6th Grade - Week of May 10th

Logic - Develop and write directions for Brainteasers game (due 5/24)

Math - Chapter 13 content and problems

English - DLR, The Red Pony (for Mrs. Lee), world project (due Friday), work on essay (due 5/20)

5th Grade - Week of May 10th

Work on strategy game (due Friday) and essay (due next Thursday)

4th Grade - Week of May 10th

Math - Hands-on Equations (algebra)

Language Arts - No class (Field Day)

3rd Grade - Week of May 10th

Fizz and Martina's Math Adventures

2nd Grade - Week of May 10th

Math - Fizz and Martina's Math Adventures

Reading - Heroes and Sheroes

1st Grade - Week of May 10th

Fizz and Martina's Math Adventures

6th Grade - Week of May 3rd

Logic

• Alice programming
• Brainteasers game

Math

• Chapter 12 content and review
• Chapter 12 test on Thursday

English

• World project due next Wednesday (the 12th)
• Opposing viewpoint essay due Wednesday (the 5th)
• Peer edits (essay)
• DLR
• Poem blog   

5th Grade - Week of May 3rd

English

• Blurt! with the first graders

Reading

• Finish strategy game
• Essay writing

Math

• Chapter 16 overview 

4th Grade - Week of May 3rd

Math

• Hands-on Equations (algebra)

Language Arts

• Essay writing

3rd Grade - Week of May 3rd

• Fizz and Martina's Math Adventures

2nd Grade - Week of May 3rd

Math

• Fizz and Martina's Math Adventures

Reading

• Heroes and Sheroes  

1st Grade - Week of May 3rd

• Fizz and Martina's Math Adventures

6th Grade - Weeks of April 12th and 19th

Logic

• Design and write directions for brainteasers game
• Alice programming (advertisement)

Math

• Chapters 10-11 content and review
• Chapters 10-11 test on Monday, April 19th
• Chapters 12-13 content; problems from book as homework

English

• DLR
• ACT English problems
• Poem blog for Mrs. Lee
• Brief capitalization review
• World project
• Next essay assigned (opposing viewpoint); essay due May 5th   

5th Grade - Weeks of April 12th and 19th

Math

• Chapter 15 overview
• Chapters 16 and 17 pretests
• What's My Prime?
• Design strategy game

Reading/English

• Story review for Mrs. Hazey
• Word Masters review
• Word Masters contest on Friday, April 23rd
• Write directions for strategy board game

4th Grade - Weeks of April 12th and 19th

Math

• Flexibility and Creativity test
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)
• Stories with Holes

Language Arts

• Essay writing
• Transmogrifications
• Super Sentences
• Word Masters review
• Word Masters contest on Friday, April 23rd

3rd Grade Math - Weeks of April 12th and 19th

• First in Math
• Flash Masters (division fact practice)
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)
• Fractions (including equivalent fractions, basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication)
• Pizza Fraction Fun
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)

2nd Grade - Weeks of April 12th and 19th

Math

• Flash Masters (multiplication and division fact practice)
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)
• Logic Safari
• Word problems

Reading

• Silly Nillies
• Poetry
• Jacob's Ladder
• Creativity packet
• Apples to Apples

1st Grade - Weeks of April 12th and 19th

• Logic packets
• Flash Masters (fact practice)
• Continue reading and discussing Frindle

6th Grade - Week of March 29th

• Alice programming (logic)
• Brainteasers (logic)
• Chapters 10-11 problems and content (math)
• Independent study project (English)

5th Grade - Week of March 29th

• Peer edits (essay)
• Chapter 15 math pretest
• What's My Prime?

4th Grade - Week of March 29th

No classes this week due to the field trip and Good Friday.

3rd Grade - Week of March 29th

• Online Math League corrections
• Flash Masters
• Hands-on Equations (algebra), as time permits

2nd Grade - Week of March 29th

• Creativity packet
• Jacob's Ladder reading activities
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)
• Logic Safari packet

1st Grade - Week of March 29th

• Logic packet
• Flash Masters

6th Grade - Week of March 22nd

Math

• Continue working through Chapters 10-13 pretests; content and homework to be determined by pretest results

Logic

• Alice programming
• Orbiting with Logic packet

English

• World research project
• DLR
• Poem blog for Mrs. Lee 
• Essay/editorial cartoon due Tuesday, April 13th, by 10 A.M. 

