On Thursday, March 10th, we will be going to Pacific Whale Foundation for a lesson on whales taught by our beloved Ms. Ehrlich and a whale watch! I will be sending home waivers this week so please be on the lookout. The cost is $8 per student. Please send the money with the signed waiver and your student and I will write a receipt to bring home or you can take the $8 directly to the middle school front desk. More info coming soon!
Homework this week: Please complete 1.5 hours (or 90 minutes) of iReady MATH, due next Sunday. Read your blog and fill out your Reading Log, due April 1st. Study your spelling words.
First, today is a special day! It is Leap Day! Once every four years, we add February 29th to our calendar. This is because Earth’s rotation around the sun is not exactly 365 days. It’s 365¼ (otherwise known as 365.25, or a quarter) days! Watch this 4:00 minute video from 2012 about Leap Years. Then, on a piece of lined paper, write a paragraph about how old you were last February 29th, 2012, and what you can remember (like where you lived and with who) and how old you will be next February 29th, 2020, and what you want to do. Try to include as many adjectives and adverbs that you can and underline them. Here is my example:
Four long years ago, on February 29th, 2012, I was living happily in cold Seoul, South Korea with my future husband, Tiger, and my new dog, Prim. I was teaching English to elementary and middle school students. I was 23 years old and Prim was only 6 months old! On the next leap day, I will be 31 years old. I think I will still be living in my comfortable house in sunny Kihei with Tiger and Prim. I hope we will have our new school facility and I will have a lovely classroom with kind and bright students as good as the ones I have this year!
Next, watch this video (25:00) about King Kamehameha.On the other side of your Leap Day essay, answer these questions in full sentences. PARENTS: This video does contain a short scene of men wearing traditional Hawaiian clothing. If you would like to preview it, skip to about the 16th minute.
- What is the setting at the beginning of the video? Where and when?
- What does “kamehameha” mean?
- Where was Kamehameha born?
- How long did Hawai’i and Maui battle?
- Why was war banned during the season of Makahiki and what god was celebrated?
- Who came to Hawai’i in the year 1778?
Third, complete lesson S1 on IXL. Use the models to add fractions with unlike denominators. Make sure to read the very helpful Explanations. Try to get a smart score of 70 and don’t forget to log-in. Also, bring in your Adding Fractions paper from Friday. Great job everyone on this difficult skill!
Last, make a Google Doc. Title it “Week 23 words story Your Name.” Type a story using ALL the spelling words from Week 23. It does not have to make sense but try to use the Elements of a Story (title, characters, setting, conflict, resolution). This will be challenging but fun! Please make sure to use correct grammar and spelling. Share it with me when you are finished.
With any remaining time, work on your Biome Game. Each person in the group should have a short prepared speech of the research they found. Rules should be ready for me to print by Tuesday. They should be easy to read and understand. We will present our biomes and play our games on Thursday.
If you have any questions, I am available via email until 3:00 today.
Tuesday: 8:55-2:35
Spelling AND Area and Perimeter tests
Wednesday: 8:55-2:30, HSA Science test at the middle school, late pick-up
Please wear appropriate PE clothes and shoes and BRING A BOOK for SSR.
Thursday: 12:00-2:35
Biome Games presentations
Friday: 8:55-2:35