News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room January 5 - January 9th

January 5 - Classes resume - We will have an in school field trip Goo, Glob, & Guts. This program will go with our unit on the Human Body.
January 7- MAP testing reading
January 16 -Early Dismissal 11:00


Spelling - This week the students will be working on words with silent e.  They will be responsible for workbook pages 29-31 in volume 2.  If they pass the pretest with 95% or better, they will work on an alternate list of words and activities.

Math - This week in math the students will work on using basic facts and patterns to solve division problems.  They will also estimate quotients using compatible numbers, basic facts, and place value.  There will be a division 6 & 7 fact test on Friday of this week.

English- We will continue to work on expository writing this week.  The students will finish writing their Hero essays.

Reading - The students will begin a culminating project which will be completed on the computer. They will choose a heroic person in present day or historically to research. They will create a book called A Profile in Courage. They will use the Chrome books to research facts about their person's life and share the courageous things they have done throughout their life.

Science- We will begin a unit on Adaptations this week.  The students will focus on the essential question: How do the bodies and behaviors of animals help them meet their basic needs?

Social Studies - The students will finish filling in their Southeast map.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room December 15-19

Tuesday, Dec. 16- Early dismissal, 11:00
Monday, Dec. 22 - Jan. 2 - Winter Vacation
Monday, January 5 - Classes resume


Spelling- The students will be working with words that have the sounds of  /k/, /ng/, and /kw/.  The students will be responsible for completing the workbook pages 9-11 in Volume 2 .  If they passed the pretest with 95% or better, they will work on alternate activities.  There will be a test on Friday.

Math-There will be a test on Thursday over chapter 5.  The students may bring their books home and complete any pages that we did not do in class for extra practice.  They should study all the skills from the pages that they have in their math folders. Please continue to have them study their math facts over the holidays.  It is so important that those facts stay fresh in their minds.

English - We will continue to work on expository writing this week.  We will focus on the use of details to explain their ideas.

Reading - There will be a test on Wednesday this week, over the biography of Lou Gehrig which will have questions similar to what they will see in the PARCC assessment. They will also be tested on the 10 vocabulary words that we have focused on in this story.  They will need to know and understand the meanings of the words and be able to write them in  good sentences.  The sentences should show that they understand the meaning of the word as used in the story.  They can use their Google Classroom.  There is a  Quizlet to help them with the definitions.

Social Studies-   We will have a quiz on chapter 7  lesson one, The Cherokee on Friday. We will also have  a Taste of the Southeast Day on Friday.  If anyone can send in the following items to be here at school on Thursday, please let me know.

edamame (soybeans)
oranges-cut and ready to eat
peach cups
popcorn(individually bagged if possible)
Rice cakes

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room December 8-12

Friday, Dec. 12 - Field trip money and permission is due
Tuesday, Dec. 16- Early dismissal, 11:00
Monday, Dec. 22 - Jan. 2 - Winter Vacation
Monday, January 5 - Classes resume

As you know your students have the  Chromebooks back for the month of December.  They  have been doing a great job of keeping their Chromebooks charged and remembering to bring them to school each day.  Thank you for your encouragement with this.  

Spelling- This week is a review week in spelling.  All the students will be responsible for completing the workbook pages 187-189.  There will be a test on Friday.

Math- The students will estimate products by rounding and use the distributive property to multiply two digit numbers.  Then they will multiply two two-digit numbers.

English- In English this week the students will be writing an expository essay, informing us about a hero in their life.

Reading - This week in reading, we will continue close reading the biography of Lou Gherig. The students will work with a partner to complete text dependent questions.  They will also work with vocabulary from the story.  They should practice their vocabulary words with the Quizlet in their Google Classroom.  There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday of this week over the vocabulary.  The students should be able to understand the meanings of the words and write them in good sentence.  I should be able to tell they understand the meaning of the words in their sentences without it being a definition.

Social Studies- The students will research information and create their Southeast slide show this week.  They will use their Chromebooks for this, and they can be working on this at home as well.  We will begin a lesson on the Native Americans of the Southeast.

Science - There is a science test planned for Thursday of this week over chapter 2 lesson 2 & 3, Life Cycles of Plants and Animals.  The students should study all sheets in their binder and main concepts in their book.
The students should know:
all vocabulary
understand how plants grow and develop( Which comes first the leaves or the flower? Why does that have to be?)
understand tubers and be able to give examples
the parts of the plant and what they do (roots, stem, seed)
understand mosses and ferns
understand the animal life cycle and how it begins
understand the human life cycle and be able to describe them
know the different ways that animals grow and develop (direct development, complete metamorphosis, incomplete metamorphosis)  Be able to give examples of the animals that go through the different stages.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room Nov. Dec. 1-5

Tuesday, Dec. 16- Early dismissal, 11:00

Math- This week in math the students will determine if a question needs an estimate or exact answer.  They will multiply across zeros.  There will be a test on Thursday of this week over chapter 4.  The students should study the pages in their binder. There are usually extra pages in their workbook that we have not completed and they can use those extra pages in chapter 4 to practice as well.  There will also be a review sheet coming home for practice.

Spelling- The students will be working with words that have the sounds of /or/, /ur/, and /yoor/.  They will be responsible for workbook pages 167-169 or activities if they passed out of their list words.

Reading - This week in reading, the students will write an essay that will compare Athena to Gloria Estefan.  They will connect the two with the Big Idea  that a hero  is defined by her good works and determination to overcome obstacles.   Understanding fact and opinion will be the skill focus this week, and we will  begin our first close read of the biography of Lou Gehrig.

English- There will be an English test over chapter 2, nouns, on Thursday of this week.  The students will have homework that they bring home to help them study for the test.  There are also pages at the end of the chapter for them to practice and review the skill of nouns.

Science- The students will understand that animals grow and develop in different ways.  They will learn about direct development, animals that look the same as their parents when they are born, but they are just smaller and do not go through many changes.  Incomplete metamorphosis, is when when the animal is born they have most the parts of the adult, but they do not have all of them. Finally,  metamorphosis, is when an animal does not look like their parents at all when they are born, and they go through major changes in their body form as they grow.

Social Studies - The test is on Friday, Dec. 5 over chapter 6 The Land of the Southeast.  The students should study the vocabulary and the main concepts from each lesson. They should study the sheets in their folder.  