5th Grade - Week of March 22nd

Math

• Chapter 13-14 content, as determined by pretest results (pretests due Monday)

Reading

• Work on Word Masters vocabulary assignment (due March 30th)
• Editing
• Parts of speech review
• Opposing viewpoint essay due Thursday

4th Grade Math - Week of March 22nd

• Overview of math games in the Gifted Center

3rd Grade Math - Week of March 22nd

• Overview of the math games in the Gifted Center
• Online Math League contest on Thursday
• Challenge Math worksheet due Thursday

2nd Grade - Week of March 22nd

Math

• Logic Safari packet
• Overview of math games in the Gifted Center
• Word problems on the board

Reading

• Continue Jacob's Ladder activity: "The Ant and the Dove"
• Creativity packets

1st Grade - Week of March 22nd

• Finish Primary Education Thinking Skills packet; begin Logic Safari
• Continue reading Frindle

6th Grade - Week of March 15th

Math

• Chapters 10-13 pretests; lesson content determined by pretest results

English

• DLR
• Poem blog for Mrs. Lee
• SAT test prep
• World project
• Next essay (important event of 2009) due Tuesday, April 13th

Logic

• Alice programming  

5th Grade - Week of March 15th

Math

• Finish Chapter 13-14 pretests and Chapter 13-14 content, as determined by the pretests

Reading

• Play Blurt! with the kindergarteners
• Work on essays - opposing viewpoint (due March 25th) and 2009 important event (due April 13th) 

4th Grade - Week of March 15th

Math

• Hands-on Equations (algebra)

Language Arts

• Poetry (diamante and cinquain)
• Transmogrifications
• New Word Masters words 

3rd Grade Math - Week of March 15th

• Online Math League practice
• Multiplication and division fact practice, as needed
• Worksheet assigned on Thursday; due next Thursday (the 25th)

2nd Grade - Week of March 15th

Math

• Practice arithmetic facts
• Story problems
• Hands-on Equations
• Worksheet assigned on Tuesday; due next Tuesday (the 23rd)

Reading

• Aesop's "The Ant and the Dove" (Jacob's Ladder curriculum)
• Battle of the Boards (Frindle review)

1st Grade - Week of March 15th

• Continue reading Frindle
• Primary Education Thinking Skills problem-solving activities

6th Grade - Week of March 8th

• Math - review for Chapter 9 test; Chapter 9 test on Tuesday; Chapters 10-13 pretests
• Logic - Math Olympiad; Alice programming
• English - "Lady or Tiger" essay due Thursday; Poem blog; DLR; SAT sample grammar problems; editing; next essay assigned (opposing viewpoints)

5th Grade - Week of March 8th

• Math - Math Olympiad; Chapters 13-14 pretests
• Reading - Build Your Wild Self creative writing activity; editing; next essay assigned: express an opposing viewpoint
• English - Word Masters activity (exact activity varies by section)

4th Grade - Week of March 8th

• Math - Math Olympiad
• Language Arts - Five-paragraph field trip essay; Word Masters game with the fifth graders

3rd Grade Math - Week of March 8th

• Drawing angles
• Multiplication and division practice (review facts at home)
• Challenge Math worksheet as homework
• Pi Day activities

2nd Grade - Week of March 8th

• Pi Day activities
• Math - multiplication and division review; Primary Education Thinking Skills activities (problem-solving)
• Reading - Smart Mouth; discuss Frindle

1st Grade - Week of March 8th

• Math - Primary Education Thinking Skills (problem-solving activities)
• Reading - Continue reading Frindle

6th Grade - Week of March 1st

Logic

• Math Olympiad practice [final contest next week]
• Alice programming

Math

• Math Olymiad practice [final contest next week]
• Chapter 9 homework problems and extension activities

English 

• DLR
• Poem blog for Mrs. Lee
• ACT/SAT grammar test practice questions
• Work on "Lady or Tiger" essay
• Editing skills

