The following information overviews our curriculum and events throughout the year.

Students will be using Time For Kids, a news magazine made by Time magazine, for current events, reading, and journal assignments. Students will also take part in the Geography Bee about midway through the year.

Field Trips: The Outdoor Lab overnight is scheduled for early October. Two visits to the Planetarium are scheduled for late spring. There will also be a trip during February sponsored by Art Ace that correlates to Social Studies content.

Homework is assigned everyday. Nine late assignments, or three missing assignments in a quarter equals a “U” under work behavior on the report card. This does not allow for Honor Roll to be achieved.

Please monitor your child’s homework, but do not do your child’s work.

Friday Folders need to be reviewed each weekend. Any papers below a 70 need to be signed by a parent and returned to the teacher. Parents sign the signature sheet located on the inside of the folder and the student returns the folder to class the following Monday. Any papers with a grade of C or higher may be kept at home.

Children should bring a healthy snack to school since we have a late lunch. No candy, please.

Mid-quarter reports are sent home for any student with a C or below in any subject and must be signed by a parent and returned.

Approximate Timeline of Science, Social Studies and Writing Units

Q.1 - (Sept.-end Oct.)
Matter
Stone Age and Fertile Crescent
Writing Memoirs

Q.2 - (Nov.-mid Dec.)
Rocks, Minerals and Plate Tectonics
Ancient Egypt and China
Persuasive Writing

Q.3 - (Jan- end Feb.)
Structures of Life/Oceanography
MesoAmerica and Ancient Greece
Writing Prompts

Q.4 - (March- June)
Sound and Light/Review of SOLs
Ancient Rome and Early Middle Ages
Report Writing

Reading:
There will be one novel-study each quarter. Novels will be provided. There will be a book discussion group and presentation each quarter. Each class will be given names of authors to choose a book from. Students meet in groups during class for author analysis as well as individually share information with the class about the book they read.

Math:
We are fully implementing the Math Series, Investigations in Number, Data and Space by Dale Seymour Publications. Unit math packets will be used for class and homework assignments in addition to the Today’s Math workbook which relate to the lesson or activity learned daily. Curriculum Checkup’s (CCU’s) are also completed with students weekly to maintain exposure to a variety of state objectives throughout the year.

Texts and Resources:
TERC Dale Seymour Publications, Investigations, Today’s Math
Scott Foresman, Reading- Fantastic Voyage (www.sfreading.com)
Scott Foresman, The World (www.sfsocialstudies.com)
Harcourt, Science (www.harcourtschool.com)
Houghton Mifflin, Spelling and Vocabulary
Kemper, Writer’s Express
Harcourt, Your Health (www.harcourtschool.com)