They should know:

land forms found in the Southeast

understand characteristics of: Appalachian Mountains, inner Coastal Plains, Outer Coastal Plains, Piedmont

climate of the Southeast (warm/humid)

lighthouses in the past/present

animals that live in the different areas of the Southeast

resources of the Southeast (what comes from a logging industry? What is burned to run generators?) Crops that grow well in the Southeast and explain why they grow well there.

Be able to explain what a hurricane is using several details.

Be able to explain how hurricanes can be dangerous using several details.

What State would you like to visit in the Southeast and why?

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room November 24-November 28

Wed.-Fri. 11/26-28 No School Thanksgiving

Tues., 12/16 - Early Dismissal 11:00

PV PBIS Community Service Project

It's time again for our winter PV PBIS Community Service Project! We will be collecting clothing donations for our Winter Wear Drive now through 12/10/14. See the attached flier for more details.

Math - This week we will have a quiz on lesson 5-9 on Tuesday. Multiplying 2 & 3 digit by one digit numbers, using the distributive property to multiply, and problem solving with multiplication.  The students should also be reviewing their division facts.  Next fact quiz on Dec. 6 will be over 4 & 6 division.  

Spelling- No Spelling this week.

Reading- In reading this week, the students will continue to study mythology.  They will perform readers theater with several different myths.  

English - This week the students will work with singular and plural possessive nouns. There will be an English test the following Thursday we return, Dec. 4, over chapter 2 Nouns.

Science-What are Some Life Cycles of Animals?  The students will order and describe the stages of an animals life cycle.

Social Studies - The students will describe the importance of protecting endangered species.  They will identify ways in which resources of the Southeast are used.  A test is planned for Friday, Dec. 5 over chapter 6 The Land of the Southeast.  The students should study the vocabulary and the main concepts from each lesson. They should study the sheets in their folder.  

They should know:

landforms found in the Southeast

understand characteristics of: Appalachian Mountains, inner Coastal Plains, Outer Coastal Plains, Piedmont

climate of the Southeast (warm/humid)

lighthouses in the past/present

animals that live in the different areas of the Southeast

resources of the Southeast (what comes from a logging industry? What is burned to run generators?) Crops that grow well in the Southeast and explain why they grow well there.

Be able to explain what a hurricane is using several details.

Be able to explain how hurricanes can be dangerous using several details.

What State would you like to visit in the Southeast and why?

Mrs. Cavoto's Blog November 17- November 21

Math- This week in math we will be exploring multiplication using area  models and partial products and base ten models.    Many of the students know how to multiply two digit by one digit numbers, however they will be digging deeper in their  understanding of this process by using and drawing models to show their deep understanding.

Spelling - The students will be working with words that have r controlled vowel sounds.  They will be responsible for pages 152-154. If they pass out of the list, they will be responsible for the activities for the week.   There will be a test on Friday of this week.

Reading - We will read the myths of Athena and Arachnid this week, and the students will make comparisons between the two. They will perform a reader's theater with Greek myths.

English- The students will identify regular and irregular singular and plural nouns and write them correctly.

Social Studies - In social studies this week the students will understand the different physical features in the Southeast region as they draw a picture to help them visualize the barrier islands wetlands, inner and outer coastal plains, the Piedmont, and fall line.

Science-The students will complete a diagram on the computer of the life cycle of a plant that grows from seeds.  You may want to ask your child, "Can seeds germinate in the dark?"

Monday, Nov. 10- The Girl with the Cape book money is due.

Tuesday, Nov. 11- Picture Retakes-If you want your child's picture retaken, just bring back the package on Tuesday and have your child let the teacher know.

Friday, Nov. 14-Coupon Book money is due.  If you would like a coupon book, please send in a check for the book.  If you do not want it, please return to school by Friday.  Thank you.


Math-There will be a test over chapter 3 on Tuesday, November 11.  They may use the extra pages in the text book as practice.  They should also study the material from their folders.   I will be giving mult. math fact tests on Fridays.  The students should continue to practice these facts so they do not forget them.

Spelling - The students will work with words this week that have the sound of /oo/ as in soup and pull. They will be assigned workbook pages 137-139, or an alternate list of words and activities. There will be a test on Friday of this week.

Reading- We will continue our work with the study of mythology with week.  The students will read about the Myth of Athena and the story of Arachne and Athena.  They will complete higher level thinking tasks to go with the myths of Hercules and Athena.

English -  We will begin a unit on nouns this week.  The students will identify nouns in sentences and distinguish between common and proper nouns.

Science- This week we will begin a new unit, What are Some Life Cycles of Plants?  They will investigate if seeds need light to grow.  They will understand what plants need to make their own food and explain the process of photosynthesis.

Social Studies - There will be a map quiz on Tuesday of this week.  The students should be able to place the correct name of the state on the map of the Southeast region.  They should also be able to identify the bodies of water: Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River, and Atlantic Ocean.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room Nov. 3-Nov. 7

 Monday, Nov. 5 - P/T Conferences, No School
 Tuesday, Nov. 4 - Teacher Institute Day, No School

Math - This week in math the students will find factors and multiples. They will understand that they can find all the factors of a number by thinking of  factor pairs that result in a product of that number.  They will also analyze the given information in real world problems to find reasonable answers.   There will be a test over chapter 3 on Tuesday, November 11.  They may use the extra pages in the text book as practice.  They should also study the material from their folders.

Spelling- No Spelling this week.

Reading - In reading this week the students will be introduced to the world of mythology.  The first myth they will read is The Myth of Hercules (Heracles). They will compare and contrast their views of a hero and evaluate whether or not they feel that Hercules has the traits to consider him a hero.

English- The students will work on writing titles correctly.  They will review the skills from Chapter 5 and there will be a test on Friday of this week over chapter 5.  They will have homework each night to help them study for their test.  They can also study the end of the chapter lessons which review what they have learned throughout the chapter.

Science- This week the students will follow a  rubric and design  an invertebrate poster. We will begin the next chapter 3 lesson 2 Life Cycles of Plants.

Social Studies - We will begin a new chapter on the Southeast Region.  They will learn about the states  and bodies of water in the Southeast and they will be assigned to complete a map of the Southeast.  This will be due on Tuesday, Nov. 11.  They will have a quiz over the states and bodies of water on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room October 27-31

October 27-29 Parent Teacher Conferences
October 31- Halloween Party- Kids should bring costumes to school if they wish.  The parade will begin at 1:15 and the party will begin at 1:30.
November 3- No School

Math - This week there will be a quiz on Wednesday over lessons 1-4 in chapter 3. Thank you for signing their sheets each night.  I appreciate all the help that you can give them in practicing their facts.  They should continue to study their math multiplication facts. We will have a review of all facts test on Monday.  It is so important for them to learn their facts now, to help make the future skills and concepts easier for them.

