Students work with proper and improper fractions

Today in math we worked with proper and improper fractions.  Ask your child about our index card activity that we did to introduce this lesson.  After working with both type of fractions, I asked the students to tell me what they thought a good definition of each would be, and they were able to give me the equivalent of the definition in our book.  This is a great skill and shows they knew how the fractions work.

We combined our spelling and language assignment.  We took sentences written yesterday with our spelling words and the children wrote correct by each number if the word was used correctly.  If it wasn’t correct, then they had to write a new sentence using it correctly.

I don’t know about all of you but this past weekend reminded me of songs like, “I Feel the Earth Move Under my Feet” and "A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On.”  I hope you haven’t suffered any damage due to our earthquakes.

6th graders to participate in Sumdog competition

Well, today we went to the computer lab for all math classes.  This was a first, but some are not moving along as they should be.  Tomorrow I will be handing out work to those who need to correct it.  Also, we are signed up to participate in the Sumdog competition.  I just learned of this and the kids wanted to do this.  Each student has his/her user name and password.  They may do this at home.

Now it's a spelling word!

In language we continued to work with subject-verb agreement, as well as some writing.  There were choices, but we added the earthquake to our choices. 

In spelling we looked up our words and wrote sentences in groups.  Tomorrow we will share the sentences and see if the words are used correctly.

Have a great Monday!

Class words on division with decimals

Today we reviewed and practiced more division with decimals, but this time where both numbers were decimals.  We also worked a few word problems.

In language and spelling we worked on our Reflections Posters.  These are due Monday if your child didn’t finish. 

Have a great weekend!

Students work in writer's notebooks

Today in writing, our young authors worked in their writer's notebooks, extending pieces they were already working on or starting new ones.

In spelling, they worked with two prefixes that originally came from the Greek.  They learned that adding the prefix "neg" to a word makes it negative, and they also added "re" to words and used those words in sentences.

In math, students saw the importance of the greatest common factor idea we have been working with, as we turned to reducing fractions and dealing with equivalent fractions.

Tomorrow is popcorn day.  Send 50 cents for popcorn if your child wants to purchase any, unless you have previously paid for the entire year.

Students work on greatest common factor

In math today we worked more with the greatest common factor.  We turned it around and gave the greatest common factor and they had to find three numbers that had that number as the greatest common factor.  We also took an open book vocabulary quiz over chapter 3.

In spelling today we had a lesson with Mrs. Troyer and it went into language time, but we managed to have time to write in our writer’s notebooks.  The lessons Mrs. Troyer has been doing with us have been very thought-provoking.  So they had to write their thoughts, opinions, feelings, or whatever they wanted to write about the lessons.

Have a great Wednesday.

Students work with dialogue in writer's workshop

In math today we worked with the greatest common factor of two numbers.  We also placed the factors of the numbers we were comparing on a Venn Diagram. 

in spelling we did pages 72-74.  We used spelling words in analogies, to answer questions about a story that we read, and found the one word in groups of 4 that didn’t belong with the others.

In Writer’s Workshop we used dialogue.  A student and I had a conversation and then I put it on the board as a script.    Ex.  Ms. Jacobs:  Are you hungry?

                Nathan:  Yes.

                Ms. Jacobs:  What are you hungry for?

And so on.  We took that conversation and turned it into:

                Ms. Jacobs asked, “Are you hungry?”

                “Yes,” Nathan answered.

After that another student and I had a conversation and we put it in script form again.  The students then had to take it and write it in paragraph form.

I hope everyone has recovered after Halloween.  It is always difficult to come to school the day afterJ