This is our final week to prepare for STAAR. The two most common mistakes students are making are: reading the question carefully and knowing what to answer and not reviewing their work before turning it in. Many students are forgetting to answer questions, sometimes even skipping whole pages, and therby lowering their scores. I have stressed all year long the importance of going over their work and making sure they have answered each question the way with the response they feel is the correct choice. We have spent a lot of time going over test-taking tips and strategies, and now it is up to the student. Please talk with your child about the importance of double-checking their answer choices and reading each question carefully and in its entirety. Your assistance is much appreciated! And now for this week's focus:
Math- In math we are continuing to work on word problems and using our strategies to solve multi-step problems. We are going to look at reasonableness this week- is my answer a reasonable one? We check by estimating. We’ll look at patterns and drawing pictures and writing equations. We are also focusing on looking for missing or extra information. STAAR is write around the corner- PLEASE make sure you are still having your child review their multiplication facts. We are seeing some errors in their division and 2 and 3 digit multiplication due to not remembering their facts.
Writing- The students are enjoying writing free verse poetry. Next week we use sensory images to help us write with our senses about specific places. In the coming weeks students will get to write cinquains, haikus, acrostics, limericks, and other types of poems.
Reading- We continue to get ready for STAAR by reviewing reading strategies and preparing them for the stamina they will need on STAAR.
Science- In science we are moving on to mountains- how they are formed, different types of mountains, etc. Students will get some hands on work with play doh to build one type of mountain formation. We are also learning about weathering and erosion and how they affect Earth’s surface. Students will learn about different type of weathering (physical vs. chemical).
Social Studies- We are continuing/finishing last week’s plans about chapter 9 in the textbook.
Spotlight on IB
Central Idea: Earth experiences changes caused by geological forces.
Lines of Inquiry:
· How rocks and minerals are formed
· The causes behind Earths’ physical changes
· How Earth’s physical events impact humans
Questions we asked to launch our inquiry:
How do rocks form in layers?
How do earthquakes effect our future?
What causes earthquakes to happen?
How can volcanoes destroy Earth so much (destroy our roads, etc?)
How does a volcano form?
How do different rock formations form?