Spelling - The spelling pattern this week is the sound of ou.  The students will be responsible for completing pages 117-119. If they pass out of their words on Monday, they will be responsible for completing the alternate word activities. Test on Friday.

English - The students will use their knowledge of capitalization and punctuation to apply to a fall story that they will write with a partner.  They will be creating this story on the Chromebooks together.  This will be a time where they really have to respect and work collaboratively with their partners, since they will be writing on the same page together.

Reading - The students will continue to dig deep into the Gloria Estefan Biography as they answer text dependent questions on their own this week.  We will review cause effect relationships and the students will understand these relationships as they dig deeper into the text and work with a partner to write their own cause effect relationships from the biography.

Science- There will be a test on Chapter 1 lesson 3 in science on Thursday of this week.  The students should review all vocabulary from this one lesson and the main concepts from the lesson. They should study all the worksheets from this lesson.
They should know:

• the five groups of vertebrates, their traits, examples of them
• understand invertebrates and the largest group of them
• difference between insects and spiders/ insects body parts and names of body parts
• understand arthropods
• exoskeletons

Social Studies -  The students will be working a project with the Narragansett this week in class. This week there is a quiz on Wednesday over Chapter 5 lesson 1 on the Narragansett.  They should study the vocabulary and important concepts from this lesson.  They should study all the worksheets in their folders.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room Oct 20-24

October 27-29 Parent Teacher conferences
October 31 - Halloween party will begin with a parade starting at 1:15 and the party beginning at 1:30. The students should bring their costumes to school.
Nov. 3 - No School

Math - In math this week, the students will continued to be tested on their math facts.  Each night there will be new facts to study and every day they will be tested on those facts plus the ones they already were tested on. Please sign the homework sheet that goes home.  It helps me know that they are keeping up with their facts.   The students will learn that multiplication and division are opposite, or inverse operations.  The will understand that a fact family is a set of four related multiplication and division facts.

I have set up 3 different sites they can log into which will help them to practice their math facts. They can log into their Google Classroom under math to find and then play them.  If they print out their scores to show me they have practiced, I will give out Dojo points to them:)

Spelling - This week in spelling the students will work with more words that have long and short vowel sounds.  They will be responsible for pages 99-101 in their workbooks volume 1.

English -  The students will use commas to separate items in a series, after introductory words and to set off names of people begin addressed.  They will also proofread for missing commas or misplaced commas.

Reading - The students will learn that making judgments involves deciding whether or not a character's actions are appropriate for a situation. They will work with vocabulary and text dependent questions with the intent of understanding the authors craft and structure as they read a biography about Gloria Estefan.

Science -   You may ask your child what classifying means?  (Grouping)  Ask them how we classified the dinosaurs in today's activity.  Scientists classify animals into two groups: vertebrates and invertebrates.  We will continue to work with invertebrates this week.  By the end of the week they should be able to tell you the 5 animal classes (FMBAR fish, mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles)   and three characteristics  of each class. Can they give you two examples of each class of animals?

Social Studies - This week in social studies, the students will learn about the Native American tribe from the Northeast region called the Narragansett.  They will describe key events that affected the Narragansett way of life once European settlers arrived.  They will choose a project to do to show their understand of the Narragansett culture by either creating a picture or doing a writing activity.  A quiz is scheduled for Friday of this week over lesson 1 in Chapter 5.  The Narragansett People.

 

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room October 13-17

Monday, October 13- No school Columbus Day
Thursday, October 16- Book Fair
Monday-Wednesday October 27-29 Parent Teacher Conferences

Please be sure to follow the link from my e-mail and sign up for parent/ teacher conferences.

Math- This week in math there will be a test over chapter 2, Adding and Subtracting Whole Numbers.  The students should bring their their books home to study the pages that are still in their books. If there are pages that have not been completed, the students may use those pages as extra practice for the test.  Many of the pages from the chapter are in their binders, and they should review those as well.

Spelling - This week is a review week.  The students will be responsible for workbook pages 87-89.

English - The students will  write abbreviations of titles, addresses, months and days.  There will be an abbreviation quiz on Friday of this week.  A practice sheet will go home for the students work on.

Reading- In reading this week we will dig even further in our close read of Casey at the Bat as we look at perspective..  The students will compare the perspectives of The Three Little Pigs told from the pigs point of view and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs from the Wolf's point of view.  The students will write what happened in Mudville during this game from the perspective of another character in the story.  They will then listen to a song called Mighty Jackie the Strike Out Queen.  We will compare and contrast the song with the story.

Science - In science this week, we will begin a unit on Classifying animals.  The students will classify animals as vertebrates and invertebrates.  They will learn the characteristics of the 5 animal classes with backbones (vertebrates- fish, mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles FMBAR).

Social Studies - There will be a test in social studies on Thursday this week over unit 2 Land and Water of the Northeast.  Pages 104-119.  The students should study all the sheets from their binder.  They should know:

• all vocabulary 
• how Niagara Falls was formed,where it is located, and why it is so important to the Northeast (2 ways)
• what is produced by hydropower plants
• the important mountain ranges that make up part of the Appalachian Mountains
• which states do not share a border with the Atlantic Ocean
• the Finger Lakes and understand why grapes grow well there
• difference between the coast of Maine and the coast of New Jersey
• two challenges that threaten the fish population of Chesapeake Bay
• how Green Mountains and the White Mountains alike and different
• which state would you like to live in the Northeast Region-why? 2 reasons

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room October 6-10

Wednesday, October 8 - Picture Day
Thursday, October 9 - Worms and racetracks with sheet are due
Friday, Oct. 10 - Early Dismissal 11:00
Monday, Oct. 13 No School, Columbus Day
Thursday, October 16 - Book Fair
Volunteers are needed  to help out with the Fall Book Fair.  If you are interested please sign up using the link below. 
To sign up, go to:

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F044AA9A622A13-prairieview1/12780975

The students have been very excited to use their Chromebooks in the class and at home.  They should remember to charge them each evening and bring them to school the next day as they would a text book.  Today they have an activity in their classroom science folder. It is very interesting and you may want to have them show you what they did in class with it today.  

