Language Arts: This
week, we will take a break from Growing
Your Vocabulary so the kids can have extra time to work on their Reformation
lapbooks, science research projects, Latin and Greek words, and expository
essays. We will continue moving forth in our grammar and writing instruction.
The students have been focusing on identifying prepositional phrases and
writing sentences with several of them. We've been practicing classifying and
diagramming these types of sentences, too! The students will be assessed this
week on the diagrams we've been working on.
Thank you
for attending and/or helping out with our Secret Garden tea party on Friday! We
had a good time decorating pots, skipping rope, and eating crumpets with your
children! Although we’ve finished this novel, we’re not quite done discussing
it. We will be spending this week talking about different themes, morals, characters,
and events from this classic story.
We will finish up our last couple
of Latin and Greek words on Monday and the kids will have their test over the
first 25 on Thursday of this week. I
spoke with the students and we decided to move this quiz one day earlier so they
could have their History test on Friday, instead of Thursday. You should see
your child studying these each night. They've been given flashcards (aside from
the ones they've made on index cards) to study with, too. The students are
responsible for knowing each Latin/Greek word, definition, and an example
derivative.
The proverb we will discuss this
week is, “A miss is as good as a mile”.
Try using these idiomatic phrases at home!
History: We are
moving right along in our study of the Protestant Reformation! The test will be
on Friday of this week! (The
Latin/Greek quiz will be on Thursday, so the history test can be on Friday). Has
your child shared any interesting information about Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin,
or Henry VIII? This week we will discuss the concept of
banned books (which rose during the Counter Reformation), and how books are
still banned today. We will read the classic Dr. Seuss story, The Lorax and discuss why this book is
banned in some California schools today. Expect this discussion to make it
home! :) On
Tuesday, the students will learn about famous scientists such as
Copernicus and Galileo. They will understand why their discoveries changed the
lives and thoughts of people throughout Europe and the world. Your children
will also be working on their lapbooks a great deal throughout the week. These books
will prove to be a great study tool! The study guide for this unit will be sent
home on Tuesday. Please know that these should be filled out thoroughly and
with accuracy.
Science: The
students are working hard on their animal research projects! We will spend
Monday-Wednesday finishing up with research and poster boards. The students
will be given time in class to work on their independent expository paragraphs,
too. Presentations will take place on Thursday and Friday of this week. I hope
your child is sharing interesting information about his/her animal with you!
