Module 10, Get out and Vote

 

HELLO, FAMILY!
Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about the history and current practice of voting in the United States by reading book excerpts, magazines, and listening to and reading a speech. They will learn about historical figures, such as Susan B. Anthony, Lynda Blackmon Lowery, and our 36th President, Lyndon Baines Johnson.

 

BRING IT HOME! Learning fun for the whole family

 

Discuss the Topic
Set aside time daily for your child to share with you what he or she is 
learning. Use these ideas to help build your child’s knowledge about 
the topic: 
• Talk about the ideas your child has added to the Knowledge
Map each week.
• Ask about the texts your child is reading and what he or she has learned from them.
• Share with your child your own questions about the topic, and work together to find the answers.

 

Explore the Genre
The genre focus in this module is opinion text. Discuss with your child the characteristics of this genre. Ask your child to read to you each day and make time to read together. 
Look for texts that
• spark your child’s curiosity
• tie to the module topic
• present interesting ideas and opinions about why voting matters
• help readers connect to social studies.

 

Build Vocabulary
Use these ideas to help your child build a rich vocabulary. 

 

The Big Idea Reinforce the topic words eligible, suffrage, naturalized, and prohibits in everyday conversations with your child. Use prompts like these:

Explain if you plan to vote or not, once you are eligible to do so. What sorts of 
activities are prohibited at school?

What Does It Mean? Have your child keep a growing list of the 
Critical Vocabulary words. Quiz each other on their meanings.

 

Word Hunt Look for words with the roots electr, civ, man, duc, reg, scrib/scribe, graph and prefixes ex–, con– in books, magazines, online texts, and environmental print.

 

For writing this week, the students will be writing an Opinion letter for a topic that they are passionate about and what to see change!

We will finish up Module 9, Mummies and Bones, this week. 

 

The students will read the last two stories and work on the reading strategy of Clarifying and Monitoring their reading.  

 

For writing the students will finish writing their Science Fiction themed Narrative. 

 

On Thursday at 9:15 we will be taking the MAPS test for Language Arts, and the students get a chance to celebrate their learning and graph their results to see their growth over the course of the year. 

We will have regular ELA class on Monday and Friday where we will continue working on Module 9, reading about King Tut, and then completing a second story on Mummy Mystery.  The reading strategy that the students are working on is Monitor and Clarifying using the vocabulary and context clues for better understanding.  

 

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the students will be completing the ELA CMAS in the morning.  

 

Thank you for your support in complete the celebration of what the students have learned in the area of Reading and Writing. 

Welcome Back!

 

We are entering into Module 9, Mummies and Bones

 

HELLO, FAMILY!
Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about 
archaeology, with a focus on the narrative text genre. We will read 
nonfiction book excerpts, and magazine and newspaper articles 
about human remains and objects that teach us about history, and 
we will finish with a novel excerpt that injects humor into this serious 
topic by way of a mystery.

 

Discuss the Topic
Set aside time daily for your child to share with you what he or she is 
learning. Use these ideas to help build your child’s knowledge about 
the topic: 
• Talk about the ideas your child has added to the Knowledge Map each week.
• Ask about the texts your child is reading and what he or she has learned from them.
• Share with your child your own questions about the topic and work together to find the answers.

 

Explore the Genre
The genre focus in this module is narrative text. Discuss with your child the characteristics of this genre. Ask your child to read to you each day and make time to read together.

Look for texts that
• spark your child’s curiosity
• tie to the module topic
• have a clear text structure (e.g., cause and effect)
• help readers connect to science

 

Build Vocabulary
Use these ideas to help your child build a rich vocabulary. 

 

The Big Idea

Reinforce the topic words alarmed, remains, relics, and archaeologist in everyday conversations with your child. Use prompts like these:

Describe the last time you were alarmed. What in our home do you think would be an interesting relic for someone from the future to find?

What Does It Mean?

Have your child keep a growing list of the Critical Vocabulary words. Quiz each other on their meanings.

 

Word Hunt Look for words with the roots pyro, archaeo, civ; the prefix ex–; and suffixes –full/–less, –ence in books, magazines, online texts, and environmental print.

This week in ELA class we will have class Monday, Tuesday and Thursday due to all the field trips that we are taking. 