Math- This week in math the students will subtract multi-digit numbers, when some digits are zeros and they will use addition to check their answers.  There will be a quiz over lessons 5-7 on Tuesday of this week.  They should know how to add multi-digit numbers and check using estimation,  subtract multi-digit numbers with zeros and use addition to check their answers, and solve problems using PAL (problem, answer, label).  A test is schedule for Wednesday, October 15 over chapter 2.

Spelling -  This week the students will learn to spell homophones.  They will be assigned WB pages 67-69 in volume 1. If they passed out on the pretest, they will be assigned an activity to do which is in Classroom under Spelling Enrichment.

English  The students will practice writing good sentences by combining sentences that have the same subject with and. They will capitalize names of places and things along with writing abbreviations correctly.  An abbreviation quiz will be given on Friday of this week.

Reading - This week in reading we will work on Close reading   Close reading is the careful, sustained interpretation of a piece of text, and one of the cornerstones of the Common Core State Standards.  We will read the poem, "Casey at the Bat". The students will read and reread this poem, dissecting it to gain understanding of the author's words. They will also compare it to other texts and and try to understand the author's perspective.


Science- There will be a test over the Introductory chapter (Getting Ready for Science) on Wednesday of this week.  The students should study any notes and lesson reviews that are in their binder.  They should study the main concepts and vocabulary from their text.

They should know:

all vocabulary
tools and what they are used for (pan balance, spring scale, microscope,beaker)
understand making inferences and what they need to do before making an inference
understand the steps of the scientific experiment:what they are, the order of them, and be able to identify them.
understand how to find the volume of a solid (They can use a calculator for this.)
What are you doing when you compare things?
understand variables and why they need to be controlled in an experiment

Social Studies-In social studies this week, the students will review lesson 3.  They will explain how pollution from a factory gets into Chesapeake Bay, and understand why the Bay is important to the people in the Northeast region.  A test is planned for Wednesday, October 15 over Chapter 4 Land and Water in the Northeast.   The students should study all key concepts from the lessons. They should study the papers in their folders as well.

They should know:
all vocabulary

• Where Niagara Falls is, how it was formed and its importance to the area. 
• What is produced by hydropower plants on the Niagara River?
• Know the Mountain Ranges that are part of the Appalachian Mountains and how they are different and how they are alike.
• What is the difference between the Maine Coast line and New Jersey Coast line? Be able to describe them.
•  Which is the largest Finger Lake?
• How is this lake important to the grapes that are grown around it?
• Know the resources of the Northeast region and where they came from.
• What are some of the problems that challenge Chesapeake Bay and how have they tried to solve them.        

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room Sept. 29-Oct.3

Its going to be a "Wormy" week!  

Monday, Sept. 29 - Worms are due.  The students will need to bring an Earthworm to school.They can find this in their backyard or they may go to the store and buy one.  Walmart has been a place that many students have found some worms.  If you find extra worms, please feel free to send them in It is always good to have extra worms.   The students have received information about the habit they will need to create for their worms, and we have discussed this in class.

Remember that at the end of the week they will take their worm home to put back outside, and they will  have to bring a new one back to school when they finish their worm tracks, which will be the following week. (More information about race tracks will follow.)

Math - There will be a quiz on Tuesday over lessons 1-4 in unit 2.  The students should review the work in their binder and can bring their workbooks home to study.  They will also be adding and subtracting multi-digit  whole numbers and subtracting across zeros.

Spelling - The students will be working with words that have the short u, /yoo/, and /oo/ sounds.  They will be responsible for completing workbook pages 52-54.  If they pass out on the pretest, they will be assigned alternate words and activities for the week.


Reading - We will continue to Close read Martin Luther King's, "I have a Dream" speech. The students will write the lessons  about courage that they feel MLK is trying to teach through his speech.  The students will read a poem, What If...They will create a page in a classroom book about a famous person and his accomplishments and write about what if they did not follow their dream or stay persistent with their goal.

English - We will begin a unit on capitalization and punctuation.  The students will proofread sentences for missing capital letters and end marks.  They will capitalize names of people, pets, places and things.  They will write abbreviations correctly for titles, addresses, months, and days.
Does your child know their address?  They should be able to write their address correctly using abbreviations appropriately for streets, roads, avenues and states.

Science - This week we will begin our worm unit.  The students will make observations about their worm.  Throughout the week they will be setting up the scientific method to test  their hypothesis.

Social Studies - The students will identify the key steps in the production of maple syrup.  They will explain why grapes grow well in certain areas of the Northeast.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room Sept. 22-Sept. 26

Thursday, Sept. 25 - Early Dismissal 11:00


Math - There will be a test on Tuesday of this week over Unit 1 Place Value.  The students should review the sheets in their folders.  They will be given a practice test  to help them review the skills and concepts they should know on Monday for homework.

Spelling- The students will be working with the spelling patterns for long i and o and short i and o sounds.  They will be responsible for workbook pages 37-39 in volume 1 throughout the week unless they passed out of the unit words.  Then they will be expected to do the activities for the week with their alternate words. There will be a test on Friday of this week.

English - There will be a test on Thursday of this week over chapter 1, The Sentence.  The students will be getting homework throughout the week to help them review the skills we have learned in this chapter.

Reading -   We will continue working with the text, Happy Birthday Dr. King. We will be focusing on cause and effect. We will then turn our focus on Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream Speech."   There will be a vocabulary test on Friday of this week.  The students have been working on their words, and they can use these sheets to help them study.  ( Protest, power, Civil Rights, boycott, fare assembly, stupendous, slip, basement, rear, speech, chimed, dopey)


Social Studies - This week in social studies the students will study the resources of the Northeast. They  will understand why the Northeast is an excellent location for growing grapes and cranberries, and the role that maple syrup has in the life of a plant and how it is produced and harvested.  Minerals are also an important resource of the Northeast and the students will understand what minerals are and where they come from.

Science - The scientific method will be studied this week. We will conduct an experiment based on the scientific method and the students will understand and set up the steps of the scientific method for experiments.    A test over the Introductory Chapter is planned for Tuesday, Sept. 30.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room Sept. 15-19

Friday, Sept. 19- Zoo field trip.  Be sure to dress for the weather and bring a sack lunch.
Thursday, Sept. 25 - Early Dismissal 11:00


Math- This week in math the students will estimate numbers by rounding them.  They will work on their problem solving skills.  There is a test scheduled for next Tuesday, Sept. 23 over unit 1.  The students may bring their books home to study from them or they should also study the pages in their math binders.

