Math
Grade fours completed review questions for coordinates, reflections and translations.
Grade fives we talked about x and y coordinates that tell the location of a specific point. Make sure your practice questions are complete.

We will be having a series of three quizzes:

• Friday, December 14th: Coordinates
• Monday, December 17th: Symmetry, Reflections and Reflection Patterns
• Tuesday, December 18th: Translations

Friday we begin our discussion of decimals. The next five lessons will help with changing units of length in the new year.

Science
In Literacy we talked a bit about the Question / Answer text pattern, how we monitor comprehension and features of informational texts. Remember, when you monitor your comprehension, you check to make sure you understood what you read. When reading non-fiction texts, look at the heading and pick out the most important words. Those are usually repeated throughout the text. Put those words in sentences using your own words. If you can do all of that, then you probably have understood what you've read.

Your culminating activity will be to design, construct and play two different types of instruments. You will play your instruments with your group. You are making an instrument, not just a model. It must be playable. If you do a search such as "making musical instrument projects for kids" you'll get lots of ideas. You must construct two instruments. One can be fairly simple, but the other should involve more critical thinking (science) and creativity. We talked about PERCUSSION, WIND and STRINGED instruments. Remember, the shorter and narrow the medium that vibrates, the HIGHER the pitch.

Collect all your materials and bring them to school for next WEDNESDAY. You CANNOT make your instruments at home. You will be given half a day to create your instrument. It does not have to be a specific instrument e.g. guitar, but just be one of the three types of instruments we read about today. Please do not go out and buy materials. Try to use as much recycled materials as possible.

Time permitting we may create our symphonies using our instruments before Christmas.

Literacy
Great job summarizing the plot of the cartoon  "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". If you have the book at home, read it over. There are differences between the original cartoon and the Dr. Suess book. After the movie tomorrow, we will compare the original cartoon with the "The Grinch" movie. The last thing we will do is write the MESSAGE of the story.

Friday is GRINCH DAY AT St. Nicholas. Feel free to dress up in your "Grinch" wear.

Green shirt and a Santa hat seems pretty "Grinchy" to me!

Reading test tomorrow. Be prepared to read with your group and don't forget your book.