5th Grade - Week of March 1st

Math

• Math Olympiad practice [final contest next week]
• Additional division practice, as needed

Reading

• Build Your Wild Self creative writing story (due Wednesday)
• Marketing/advertising activity

English

• Word Masters vocabulary game  

4th Grade - Week of March 1st

Math

• Math Olympiad practice [final contest next week]

Language Arts

• Word Masters game
• Field trip essay 

3rd Grade Math - Week of March 1st

• Finish Jump Rope Geometry
• Using protractors to draw and measure angles

2nd Grade - Week of March 1st

Math

• Homework sheet due on Monday
• Multiplication/division fact practice
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)
• Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) [problem-solving activities]
• Homework: Practice multiplication and division facts

Reading

• Continue reading Frindle
• Poems relating to Frindle characters (cinquain and diamante)  

1st Grade - Week of March 1st

Reading

• Start Frindle

Math

• Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) [problem-solving activities] 

6th Grade - Week of February 22nd

Logic

• Alice programming
• Brainteasers

Math

• Challenge Math percent problems (Einstein level)
• Go over Chapter 9 pretest 

English

• Poem blog for Mrs. Lee
• DLR/PSAT
• Editing a newsletter
• "Lady or Tiger" essay conferences (continue to make progress with essay at home) 

5th Grade - Week of February 22nd

Math

• Go over Chapter 11 pretest
• Chapter 11 (division) content, as needed
• Math Olympiad practice

Language Arts

• Commas
• Build Your Wild Self creative writing activity
• Parts of speech review
• Apples to Apple with Word Masters words 

4th Grade - Week of February 22nd

Math

• Hands-on Equations (algebra)

Language Arts

• Apples to Apples with Word Masters words
• Essay writing 

3rd Grade Math - Week of February 22nd

• Jump Rope Geometry, continued
• Hand-on Equations (algebra), as time permits

2nd Grade - Week of February 22nd

Math

• Division facts overview (emphasis on rules when quotient is 0 or 1)
• Pizza Fraction Fun
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)

Reading

• Continue Frindle
• Build Your Wild Self creative writing activity

1st Grade - Week of February 22nd

Note: There will be no class on Thursday, February 25th, due to the field trip

•  Build Your Wild Self creative writing activity

6th Grade - Week of February 8th

Logic

• Math Olympiad contest on Monday

Math

• Test review
• Unit Test (Chapters 6-8) on Tuesdday
• Math Olympiad contest on Wednesday
• Challenge Math Percent Problems 

English

• Writing and developing "Lady, or Tiger" essays; time to work in class on Wednesday and Thursday; typed draft due Thursday
• DLRs
• Poem blog
• PSAT writing questions
• Transmogrifications (if time) 

5th Grade - Week of February 8th

Math

• Chapter 11 pretest
• Math Olympiad contest and practice (contest on Wednesday)

Language Arts

• Word Masters contest on Tuesday
• Commas 

4th Grade - Week of February 8th

• Math Olympiad contest on Monday
• Word Masters contest on Tuesday

3rd Grade - Week of February 8th

• Jump Rope Geometry

2nd Grade - Week of February 8th

Math

• Subtraction worksheet due Monday
• Multiplication practice on the Flash Master
• Practice addition, subtraction and basic multiplication facts at home
• Push-in activity with Miss Peecher's class

Reading

• Frindle
• Build Your Wild Self   

1st Grade - Week of February 8th

• Letter writing
• Push-in activity with Mrs. Benton's and Mrs. Adams's classes

6th Grade - Week of February 1st

Math

• Page 351, #11-29, odds - due Monday
• Challenge Math percent problems - due Wednesday
• Field Properties
• Pages 303-304, #4-8, 13-18, 35 - due next Monday (the 8th)
• Test on Chapters 6-8 next Tuesday (the 9th)
• Math Olympiad practice problems

Logic

• Math Olympiad practice problems (contest next week)
• Alice programming (project due on Friday) 

English

• Daily Language Review
• Poem blog for Mrs. Lee
• "The Lady, or the Tiger?" ending due Thursday
• First draft of "L or T" essay due next Wednesday (the 10th)
• Final copy of "L or T" essay due Wednesday the 24th 