Spelling - The students will be working with words that have the long a, long e, short a and short e word patterns. They will be responsible for completing workbook pages 17-19 or if they passed the pretest with 95% or greater, they will be responsible for completing the activities and learning the alternate list of words.  There will be a test on Friday.

English - In English this week, the students will understand that sentences are made up of subjects and predicates.  They will recognize the complete subject and predicate and the simple subject and predicate of a sentence.  A test over Chapter 1 The Sentence is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 24th.

Reading-  In reading we will begin our Courage unit, We will read the story Happy Birthday Dr. King.  The Skills we will be focusing on are cause and effect and answering text dependent questions. 

Science -We will continue the introduction chapter of "Getting Ready for Science".  The students worked in groups on Friday to construct a building out of straws.  We will test the buildings on Monday to see how sturdy they are. We will then use inquiry skills to identify and control variables, draw conclusions along with  gather/record/interpret/ and display data.

Social Studies:   This week we will continue  our study of the Northeast. The students will learn how the Niagara Falls were formed and understand their main features.   They will identify the three main mountain ranges in the Northeastern part of the Appalachian Mountains.  They will also study the characteristics of the Northeast coastline. 

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room Sept. 8-12

Tuesday, September 9 - Field trip permission slips to Brookfield Zoo are due.
Monday & Tuesday, Sept. 8 & 9 -  MAP testing


It was so nice meeting many of you at Curriculum Night. Remember if you have any questions feel free to send me an 
e-mail. 

Here is the plan for the week:

Math:  We will review the main concepts  from last week:  You can find the relative value of a digit in a multi-digit whole number by looking at its place value. The value of a digit in a whole number is ten times greater than its value in the place to its right.  

They will be quizzed on Wednesday on reading numbers into the millions place.  

They will compare numbers using a number line and a place-value chart and they will order numbers by using a place -value chart and comparing the digit values.  There will be a quiz on Friday over lessons 1-4.  See their folders for the work we have been doing to help review, and they can bring their books home as well.

Spelling: The list this week will be another review of commonly misspelled words.  There will be a pretest on Monday and a test on Friday.  Each night they will have an activity to do for that day.   This will be on a sheet they have in their folders.

English- This week in English we will focus on writing sentences.  The students will review what sentences are made of and how to write good sentences.  They will also review the different kinds of sentences (declarative-statement, imperative-command, exclamatory, and interrogative-question).  

Reading- This week in reading we will continue our review of the reading strategies using the Pumpkin Runner.  We will review evaluation and summarizing    We will also review the daily five reading and writing and listening activities.  

Social Studies - We will begin our tour of the Northeast region.  The students will learn about the states that make up the region.  They will have a homework assignment to color and label their map.  A rubric will go home with them to follow.  This will be due on Thursday of this week.  We will have a quiz on Friday over the map.  They should be able to place the states in the correct spot on the map.  Spelling does not count, but if I can not read it at all, then it will be marked wrong.  They will get extra points for know the capitals of the states.  

Science - Last week we compared using standard to non-standard units of measure, and discussed why scientists need to use standard units of measure.  This week we will investigate our tools of inquiry.  The students will understand the different tools used for observing, handling and measuring. 

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room Sept.2-5

Welcome to Fourth Grade! 

       We have had a very busy three day week last week, and we are off to a great start.  We organized our materials, learned about classroom procedures, and participated in activities to help us get to know each other and or classroom.

       The students learned about picking "Good Fit" books.   If books are too hard or easy we will not enjoy reading them.  You might  try this strategy when helping your children pick out books:
I Pick
1. Purpose: Why do I want to read it?
2. Interest: Does it interest me?
3. Comprehension:  Do I understand it?
4. Know:  Do I know most of the words?
           Follow the 5 Finger Rule:  Pick a book.  Open the book  at any page.  Put one finger up for each word you don't know.  0-1 Too Easy  1-2 Perfect Choice  3-4 Give it a Try  5+ Too Hard
         
Dates to Remember:
Monday,September 1, No School, Labor Day
Thursday, September 4, 4th grade Curriculum Night  6:30-8:00
Tuesday, September 9 - Field t rip permission slips to Brookfield Zoo are in your child's folder. Please return them by Tuesday, September 9.

Math: .  The students will focus on the essential question: How does place value help represent the value of numbers? They will be working with numbers in the millions.  They will recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it represents in the place to its right.

Reading - We will review the I Pick strategy for choosing Good Fit books.   We will also review the reading strategies, predict/infer, decoding/phonics, monitor/clarify, questioning, evaluating and summarizing as we read the story The Pumpkin Runner.

English:  The students are working on their writing skills, using capital letters, and end marks appropriately as they describe the kind of super hero they would like to be.  If they could have any super power in the world, what would they choose, and what would they do with it?  This is on a Google Doc, so they can go in at home and work on it if they wish.

Spelling: Our first spelling unit will include frequently misspelled words.  A pretest will be given on Tuesday. and a final test will be given on Friday. A sheet explaining my pretest policy is in their folders.

Science: We will begin the introduction chapter of "Getting Ready for Science".   Our focus this week will be on how tools are used for science, and safety in the lab.

Social Studies:  The students will become familiar with our social studies text by working with a partner and completing a  "textbook scavenger hunt".  We will begin our tour of the regions starting in the Northeast this week.  

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room June 2-June 6

Bowling Permission slips are due in.

Spelling - No spelling this week.

Math - In math this week, the students will use a formula to help them find the perimeter. They will understand that they can find the area of a rectangle by counting the non-overlapping squares or by using the formula A= l x w.

Reading - We will be finishing our literature circles this week.  The students are responsible for  reading and completing their literature job for the chapter (s) assigned.

English - The students will be finishing their  West slide shows this week.  They should be working on this at home as well.  They should be complete no later than Wednesday of this week.   They need to use the rubric that was given them as a guide to complete the slide show.

Social Studies - The students will identify some of the resources of the West.  They will identify places where agricultural products are grown in the West.  They will explain how people benefit from the resources of the West. There will be a test on Thursday over chapter 12.  
They should study all vocabulary and the main concepts from the book.
They should know:
Characteristics of the Rocky Mountains
other mountain ranges in the West
Know the climates in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Great Basin
Know the main resources of Idaho, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Hawaii and Nevada.
Understand how Alaska and Hawaii are alike and different
know what product comes from the timber industry.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's room May 27-May 30

Monday, May 26 - No School, Memorial Day


Math - This week in math the students will use place value and equivalent fractions to add two fractions with respective denominators 10 and 100. They will also compare and order decimals to hundredths by reasoning about their size.  There will be a test over chapter 10 on Friday.  

