Monthly | Unit Updates

Units Overview

SEL Topics:

Unit 1: Beginning of the Year | Caring Schools Community

In this unit, students will learn about how to work together at school. 

• Agree to Norms, Take Care of the Classroom & Ourselves, Develop Empathy, Discuss Feelings & Challenges, & Learn About People Who Work in the School. 

Amplify Desmos Math:

Unit 1: Introducing Multiplications

In this unit, students will represent and solve problems involving equal groups, including in the contexts of arrays and scaled graphs.

Sub- Unit 1: Introduction to Multiplications

Sub- Unit 2: Arrays

Sub-Unit 3: Data in Scaled Graphs

End-of-Unit Assessment

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes explanations of key math concepts and problems to try with your student at home Link 

Amplify CKLA:

Unit 1: Timeless Tales

In this unit, students will be exposed to classic children's stories and will learn about the elements of fictional narratives. 

What’s the story? 

Students will explore interesting themes and discuss character traits through a variety of classics, from The Wind in the Willows to a selection from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 

What will my student learn? 

Students will learn about the elements of fictional narratives, including dialogue, narration, characters, plot, and setting. They will be exposed to rich language and a variety of vocabulary and will discuss literature with their teacher and classmates. Students will be guided through a variety of writing experiences focused on different purposes for their writing. They will also collaborate with their classmates and share their ideas as they develop and deepen their understanding of these literacy skills. 

Conversation starters 

Ask your student questions about the unit to promote discussion and continued learning: 

1. Who were the main characters in your reading today? 

Follow up: What are some adjectives you would use to describe those characters? 

2. Where did the story you read today take place? 

Follow up: How would you describe that setting? 

3. What are the themes? (broad ideas that come up many times over the course of a story or book) 

Follow up: What are some of the recurring themes that you have noticed in the stories

4. I know you have been learning about the word meandered in this unit. Can you use that word in a sentence for me? I will try to use it in a sentence too!
5. Whose perspective was your Read-Aloud told from today? Follow up: How did you know that?

Follow up: How did you know that?

Vocabulary words that will be covered throughout the unit are linked here

Science:

Unit 1: Plant and Animal Relationships

In this unit, students will investigate why new chalta trees aren't growing in the Bengal Tiger Reserve by exploring what seeds need to grow and how they get to suitable locations. Through hands-on investigations, models, and scientific texts, students learn how plant structures support growth, how animals help disperse seeds, and how different types of seeds move within habitats. By the end of the unit, students use evidence to explain the interdependence of plants and animals in ecosystems.

Chapter 1: Why aren’t new chalta trees growing in the Bengal Tiger Reserve? 

Chapter 2: Why aren’t the chalta seeds getting what they need to grow? 

Chapter 3: Why aren’t the chalta seeds getting to places where they can grow? 

Chapter 4: How are other seeds in the reserve able to get to places where they can grow? 

Social Studies:

Unit 1: Today and Long Ago

In this unit, students will explore how the past shapes the present by learning about community changes, family contributions, and how traditions and values are passed down through generations. 

Essential Question: Why is it important to learn about the past?

Lesson 1: All about the Past

Lesson 2: Daily Life Then and Now

Lesson3: Why People Moved

Lesson 4: Families and Communities

Lesson 5: Past and Present

Units Overview

SEL Topics:

This month, our class will focus on building connections through morning check-ins and engaging in activities centered around acts of kindness. Students will take part in kindness activities such as writing kind notes, helping classmates, sharing compliments, and working in groups that encourage teamwork and care. 

In our talking circles, we will explore Decatur’s Pillars:

• Be Present
• Endure Challenges
• Take Care of Each Other

Amplify Desmos Math: 

Unit 2: Area and Multiplication

In this unit, students will learn that the Area is the number of unit squares that cover a plane figure without gaps or overlaps, and to solve problems involving areas of rectangles or figures composed of rectangles, multiply the length by the width for each rectangle and add the areas together.

Sub- Unit 1: Sub-Unit 1: Concepts of Area Measurement 

Sub- Unit 2: Relating Area to Multiplication

Sub-Unit 3: Determining Area of Figures Composed of Rectangles 

End-of-Unit Assessment

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes explanations of key math concepts and problems to try with your student Link 

Amplify CKLA:

Unit 2: Fur, Fins and Feathers

What’s the story? 

