December 19th ~ Social Studies

Today we walked to the Middle School to watch their wax museum.  This was a great opportunity for students to see a little about what they would be working on in the months to come.  

All maps were DUE today.  They needed to be labeled and colored according to region. 

NO Homework! 

December 19th ~ ALL Reading Blocks

Today students had a chance to present their group projects.  Each group presented the two projects they did on their class novel.  After presenting, each group member got a chance to rate the other group members.  They rated them on their participation, their work, and their attitude/cooperation.  

Homework:

• Now is a great time to read and start working on your 3rd quarter AR goal.  DON'T take tests yet as it will still be counted in 2nd quarter.  I will let you know when I change the grading period.  

December 18~ Social Studies

Today we went to the library. When we got back from the library we took our "states test" of the northeast region.

Homework: You need to finish your US map. It should have all the state names and capitals. It should also be colored by each region. Click on the link http://mcgeebluepod.blogspot.com/2013/12/december-17th-social-studies.html to see how it should be correctly colored and completed.

December 18~ ALL Reading Blocks

Today we finished CBQM's and tomorrow we will be presenting our novel projects in class.

Homework: Tonight is the last night to have a chance to reach your AR goal!!!!

December 17th ~ Social Studies

Today students labeled a United States map with the state names and capitals.  Then they color coded it to break it down into the regions that we will be testing on.  

Homework:

• Labeled and colored state map due Thursday
• Bring Library books
• State test tomorrow ~ study, study, study!!!!

Below you will find a map that is labeled and fully colored.  Make sure you use the same five colors.  Click on the picture to make it bigger. 

Below you will find a sample test of the one we will be taking tomorrow.  Remember you have seen this test before!  I am just going to move numbers all around.  Make sure you are ready.  (On you big map it would be the orange region.)  Click on the picture to make it bigger.

December 17th ~ ALL Reading Blocks

Today students took reading CBQMs (District Quarterly Assessment).  We will be finishing our tests tomorrow and will be presenting our group novel projects.  


Homework: 

• CBQM ~ get lots of sleep and eat a good breakfast in the morning.
• AR ~ tomorrow is the last chance to reach your AR goal!!!!

December 16th ~ Social Studies

Today is Social Studies we took are stock market post test.  The fall round of the stock market has ended.  

There is no social studies homework.   

December 16 ~ ALL Reading Blocks

Today students continued to work on their group novel projects.  Today was the last class day to work on this project.  Those groups that are not finished will have to work on their project at home or they make work on it during recess time.  

Homework: 

• Any unfinished group project work
• AR Reading ~ There is only 3 days left to reach your goal.
• CBQMs are tomorrow!  Make sure you get lots of rest and eat a good breakfast.  

December 13th ~ Social Studies

ALL MISSING ASSIGNMENTS WERE DUE TODAY!

If you did not get them turned in, then they will become a zero in the grade book.  

Today we wrote a letter to the King that gave us our charter for our adventure.  This allowed us to describe our adventures for others and become a part of history.  Your letter should be in letter format.  It needs to be dated.  We used Jan-March 1946.  If you got your charter from Spain, you are writing to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.  If you got your charter from Portugal, you are writing to King Henry.  Your letter needs to have at least three paragraphs with at least five sentences.  One paragraph needs to describe what the land looked like, one paragraph needs to tell how you voyage there and back was, and one paragraph needs to include your feelings.  Don't forget to sign your letter.  

Homework: Finish your letter.   

December 13th ~ ALL Reading Blocks

ALL MISSING ASSIGNMENTS WERE DUE TODAY!!!

If you did not get them turned in, then it will become a zero in the grade book and can not be made up.  

Today we worked on our group novel projects.  We will be finishing them up in class on Monday and then begin presenting.  

Homework: AR ~ You have 4 more school days to reach your goal.  Use the weekend to read lots and lots. 

Don't forget we have reading CBQMs next week.  Get lots of sleep and come ready to do your best.  

December 12th ~ Social Studies

Today students finished their explorer simulation.  Many students were fortunate to make it back home but a few stumbled upon tragedies.  

Homework: Finish writing in your journal for today's events that happened while attempting to get back home.  

ALL MISSING ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE TOMORROW!!!

December 12th ~ ALL Reading Blocks

Today students had a chance to work with their groups to complete their novel projects.  All work for these projects are done in class.  Once the students have completed their work, they will be presenting.  

Homework: AR ~ You only have 5 days left to reach your AR goal.  Don't forget you should be reading 20-30 minutes every night.  

ALL MISSING ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE TOMORROW!!!!!

December 11th ~ Social Studies

Today we went to the library and took our state quiz.

Homework:  Study the states.  We will have another quiz Wednesday!

Missing assignments due Friday, December 13th.  

December 11th ~ Reading ALL blocks

Today students worked on their novel group projects.

Homework: AR ~ You have 6 more days to reach your AR goal.

Missing assignments due Friday, December 13th.  

December 10th ~ Social Studies

Today students boarded their ships.  We worked on our explorer simulation and spent the day looking for gold.   Thursday we will begin our journey home.

We also read the postcards we received from our postcard exchange.  

Homework: State test tomorrow!  Don't forget to study.  It will be over the north eastern states.  There is nine of them.

Library tomorrow....bring those books with you.  

December 10 ~ Blocks 3 & 4

Today students took their Unit 4 Pretest.  Both blocks worked on missing assignments. 