Spelling- This week is a review week.  The students will be responsible for workbook pages 247-249 this week.

English- In English this week, there is a test planned for Thursday over pronouns.  The students should take their books home to review the lessons learned about pronouns.  They will have assignments throughout the week to help them review as well.  There is lots of practice at the end of the chapter for them to use.

Reading - The students will be working in their literature circles. They will be reading assigned chapters and completing a designated job each day. I would encourage them to reread chapters at home if they have read them in school.  This will help them gain a better understanding of the chapter and prepare them for their group discussion.

Science - This week in science the students will understand how electricity and magnetism are related.  They will investigate how a magnet's force and magnetic field are different  and how a magnet and an electromagnet are alike and different.

Social Studies - The students will identify some resources of the West.  They will identify agricultural products that are grown in the West.

The students will also continue to work on their slide show of the West.  They should be working on this at home as well on their Google Doc.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room May 19-23

Monday, May 26 - No School, Memorial Day
Math- The students will understand that we can use a decimal to represent parts of a hundred.  They will write decimals to represent a hundredths model.  The students will understand that decimals and fractions both show parts of a whole.  They will know how to write fractions for decimals using denominators of 10 and 100.  There will be a quiz over lessons 1-4 on Tuesday of this week.

Spelling - In spelling this week the students will work with words that have silent consonants. They will be responsible for workbook pages 228-229 in volume 2.  There will be a test on Friday.

Reading- The students will learn the different jobs they will be completing in their literature circles. They will begin reading the books they have chosen.  You should expect to see their books come home with either an assignment to read the chapters or to complete their discussion sheets. It is very important that they come prepared each day with their books and discussion sheets.

English - The students will understand that I is a subject pronoun and me is an object pronoun which comes after the verb and after words such as to, with, for, and at. They will understand singular and possessive pronouns and contractions with pronouns.

Science- This week the students will will also investigate insulators and conductors and test materials to discover which are insulators and which are conductors.  They will understand and experiment with switches.
They will also compare the effects of a magnet and an electric current on a compass.

Social Studies - The students will compare and contrast the weather of Hawaii and California. They will name the different climates of the west and give examples of each.

The students will be working in groups on their state slide show all week.  Each child has three slides in the show that they are responsible for.  They should be working on it at home as well since this is on a Google Doc.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room May 12 - May 16

May 16 Early Dismissal 11:05

Math- We will have a test over chapter 9 on fractions on Tuesday of this week.  They should go through their folders and study the skills from the pages we have completed.  If there are unfinished problems on those pages they can use those as extra practice. They can also bring home their workbook which has other pages for them to review.  I will send home extra practice to help them study as well.

Spelling - The students will spell words with unusual patterns this week.  They will be responsible for workbook pages 213-215. There will be a test on Friday of this week.

Reading- We will begin literature circles this week.  The students will review the reading skills they have learned throughout the year as they read and complete their activities for the circle.  They will choose between two books to read.  They will be given a reading assignment each night to complete.

English - The students will identify object pronouns, and they will write sentences replacing nouns with pronouns.

Science - This week in science the students will compare parallel and series circuits. They will also investigate insulators and conductors and test materials to discover which are insulators and which are conductors.

Social Studies - We will celebrate our Southwest Region Resource Day on Wednesday, May 14.  "Cactus juice" and chips and salsa will be served.  If anyone would like to make Queso for us we would love it!

We will begin studying the West Region.  The students will take a Map quiz on Friday of the states and bodies of water  that are in the west.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room May 5-May 9

May 6 & May 7 - MAP testing in math and reading

Math - There will be a quiz over adding and subtraction mixed numbers on Wednesday.  The students will write fractions as a multiple of a unit fraction.  They will multiply fractions by whole numbers.  The test over chapter 9 has been changed until Tuesday, May 13.

Spelling - The spelling words this week will cover the schwa sounds-sounds made from er, ar, or, le, al, and l.  The students will be assigned workbook pages 237-239 in volume 1.  There will be a test on Friday.

English - In English this week, the students will identify pronouns.  They will distinguish between singular and plural pronouns. They will identify subject pronouns and substitute pronouns for nouns as the subject of sentences.

Reading -  The students will read a biography on Lou Gehrig.  He is considered by many to be a hero both on and off the baseball field. The students will work with fact and opinion.  They will make judgments throughout their reading.

Science - We will begin a new unit in electricity this week.  The students will  demonstrate how to construct a simple circuit.  They will understand four different ways to make a light bulb light up.  They will explain static and current electricity, and recognize how electricity moves in circuits.

Social Studies - The students will continue their learning of the Navajo culture.  They will describe the early culture of the Navajo and the "Long Walk".  They will explain how the Navajo Council governs the Navajo Nation.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room April 28- May 2nd

Thursday, May 1 - 6:30-8:30  Open House- Come see all the wonderful projects your children have been working on!

Math - This week in math the students  will review adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators.  They will learn how to add and subtract mixed numbers, and they will multiply fractions.  This is a very short chapter, so a test is planned for Tuesday, May 6, over chapter 9.

Spelling - In spelling this week the students will work with three syllable words.They will be responsible for pages 193-195 Volume 2.  No test will be given this week in spelling.  

Reading-/English-A Pourquoi Tale is a folktale that explains how something in nature came to be.  The students will be reading Pourquoi Tales this week, and then they will write their own Pourqoi Tale.

Social Studies - A test  is planned for Thursday, May 1 over chapter 10 Land and Resource of the Southwest.  They should study the worksheets that they have completed in class and their books.

The students should know and understand:
All vocabulary
All the key concepts as from the reviews in the textbook
The formation of the Grand Canyon
Describe the Grand Canyon today: What is it? What does it look like? Why do people go there?  What can you do there?
The varied climate of the region
deserts
 The Saguaro and know how it has adapted to life in the desert and how it helps the animals of the desert
nonrenewable resources
The technology industries in the Southeast
What state has laboratories that develop military resources and study nuclear energy?
Give two details to explain how oil has been important to the development of the Southwest: Use your worksheets to help you answer this.