Students will develop scientific skills while they observe and practice identifying important characteristics of organisms and objects. What will my student learn? Students will have the opportunity to engage in discussions with their teacher and classmates, in which they will be asked to respond based on observations and thinking that occurred throughout their reading. Students will focus on an opinion writing piece that will extend their understanding of vertebrates. They will also have many opportunities to work with their peers, share ideas, and provide feedback on their writing. 

Vocabulary:

Vertebrates, invertebrates, warm-blooded, cold-blooded, habitat, zoologist, carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, classify, aquatic, molt, constant, stately, spine, 

Unit 3: Rhythm and Rhyme: Poetry

What will my student learn? 

Students will learn about poetry elements such as stanzas, rhyme schemes, alliteration, personification, anaphora, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, and more. They will recognize how these elements create meaning and enhance the reader’s enjoyment of the poem, and will practice incorporating some of these elements into their own writing. In writing, students will write an original poem about seasons, nature, people, places, or other topics. They will share their poem with the class in a collaborative activity, which will allow them to give and receive feedback. 

Vocabulary:

Poems, stanzas, literal, nonliteral, anaphora, alliteration, simile, onomatopeia, hyperbole, haiku, shed, confidence, resolute, scatter, advancing, trek, reflective

Foundational Skills:

What will my student learn? 

Students will continue to review reading and spelling words with specific spelling patterns. 

This will include words with separated digraphs, such as /ae/ > ‘a_e’ (cape), and words with vowel teams, such as /ae/ > ‘ai’ (aim), ‘ay’ (away), and ‘eigh’ (eight). 

Students will review tricky spellings (book/moon), the hard and soft ‘c’ and ‘g’ (cake/cent, cage/ glass), and words that end in /v/ and /j/ (love, huge). They will review two of the major syllable types, VCe (grape•vine) and vowel team (lay•out), and affixes including re–, pre–, mis–, –ness, –ly, and –ous (redo, pretest, misled, happiness, quickly, dangerous). 

What will my student read? 

In Unit 2, students will read fifteen fiction and nonfiction passages that include words with the target skills they just learned. Students will practice reading with proper speed, accuracy, and prosody. Here are two examples: ● “How to Sketch a Giraffe” is an instructional text about drawing. Students will read the passage and identify words that have a hard ‘c’ and a soft ‘g’, words that use the prefix dis–, and multisyllabic words that have VCe syllables. 

• “Zoila’s Sleigh” is a story about a winter adventure. Students will read the passage and identify words with the /oi/ sound, words with the /ou/ sound, words with the /ae/ sound spelled ‘eigh’, and words that end in –ous.

Social Studies:

Unit 2: People, Places and Environments

In this unit, students will In this unit, children will explore how the place they live influences their identities. By honoring the uniqueness each child brings to the learning journey they will recognize that we all come from somewhere, and that location bonds people with their family, friends, and community. The inquiry unit of study provides opportunities for children to learn how to use various geographic tools to locate and learn about places. They will examine the ways people use and change the land and gain a growing understanding of how the land creates unique opportunities and challenges. They will identify places of personal and geographic importance within the city of Chicago to demonstrate their understanding of the unique relationship between Chicago and the people who live here.

Essential Question: How is the place we live important to who we are?

Lesson 1: Use a Map

Lesson 2: My Location in the World

Lesson 3: How We Use the Land

Lesson 4: Our Environment

Lesson 5: How People Move

Science:

Unit 1: Plant and Animal Relationships

In this unit, students will investigate why new chalta trees aren't growing in the Bengal Tiger Reserve by exploring what seeds need to grow and how they get to suitable locations. Through hands-on investigations, models, and scientific texts, students learn how plant structures support growth, how animals help disperse seeds, and how different types of seeds move within habitats. By the end of the unit, students use evidence to explain the interdependence of plants and animals in ecosystems.

Chapter 3: Why Aren’t the Chalta Seeds Getting to Places Where They Can Grow?

