as a group, read about the stages of the water cycle, and participate in a variety of other activities to extend their learning.

📚 Reading - This week, Students will read a literary nonfiction text to practice inferencing through literary techniques. We'll ask students to consider the scientific words that relate the topic as we explore the Grand Canyon. In addition, students will be preparing for  our STAAR Interim on Thursday 1/22. We'll walk through the tools, expecations, and reminders on Wednesday to give them

✏️ Writing - Students are working on written response tasks to apply Central Idea and Text evidence to support their reasoning when answering prompts. 

Grammar Spotlight: Nouns vs. Adjectives
This past weeks homework, students practiced identifying nouns and adjectives in sentences. One tricky example we discussed was the phrase “thousands of craters.” While thousands may look like an adjective, it is actually a noun because it names a quantity. The word of introduces a prepositional phrase (of craters) that tells what kind of thousands. A helpful way to check at home is to see if the word can stand alone as a thing: “The thousands are visible.” That works! In contrast, adjectives describe nouns directly, like many craters. Asking your child to explain the difference is a great way to reinforce this skill.

 🌏 Social Studies - In Social Studies, students will explore how Texas transitioned from an independent republic to a U.S. state and examine the impact of annexation on the survival of the Republic of Texas. Students will participate in a debate analyzing the pros and cons of annexation, remaining an independent nation, and Manifest Destiny, while studying the roles of key figures such as J. Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of Texas, and President James K. Polk.