Science - The students should be working on their inventions at home.  Inventions are due Tuesday, April 29.  They should be practicing their presentations. The information for their presentation should be in their folders.  We will be completing the description in class. Presentations will be done on Wednesday, April 30 and Thursday May 1.
 A test is planned for  Tuesday, April 29. The students should study all worksheets and their book.  They should  know:

All vocabulary
understand scientists meaning for work.
Understand all simple machines  - what they are made up of and how they work
Recognize and identify simple machines
Which simple machine does not change the direction of the force? (wheel and axle)
Understand threads on a screw and what simple machine they are

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room April 21-25

Amanda was the winner of the PTO Auction for a pizza party and a movie for the class.   We will have this pizza party on Friday, April 25th. We will be ordering cheese pizza from Pizza Hut, and we will provide a drink.  If your child would like to bring his/her lunch or sign up for hot lunch that day instead of having pizza that is fine too. The movie that was chosen and voted on by the class, was the Disney film, Frozen.  If would prefer your child not to participate that day please let me know.

Math-  We will go over mixed numbers and  improper fractions this week.  We will have a test in math this week on Wednesday. This test will cover the skills from Chapter 8.

Spelling - This is a review week in spelling.  The students will be responsible for workbook pages 163-165.  There will be a test on Friday of this week.

English - This week the students will continue to work on their Hero essays.  They will work on their hooks and organizing their details.  They will type their final drafts on the computer using a Google doc so they can work on this at home as well.

Reading- We will continue reading Gloria Estafan this week.  The students will understand that this story is organized using cause effect relationships.  They will also understand why Gloria would be considered a hero to some people.

Social Studies- The students will describe the different climates in the Southwest.  They describe how the saguaro has adapted to the desert climate and why the saguaro is important to the desert animals.  The students will learn about he Native Americans, the Navajo, who live in the Southwest.  They will understand the importance of the sun to the Navajo people and work on a sun project. A test is planned for Thursday, May 1 over chapter 10 Land and Resource of the Southwest.  They should study the worksheets that we have completed in class and their books.

The students should know and understand:
All vocabulary
All the key concepts as from the reviews in the textbook
The formation of the Grand Canyon
Describe the Grand Canyon today: What is it? What does it look like? Why do people go there?  What can you do there?
The varied climate of the region
deserts
 The Saguaro and know how it has adapted to life in the desert and how it helps the animals of the desert
nonrenewable resources
The technology industries in the Southeast
What state has laboratories that develop military resources and study nuclear energy?
Give two details to explain how oil has been important to the development of the Southwest: Use your worksheets to help you answer this.

Science - The students should be working on their inventions at home.  They will need to prepare an oral presentation to the class about their project.  The guidelines for this will be sent home next week.  We will be completing the description in class.  This week in class, the students will investigate inclined planes.  They will explain how a screw and a wedge change the way work is done. A test is planned for the following week on Tuesday, April 29. The students should study all worksheets and their book.  They should  know:

All vocabulary
understand scientists meaning for work.
Understand all simple machines  - what they are made up of and how they work
Recognize and identify simple machines
Which simple machine does not change the direction of the force? (wheel and axle)
Understand threads on a screw and what simple machine they are

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room April 14-April 18

Times to Remember:
Thursday, April 17 - OLSAT testing -  Otis Lennon School Ability Test
Thursday, April 17 - Early Dismissal 11:05
Friday, April 18 - No School

Math - The students will review finding the least common multiple to order and compare fractions.    The students will  use logical reasoning to solve problems. They will also use models to represent mixed numbers and decompose a mixed number into a sum of whole numbers and unit fractions.  There will be a quiz on Tuesday, April 15 over lessons 3-7 and  a test is scheduled for Tuesday, April 22 over chapter 8 Fractions.

Spelling - In spelling this week the students will work with more homophones.  They will be responsible for workbook pages 199-201 There will be a test on Thursday of this week.

English -   In English this week the students will continue their work with expository writing.  They will finish their expository essay on Ways to Stay Healthy.  They will write about their personal hero this week.

Reading - The students will continue their close reading with the biography of Gloria Estefan.  They will work in groups to create a cause effect poster that summarizes her life.  They will compare the lives of Martin Luther King and Gloria Estefan-two people who are considered heroes by others.

Science- This week in science we will review the lever and wheel and axle.  The students will investigate inclined planes this week.  They will understand how a screw changes the way work is done.

Social Studies - You have probably seen the work they have been doing on their Southwest brochures which are on Google Docs that they can access at home.  They are really looking very nice and they will finish them up this week.  They will understand how the Grand Canyon was formed and why it was made a national park.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room April 7-April 11

Math - This week in math we will review equivalent fractions.  The students will write fractions in simplest form.  They will compare and order fractions with like and unlike denominators, and they will understand how to find the least common multiple to create equivalent fractions.

Spelling - The students will work with more words that have the vcv pattern.  They will be responsible for workbook pages 175-177.  There will be a test on Friday of this week.

Reading - In reading this week, the students will read a biography on Gloria Estefan.  They will practice making judgments.  Making judgments involves deciding whether or not a character's actions are appropriate for a situation; readers can ask themselves, Do I agree with this? Is this right or fair? They will answer text dependent questions.

English- We will review adverbs.  The students will practice writing with adverbs and prepositions.  There will be a test on Thursday of this week over Adverbs unit 7.  Be on the look out for homework coming home to help them study for this test.

Science- This week the students will investigate pulleys.  They will understand how a pulley changes how work is done.  They will be able to explain how a wheel- and- axle change how work is done.

Social Studies - We will begin our study of the Southwest Region.  The students will choose a state in the Southwest to make a brochure about.  They will research their state and work on a Google Doc to complete a brochure of the special places in their state.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room March 24-March 28

March 31-April 4 Spring Break


Math - This week we will begin chapter 8 on fractions.  We will begin with a review of divisibility rules.  Then the students will study factors, multiples, prime and composite numbers. The students will understand how factors are related to prime numbers.  They will also work with equivalent fractions.  They will understand how different fractions can name the same amount.

Spelling - In spelling this week the students will study patterns with CVC words.  They will be responsible for pages 144-146.  There will be a test on Friday of this week.

Reading - The students will read a "What if"poem and discuss the meaning of the different Stanzas.  They will show their understanding of the poem by creating a page to go in a class "What if " book.  The students will also enter the world of mythology as they understand what mythology is and read their first Greek Myth.

