Welcome to the month of March! We have an exciting and fun month of learning ahead. Please take a few minutes to review our grade level newsletter!

Important Dates & Reminders

• Please call the front office if your child will be late, absent or leaving early from school.
• Thursday March 3: Early release for all students at 1:30 pm 
• Friday March 4: School Planning day: No school for all students

Language Arts

What We Learned This Past Month:

Reading: 

• We  read a variety of poems to discover what we notice and enjoy.  
• We looked at how a poet plays with language.  
• We reflected the tone or mood of the poem while they read aloud.
• We considered and discussed different interpretations of the same poem.

Writing: 

• We searched for inspiration in many places: everyday objects, conflicts, surprising events, beautiful images, universal ideas, or anything (or anyone) else that evokes strong feelings.
• We made decisions about which ideas or poems to draft, revise, and publish.
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What We Will Be Learning Next Month: 

Reading:

We will begin our new unit about book clubs. Using a variety of resources (in book fiction and nonfiction), students will:

• Establish their own club routines and habits and set goals for their club.
• Identify their personal reading habits and seek out those with similar interests. 
• Use a variety of reading strategies to help them comprehend the text on a deeper level.

Writing:  

We will begin our new unit about Journalism. Students will: 

• Act as reporters to gather information about a topic in an unbiased manner. 
• Present the essential facts (5Ws) clearly and concisely, considering what information readers need to be informed.
• Incorporate credible information from multiple stakeholders, avoiding bias.

Math

What We Learned This Past Month:

In February, we studied our unit on algebraic reasoning! Students:

• Identified, described, created, expressed, and extended number patterns found in objects, pictures, numbers, and tables.
• Investigated and described the concept of variables.
• Wrote an equation to represent a given mathematical relationship, using a variable
• Used an expression with a variable to represent a given verbal expression involving one operation and created their own problems.

 

 

At the end of the month we began our unit focused on measurement. Students:

• Given the equivalent measure of one unit, students identified equivalent measurements within the metric system.
• Solved practical problems involving length, mass, and liquid volume using metric units.

What We Will Be Learning Next Month: 

In the first few weeks of March, we will finish our unit on measurement. Students will: 

• Differentiate among perimeter, area, and volume and identify whether the application of the concept of perimeter, area, or volume is appropriate for a given situation.
• Solve practical problems involving length, mass, and liquid volume using metric units.
• Solve practical problems related to elapsed time in hours and minutes within a 24-hour period.

 

During the second half of the month, we will begin our unit focused on geometry. Students will:

• Identify and describe the diameter, radius, chord, and circumference of a circle.
• Classify and measure right, acute, obtuse, and straight angles. 
•  Classify triangles as right, acute, or obtuse and equilateral, scalene, or isosceles.
• Investigate the sum of the interior angles in a triangle and determine an unknown angle measure.
• Recognize and apply transformations, such as translation, reflection, and rotation. 
• Investigate and describe the results of combining and subdividing polygons.

Advanced Math 

What We Learned This Past Month:

We studied our unit on coordinate planes and congruence.  

• We identified the components of the coordinate plane.
• We identified the coordinates of a point and graph ordered pairs in a coordinate plane.
• We determined  congruence of segments, angles, and polygons.

What We Will Be Learning Next Month: 

We will begin our next unit on expressions, equations, and inequalities. Students:

• will simplify numerical expressions involving integers.
•  will solve one-step linear equations in one variable, including practical problems that require the solution of a one-step linear equation in one variable. 
• will represent a practical situation with a linear inequality in one variable.
• The student will solve one-step linear inequalities in one variable, involving addition or subtraction, and graph the solution on a number line. 

Science

What We Learned This Past Month:

We finished our unit on the energy of light and sound.

• We investigated and worked to understand how sound is created and transmitted, and how it is used.
• We Investigated and worked to understand  the basic characteristics of visible light and how it behaves.
• Investigated and learned that matter is anything that has mass, takes up space, and occurs as a solid, liquid, or gas.
•  Demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations.

What We Will Be Learning Next Month: 

Instead of switching to social studies, we will continue with science next month. We will begin our unit, Science in the Field. Students will: 

•  Demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations.
• Investigate and understand that organisms are made of one or more cells and have distinguishing characteristics that play a vital role in the organism’s ability to survive and thrive in its environment.

Social Studies

What We Learned This Past Month:

• We finished our study of ancient civilizations by focusing on Greece, Rome, and Southwest Asia.  
• Used a problem based learning (PBL) teaching method students are gaining knowledge and technology skills by investigating an authentic, engaging question.  
• The PBL question students worked with was,  “how can you as a travel agent convince others to travel and appreciate the history of an ancient civilization for their next vacation?” 
• Students conducted research on their chosen ancient civilization and used technology to present their information to others. 

What We Will Be Learning Next Month: 

In quarter 4, We will begin our Global Awareness Technology Project (GATP). The Global Awareness Technology Project (GATP) is an inquiry-based research learning experience where students choose a topic aligned to specific aspects of ancient cultures (cultural universals) that are seen in all cultures.  The GATP supports Portrait of a Graduate attributes and skills.