 

The theme for Module 8 was Champions so we have created a cross-curriculum activity for our students.  The 6th graders will be creating a game that they will teach the 1st and 2nd graders on Thursday.  The game will be connected with the physical education skills that 1st and 2nd graders are working on. The goal is to work in a small group and to be specific about writing a game which will then be taught to our 1st and 2nd graders. 

 

Reminder starting on Friday we will have two weeks off for Spring Break.  If you are looking for you child for something to do over Spring Break to keep their reading and writing going.  They can read and then retell what they have read with you. 

For reading we will finish Module 9, Week 3, "Seven of the Wildest Sports" and the emphasis will be on asking and answering questions to help with the comprehension of the text. 

 

Writing the students got a great start on writing about their "Hero", and they will finish by the final draft while checking to make sure that they have a 5-paragraph essay and 3 criteria facts to support who their hero is. 

Reading we will continue working in Module 9, week 2

We will read Sports Poetry and a reading selection "Who Gets a Trophy" with a focus on poetry elements and asking and answering questions. 

 

For writing the students will start their rough draft on an Editorial on who their Hero is stating a claim and have three statements of criteria. 

We will be starting Module 8, Champions of the Game

 

HELLO, FAMILY!
Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about 
sports and competition, with a focus on the opinion text genre. We 
will read nonfiction book excerpts and essays that discuss the variety 
of sports that we pursue, the personal qualities of great athletes, and 
what it means to be a good sport. There is an additional feature on 
sports poetry.

 

BRING IT HOME! Learning fun for the whole family!

 

Discuss the Topic
Set aside time daily for your child to share with you what he or she is learning. Use these ideas to help build your child’s knowledge about the topic: 
• Talk about the ideas your child has added to the Knowledge Map each week.
• Ask about the texts your child is reading and what he or she has learned from them.
• Share with your child your own questions about the topic, and work together to find the answers.

 

Explore the Genre
The genre focus in this module is persuasive text. Discuss with your child the characteristics of this genre. Ask your child to read to you each and make time to read together. 

Look for texts that
• spark your child’s curiosity
• tie to the module topic
• present interesting ideas about how sports test an athlete’s character
• help readers connect to health and fitness.

 

Build Vocabulary
Use these ideas to help your child build a rich vocabulary. The Big Idea Reinforce the topic words attributes, rivals, leagues, and statistics in everyday conversations with your child. Use prompts like these: Describe the attributes of a great athlete. Who might be a challenging rival for you in something you love to compete for? What Does It Mean? Have your child keep a growing list of the 
Critical Vocabulary words. Quiz each other on their meanings .Word Hunt Look for words with the roots scrib/scribe, man; prefixes uni–, pro–, multi– in books, 
magazines, online texts, and environmental print.

 

 

Module 3, Week 3, Into the Deep

 

Reading we will read, Safeguarding the California Coast, and our reading focus skill is text structures; problem/solution, chronological order, cause/effect, compare and contrast as well as vocabulary. 

 

Writing the students will take their research for their topic that is from the theme of the sea and shorelines and create a research informational essay.  

We will continue working on Module 7, Into the Deep

This week we will be reading a poetry selection and discuss the elements of poetry. The students will also focus on vocabulary, decoding prefixes and for grammar looking at conjunctions. 

 

For writing the students will continue researching their chosen topic for the theme the sea and shorelines and then use the research to write their rough draft. 

Module 7, Into the Deep

 

HELLO, FAMILY!
Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about 
seas and shorelines, with a focus on the informational text genre. We 
will read texts and view a video about the immense diversity of ocean 
life, and explore how humans appreciate and interact with the sea 
and its creatures.

 

BRING IT HOME! Learning fun for the whole family!

 

Discuss the Topic
Set aside time daily for your child to share with you what he or she is 
learning. Use these ideas to help build your child’s knowledge about 
the topic: 
• Talk about the ideas your child has added to the Knowledge Map each week.
• Ask about the texts your child is reading and what he or she has learned from them.
• Share with your child your own questions about the topic, and work together to find the answers

 

Explore the Genre
The genre focus in this module is informational text. Discuss with your child the characteristics of this genre. 
Ask your child to read to you each day and make time to read together. 
Look for texts that
• spark your child’s curiosity
• tie to the module topic
• explore interesting facts and ideas about ocean exploration
• help readers connect to science topics

 

Build Vocabulary
Use these ideas to help your child build a rich vocabulary. 
The Big Idea Reinforce the topic words inhabit, aquatic, invertebrates, and vast in everyday conversations with your child.