English - We will continue our work with adverbs.  The students will compare using adverbs and practice using good and well correctly. We will also begin expository writing this week.  The students will brainstorm ideas and learn how to organize them.

Science - This week we will begin a unit on Simple Machines. The students will investigate levers and define work and simple machines.

Be on the look out for invention information.  Information about their invention will go home on Monday.   All the due dates are specified in the information.  The students will observe videos to help them understand what the project involves.

They will have to have a decision about the invention they will create and the contract filled in by Thursday, with a parent signature.  A diagram of the invention should be included on the back of the contract form.  Please look for this on Monday when they come home.

Social Studies -A test is planned for Tuesday, March 25, over Chapter 8 Midwest Land and Resources.  The students should study the notes in their binder, all vocabulary, and the main concepts  from the chapter.
They should know:
What did the melting of the glaciers create
Understand the where the St. Lawrence Seaway and the St. Lawrence River are and their importance to the Midwest (They connect the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean)
Understand why the flow of the Chicago River was changed
Be able to explain the advantages and disadvantages of shipping goods by barge
Explain the badlands millions of years ago and how and why the climate changed
Explain why the Midwest is an important agricultural region
Understand the Corn Belt
Know the crops grown in the Midwest /main crops in Wisconsin
Understand irrigation
Know how the Great Lakes were formed
Explain how a lock works and why they were built
Explain why the prairie is better for farming than the badlands

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room March 17-March 21

• No School Monday, March 17th: Parent/Teacher Conferences
• No School Tuesday, March 18th: Teacher Institute Day/Election Day
• Lifetouch Picture Packets: Reminder - Payments and/or unwanted pictures must be returned to school by Wednesday, March 19th. 

Math - We will review order of operations and the students will learn to use tables to recognize and write equations with two or more operations.  There will be a test on Friday over chapter 7 Patterns and Operations.  The students should review all the pages in their binders.  They may even finish some of the pages, that we did not get to complete during class time, as a review for them.  There will be a review sheet sent home to help them review the concepts.  

Spelling- No spelling this week.

English - We will begin unit on Adverbs and Prepositions  this week.  The students will identify adverbs in a sentence.  They will recognize whether an adverb tells how, when, or where about the verb.

Reading - We will finish our work with text dependent questions this week and review cause effect relationships this week.

Social Studies - The students will understand why the Midwest is an important agricultural region.  They will understand the effect that irrigation has had on the Great Plains. They will know the different farm products that come from the Midwest.  A test is planned for the following week on Tuesday over Chapter 8 Midwest Land and Resources.  The students should study the notes in their binder, all vocabulary, and the main concepts in from the chapter.
They should know:
What did the melting of the glaciers create
Understand the where the St. Lawrence Seaway and the St. Lawrence River are and their importance to the Midwest (They connect the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean)
Understand why the flow of the Chicago River was changed
Be able to explain the advantages and disadvantages of shipping goods by barge
Explain the badlands millions of years ago and how and why the climate changed
Explain why the Midwest is an important agricultural region
Understand the Corn Belt
Know the crops grown in the Midwest /main crops in Wisconsin
Understand irrigation
Know how the Great Lakes were formed
Explain how a lock works and why they were built
Explain why the prairie is better for farming than the badlands

Science - There will be a science test over the Human Body on Thursday of this week.  The students should study the main vocabulary and concepts from the book, and use all the notes in their binder.
They should know:
the different kinds of joints and muscles
understand how muscles  work to move bones
understand the steps in digestion
understand the different systems and main parts in them
understand and be able to explain what happens if you fall and scrape your knee
know the different jobs of the bones
understand and be able to explain  how messages are carried from the brain throughout your body.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room March 10-March 14

March 17 - No School
March 18 - No School Institute

This week:

• ISAT testing Science- Monday and Tuesday
• Math conferences  this week.

Math  - In math this week we will continue our work with patterns.  The students will look for patterns to help them solve problems.   They will find and use rules to write addition, subtraction, multiplication and division equations.  A test is planned for Thursday, March 20 over unit 7.

Spelling - This week the students will work with words that  change the final "y" to "i".  They will be responsible for completing workbook pages 129-131 or activities assigned through the week if they passed the pretest.

Reading This week in reading we will begin a unit on Courage. We will begin by reading Happy Birthday Dr. King and complete text dependent questions for a grade.  They will work on understanding vocabulary, cause/effect relationships and sequencing of events.

English -   There will be an English test on verbs on Thursday of this week.  The students will bring homework home to help them practice and review verbs.  There are lots of pages to practice at the end of the chapter.

The students should be working on their poems each evening at home.  They should have at least 6 poems finished in their Google Doc by Monday.  They have their binders and packets to help guide them.  The goal for completion will be Friday, March 14.

Science - The students will learn about the muscular and skeletal systems this week.  They will understand how bones protect organs and what joints do.  They will learn how  muscles work and the kinds of work they do.  A test is planned for Tuesday, March 18, over the Body Systems.  The students should study the main vocabulary and concepts from the book, and use all the notes in their binder.

They should know:
the different kinds of joints and muscles
understand how muscles  work to move bones
understand the steps in digestion
understand the different systems and main parts in them
understand and be able to explain what happens if you fall and scrape your knee
know the different jobs of the bones
understand and be able to explain  how messages are carried from the brain throughout your body.

News from Mrs. Cavoto's Room March 3-March 7

March 4-6 ISAT Testing Please have your child get plenty of rest and eat a healthy breakfast.  You may want to send him/ her out the door with words of encouragement: "Take your time.", "Check over your work.", "Try your hardest.", and of course, "I love you." :)

Spelling - No spelling this week

Math - ISAT testing

Reading - ISAT testing- They will continue to work on their poetry. They should have their writing notebooks at home with the papers in it they explain the kinds of poetry and the poetry requirements with a rater.  They should be completing a poem each day.  So if they do not get to finish during the day, they need to finish in the evening at home.

English - This week we will continue our work with verbs.  The students will write the past tense verbs with helping verbs have, has, had with singular or plural subjects.  They will recognize the different forms of the word Be and they will form contractions using verbs and the word not.  There will be an English test on verbs, unit 3, on Tuesday, March 11th. There will be homework that comes home to help the students review.  They can use their textbook to review as there is a lot of extra practice in their book.

Science - This week we will be review concepts to prep for the ISAT test that is next week.

Social Studies - In social studies this week, the students will make a model of the Badlands.  They will understand why the Midwest is an important agricultural region.