3rd Grade Math - Week of September 28th

• Find That Object! (measurement activity)
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)

Practice multiplication facts at home.

5th and 6th Grade Language Arts - Persuasive Writing Guidelines

Using the list of prompts from the book 50 Debate Prompts for Kids (provided in class), you will be writing five-paragraph essays on those topics.  You will not have to write 50 essays in all.  You may choose your topic, provided it comes from the list.  Choose a prompt for which you feel you can write a five-paragraph essay.

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.”

Tips:
•    Follow the writing process – PREWRITE, write a rough draft, revise (make content stronger), edit (grammar/spelling/punctuation), publish.
•    Vary sentence length (have some short sentences and some long ones)
•    Have strong details – good reasons to support your opinion
•    Use (but don’t overuse) transitions – “in addition,” “furthermore,” etc.
•    Topics about schools (such as #31) can be written about schools in general or specifically about Dunham
•    Get feedback – parents, friends and teachers cannot write this for you, but you may ask them to proofread it.  You can send drafts to me via email at Dan.Rosenberg@dunhamschool.org or drop them off in the morning for pick up at the end of the day.

Grading
•    Writing about a topic on the list of debate prompts and stating a clear opinion (5 points)
•    Sentence and essay requirements (such as the sentence and paragraph lengths) (5 points)
•    Grammar/spelling/style – proper grammar, correct spelling, appropriate style (such as avoiding slang and contractions) (10 points)
•    Content (what you say in your essay) (25 points)

Due Dates (every other Wednesday):
•    October 14th – first essay
•    October 28th – second essay
•    November 11th – third essay
•    December 2nd – fourth essay
•    December 16th – fifth essay

Essays must be typed.  Prewriting and rough drafts may be typed, but do not have to be.  You may not choose the same topic twice.  Please include your topic number on your essay.

4th Grade Math - Week of September 28th

• Math Olympiad sample contest
• Problem-solving strategies
  

6th Grade English - Week of September 28th

• Wednesday: Make-up projects due; field trip essay due
• Wednesday in class: Review of diagramming and selected parts of speech (nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs); blog on a poem for Mrs. Lee
  
• Optional homework: Grammar book pages 38-39 as review of Chapter 2 grammar content
• Thursday: Grammar packet assigned last week due
• Thursday in class: Additional strategies for essay writing
• New five-paragraph essay due Wednesday, October 14th

5th Grade Reading - Week of September 28th

• How to write a five-paragraph essay
• Field trip essay discussed on Wednesday; due on Thursday (10/1)
• Second essay discussed on Thursday; due on Wednesday, October 14th

6th Grade Math - Week of September 28th

• Chapter 2 Test on Monday 9/28 (from Mrs. Kerner)
• Chapter 4 pretest
• Practice Math Olympiad contests - Contest 1 as homework due Tuesday, 9/29; Contest 2 as homework due Monday, 10/5
• Discussion of Math Olympiad practice contests and problem-solving strategies in class as time permits
  

5th Grade Math - Week of September 28th

• Math Olympiad 2007 sample contests
• Problem-solving strategies
• Contests 1 and 2 discussed in class
• Contest 3 to be done at home (time limits not required) for Monday (10/5)
  

2nd Grade Reading - Week of September 28th

• Read aloud and discussion of Sideways Stories from Wayside School
  

2nd Grade Math - Week of September 28th

• Hands-on Equations (algebra)
• Flash Masters (multiplication)
• Bump: The Sneaking Numbers Game
  

4th Grade Language Arts - Week of September 21st

• Brainteasers
• Extension of landforms project: plan a trip to a region in the Rocky Mountains
  

6th Grade English - Week of September 21st

• Discuss project corrections
• Optional project corrections due Weds. 9/30
• Parts of speech overview - nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs
• Hamburger model for prewriting
• Writing a persuasive five-paragraph essay
  
• Homework (due Thurs. 10/1): Grammar worksheets 18-20, as modified (including diagramming of selected sentences)
• Homework (due Weds. 9/30): Rough draft (typed is recommended) of 5-paragraph field trip essay (specifics discussed in class on Thurs. 9/24)
  

6th Grade Math - Week of September 21st

• The metric system
• Metric prefixes
• Metric conversions
• Homework (due Weds. 9/23 in Mrs. Kerner's class): page 76, #3-26
• Homework (due Mon. 9/28 in my class): Finish Metric Mania worksheet
  

5th Grade Reading - Week of September 21st

• Create PowerPoint game relating to "The Daring Nelly Bly"
• Adjective project corrections due Wednesday 9/30, if assigned
  

5th Grade Math - Week of September 21st

• Discuss selected Math Olympiad (MOEMS) contest problems (more next week)
• Algebraic expressions
• Basic algebraic equations
• Monday's homework: page 6 from Real World Algebra (worksheet)
• Tuesday's homework: page 7 from Real World Algebra (worksheet)
  

4th Grade Math - Week of September 21st

• Math fact test for Mrs. Jacques
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)
  

3rd Grade Math - Week of September 21st

• Brain Games: calculator fun and money words
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)
  

2nd Grade Reading - Week of September 21st

• Making "sentence sandwiches"
• Sideways Stories from Wayside School
  

2nd Grade Math - Week of September 21st

• Flash Masters
• Hands-on Equations (algebra)
  

6th Grade English - Week of September 14th

• Way Beyond Description Project due Thursday 9/17
• Grammar Quiz (Unit 1) on Thursday 9/17 - compound and simple subjects, compound and simple predicates, basic diagramming, sentence vs. fragment
• Poem blog for Mrs. Lee
• Additional practice in diagramming sentences
• Transmogrifications, as time permits
  

5th Grade Reading - Week of September 14th

• Way Beyond Description Project due Thursday 9/17
  
• Character motives
• Practice book pages 14-15
• Transmogrifications