Newsletter Info

FCAT Info
Please look in your child's Tuesday Take Home Folder for information on FCAT dress up days that will begin the first Monday after spring break, as well as candy and snack donations and instructions for "the super secret surprise letters!"

Social Studies
There will be a change in our schedule due to the shortened week; we will have our weekly quiz on Thursday this week. We will continue with our study of ancient Greece. This week's focus will be on daily life in the city-state of Athens. We will learn about the role of wealthy men in the governmental system, as well as the role of women in caring the home and children. We will compare and contrast this with the roles of poor men and women in this ancient community. We will also briefly discuss contributions the ancient Greeks made with their alphabet and theater productions.

Science
Our focused study of heat energy is underway. So far we have discussed how scientists can measure how much heat energy an object has by using a thermometer to take the temperature of an object. We have practiced using this tool in the sun and shade, using Fahrenheit and Celsius. There will be a short quiz on Wednesday that reviews these skills. Meanwhile, we will be exploring how the temperature of a cup of tap water can be changed without the use of an appliance like a fridge or microwave. Essentially, we will work as a whole group to make a plan to change how much heat energy is in the cup of tap water, which will give us more practice using the F and C scales to measure temperature. Ask your child for updates as we work to develop and carry out our plan throughout the week.

Math Workshop
We are continuing our unit about fractions called Finding Fair Shares. In this unit, students investigate the meaning of fractions and the ways fractions can be represented. Our benchmark goals are: to divide a single whole or a quanity into equal parts and name those parts as fractions or mixed numbers, identify equivalent fractions, and to find combinations of fractions that are equal to one. Questions to ask your child:
* Is 2/3 equivalent to 3/2?
* How would you divide 7 brownies with 4 people equally?
* What is an equivalent fraction to 1/3?
There will be a Math quiz on Tuesday. You can review any completed pages in the Math Investigations Workbook (Unit 7)that have been completed. The homework sheet is #26 this week and will be checked on Thursday. In Tuesday Take-Home Folders, there will be a practice FCAT test the students completed. Please review this with your child carefully.