In this chapter, students take on the role of habitat scientists to investigate why chalta seeds are not spreading effectively in the reserve. Topics explored include: How seeds move through different dispersal methods, Investigating factors that affect seed movement, Diagramming the seed dispersal system, Explaining the environmental problem affecting the chalta seeds in the reserve

Chapter 4: How Are Other Seeds in the Reserve Able to Get to Places Where They Can Grow?

Units Overview

SEL Topics:

This month, our class will focus on building connections through morning check-ins and engaging in activities centered around acts of kindness. Students will take part in kindness activities such as writing kind notes, helping classmates, sharing compliments, and working in groups that encourage teamwork and care. 

In our talking circles, we will explore: 

• Diversity
• Inclusion
• Being Fair

Amplify Desmos Math: 

Unit 3: Wrapping Up Addition and Subtraction Within 1,000

We will finish Unit 3 around November 14. Below is the information for this unit.

In this unit, students will develop fluency with addition and subtraction within `1,000` while using rounding and estimation to determine the reasonableness of answers.

Sub-Unit 1: Adding Within 1,000 (Lessons 1–8)

Sub-Unit 2: Subtracting Within 1,000 (Lessons 9–14)

Sub-Unit 3: Rounding Within 1,000 (Lessons 15–18)

Sub-Unit 4: Solving Two-Step Problems (Lessons 19–22)

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes explanations of key math concepts and problems to try with your student Link 

Unit 4: Relating Multiplications to Divisions

In this unit, students will explore the relationship between multiplication and division to multiply and divide whole numbers within `100`

Sub-Unit 1: What Is Division? (Lessons 1–4)

Sub-Unit 2: Relating Multiplication and DIvision (Lessons 5–8)

Sub-Unit 3: Multiplying Greater Numbers (Lessons 9-15)

Sub-Unit 4: Dividing Greater Numbers (Lessons 16–20)

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes explanations of key math concepts and problems to try with your student Link 

Amplify CKLA:

Unit 4: Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome

What will my student learn?

Unit Summary

Students dive into ancient Rome, exploring its culture and historical events. They read the legend of Romulus and Remus, centered around Rome’s founding, as well as several myths about Roman gods and goddesses. Students study the historical rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and they learn about key historical figures, such as Hannibal, Julius Caesar, and Augustus. Students review the spelling patterns of /r/-controlled vowels, irregularly-spelled words, and spellings of the sound /ee/. They also go over verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and the verbs to be and to have—learning to change the spelling of verbs to match various subjects. Finally, students study the common suffixes –er, –or, –ist, –ian, –y, and –al to understand how suffixes change the meaning of root words and how they can change a word’s part of speech.

Vocabulary:

defied, crouched, veni vidi vici, elaborate, ingenious, pillars, artifacts, barbarians, talent

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes Reading worksheets if you would like to work with your student at home Link ,

Foundational Skills:

What will my student learn? 

Students will continue to review reading and spelling words with specific spelling patterns. 

This will include words with separated digraphs, such as /ae/ > ‘a_e’ (cape), and words with vowel teams, such as /ae/ > ‘ai’ (aim), ‘ay’ (away), and ‘eigh’ (eight). 

Students will review tricky spellings (book/moon), the hard and soft ‘c’ and ‘g’ (cake/cent, cage/ glass), and words that end in /v/ and /j/ (love, huge). They will review two of the major syllable types, VCe (grape•vine) and vowel team (lay•out), and affixes including re–, pre–, mis–, –ness, –ly, and –ous (redo, pretest, misled, happiness, quickly, dangerous). 

What will my student read? 

In Unit 2, students will read fifteen fiction and nonfiction passages that include words with the target skills they just learned. Students will practice reading with proper speed, accuracy, and prosody. Here are two examples: ● “How to Sketch a Giraffe” is an instructional text about drawing. Students will read the passage and identify words that have a hard ‘c’ and a soft ‘g’, words that use the prefix dis–, and multisyllabic words that have VCe syllables. 

• “Zoila’s Sleigh” is a story about a winter adventure. Students will read the passage and identify words with the /oi/ sound, words with the /ou/ sound, words with the /ae/ sound spelled ‘eigh’, and words that end in –ous.