5th Grade - Week of February 1st

Math

• Time in class to review for Mrs. Jordan's division test on Thursday
• Math Olympiad practice problems
• Review of short division and partial quotients, if needed
• Divisibility rules homework due Wednesday

Reading

• Word Masters vocabulary practice
• Word Masters project ("Not Necessarily the News") due on Friday
• Word Masters contest next week
• Essay corrections due Wednesday

4th Grade - Week of February 1st

Math

• Math Olympiad practice problems

Language Arts

• Word Masters contest preparation
• Word Masters project ("Not Necessarily the News") due on Friday
• Word Masters contest will be next Thursday (the 11th) 

3rd Grade Math - Week of February 1st

• Angle scavenger hunt
• Online Math League contest on Friday

2nd Grade - Week of February 1st

Math

• Subtraction with larger numbers
• Subtraction worksheet due Monday
• New subtraction worksheet will be due next Monday (the 8th)
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)

Reading

• Finish "If I Was a Mouse..." creative writing activity
• Continue reading and discussing Frindle 

1st Grade - Week of February 1st

Reading

• Finish letter-writing activity

Math

• Play Math-teroids computer game (addition and subtraction fact practice)
• Homework: Practice addition and subtraction facts at home 

6th Grade - Week of January 25th

Due to Spiritual Awareness Week activities, there will be no Logic class on Monday and no English class on Thursday.


Logic

• Alice programming 

English

• Assigned essay revisions due on Wednesday
• "The Lady, or the Tiger?" vocabulary assignments due on Wednesday
• DLR
• Poem blog
• Read "The Lady, or the Tiger?" (finish as homework, as needed)
• Write an ending to "The Lady, or the Tiger?" in a style similar to the original story, due on Wednesday of next week

Math

• Go over Chapters 6-7 homework
• Finish going over Chapter 8 pretest problems
• Work on Chapter 8 problems (due Wednesday)
  
• p. 323, #20-28 evens
• p. 327, #9-21 odds
• pp. 340-341, #11-33 odds
• pp. 344-345, #15-49 odds
• p. 348, #8-18 evens
• p. 351, #12-30 evens 

• Field properties
• Field properties homework: pp. 303-304, #4-8, 13-18, 35 (due Monday of next week)
  

5th Grade - Week of January 25th

Math

• Divisibility rules
• Short division
• Divisibility rules worksheet due Monday of next week

Reading

• Essay corrections
• Reading work for Mrs. Hazey, as needed
• Word Masters project (Not Necessarily the News) and contest prep
• Word Masters contest in Mrs. Bolton's class during the week of February 8th 
  

3rd Grade - Week of January 25th

• Review of decimals and place value
  
• Multiplication worksheet due on Thursday
• Decimals worksheet due on Friday (will be assigned on Thursday)
• Quiz in Mrs. Kelley's room on Friday
  
• Online Math League practice
• Online Math League contest Friday of next week
• For additional Online Math League practice, visit www.onlinemathleague.com.  The registered email is Dan.Rosenberg@dunhamschool.org and the password is dunham.
  

4th Grade - Week of January 25th

Math

• Hands-on Equations algebra unit
• Flash Masters division practice

Language Arts

• Blurt!
• Not Necessarily the News project (for Word Masters contest)
• Word Masters Battleship 
• Word Masters contest on Thursday, February 11th
• Not Necessarily the News project due Friday, February 5th
  

2nd Grade - Week of January 25th

Math

• Subtraction of larger numbers using the place-value method 
• Worksheet due on Monday
• New subtraction worksheet due next Monday

Reading

• Continue Frindle
• Beyond Words: Words for Describing worksheet (homework; due next Wednesday) and Making Good Comparisons worksheet (done in class)
• Blurt! 
  

