Homework

It is expected that your child will spend 20 - 30 minutes total each night on the following:
  • Practice maths basic fact (with basic facts rocket)
  • Read independently or with a family member
  • Practice spelling words 

Each Friday there will be some maths problems and something for you to discuss as a family related to what we have been doing in class. This will be posted here.  The homework will always be due the following Friday.

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Due Friday, 19 September
Statistics

This week we have looked at different ways to collect and display data.  We have learnt about tally charts, pie graphs, bar graphs, and pictographs.  Please explain these graphs to your parents.


Due Friday, 12 September



Production Preparation

This week we have spent time preparing for our school production, A Breath of Fresh Air.  The production will take place on Wednesday, 17 September and Thursday, 18 September at 6:30. 

For the production, we have the job of introducing the scene that takes place in Katmandu.  We are doing a Nepalese dance.  For the dance the students will need to wear black bottoms and a black top.  We will be making bright sashes in class.

Your homework this week is to make sure you are prepared for production.  This means you must do the following:
·      Make sure you have black bottoms and a black top.  These must be at school by Monday, 15 September.
·      Practice the dance at home. 
·      Bring in any bright colour, gold, or silver jewellery that you can wear with your costume.  Please do not bring in anything that you consider too valuable.
·      Talk with your family about who is attending the production.  Make sure they have purchased tickets. 
·      Arrange who will be dropping you off and picking you up from production.


ACT OF KINDNESS

This week do something kind for someone else.  Don’t tell them it is part of your homework, just do it and let them enjoy your kind act.  Be prepared to come back to class and tell us about your kind act.



Due Friday, 8 August


Fractions

We’ll be studying fractions in Term 3.  This week we did different activities to introduce fractions.  Tell your parents three interesting things you learnt about fractions this week.  You can use the statements below to help get you started:

·      A fraction is…
·      The numerator tells us….
·      The denominator tells us….
·      To have a whole, the numerator and denominator must be….


You can use the fraction below to help you talk about these topics.





Making Decisions

This week in class we talked about who makes decisions in our classroom.  We listed decisions that were only made by the students, decisions that were only made by the teacher, and decisions that were made together.  With your family, think about who makes decisions at home.  Who decides what’s for dinner?  Who decides what time to wake up in the morning?  Who decides whose job it is to do the dishes?  Who decides on bedtimes?  Complete the Venn Diagram on the back of the page.









Due Friday, 1 August


Probability

In class we are learning that probability is the likelihood of something happening.  We have learnt to describe probability in words and in numbers.  Please talk to your parent about the probability line below and the vocabulary we can use to express probability.  Discuss some events that could be placed on the line and where they belong.  Also, explain to your parent some of the probability experiments we did this week and how we can use numbers to explain probability.








Personal Narratives

In the first half of Term 3 we will be writing personal narratives.  This week we learnt three different strategies we can use to generate ideas for writing when we are stuck.  Talk to your parents about those three strategies and explain how you’ve used one of them.

Class Expectations


On the first day of Term 3 we received our class expectations.  Please tell your parents at least three things that are expected in the classroom.  Also explain the positive and negative consequences in Room 7.


Due Friday, 4 July


Term 2 Reflection

This is the last week of Term 2 and we have been learning lots of different things throughout the term. Think back over the things we have done and write down 5 things that are the most memorable for you.

To get you started, some of the things we have been learning about include energy (sound, heat), explanation writing, writing instructions, fossil fuels, renewable energy, character traits, inferencing, context clues. There was also electives, syndicate singing and cross country.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.


How to Project


This week we have been learning about instructions and have started writing our own instructions to teach the class how to do something. We will be presenting these to the class in the form of a video, photo presentation, drawings, live in front of the class or any other way you can think of. Tell your parents what your instructions are about and ask them to help you create your presentation.

Friday, 27 June


Character Traits

In class we are learning that authors don’t always directly tell us about a character’s traits.  We know that great readers can infer character traits by reading about what the character says, does, and feels.  We have learnt that we can provide evidence from the text of these traits.  Complete the character trait boxes below with a character from a book or movie that you’ve read or watched with your family.
Character: ______________







Character Trait 1
Character Trait 2
Character Trait 3
The character is _______
because in the story or movie he/she says









The character is _______
because in the story or movie he/she does

The character is _______
because in the story or movie he/she feels



Informing vs Tattling

In class we discussed the difference between informing and tattling.  We discussed how in some situations it is very important to get help from an adult while in other situations we can try to solve problems ourselves.  Please discuss some examples of informing and tattling and when it is appropriate to get adult help or solve a problem yourself.



Due Friday, 20 June


Renewable Resources

We have learnt that because there are limited amounts of fossil fuels they are non-renewable resources.  This week we started learning about renewable resources, the alternative to non-renewable resources.  Talk to your family about some of the renewable resources that we have discussed in class.  See if you can find any other types of renewable resources.  You are welcome to include information you find here or just have a conversation with your family.


Maths Blog

Maungaraki School has a new feature to its website, a maths blog.  Please take time to check out the blog sometime this week.  Write your three favourite things you did on the maths blog.  http://maungarakimaths.blogspot.co.nz

1.



