Room 1 Update!

Argumentative Writing: We have been working on constructing arguments this week. Students chose a topic, conducted research, formulated a claim, and created an outline for an argumentative essay this week. Check in with your student about this! Many of us came upon compelling facts in our research. If students did not complete their claim or outline, this is homework over the weekend. We will be using these to put together an argumentative essay next week and a speech the following week. Ask your student if they have completed these elements.

Reading: Your student has picked a nonfiction book to read. Do you know which book they have chosen? We have explored how to read between the lines and pick out central ideas, themes, and social issues in a nonfiction text. I have modeled note-taking strategies using our read-aloud book Hidden Figures. Please be on the lookout next week for a permission slip to view the movie version of Hidden Figures. We plan to watch the film the last day before Winter Break.

U.S. History: This past week, we learned about the foreign policies of the early presidents, the presidency of Andrew Jackson, the Trail of Tears, the Monroe Doctrine, the Missouri Compromise, and began our study of westward expansion by viewing and discussing America: The Story of Us (The West).

Science: We are studying atoms and matter! Students constructed an atomic theory timeline with a partner and completed a webquest as an introductory activity to this subject.

Reminders:
-1st trimester Progress Reports will be sent home with students AND mailed home by Wednesday, Dec. 12th at the latest.

-Not sure if your student has missing assignments? Have your student log in to their Google Classroom account. Most assignments are uploaded here. If your student has a zero on an assignment, that means it is missing!

-All students should be reading at least 30 minutes every night at home.

Upcoming Events:
*Thursday, Dec. 20th: Hidden Figures film viewing

*Thursday, Dec. 20th: White Elephant Gift Exchange- students should bring a “silly” gift to school that has been wrapped at home. We will have a celebration on this day that will include a gift exchange. Please do not spend lots of money on these items! Creative items that will not be missed at home (maybe you were going to donate them) always tend to be the most fun. Items that have been hit White Elephant gifts in the past: a singing trout, a creepy old portrait, and a toilet bowl coffee mug.

Note: We have not yet discussed the details of this as a class. We will on Monday!