December 5th, 2011

Math: In unit 5 students will have a chance to practice their favorite multi-digit multiplication method--lattice! Many students love lattice multiplication because it is like solving a puzzle. There is a downside, however. If students cannot draw the lattice boxes on their own, they will have a lot of difficulty with this method. I prefer the partial products method because it causes students to think about place value and develops their number sense. Please be patient as you may be learning methods which are quite different than the ones you were taught. The Student Reference Book will help!

Literacy: Our student detectives have been at work providing evidence to support their predictions, inferences, and thoughts about themes as they read. These skills are at the heart of reading for deep comprehension. As your child reads at home ask him or her to make a prediction or an inference about theme. Make sure they provide evidence from the text and/or their background knowledge.

We are starting to move into a non-fiction study in reading and writing. In reading, students will be using text features, such as headings, pictures, maps, glossaries, the index, and so on, to deepen their comprehension of informational text. As they do this they will practice taking notes on facts and on their inner conversation. Merging your thinking with factual information helps you engage and understand more about the topic. We will practice separating the important information from the little details.

In writing we will be using our knowledge of non-fiction text features, and our note-taking strategies to create our own informational text page(s) on a Wisconsin Native American Nation. This, of course, ties in with our social studies unit on the Wisconsin Fur Trade. Students will conduct a small amount of research, using a kid-friendly website I have linked to the Kordus Connection Social Studies page, and books that will be available in class. They will then write about the Nation they've chosen using headings, pictures, captions, a map, and a mini-glossary to make their information more understandable. This will be due before the holiday break.

Social Studies: We are wrapping up our study of the Fur Trade in Wisconsin this week. As the Fur Trade ended with the control of the United States in the early 1800s, the lives of the Wisconsin Native Americans were changing drastically. Through trading, more and more people were learning about the resources Wisconsin provided. Lead was another resource, bringing some of the first settlers to our state. With non-Indians starting to settle in Wisconsin, tensions and treaty-making grew. Students will understand how this impacted and still impacts the lives of Native Americans in our state.

Notes: Please make sure your child comes to school with appropriate attire for the cold weather. Students will go outside when the temperature is 10 degrees or above. Some kids are still wanting to wear sweatshirts and shorts outside. Others "forget" their warm clothes in hopes of being able to stay inside during recess. This is distracting to teachers who are working with kids on academics during those recess times.