Happy New Year! Hopefully your scholars are rested and ready to return to school this Wednesday. We welcome back our students and look forward to beginning new unit studies.  Below is an overview of our 2 ½ days of learning.  

Language Arts 

     Grammar – We review all parts of speech and practice diagraming sentences.

 

     Poetry – "Paul Revere" recitations of stanzas 1 and 2 are due Jan 14th. We will be explaining each stanza for students and they will take notes on their poem. The poem should be always in their yellow folder and practiced each night for 5 minutes. 

     Literature – Students should bring in their Harp and Laurel Wreath book as a resource for our poetry unit. Students will be introduced to poetry as a genre of literature. This week, we learn various methods of figurative language used to compare one thing to another. Students will learn the terms simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole and imagery. We will read various poems and recognize imagery and the various sound devices used. Sound devices include alliteration, assonance, repetition, rhyme, and onomatopoeia 

     Composition – We practice summarizing this week and dictation. 

     Latin & Greek Roots – No roots. 

     Philosophy – Students will discuss academic and social goals as a class. Students will identify areas of struggle in semester 1 and think of what to do differently in semester 2. They will complete individual worksheets in class and share them with you. 

History 

In history we begin our Arizona History unit by learning about the three distinct regions – mountains, plateaus, and deserts. Students will learn about the plants and animals in each region and will be able to locate several major features in our state on a map such as rivers, national parks, forests, and monuments. 

Science 

We begin our geology by studying the Earth’s layers – crust, inner core, mantle, and outer core. Each student will build a playdough model of the Earth and learn about Alfred Wegener’s theory of Continental Drift.  

Math 

Students will need their 4B Math workbooks brought to school. We begin by reviewing measurements and work with time and distance. Students will multiply and divide measurements in compound units by 1-digit numbers  . Students will solve word problems involving multiplication and division of measurements in compound units by 1-digit numbers . They will also convert a measurement expressed as a fraction of a unit to a smaller unit. We have a quiz testing knowledge of common conversions on Friday.