1st Grade - Week of January 25th

Reading

• Creative writing

Math

• Math-teroid Addition and Subtraction 
  

Word Masters

The fourth and fifth graders are participating in the Word Masters competition.  More information about this contest can be found at http://www.wordmasterschallenge.com/elem.htm.  The students should be practicing solving analogies (they have a packet they can work on) and should also be studying their Word Masters vocabulary words.  The 50 words are:

1. hull
2. concoct
3. mellow
4. bungalow
5. deplete
6. torrid
7. contraption
8. exhaust
9. tentative
10. dinghy
11. summon
12. feverish
13. brew
14. clench
15. lackadaisical
16. hamlet
17. mull
18. lethargic
19. cleft
20. muster
21. defunct
22. rupture
23. grit
24. makeshift
25. resource
26. husk
27. repel
28. tactile
29. stress
30. devour
31. murky
32. framework
33. decline
34. audible
35. chassis
36. sever
37. extinct
38. dell
39. percolate
40. abrupt
41. rift
42. plummet
43. burdensome
44. manor
45. deflect
46. loyal
47. allegiance
48. consume
49. durable
50. schooner

In the coming two weeks, students will complete activities (including the "Not Necessarily the News" project described below) involving these words.  The contest will be held the week of February 8th during the regular school day.

5th Grade - Not Necessarily the News

Not Necessarily the News

This activity may be completed on your own or with a partner.  If you choose to work with a partner, the following rules apply:
1.    You must both contribute equally.  One person cannot do all the work while the other does none.
2.    You must work together.  You cannot divide the task in half and then work separately.
3.    If given time to work together in school, you must use that time to do work.
4.    Discuss ideas and be respectful of others’ opinions.

Your job is to create a news document.  It can be a script for a newscast that you can either record as a podcast or iMovie.  It can be a newspaper or newsletter.  It can be an informative essay.  It can consist of one long story or multiple shorter stories.  The stories can be fictional and do not have to be realistic.  They must, though, be presented as news.

You must use all 50 Word Masters words in context.

Bad Example #1: I bought a schooner.  (I cannot tell what a schooner is by this sentence)

Bad Example #2: Schooner starts with “S.”   (Uses the word schooner, but does not show that you know what the word means.)

Good Example: I bought a schooner to go sailing.

This project will be worth 75 points: One point per word used in context, and 25 points for style, word choice, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and following directions (namely writing news stories).

You must turn in something written.  Underline or highlight your Word Masters words in that document.  Even if you do a podcast or iMovie, you must script it and turn in the script.

This is due on Friday, February 5th.

4th Grade - Not Necessarily the News

This activity must be completed with a partner (who will be chosen randomly).  You will be given time to work in class on January 22nd and 29th.  It will be due at 1:30 on February 5th.  You will have the first half hour of that day’s class to wrap up anything you need to.  The following rules apply to working with a partner:

1. You must both contribute equally.  One person cannot do all the work while the other does none.
2. You must work together while in class.  You cannot divide the task in half and then work separately.  Note, though, that if you find that you need to do some work outside of class, you may work independently on those parts of the assignment.
3. You must use the class time provided to do work.  Stay on task and use your time wisely.
4. Discuss ideas and be respectful of each others' opinions.
   

Your job is to create a news document.  It can be a script for a newscast that you can either record as a podcast or iMovie.  It can be a newspaper or newsletter.  It can be an informative essay.  It can consist of one long story or multiple shorter stories.  The stories can be fictional and do not have to be realistic.  They must, though, be presented as news.

You must use all 50 Word Masters words in context in your news story/stories.

• Bad Example #1: I bought a schooner.  (I cannot tell what a schooner is by this sentence)
• Bad Example #2: Schooner starts with “S.”   (Uses the word schooner, but does not show that you know what the word means.)
• Good Example: I bought a schooner to go sailing.

This project will be worth 75 points: One point per word used in context, and 25 points for style, word choice, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and following directions (namely writing news stories).

You must turn in something written.  Underline or highlight your Word Masters words in that document.  Even if you do a podcast or iMovie, you must script it and turn in the script.

6th Grade - "The Lady, or the Tiger?" Vocabulary Assignment

Below are the 66 vocabulary words for “The Lady, or the Tiger?”  You are each responsible for half of the words (which words specifically will be determined in class on Wednesday).  Write a brief definition (one that is easy to understand) for each word and then either use it in context in a sentence or include a picture (hand-drawn or digital) that illustrates the word.