Social Studies:

Unit 2: People, Places and Environments

In this unit, students will In this unit,  we will continue to explore how the place they live influences their identities. By honoring the uniqueness each child brings to the learning journey they will recognize that we all come from somewhere, and that location bonds people with their family, friends, and community. The inquiry unit of study provides opportunities for children to learn how to use various geographic tools to locate and learn about places. They will examine the ways people use and change the land and gain a growing understanding of how the land creates unique opportunities and challenges. They will identify places of personal and geographic importance within the city of Chicago to demonstrate their understanding of the unique relationship between Chicago and the people who live here.

Essential Question: How is the place we live important to who we are?

Lesson 3: How We Use the Land

Lesson 4: Our Environment

Lesson 5: How People Move

Science:

Unit 1: Plant and Animal Relationships

In this unit, students will investigate why new chalta trees aren't growing in the Bengal Tiger Reserve by exploring what seeds need to grow and how they get to suitable locations. Through hands-on investigations, models, and scientific texts, students learn how plant structures support growth, how animals help disperse seeds, and how different types of seeds move within habitats. By the end of the unit, students use evidence to explain the interdependence of plants and animals in ecosystems.

Chapter 4: How Are Other Seeds in the Reserve Able to Get to Places Where They Can Grow?
This chapter focuses on understanding how other plant species successfully disperse their seeds. Topics include: Investigating different types of seeds and their characteristics, Planning and conducting a seed dispersal investigation, Analyzing the results of the investigation, Completing the end-of-unit assessment to demonstrate understanding.

Units Overview

SEL Topics:

This month, our class will focus on building connections through morning check-ins and engaging in activities centered around acts of Kind speech and Diversity. Students will take part in activities such as sorting kind and unkind statements, writing kindness notes, activities to understand and appreciate differences. 

In our talking circles, we will explore: 

• Kind/ unkind Speech
• Diversity

Amplify Desmos Math: 

Unit 4: Relating Multiplications to Divisions

In this unit, students will explore the relationship between multiplication and division to multiply and divide whole numbers within `100`

Sub-Unit 1: What Is Division? (Lessons 1–4)

Sub-Unit 2: Relating Multiplication and DIvision (Lessons 5–8)

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes explanations of key math concepts and problems to try with your student Link 

Amplify CKLA:

Unit 4: Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome

What will my student learn?

Unit Summary

Students dive into ancient Rome, exploring its culture and historical events. They read the legend of Romulus and Remus, centered around Rome’s founding, as well as several myths about Roman gods and goddesses. Students study the historical rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and they learn about key historical figures, such as Hannibal, Julius Caesar, and Augustus. Students review the spelling patterns of /r/-controlled vowels, irregularly-spelled words, and spellings of the sound /ee/. They also go over verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and the verbs to be and to have—learning to change the spelling of verbs to match various subjects. Finally, students study the common suffixes –er, –or, –ist, –ian, –y, and –al to understand how suffixes change the meaning of root words and how they can change a word’s part of speech.

Lessons 5-15

 

Vocabulary:

defied, crouched, veni vidi vici, elaborate, ingenious, pillars, artifacts, barbarians, talent

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes Reading worksheets if you want to work with your student at home Link 

Foundational Skills:

What will my student learn? 

Students will continue to review reading and spelling words with specific spelling patterns. 

This will include words with separated digraphs, such as /ae/ > ‘a_e’ (cape), and words with vowel teams, such as /ae/ > ‘ai’ (aim), ‘ay’ (away), and ‘eigh’ (eight). 

Students will review tricky spellings (book/moon), the hard and soft ‘c’ and ‘g’ (cake/cent, cage/ glass), and words that end in /v/ and /j/ (love, huge). They will review two of the major syllable types, VCe (grape•vine) and vowel team (lay•out), and affixes including re–, pre–, mis–, –ness, –ly, and –ous (redo, pretest, misled, happiness, quickly, dangerous). 

What will my student read? 

