Friday, November 2, 2018

November Newsletter

Writing:
We are learning about the genre of opinion writing. The students are learning how to create a strong thesis statement (claim), support that statement with powerful reasons and a multitude of examples, and provide a strong concluding paragraph. So far, we are practicing our skills by writing opinion essays about important topics relating to us (for example, favorite type of ice cream, favorite genres of music, favorite restaurants, favorite type of animal, etc.). Students will be learning to be persuasive in their writing and convince others to believe in their thesis statement. As we further develop our skills in opinion writing, we will broaden our topics and begin to craft thesis statements based on bigger ideas that impact larger groups such as our community, country, and our world.  With the approach of Thanksgiving, students will be writing an essay about the three aspects in their lives for which they are most thankful.  

Reading:
This month, your child will focus on reading about different types of weather. We will begin learning new strategies for reading informational texts. Strategies include: note taking, analyzing text features and author's craft, identifying main idea and supporting details, and comparing information from different sources. Meanwhile, students will continue to practice their narrative reading strategies.
As always, I could really use your support at home….please
encourage your child to read.  Volume matters!!

Math:
We have started Unit 2 pertaining to data and measurement. Our investigation of measurement data commenced by gathering data on the number of raisins in a box and the height of fourth graders and first graders.  The students will then learn how to represent and compare the data they collected using bar graphs and line plots. They will determine range, mode, median, outliers, and whether the data is concentrated in one area or spread out.  Additionally, they will learn how to draw conclusions based on the data collected. Students will have the opportunity to create their own survey question, survey their classmates, organize, represent, and analyze their data.
You can support your child at home by continuing to practice multiplication math facts so he/she knows them “in a snap!”  Below are the links for Unit 2.

Unit 2
Generating and Representing Measurement Data

Data Collection


Organizing and Representing Data


Comparing Two Sets of Data


Describing and Summarizing Data


Working with Data

Social Studies:
We have started our Social Studies unit on Colorado History.  Students have begun to learn about the geography of Colorado and how the geography of where we live helps shape how we live.  In addition, we will study the early Native Americans who lived in Colorado and how they influenced how we live today.  Students will also learn about fur traders, explorers, and gold rushers. Our main focus in the study of these individuals is analyzing how these groups positively and negatively impacted Colorado and how they influenced the way we live today. 

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