As we get ever closer to the close of another month, we get closer to the end of term one - we made it! We have covered a healthy amount of curricular "ground" this term and are moving along nicely into new territory. Term two officially kicks off next week on December 1st.
This past week there were plenty of challenges and opportunities to dazzle with new skills. In Math, we continued to learn some more tips and tricks for multiplication; in Science, we began our study of simple machines; we completed our some more of our novel study in Language Arts, and in Social Studies, we began our next unit of study.
It was another busy week!
And now onto the curricular specifics...
In Math this week, we introduced strategies for more multiplication facts involving equations from 6 through 12. Whether we were skipping counting, adding up or subtracting down; using a few "finger tricks", or checking out our multiplication charts - we definitely tried out a lot of different strategies to help us solve questions.
In the interest of offering some extra practice, here are a few multiplication sites to use at home:
* MONSTER MULTIPLICATION
* MULTIPLICATION SWIMMING OTTERS
* STAR CATCHER MULTIPLICATION
* MULTIPLICATION METEORS
In Language Arts the last couple weeks we have been really focusing on developing our writing fluency, specifically the ability to generate ideas and then expand them. This week we wrapped up the last couple edits on our "My Hero" writing assignments and our message board posts for the Canadian Forces. Everyone did a great job formatting their messages, and included lots of good information and questions for the actively serving personnel.
Our study of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox continues and we completed the various comprehension and vocabulary activities associated with chapters 10 through 12. One of the more interesting topics this week involved the class making predictions on what would happen if the story's protagonist (Mr. Fox) and antagonists (the Farmers) swapped spots and how it would change how we viewed the story.
In Science our study of Simple Machines kicked off this week with some discussions and experimentation on the topics of friction and mechanical advantage. We quickly learned that friction can be both a good and bad thing depending on the situation and that having a mechanical advantage allows us to complete "work" with less effort. Ask your child about the "teacher push" experiment that we tried in class. The experiment definitely helped demonstrate how simple machines, such as rollers, can be used to give us a mechanical advantage and significantly reduce the amount of effort needed to move a load.
Social Studies this week we began our study of Alberta's people and the role their stories, traditions, and history have had on the development of our province, past and present. To begin our study we are examining Alberta's first people and the province's indigenous past. Indigenous people have lived throughout this area and each had its own individual customs and traditions. We will be learning about several of these groups in relation to different aspects of culture - ie. location, language, clothing, food, traditions, and customs.
Upcoming Important Dates/Events
Thursday, November 26 - Library: Book Exchange
Friday, November 27 - Twin and Triplet Day Spirit Day - find a friend and dress the same!
Tuesday, December 1 - Term Two begins
Friday, December 3 - Report Cards emailed home
Friday, December 3 - Report Cards emailed home