Due Wednesday, January 27th

1.    Barbaric
2.    Florid
3.    Untrammeled
4.    Exuberant
5.    Withal
6.    Self-communing
7.    Domestic
8.    Bland
9.    Genial
10.    Orb
11.    Valor
12.    Rhapsody
13.    Inevitable
14.    Amphitheater
15.    Impartial
16.    Incorruptible
17.    Emanated
18.    Barleycorn
19.    Allegiance
20.    Engrafted
21.    Aforementioned
22.    Procure
23.    Doleful
24.    Wend
25.    Merit (verb)
26.    Dire
27.    Station (as it relates to society)
28.    Subordinate
29.    Retribution
30.    Chorister
31.    Epithalamic
32.    Solemnize
33.    Peal
34.    Strew
35.    Devour
36.    Tribunal
37.    Determinate
38.    Fervent
39.    Imperious
40.    Courtier
41.    Unsurpassed
42.    Ardor
43.    Waver
44.    Relentless
45.    Competent
46.    Aesthetic
47.    Throng (verb)
48.    Mass (verb)
49.    Fateful
50.    Portal
51.    Moiety
52.    Fervid
53.    Decree
54.    Damsel
55.    Perceive
56.    Parapet
57.    Devious
58.    Grievous
59.    Reverie
60.    Gnash
61.    Rapturous
62.    Kindle
63.    Multitude
64.    Futurity
65.    Anguish
66.    Deliberation

Coming Home

Throughout the year the all students in the gifted program keep a portfolio of their work.  This portfolio is typically kept at school and is available to parents upon request.  It is typically shown at parent-teacher conferences.  Given that there are no second-quarter conferences, I will be sending each child's portfolio (a binder) home this week.  Parents, please look through it and then return it intact with your child by the beginning of next week.

6th Grade - Week of January 18th

Logic

• Alice programming

English

• Essay due on Thursday
• Self and peer edits of essay
• DLR
• Poem blog for Mrs. Lee
• "The Lady or the Tiger" vocabulary assignment (due next week)
  

Math

• Go over unit pretest (chapters 6-9), teaching new content and assigning homework as needed 
  

5th Grade - Week of January 18th

Math

• Chapter 10 pretest
• Divisibility rules
• Divisibility rules worksheet due next Tuesday (the 26th)

Reading

• Read "The Florida Everglades" for Mrs. Hazey
• Word Masters practice and activity
• Word Masters actvity (using the 50 Words in context) will be assigned Friday; will be due on Friday, February 5th
• Essay due on Thursday
• Peer and self edits for the essay 
  

4th Grade - Weeek of January 18th

Math

• Muggins Math game
• Hands-on Equations (algebra unit)

Language Arts

• Essay outine due at the beginning of class
• Keep practicing Word Masters words (contest on Thursday, February 11th)
• Blurt!
• Essay writing (done in class)
• Some Word Masters practice
• Word Masters news piece due on February 5th
  

3rd Grade - Week of January 18th

• Practice for the Online Math League contest (which will be held in class on February 5th)
• Multiplying a two-digit factor by a one-digit factor using the place-value method
• Note: Students who are not secure in their multiplication facts should be practicing at home.
• Math worksheet on place value due on Thursday
• Multiplication worksheet due next Thursday (the 21st)
  

2nd Grade - Week of January 18th

Math

• Introduction to subtraction of bigger numbers using place value method
• Subtraction worksheet due on Tuesday
• New subtraction worksheet (with larger numbers) due Monday of next week (the 25th)
  

Reading

• Push-in activity with Miss Peecher's class (Apples to Apples and Blurt!)
• Continue reading and discussing Frindle
• Worksheet about change is due on Thursday  
  

1st Grade - Week of January 18th

Note: There is no class on Tuesday, January 19th, due to the music assembly.

