October 20-24

ELAR (Ms. Dagger)

This week, we will test on Module 3 and begin Module 4. 

In Module 4, we will be exploring what it took to settle the Wild West. Our essential question for this unit is: What character traits were needed in people who settled the West? Students are discovering how bravery, determination and resourcefulness helped pioneers thrive on the frontier.

We will be studying text structures, like sequence and problem/solution, to understand how authors organize information. Students are also learning how to synthesize information to find the central idea of a text.

We will be growing our word power by exploring homophones and homographs and learning how prefixes (mid-) and suffixes (-al, -ic) change a word's meaning.

Writers are creating informational letters from the perspective of someone living in the Wild West! We're also revisiting grammar basics such as dialogue and quotations.

Remember to set a time to read each night at home. Reading at home increases comprehension skills, as well as vocabulary.  

As students read, challenge them to find a homograph (words that are written the same) in their reading. Have them explain the meaning of the word in context and then other meanings of the same word. After reading a paragraph or short story, ask your child to tell you the most important idea in their own words. 

Math (Ms. Lee)

The students have started Unit 5 which is primarily the study of fraction operations. They will learn how to add/subtract fractions with unlike denominators, add/subtract mixed numbers with unlike denominators, multiply and divide fractions in the upcoming weeks. The students learned how to identify prime and composite numbers this week along with reviewing adding/subtracting decimals. 

Homework

The students will need to complete 45 minutes in i-Ready and 4 fluency checks. Please note that for each fact fluency session, the students can only do one per day.  

  If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at anne.hurstlee@gcisd.net

Questions to Ask Your Child:

1. How do you multiply a decimal by a whole number?

2. How do you multiply a three digit number times a two digit number?

3. How do you divide by a two digit divisor?

4. How do you divide with a decimal in a dividend?

5. What are key words to look for in word problems for a multiplication problem?

6. What are key words to look for in word problems for a division problem?

7. How do you identify a prime and composite number?

Science/SS (Ms. Whelan)

We will be switching gears in science. Our new unit will be focusing on how living and nonliving things interact in an ecosystem, and need one another to thrive. Students will explore a simulation to model how organisms use living and nonliving components to survive in an environment.

In social studies, we will be continuing our unit on the American Revolution. We will be focusing on the people who lived during the Revolution in the newly independent United States of America, and the early battles fought to secure rights and freedoms for its citizens.