2.




3.

Due Friday, 6 June


Family Task

There have been some new posts on the blog over the past couple of weeks. This week’s homework task is to comment on the blog using these guidelines and starters. Some great extension would be challenging your family to comment or commenting on someone else's comment!
If you have an idea for a blog post based on what we have been learning in class, write it down and bring it to school.

*If you do not have a computer available, you can come in before school and use a computer in the classroom to comment.


 Family Discussion

We have learnt some interesting things about electricity this week. We found out how a dam generates electricity and how a bird can stand on power lines without being hurt.


Can you find any other interesting things about electricity?


Due Friday, 30 May


Context Clues

This week in reading we have been learning how to use context clues when we don’t know the meaning of a word in the text.  We learnt that we can try to use one of the following strategies to help us figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word:

1.   Find a synonym – you might find a word with the same meaning.
The homework was more complicated, or difficult than she had first thought.
2.   Find an antonym – you might find a word with the opposite meaning.
Even though some of the dogs were very docile, others were very mean.
3.   Find an explanation – the word might be explained in the same sentence before of after the unfamiliar word
Jo was exhausted, she could hardly keep her eyes open.
4.   Find an example – right after the word, an example may be given
Celestial bodies, such as the sun, moon, and stars can be seen in the sky.

See if you can find an unfamiliar word in a text (book, newspaper, online) and try using one of the strategies above.  If you can find an unknown word, write the sentence on this page and tell what strategy you used to try to find the meaning of he word.

Explanations

This term, we’ll be writing explanations.  Talk to your family about the success criteria for explanations.  Tell them what we decided our explanations must have and what they can have.

See if you can find any examples of explanations around your house.  If you can, bring a copy of the explanation in to school.





Due Friday, 23 May


Insulation Experimentation


Next week we’ll experimenting with different insulators.  Discuss with your family what insulation is and its purpose.  Bring in two materials that you think will make a good insulator for an ice cube.


Family Discussion


Daily 5
We have started a new reading programme this term called the Daily 5. During the Daily 5, you have five different choices available to you: read to self, read to someone, word work, work on writing, and reading technology.  Tell your family about the purpose of each of these choices and what the expectations are while you work on each of them.  

Sound Energy Experiment

This past week, we conducted an experiment about sound energy using a balloon.  Explain to your family what you did and what you learnt.  Write down three things that you are curious about following the experiment.


Due Friday, 16 May


Energy

The theme for our inquiry this term is ‘switched on to switching off’. We will be looking into these big ideas:
  • What is energy?
  • Where does energy come from?
  • How do we use energy?
  • How can we be responsible users of energy?

Talk to your family about our introduction to energy this week. Look at the websites below and write down 5 interesting things that you find about energy. If you find some other great websites about energy share them below!

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2.




3.




4.




5.





Family Discussion

This past week, we have setting goals for our learning. We have been thinking about the things that we can already do and some things that we might need to work on.

Talk with your family about some things that you do outside of the classroom. These could include things such as helping your family, playing sport, playing music, cooking, going to dance classes, martial arts, etc.

Think about what you can do now.  Try to be as specific as possible. For example, I can pass the ball straight in football. Write what you can do below.

I can



Think about something you would like to work on. It could be a particular skill or it might be something you want to achieve by the end of the term. For example, I want to move up to the next belt in karate. Write your next step/goal here.

I would like to
  



Due Thursday, 17 April


20 is the answer.  What are some possible questions?


+

-
Equal groups of
X
Split into equal groups    

Fractions




























Family Tasks


List your five most memorable things you learnt in Term 1.  Discuss each of these things with your family.


Due Friday, 11 April

There are five squares (one 3x3 and four 1x1) formed with 20 matchsticks, as shown in the illustration. Move two matchstick to get seven squares. Overlapping or breaking of matchsticks or "loose ends" are not allowed.

*It’s a great idea to take out some sticks and actually move them around to try to solve this. 


                                                   











Family Tasks

Field Trip Follow Up:
On Friday we went to the Island Bay Marine Centre for the day.  Please share with your family what you learnt while you were there.  Remember, there were three different rotations: The Rocky Shore, Human Impacts, and Aquarium Visit.


Asking Questions While Reading:
In class, we are working on asking questions before, during, and after reading.

Please spend some time while you are reading with your family this week to show them how we are doing in this in class and explain to them why asking questions is a useful reading strategy.



Due Friday, April 4


Author’s Purpose Task

In class, we have been discussing the author’s purpose, or why the author writes what he or she writes.  You should be able to tell your family what PIE stands for.  If you need some help, go on the classroom blog.

After teaching your family about PIE, please find three examples from newspapers, magazines, the internet, or any other source.  Please cut them out and glue them on this page with the author’s purpose written next to them.  We will share them in class and the class will guess what the author’s purpose was for each item.