In Unit 2, students will read fifteen fiction and nonfiction passages that include words with the target skills they just learned. Students will practice reading with proper speed, accuracy, and prosody. Here are two examples: ● “How to Sketch a Giraffe” is an instructional text about drawing. Students will read the passage and identify words that have a hard ‘c’ and a soft ‘g’, words that use the prefix dis–, and multisyllabic words that have VCe syllables. 

• “Zoila’s Sleigh” is a story about a winter adventure. Students will read the passage and identify words with the /oi/ sound, words with the /ou/ sound, words with the /ae/ sound spelled ‘eigh’, and words that end in –ous.

Social Studies:

Unit 2: People, Places and Environments

In this unit, students will continue to explore how the place they live influences their identities. By honoring the uniqueness each child brings to the learning journey they will recognize that we all come from somewhere, and that location bonds people with their family, friends, and community. The inquiry unit of study provides opportunities for children to learn how to use various geographic tools to locate and learn about places. They will examine the ways people use and change the land and gain a growing understanding of how the land creates unique opportunities and challenges. They will identify places of personal and geographic importance within the city of Chicago to demonstrate their understanding of the unique relationship between Chicago and the people who live here.

Essential Question: How is the place we live important to who we are?

Lesson 4: Our Environment

Lesson 5: How People Move

Science:

Unit 2: Properties of Materials

In this unit, students will become “glue engineers.” They will explore different ingredients, test how they work, and try out different glue recipes. Each time, they make the glue a little better. At the end, students can explain which glue they made works best and why. students will answer the question - How do you make a material for a specific purpose?

Chapter 1: Students will tackle the question, How can you make sticky glue? They read a compelling book about what everyday things are made of and why as a way to understand the importance of properties of materials. Students go on to investigate two mystery glues. Are they the same glue or two different glues? In their first written argument, students make claims to answer that question and support their claims with evidence. The class goes on to observe and test possible glue ingredients, graph test data with the Graphing Tool, and search for information about these ingredients in the unit’s reference book. Using all of the gathered evidence, students work individually to plan, make, and test their own glue recipes.

SEL Topics:

This month, our class will focus on reviewing school expectations, showing kindness and caring towards each other, and helping students understand how to use a "bug and a wish" to be problem solvers. For example, students will be encouraged to tell their classmates, "This is what is bugging me, and I wish you would stop doing it."

The SEL talking circles will focus on

• Kindness 
• Bug and a wish 
• Diversity

Amplify Desmos Math: 

Unit 4: Relating Multiplications to Divisions

In this unit, students will explore the relationship between multiplication and division to multiply and divide whole numbers within `100`

Sub-Unit 2: Relating Multiplication and DIvision (Lessons 5–8 | Sub-unit 2 quiz )

Sub-Unit 3: Multiplying Greater Numbers (Lessons 9- 15 | Sub unit-3 Quiz)

Sub-Unit 4: Dividing Greater Numbers (Lessons 16- 20 | ENd of the unit assessment)

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes explanations of key math concepts and problems to try with your student Link 

Amplify CKLA:

Unit 5: What’s in Our Universe

What will my student learn?

Unit Summary

Students explore astronomy and the universe by reading about the sun, planets, our moon, asteroids, comets, meteors, galaxies, and stars. They are also introduced to the concept of gravity and other scientific topics such as matter, light-years, and black holes. Finally, they learn about important figures in the history of space exploration, including Nicolaus Copernicus and Mae Jemison. 

Vocabulary:

Universe, Satellite, Common, Stream, Galaxy, Fuse, Triumph, Force, Especially, International, Pursue

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes Reading worksheets if you want to work with your student at home Conversation starters Link and Take Home worksheets with answer key Link 

Foundational Skills:

What will my student learn? 

In Unit 3, students will expand their understanding of spelling patterns with a focus on r-controlled vowels, words with the schwa sound /ə/, and alternative sound/spellings. Building on their knowledge of long and short vowel sounds, students will delve into how ‘r’ modifies vowels like ‘a,’ ‘e,’ ‘i,’ ‘o,’ and ‘u,’ as well as certain vowel teams. The unit also reviews consonant sounds, addressing tricky spellings and digraphs, such as ‘s’ producing /sh/ (as in sugar) and silent letters such as ‘w’ in 'wh' (as in who).Students will explore how the schwa sound can be made by any vowel and occurs in combinations such as /ə/ + /l/.

