Our Solar System

The study of our Solar System has taken us from the moon and moon journals, to the sun, and now the study of the eight planets that make up our solar system. Over the next two weeks we will be learning about the planets in order from the sun outwards. We will begin this week with the inner planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Followed by the outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Some of you may remember the acronym that helped us learn the planets, My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas, with Pluto's demotion to dwarf planet, we will be using  My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos.  Watch for interesting facts on each planet, which will be coming home nightly for homework. 

Recorder Concert followed by Scavenger Hunt!

     This Wednesday, May 25th, at 9:15 in the East School cafeteria, 3O will be hosting a recorder concert followed by a scavenger hunt in our classroom. On display will be both our biography and autobiography projects, which we've all been working very hard on. Our posters will be on display and you'll be asked to join us in a "Scavenger Hunt" to find answers to questions we've created regarding our interesting person. It should be fun as well as informative. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!

Adams' Birthplace Field Trip a tremendous success!

Today we visited the Adam's Birthplace in Quincy. The students took part in The Families of the Revolution, a program run by the National Parks Service. Students played the role of a colonist, learning both their job, postion, and family history. We even had a spy in our ranks. We learned a lot about the lives of both John and Abigail Adams, while still having some fun. Take a look for yourself.

Learning to march.

The colonists prepare for battle.

The British are coming!

Animal Poster Project

The students have chosen their animal for the popular Animal Research Poster Project.  The culmination of this project will be a well-designed and well-researched poster, full of information. The students will have two opportunities to visit our library to find books and will have extra time in the computer lab to do some research online but the majority of work will be done at home.

The handout that came home last week offers suggestions and tips for the poster. The cover letter gives a time line for the process of creating the poster. It is important for the students to meet the deadlines along the way to avoid any problems completing the entire project by the due date. 
Poster Timeline

• Wednesday, May 11th - Show teacher 2 resource books and 1 website
• Thursday, May 19th - Rough Draft of answered questions
• Thursday, June 2nd - Final Project Due 

The students are very excited about the animals they have chosen and I look forward to seeing the completed posters.  If there is anything I can help with along the way, please don't hesitate to ask.

Adams' Birthplace Field Trip

We will visiting the Adams' Birthplace in Quincy on Wednesday, May 11th.  There is no cost for this field trip. The bus will be leaving the school at 9:15. All students must bring a bag lunch on this day. We will be eating back in the classroom when we return to school. Lunch will be later than usual, so please make sure your child has a hearty breakfast. Please have your child dress accordingly.

• I will need two chaperones for this trip. If you'd like to join us,  please email me at the link below; kjennings@hinghamschools.com

Math Update Unit 9

We have started Unit 9 which has four main areas of focus: 
                                                      
          * To multiply and divide with multiples of 10, 100 and 1,000
          * To use mental math to multiply
          * To share money, and
          * To find the products of 2-digit numbers


The students will be working with two strategies to solve multiplication problems with 2-digit numbers.  The strategies are known as partial products algorithm and the lattice method.  These methods may appear confusing at first but the students will achieve a level of success with each of them.  They will be able to choose to work with the method they are more comfortable with after exposure to both.  I need your help in getting your child to understand both of these strategies. As such I am reposting the link to EDM to help you help your child with questions on these strategies.  To help with computation:

http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/educators/computation/
http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/index.shtml

Literacy Update

For the next two weeks we will be focusing on the genre of biographies.  In our anthology we are reading The Many Lives of Benjamin Franklin by Aliki.  To enhance this study each student has chosen a biography from the Who was... ? or Who is...? series to read independently.  The students will use class time next week to create a poster showcasing the person or people thay have read about.  In class, the students will write a brief report, sharing interesting facts from their book.  The poster will also include a time-line of the person's life, a decorated cut out of the person, a stamp or coin designed by the student honoring their person and a blue ribbon award commenting on this person's contribution to the world. The students have already shown a great deal of enthusiasm for the biography/person that they chose, sharing facts they have already learned. This poster will require a great deal of effort from the students but the finished product will be well worth it. I'm hoping to have student's share what they've learned with parents and family members after their Recorder Concert on May 25th.