Dear Parents,

We are learning about North American geography with an emphasis on the United States.  Since we do not have enough time to study each state individually, your child will be completing a report on one state.  Each student went home on May 7th with a sheet of paper that included the state that he or she chose and a rubric that will help guide you and your child through the project.  The project must be handwritten.  I suggested to the students that they use index cards to help with handwriting.  DON'T FORGET - Information must be written in complete sentences (Ex.:  The state capital of Texas is Austin. rather than State Capital = Austin)  

Your child will need a large piece of poster board (any color) to put his or her report on.  The following information needs to be included on the poster (please make sure that the information is labeled - for example, a picture of the bluebonnet would need to have "State Flower" written above it):

• State name
• Map of state including any major geographical features such as mountains, rivers, etc.
• Map of the United States with your state colored
• State flag - colored or printed in color from the internet
• State flower - colored or printed in color from the internet
• State bird - colored or printed in color from the internet
• State animal - colored or printed in color from the internet
• Stated nickname
• State song - this does not have to be handwritten; it can be printed from the internet
• State capital
• Region your state is from  - New England, Middle Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Mountain, Pacific
• When your state became a state
• Three interesting facts about your state that have not already been included

Sincerely,

Mrs. Mills

Dear Parents,

We're excited to report that your child is using EasyTech by Learning.com to develop technology skills and enhance learning across the curriculum.  With EasyTech, students learn to select and use the right technology tool for any project.  And, at the same time, EasyTech helps your child meet national technology standards and develop skills that will help them throughout their education careers and beyond.

EasyTech helps students learn computer skills through interactive lessons, teacher-led discussions, core-curriculum based activities, and online practices.  

I am giving my students a challenge (with a little reward along the way)!  For every 2 levels completed, he or she can take a trip to the treasure chest.  All that I am asking from you is a quick note or an email to let me know what levels have been completed.  Students need to have all of the activities completed by May 14th.

Peter Pan

Folk Heroes

Tall Tales

Poetry

Fiction

Sayings and Phrases

Shurley English

American Government:  The Constitution

The War of 1812

Symbols and Figures

Westward Expansion

Fractions

Measurement, Weight, and Capacity

Place Value 1-999

Geometry

Number Line

The Human Body

Health and Nutrition

Dinosaurs

YOU MAY CHOOSE ANY EXERCISE  ON THE ACTIVITY MENU. 

Math Packet Due

Dear Students,

I am looking forward to working with all of you in our very own READING ADVENTURE!  Reading is wonderful in so many ways.  It gives us the ability to learn new things and it takes us to places that we can only dream of.  REMEMBER - I'm depending on you to tell me about all of the amazing things that you find in the pages of a good book.

Dear Parents, 

Each Monday your child will bring home his or her Celebrate Reading! folder.  There will be a note for you in the "TO PARENTS" pocket.  The letter will indicate what skill or strategy we are working on for the week.  As your child completes his or her work throughout the week, place it in the "TO TEACHER" pocket.  Your child will bring the folder back to class on Friday.

I will test each child at the beginning of the school year to establish what reading level he or she falls into.  The results of this test will indicated which group the student will be placed in for the Celebrate Reading! program.  You will be notified as to which group your child is in as well as when his or her group changes throughout the year.  This program eliminates the traditional "book report" and puts the activities in the hands of parents and students.  HAPPY READING!

Directions:

* Select one activity to complete each day.  Try to pick different activities each week.

* Parents should initial and date the Weekly Check Point each time.

* Complete at least three activities per week to advance on the Celebrate Reading! chart.

* Each activity should take between 15-30 minutes.

* Send the completed work in your folder to school on Monday.  I will check assignments and return to the student on Monday. 

The Oregon Trail (click on the

landmarks for pictures and facts)

Western Mountain Men

Civil War for Kids

Immigration and Citizenship

GREAT site for Ellis Island.  Insert random last names and dates (1800's) and view the certificate, the boat's manifest, pictures of the boat, etc.

The History of Invention - Fun Facts

http://www.historyglobe.com/ot/otmap1.htm

http://www.42explore2.com/mtnmen.htm

http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/gettkidz/kidzindex.htm

http://www.bringinghistoryhome.org/2_Imm_websites.htm

http://www.ellisisland.org/search/passSearch.asp

http://www.cbc.ca/kids/general/the-lab/history-of-invention/default.html

Simple Machines 

Dinosaurs

Research Detectives

www.edheads.org

http://www.kidsdinos.com/

http://www.bookrags.com/browse/bioghraphy

Interactive Math Sites (IXL will ask you 

if you would like to sign up for a

monthly or yearly subscription, but

you can skip through the process

and practice for free.) 

www.ixl.com

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/numbersense/index.html (Place Value Game) 

http://www.kidsnumbers.com/

http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/mathfact/mathFact.htm

http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jeather/maths/dictionary.html (visual math dictionary for kids)

http://www.aaastudy.com/

http://www.aplusmath.com/

http://www.mathsisfun.com/

http://www.mathplayground.com/

http://funschool.kaboose.com/

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/

http://fun.familyeducation.com/

http://www.funbrain.com/

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/

Language

Arts

Pick the ingredients from the story kitchen to get the story brewing.  He will begin the story and then it's your job to finish it!

Learn about what it takes to become an author!

Enjoy fun stories and work on reading comprehension at the same time!

Have fun with spelling and vocabulary with this interactive site!

http://www.brucevanpatter.com/storykitchen.html

http://www.judyblume.com/kids.php

http://www.rhlschool.com/reading.htm

http://www.aaaspell.com/

Symbols on a map are explained in the map key.

Canada, Mexico, and the United States are in North America.

Canada is north of the United States.

The biggest river in North America is the Mississippi.

The Aztec emperor who ruled Mexico was called Montezuma.

The biggest country in South America is Brazil.

An island in the West Indies is Puerto Rico.

The biggest river in South America is the Amazon.

The mountains that run along the west coast of South America are called the Andes.

Simon Bolivar was called the Liberator.