Week of August 27-August 31, 2012
Our Current IB Unit: Get Energized
Central Idea: -- Energy is the driving force of humans and the physical
world.
An inquiry into: The different ways physical energy is produced, transferred, and measured
How the human body produces, consumes, and conserves energy
Heat energy and magnetic forces
How humans use and conserve energy to develop their lives
Activity Highlights - Students will investigate different ways that heat is produced and transferred.
- Students will create insulated boxes to protect an ice cube.
- High Touch High Tech will conduct an in class field trip.
- Students will explore ways to conserve energy.
- Students will manipulate different magnets and learn how to create temporary magnets.
Weekly Essential Questions (EQ):
Reading: This week we will read Penguin Chick. - Weekly Skill: Main Idea and Details
- Genre: Informational
Writing: Writing is a huge component this year. We will explore four different genres: narrative, informational, response to literature, and persuasive. This week we will finish our first narrative piece and learn how to write a summary.
Grammar: This year, we will be using the Shurley English grammar program. This program incorporates songs and questioning strategies that make learning grammar more fun and less daunting. Don't be surprised if you start hearing songs about nouns and verbs at home.
Spelling: Our spelling pattern this week is the U, V, J rule.
Math: We will continue to follow the Everyday Math curriculum. This year the students will explore many concepts including multiplication, division, and fractions. Unit 1 covers basic routines that will be revisited throughout the year. We will also review number patterns and money concepts.
Weekly EQs: - Can I use a calculator?
- Can I count money?
- Can I use patterns to solve math problems?