• Knock Out (arithmetic game)
  

5th and 6th Grades - Essay Writing for the Second Semester (note new regulations about adult involvement)

To Avoid:
•    Contractions, slang, and clichés
•    The words “get,” “stuff,” and “things”
•    Second person (the word “you”)
•    Phrases such as “I believe,” “I feel,” and “I think”

Each essay must contain:
•    An introduction that is at least two sentences long.  The last sentence of the introduction must be the thesis sentence, the one sentence that sums up your entire essay.
•    Three body paragraphs, each of which contains at least five sentences (one of which is the topic sentence).
•    A conclusion that is at least two sentences long.  Do not begin your conclusion with the words “In conclusion.”  The conclusion restates what you wrote in your introduction.

Tips:
•    Follow the writing process – PREWRITE (brainstorm, outline), write a draft, revise (make content stronger), edit (grammar/spelling/punctuation), publish.
•    Vary sentence length (have some short sentences and some long ones) and vary word choice (use a thesaurus for synonyms; consider Wordle to determine overused words)
•    Have strong details – good reasons to support your opinion
•    Use (but don’t overuse) transitions – “in addition,” “furthermore,” etc.

Grading:
•    Sentence and essay requirements (such as the sentence and paragraph lengths) (10 points)
•    Grammar/spelling/style – proper grammar, correct spelling, appropriate style (such as avoiding slang and contractions) (15 points)
•    Content (what you say in your essay) (25 points)

Essays must be typed in a standard font.  Prewriting and draft(s) may be typed, but do not have to be.

Adult help is limited to a few general “Yes/No” questions.  “Does this paragraph make sense?” or “Is this a strong argument?” is fine.  “What are the grammar mistakes in this essay?” or “What are your opinions about this topic?” is not.  Detailed editing will be your responsibility.  You will also be given specific feedback from your peer editor prior to turning your essay in for a grade.

Topic for January:
If you ran the Middle School at Dunham, what three policies/procedures would you add, delete and/or change?  Explain your choices.

Due Date:
Final draft is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, January 21st.  A self-assessment form should be completed at this time as well.  Your peer editor will make suggestions and complete a peer-assessment form in class that day.  You will then be given a chance to make changes to your essay in response to your peer editor’s feedback.  The essay, though, must be turned in by the end of Thursday’s class.

6th Grade - Week of January 11th

Math

• Math Olympiad practice and contest
• Unit pretest (Chapters 6-9) - due Monday
  

English

• Commas - comma editing activity due Thursday if not finished during Wednesday's class
  
• DLR
• Poem blog for Mrs. Lee
• Knowledge Master Open sample contest 
• Next essay due Thursday, January 21st
  

Logic

• Math Olympiad contest
• Alice programming (push-in activity with Mrs. Lee's class) 
  

5th Grade - Week of January 11th

Math

• Chapter 9 pretest
• Division overview (as needed)
• Math Olympiad practice and contest

Reading

• Essay due next Thursday (the 21st)
• Read "Wading into Marine Biology" for Mrs. Hazey
• Note: Next Word Masters contest will be the week of February 8th 
• Begin preparing for Word Masters class (bonus class from 9-9:25 on Friday) 
  

4th Grade - Week of January 11th

Language Arts

• Blurt! (word game)
  
• Persuasive essay writing
• Begin Word Masters competition activities
  
• Note: Next Word Masters contest will be in early February (before break)

Math

• Math Olympiad practice and contest 
  

3rd Grade Math - Week of January 11th

• Place-value review
• Multiplication concept review
• Multiplying with two-digit factors
• Homework: Multiplication worksheet due Thursday of next week
  

2nd Grade - Week of January 11th

Math

• Flash Masters (practicing subtraction facts)
• Knock-Out (adding and subtracting game)
• Subtraction - basic facts and negative differences (one digit differences)
• Homework: Subtraction worksheets (due Tuesday of next week)
  

Reading

• "The Concept of Change"
• Homework: Examples of Change worksheet, due next Thursday (the 21st)
  
• Continue reading Frindle
• Blurt!
• Activity preparation for next week's push-in class
  

1st Grade - Week of January 11th

Reading

• "The Concept of Change"
• Start Frindle as time permits
• Homework: Change worksheet, due Tuesday of next week
  

Math

• Flash Masters addition and subtraction practice 
• Homework: Practice addition and subtraction facts at home