This unit introduces the last two major syllable types: r-controlled and final stable syllables. R-controlled syllables feature a vowel followed by the consonant ‘r,’ modifying its sound, as seen in stair and barnyard. Final stable syllables include the /ə/ + /l/ sound combination, as in puzzle and national.

Students will advance their decoding and vocabulary skills by learning prefixes such as under–, over–, tele–, super–, uni–, trans–, micro–, fore–, pro–, intra–, and inter–, and suffixes such as –hood, –ment, –en, and –ist. They will practice the spelling and usage of these affixes in sentences, noting spelling changes required when adding them.

Students will develop their spelling and writing skills through exercises focused on target sound/spellings and morphemes. Dictation exercises will encompass multisyllabic words and various spelling patterns, enhancing students' ability to spell abbreviations and comprehend reading passages. Writing prompts are provided for each passage, along with a sharing routine, during which students discuss their writing and get feedback from peers.

Social Studies:

Unit 3: Economics: People and Places Connected

In this unit, students will  investigate foundational economic concepts. They will learn about wants, needs, goods, and services. Children will gain an understanding of how producers and consumers rely on each other and how communities get what they need from places near and far. They will also begin to engage with the concepts of income inequality and what it means for a community to have members unable to meet their basic needs. They will investigate disparities that impact some marginalized groups more than others and consider how communities can move towards greater economic equity.

Science:

Unit 2: Properties of Materials- The class will be finishing up with chapter 1 and will start chapter 2 by the end of January.

In this unit, students will become “glue engineers.” They will explore different ingredients, test how they work, and try out different glue recipes. Each time, they make the glue a little better. At the end, students can explain which glue they made works best and why. students will answer the question - How do you make a material for a specific purpose?

Chapter 1: Students will tackle the question, How can you make sticky glue? They read a compelling book about what everyday things are made of and why as a way to understand the importance of properties of materials. Students go on to investigate two mystery glues. Are they the same glue or two different glues? In their first written argument, students make claims to answer that question and support their claims with evidence. The class goes on to observe and test possible glue ingredients, graph test data with the Graphing Tool, and search for information about these ingredients in the unit’s reference book. Using all of the gathered evidence, students work individually to plan, make, and test their own glue recipes.

In Chapter 2, students work to answer the question Can heating an ingredient (and returning it to its original temperature) make a better glue? They read a book to discover that some substances change when heated or cooled, while other substances remain substantially unchanged. They use the Sorting Tool to apply this knowledge to a digital card sort of reversible and irreversible changes. Then the class observes and tests a glue ingredient that has been heated and the same ingredient that has not been heated, discusses how the properties change with heating, and predicts whether those property changes would result in a stickier glue. Students discuss the concept of cause and effect and apply the concept to explain the effects they are observing. The chapter ends with another opportunity for students to practice making and supporting claims—this time about whether or not heating a cornstarch and water mixture will make a stickier glue.

Units Overview

SEL Topics:

This month, our class will focus on reviewing school expectations, showing kindness and caring towards each other, and helping students understand how to use a "bug and a wish" to be problem solvers. For example, students will be encouraged to tell their classmates, "This is what is bugging me, and I wish you would stop doing it."

The SEL talking circles will focus on

• Kindness 
• Bug and a wish 
• Diversity

Amplify Desmos Math: 

Unit 4: Relating Multiplications to Divisions

In this unit, students will explore the relationship between multiplication and division to multiply and divide whole numbers within `100`

Sub-Unit 2: Relating Multiplication and DIvision (Lessons 5–8 | Sub-unit 2 quiz )

Sub-Unit 3: Multiplying Greater Numbers (Lessons 9- 15 | Sub unit-3 Quiz)

Sub-Unit 4: Dividing Greater Numbers (Lessons 16- 20 | ENd of the unit assessment)

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes explanations of key math concepts and problems to try with your student Link 

Amplify CKLA:

Unit 5: What’s in Our Universe

What will my student learn?