Family Task



In class we’ve discussed blogs and we have taken a closer look at our classroom blogs from Maungaraki School.  This week’s homework task is to comment on the blog using these guidelines and starters. Some great extension would be challenging your family to comment!  *If you do not have a computer available, you can come in before school and use a computer in the classroom to comment.


Due Friday, March 28
Word Challenge

Using the BrainTracker grid below, how many words can you find? Each word must contain the central F and no letter can be used twice, however, the letters do not have to be connected. Proper nouns are not allowed, however, plurals are. Can you find the nine letter word?

Excellent: 28 words. Good: 22 words. Average: 19 words.






Family Discussion

We have been learning about the water cycle.  Please have your child explain the diagram below to you.  If you need some assistance, take a look at our classroom blog.





Due Friday, March 21


1.  Look at this number: 100

Make 100 by:

a.    adding two numbers.

b.   adding more than two numbers.

c.    finding the difference between two numbers.

* Want a challenge?  See if you can find multiple possibilities for a, b, and c.*

2.  Look at these digits:  1   7   6  8

Use each digit only once.  Write:

a.    the greatest (biggest) number you can make.

b.   the least (smallest) number you can make.

c.    the greatest odd number you can make.

d.   the least even number you can make.
        
 *Want a challenge?  Make up your own digits, possible more than four, and answer the same questions.


3.  Write a short story problem that uses these numbers:     82     14





Family Discussion

We have been working on descriptive writing with our Monster Match.  Please have your child explain to you the success criteria for Monster Match writing.  There are three things that your child should share with you.  Please practise writing five descriptive sentences with your child.  Make sure each sentence has the success criteria.


Due Friday, March 14

1.  Look at this number: 50

Make 50 by:

     a.     adding two numbers.

     b.   adding more than two numbers.

     c.    finding the difference between two numbers.

        * Want a challenge?  See if you can find multiple possibilities for a, b, and c.*

2.  Look at this number: 46

The digits add to 10.
See if you can find 10 other numbers that have digits that add to 10. 
*Hint: The number does not have to be a 2 digit number.

         1. 1,243                                 6.
         2.                                          7.
         3.                                          8.
         4.                                          9.
         5.                                         10.
        
 
3.  Write a short story problem that uses these numbers:     27     9








Family Discussion

We have been practising making connections with the texts we read.  We have learned about the following types of connections:
       
Text to Self: You are connecting the text to your own life, experiences, and feelings.

Text to Text: You are connecting the text to another text you have read.

Text to World:  You are connecting the text to something going on in the real world.

Please have your child explain what each type of connection means in his or her own words.  As you read throughout the week, see if you can find any connections with the texts. Remember, texts can be books, magazine articles, newspaper articles, etc.

Due Friday, March 7


Math Problems

Example:

1.


578


Hundreds
Tens
Ones







2.


462


Hundreds
Tens
Ones







3.


787


Hundreds
Tens
Ones








** Want a challenge?  Try making putting these numbers into the tables 4,293 and 9,842.




Family Discussion

In the week of 3 March, we’ll beginning discussing all the uses for water.  Please take the time one day after school to help your child record each time they use water from when they arrive at home until when they go to bed. 






Due Friday, February 28
  
Math Word Problems

1.  I have 3 pencils. The pencils are 17cm, 9cm, and 12cm long. What is the total length of my pencils?  

Underline the important information in the question that you used to solve the problem and draw a picture to show your work.









Answer: ____________ centimetres

2.  Ben was practicing throwing a ball. The first throw was 16 metres, the second was 12 metres and the third was 17 metres. How far did he throw the ball all together? 

Underline the important information in the question that you used to solve the problem and draw a picture to show your work.









Answer: ____________ metres


Family Discussion

This past week, we have been measuring lengths. We created benchmarks for one metre and half a metre to help us estimate lengths.

Tell your family at least 3 of the things that you found around school that were about 1 metre. 

Find 3 things around your home that are about one metre and 3 things that are about half a metre. Draw a picture of each one.


Due Friday, February 21

Maths Word Problems

1. There are 16 students on the playground. Seven more students showed up. How many children are there now?

Write down the important information in the question that you need to solve the problem, then draw a picture to show how you figured it out and write the number sentence to go with it.

2. There are 9 blue marbles and 7 yellow marbles in a bag. Alexander put 8 more marbles in the bag. How many marbles are in the bag now?

Write down the important information in the question that you need to solve the problem, then draw a picture to show how you figured it out and write the number sentence to go with it.



Family Discussion

This past week, we were scientist classifying sea animals. We classified them into six groups: mammals, fish, birds, molluscs, echinoderms, and crustacean. 

Tell your family at least one characteristic or feature that you remember about each group.  We learned more than one, so see how many you are able to remember and share.

Here are a couple examples to help you get started:


  • Echinoderms have no eyes, brains, or hearts.
  • Molluscs have soft bodies.

Now it’s your turn.  Keep on sharing what you know!


  • All fish have…
  • All birds have…
  • All crustaceans have…
  • All mammals…

* We only looked at four animals from each classification group.  If you want to do more, go on the computer or to the library and look for more animals classified as mammals, fish, birds, molluscs, echinoderms, and crustacean.

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