Math

In this unit, students will develop an understanding of the connections between fractions, decimals, and whole numbers. They will apply understandings of fraction models to represent addition and subtraction of fractions. They will apply the fraction understandings they gained in Unit 2 to adding and subtracting with fractions. Students also use their knowledge of common multiples and factors from Unit 2 and Unit 3 to simplify fractions and find equivalent fractions. Students expand their understandings of the properties and equality to include operations with fractions.

Reading and Writing

During March, our language arts unit is Content Area Research. We have started teaching students notetaking skills and practiced paraphrasing. During this unit, students will be researching a topic related to our Civil War social studies unit. They will use online databases and books to research and take notes. Then students will be creating a Civil War Museum exhibit, either on a trifold board or digitally using Google slides.

One challenging aspect of any research unit is helping students see the relevance of research in their everyday lives. While adults may not often write research papers on a regular basis, they contemplate questions that don’t have cut-and-dry answers and make decisions that are influenced by information they gather from a variety of sources. Researchers, both historical and scientific, often begin with a question or wondering. Historical researchers learn about how people, places, and events of the past have impacted our lives today. Scientific researchers try to explain the natural world and sometimes to learn how to improve it.

Research includes exploring a topic, asking questions, and developing a deeper understanding through drawing conclusions and synthesizing ideas. Research is not the regurgitation of facts. Emphasizing process over product helps students more fully appreciate the importance of research and see the relevance of research skills in their lives.

Social Studies

This month students will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by understanding the issues that divided our nation and led to the Civil War. They will learn about the major events and the differences between northern and southern states that divided Virginians and led to secession, war, and the creation of West Virginia. Students will be able to describing Virginia’s role in the war, including identifying major battles that took place in Virginia. The will also learn about the roles of American Indians, whites, enslaved African Americans and free African Americans during the period of the Civil War period.

Science

Students will continue learning about the ocean environment and its' characteristics. The 4th quarter science unit focuses on the Solar System. Students will investigate and understand that there are relationships among Earth, the moon, and the sun.

Advanced Math

In March we will begin learning geometry. In this unit, students explore plane figures and their attributes. Students learn how to measure and classify angles. Generalizations are made about attributes such as angles, sides, and diagonals in order to derive definitions for various plane figures. Subsequently, these same attributes are used to classify and name various plane figures, such as triangles. Students explore transformations and congruency as well as investigate the combination and subdivision of polygons. Additionally, students investigate circles and the relationships between its parts (radius, chord, etc.).