Unit Summary

Students explore astronomy and the universe by reading about the sun, planets, our moon, asteroids, comets, meteors, galaxies, and stars. They are also introduced to the concept of gravity and other scientific topics such as matter, light-years, and black holes. Finally, they learn about important figures in the history of space exploration, including Nicolaus Copernicus and Mae Jemison. 

Vocabulary:

Universe, Satellite, Common, Stream, Galaxy, Fuse, Triumph, Force, Especially, International, Pursue

Below is the link to the caregiver resource that includes Reading worksheets if you want to work with your student at home Conversation starters Link and Take Home worksheets with answer key Link 

Foundational Skills:

What will my student learn? 

In Unit 3, students will expand their understanding of spelling patterns with a focus on r-controlled vowels, words with the schwa sound /ə/, and alternative sound/spellings. Building on their knowledge of long and short vowel sounds, students will delve into how ‘r’ modifies vowels like ‘a,’ ‘e,’ ‘i,’ ‘o,’ and ‘u,’ as well as certain vowel teams. The unit also reviews consonant sounds, addressing tricky spellings and digraphs, such as ‘s’ producing /sh/ (as in sugar) and silent letters such as ‘w’ in 'wh' (as in who).Students will explore how the schwa sound can be made by any vowel and occurs in combinations such as /ə/ + /l/.

This unit introduces the last two major syllable types: r-controlled and final stable syllables. R-controlled syllables feature a vowel followed by the consonant ‘r,’ modifying its sound, as seen in stair and barnyard. Final stable syllables include the /ə/ + /l/ sound combination, as in puzzle and national.

Students will advance their decoding and vocabulary skills by learning prefixes such as under–, over–, tele–, super–, uni–, trans–, micro–, fore–, pro–, intra–, and inter–, and suffixes such as –hood, –ment, –en, and –ist. They will practice the spelling and usage of these affixes in sentences, noting spelling changes required when adding them.

Students will develop their spelling and writing skills through exercises focused on target sound/spellings and morphemes. Dictation exercises will encompass multisyllabic words and various spelling patterns, enhancing students' ability to spell abbreviations and comprehend reading passages. Writing prompts are provided for each passage, along with a sharing routine, during which students discuss their writing and get feedback from peers.

Social Studies:

Unit 3: Economics: People and Places Connected

In this unit, students will  investigate foundational economic concepts. They will learn about wants, needs, goods, and services. Children will gain an understanding of how producers and consumers rely on each other and how communities get what they need from places near and far. They will also begin to engage with the concepts of income inequality and what it means for a community to have members unable to meet their basic needs. They will investigate disparities that impact some marginalized groups more than others and consider how communities can move towards greater economic equity.

Science:

Unit 2: Properties of Materials- The class will be finishing up with chapter 1 and will start chapter 2 by the end of January.

In this unit, students will become “glue engineers.” They will explore different ingredients, test how they work, and try out different glue recipes. Each time, they make the glue a little better. At the end, students can explain which glue they made works best and why. students will answer the question - How do you make a material for a specific purpose?

Chapter 1: Students will tackle the question, How can you make sticky glue? They read a compelling book about what everyday things are made of and why as a way to understand the importance of properties of materials. Students go on to investigate two mystery glues. Are they the same glue or two different glues? In their first written argument, students make claims to answer that question and support their claims with evidence. The class goes on to observe and test possible glue ingredients, graph test data with the Graphing Tool, and search for information about these ingredients in the unit’s reference book. Using all of the gathered evidence, students work individually to plan, make, and test their own glue recipes.

In Chapter 2, students work to answer the question Can heating an ingredient (and returning it to its original temperature) make a better glue? They read a book to discover that some substances change when heated or cooled, while other substances remain substantially unchanged. They use the Sorting Tool to apply this knowledge to a digital card sort of reversible and irreversible changes. Then the class observes and tests a glue ingredient that has been heated and the same ingredient that has not been heated, discusses how the properties change with heating, and predicts whether those property changes would result in a stickier glue. Students discuss the concept of cause and effect and apply the concept to explain the effects they are observing. The chapter ends with another opportunity for students to practice making and supporting claims—this time about whether or not heating a cornstarch and water mixture will make a stickier glue.