 

Use prompts like these: Name an animal that lives in an aquatic environment. Describe something that is vast.
What Does It Mean? Have your child keep a growing list of the Critical Vocabulary words.

 

Quiz each other on their meanings. Word Hunt Look for words with the 
roots terr, hab; and prefixes sub–, ir–, octo–, com–, con– in books, magazines, online texts, and environmental print.

We will finish up on Module 6, by reading "Who Wants to Move to Mars?", and we will focus on new vocabulary words and the reading strategy making inferences.  

 

For Writing, the students will continue researching, writing their rough draft and then edit their argumentive paper.  The final paper will be due on Friday. 

HELLO, FAMILY!
Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about 
space exploration, with a focus on the opinion text genre. We will read 
nonfiction book excerpts and essays that tell the stories of space 
pioneers and the inspiring technology and human achievement that 
can be unlocked when we shoot for the moon and beyond. 

 

Module 6, To the Moon and Back

 

BRING IT HOME! Learning fun for the whole family!

 

Discuss the Topic
Set aside time daily for your child to share with you what he or she is 
learning. Use these ideas to help build your child’s knowledge about 
the topic: 
• Talk about the ideas your child has added to the Knowledge
Map each week.
• Ask about the texts your child is reading and what he or she has learned from them.
• Share with your child your own questions about the topic and work together to find the answers.

 

Explore the Genre
The genre focus in this module is persuasive text. Discuss with your child the characteristics of this genre. Ask your child to read to you each day and make time to read together. 

Look for texts that
• spark your child’s curiosity
• tie to the module topic
• present interesting ideas and different techniques authors use to share an opinion
• help readers connect to science

 

Build Vocabulary
Use these ideas to help your child build a rich vocabulary. 
The Big Idea Reinforce the topic words craters, satellite, orbit, and launched in everyday conversations with your child.

 

Use prompts like these:

- How do satellites affect our lives?

- Describe what you would see if you were launched into orbit around the earth.

 

What Does It Mean?

Have your child keep a growing list of the 

Critical Vocabulary words.

Quiz each other on their meanings.
Word Hunt

- Look for words with the roots cosmo, astro, orbit, hum, mit; the prefix de–; and suffixes –ion, –ism in books, magazines, online texts, and environmental print.

This week the students will be finishing Module 5. In Reading we will continue to look at reading on the Great Depression and connect it to the theme of Good times, Bad Times. 

 

Writing:

The students will finish writing their biography essay. 

This week we are moving into Module 5, Good Time, Bad Times

 

Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about 
the Great Depression era, with a focus on the narrative text genre. We 
will read fiction and nonfiction that explore both the national 
experience of Americans who lived through the crisis, as well as the 
stories of individuals from different walks of life.

 

Discuss the Topic
Set aside time daily for your child to share with you what he or she is 
learning. Use these ideas to help build your child’s knowledge about 
the topic: 
• Talk about the ideas your child has added to the Knowledge Map each week.
• Ask about the texts your child is reading and what he or she has learned from them.
• Share with your child your own questions about the topic, and work together to find the questions. 

 

Explore the Genre
The genre focus in this module is narrative text. Discuss with your child the characteristics of this genre. Ask your child to read to you each day and make time to read together. 
Look for texts that 
• spark your child’s curiosity
• tie to the module topic
• present a conflict and show how it is resolved
• help readers connect to social studies

 

Build Vocabulary
Use these ideas to help your child build a rich vocabulary. 
The Big Idea Reinforce the topic words persisted, industry, stocks, 
and investors in everyday conversations with your child. Use prompts like these:

Describe an industry you might want to have a career in. How do you think 
investors react if a company fails?
What Does It Mean? Have your child keep a growing list of the 
Critical Vocabulary words.

Quiz each other on their meanings.
Word Hunt Look for words with the roots migr, voc; prefixes intro–, 
im–; and suffixes –able,–ence, –ancein books, magazines, online texts, 
and environmental print