Block 4 ~ took notes on figurative language.  They created their own similes and metaphors.  Afterwards they started their group novel projects.  

Homework: You may submit book orders on-line until about 7:00 tonight.  Go to the website  https://orders.scholastic.com/MD7JN and create an account.  I will be submitting all orders today.  (Our class code is MD7JN)

AR countdown ~ only 7 days to to reach your AR goal.  

Missing assignments due Friday, December 13th!!!!!

December 10th Reading ~ Blocks 1 & 2

Today students began their group novel projects.  Students are working in a group to complete two projects to present to their classmates about their novel that they spent the last few weeks reading.  We will be working on these projects for the rest of the week.  


Homework: You may submit book orders on-line until about 7:00 tonight.  Go to the website  https://orders.scholastic.com/MD7JN and create an account.  I will be submitting all orders today.  (Our class code is MD7JN)

AR countdown ~ only 7 days to to reach your AR goal.  

Missing assignments due Friday, December 13th.  

December 9th ~ Social Studies

Today we finished our geography bee preliminaries.  

Homework: All missing assignments are due Friday, December 13th.  

December 9 ~ BLOCK 3 & 4 Reading

Today students finished their Unit 3 post test.  Afterwards they worked on their summaries from the weekend and any missing work that they had.  

Homework:  Tomorrow is the last day to bring in book orders.  Don't forget to get your grade sheet signed, otherwise it will be a phone call home during reading class tomorrow.  Summary for Grandma Essie or The Paper Dragon (handprint style, don't forget you can use the hand as a plan but you still need to write a paragraph.)  

AR countdown ~ only 8 more days left to reach your goal.  

December 9 ~ BLOCK 2 Reading

Today we took our Unit 4 pretest.  Afterwards, students had a chance to complete their summary from the weekend and to work on any missing assignments that they had.  

Homework:  Tomorrow is the last day to bring in book orders.  Don't forget to get your grade sheet signed, otherwise it will be a phone call home during reading class tomorrow.  Summary for Grandma Essie or The Paper Dragon (handprint style, don't forget you can use the hand as a plan but you still need to write a paragraph.)  

AR countdown ~ only 8 more days left to reach your goal.    

December 9 ~ BLOCK 1 Reading

Today we took our Unit 4 pretest.  We also took notes on types of figurative language such as similes and metaphors.  Students had a chance to create one of each for their notes.  

Homework:  Tomorrow is the last day to bring in book orders.  Don't forget to get your grade sheet signed, otherwise it will be a phone call home during reading class tomorrow.  

AR countdown ~ only 8 more days left to reach your goal.  

December 6 ~ Social Studies

We continued working on our Geography Bee.  We will finish up the last two rounds on Monday.  We also had our pod meeting.   

December 6 ~ Reading - ALL Blocks

Today students took their Unit 3 post test.  After their test  they had to write a summary over one of their Unit stories.  They can choose Grandma Essie or The Paper Dragon.  Remember it needs to be hand print style.  That doesn't mean just trace your hand and fill it in.  You need to write a paragraph.  The hand can be used as a plan.  

Homework: ALL BLOCKS ~ Get your grade sheet signed.  Only 9 more days left to reach your AR goal and get on the 2nd quarter wall of fame.  You can do it!!!  

BLOCKS 2, 3, 4 ~ Summary

December 5th ~ Social Studies

Today we began the preliminary competition for the geography bee.  Each student is getting a chance to participate.  

December 5 ~ ALL Reading Blocks

Today we finished up the last two rounds of centers.  Please look at December 4th for your reading skills homework or click on the link http://mcgeebluepod.blogspot.com/2013/12/december-4-reading-all-blocks.html

There are only 10 more days to reach your AR goal.  Remember this does not include weekends.  Don't forget all missing/late work is due next Friday, December 13th.  

December 4 ~ Social Studies

   Today students had library.  After library we took a test of the Northeastern States.  If you did not get a 100% this week you will need to take the test next week.  Be ready!!!

December 4 ~ Reading ALL Blocks

      Today students received book orders.  All book orders are due December 10th.  This is next Tuesday.  By having them in next week all orders should be in before Winter Break.  Remember that you can also order on-line.  You may send the orders back to school with the students or order on-line at https://orders.scholastic.com/MD7JN  .  

     Today was a center day.  Students completed two of the four centers.  Normally all center work is done is class.  However this week, if students do not complete their reading skill center they will need to complete that as homework.  

Center 1: Lit Circle

     Students should have read their novel and completed their job.  If these are not done, students receive a 0.  They need to stay up to date so we can have a good discussion on the book.  Each block/class/group is reading a different story.  

Center 2: Silent/AR Read

     Students have about 20 minutes to silent read.  They may read their novel or an AR book of their choice.  Also during this time they may take an AR test.  

Center 3: Fluency

     This week in fluency students are seeing how fast they can read in 5 minutes, 3 minutes, and 1 minute.   Their goal is to read quickly with 100% accuracy.  They will be recording this information in their notebook.  

Center 4: Reading Skill ~ Unit 3 Reading Skills Review (Homework if you did not finish in class!!!!!)

     This week students are reviewing their reading skills for our big Unit 3 test on Friday.  Below are the questions.  You will need to answer questions 1-26.   Once you have completed the review, then you will need to grade it.  Remember if you get it right you will put a star.  If you get it wrong put a check.

Here is the Review (Click on the pictures to make them larger)

Here is the Answer Key (All answers are in blue.  Click on the picture to make it larger.)