Inquiry: Letter To The Once-ler

L.I: to make a persuasive letter to the Once-ler as if we were the Lorax.

This term for inquiry we have been learing about Reduce, Reuse, Recylce, and a good example we used for this subject was to read The Lorax. This week we had to pretend that we were the Lorax, and we had to write a letter to the Once-ler. This letter needed to include the words Reduce Reuse and Recycle, and something about them that the Once-ler could do to change.

Our Letter:

Oh Once-ler,

Please stop this terribleness, what you have done and are doing is heartbreaking. You have polluted the air and gotten rid of the food that everyone needs to live here. If you do not stop this nonsense, then there soon will be no Truffula trees left. Which means the environment will rot, and you will run out of business. You could reduce how many trees you cut down by replanting them, so there is still enough air to breath! If someone gives back your Thneeds you could reuse them as things like a pillowcases. Recycle things that you don’t use anymore. If your car stop working use the materials to make more useful things. I am heartbroken from this critical change, and if this keeps on happening there will not be a way to change it back to how it used to be. You have cut down almost every single Truffula tree around us, and because of that everything is being polluted. From the grass, to the clouds, to the lakes, they will soon be all gone. Just please Once-ler, stop what you are doing or for every Truffula tree you cut down, replant a new one. It will help us both, the environment won’t rot, and you’ll still be eligible to continue your business. Although could you invent a machine that runs on your pollution, because your waste is always going into the lakes the Humming Fish live in. All the animals have no choice but to leave this terrible place. Please, stop this now! Until then, I have no choice but to send the animals away.

• The Lorax

Maths: Measuring Perimeter

L.I: To know what a perimeter is and how to find it.

This week for maths we learnt what a perimeter is, and how to find it in a shape of object. We had to measure 4 things, a 2D shape, an exercise book, the door frame, and something around the school that isn't rectangular, and 1 side is longer than a meter.
(The shapes I measured are under this text, and under that is the measurements)

Writing: Setting Descriptions

L.I: To write a setting description
L.I: To investigate figurative language

This week for writing we learnt about setting descriptions. A setting description is when you describe a place or setting, you can use literal language, or figurative language. We used the Show Don't Tell template to explain what our setting is like with the 5 senses, Looks, Smells, Feels, Sounds, and Tastes. We had to describe our setting with literal language, and figurative language. Literal language was done in the tell section, and figurative language was done in the show section.

Reading: Making Connections / Point Of Views

L.I: to make connections and synthesis

This week for reading we learnt about making connections, and a characters point of view. We used two templates that would help us understand both how to make connections, and how to figure out the characters point of view, and if it changed. For the making connections chart there were three sections that were split in half. The three sections were the text to self section, the text to text section, and the text to world section. Text to self is when something in the text you read, has a connection to something you've done before. Text to text is when something that has happened in the text has happened in another story. Text to world is when you make a connection with something that happened in the story, happens, or has happened in real life, but not to you. For the Point Of View chart there are four boxes. In each box needs a character from a story, their point of view, and if it changed.

Reading: Questioning And Predicting

L.I: To pose questions of a shared text
L.I: To Identify Questions
This week for reading we learnt about questioning and predicting by making posters with the rest of our group. We made in total three posters, one about what questioning is, the other about what predicting is, and finally our own version of the QAR template. Each poster had to explain what points we were making, and deeper information on how to question, predict, and figure out what the type of questions you are wondering.

Writing: Character Descriptions

L.I: To write a character description

L.I: To investigate figurative language

This week for writing we learnt about character descriptions. A character description is a short description about a character, or a real person. We chose a few characters and described them in a boring original paragraph, and an improved paragraph with figurative language. Figurative language is a set of sentences which include either a simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole or an understatement.

 Photo by PSP Dude / CC BY 2.0

Inquiry: Waste Management Games

L.I: to test our skills and how much we know how to recycle.
L.I: to take thought of what we produce and put in our bins.

This week for inquiry we did a fun activity to show how much we know how to recycle. We played two small games that made us think, think about what goes where. The two games were GARBAGE DREAMS and Recycling. In my own opinion I think these were great and fun games, and a great way to learn about recycling. They were both fun and both challenging games, and I recommend you try them yourself if you have the time.

Inquiry: What Is Waste

L.I: to make a poster to show what waste is.

This week for inquiry we learnt about what waste is, by making a poster to show what waste is, kinds of waste, and sources of waste. We looked at a site called eSchoolToday so we could understand what waste is, and examples of them. We had to explain on the poster what waste is, and examples of them. We would find images and attribute them, and make the poster look eye catching.

Waste In Our School Throughout The Week

L.I: to realise how much waste we produce weekly.

L.I: to sort out our waste into groups.

Today for an extension to our inquiry, we wanted to do an activity to show how much waste our school produces. We got the rubbish from each class, and added them together. We would be put into groups of four, and each group had to go through all the rubbish to sort out each piece while two people would take notes of how much rubbish there was. We then would look at every other groups pile of waste.

 

 

 

 

Story Web: The Goose With The Golden Eggs

L.I: To identify the parts of a Narrative
L.I: To investigate figurative language

This week for writing we read a short remake of the Farmer and the goose. We used the Story Web template to explain each part of the text in all the different boxes.

Measurements Around The Class

L.I: To measure lengths using non-standard measurements.

This week for maths, we learnt about measuring objects, with smaller objects. We had to make a ruler with marks on it, for the length of the object, and repeat that to the very end of the paper. We would make to rulers, and each ruler had to be measured in a different object. We then chose five objects to measure using our rulers, and keep track of what we measured, the dimension, what size it was, and the measuring unit.

Measured object	Dimension	Size	Measuring unit
Steel Bench	Width	55+	Cube Ruler
Plastic Chair	Height	16+	Cube Ruler
Grey Table	Width	23, 1 inch+	Cube Ruler
Purple Table	Depth	13+	Cube Ruler
Cube Chair	Height	8, 1 inch+.	Cube Ruler

The Duel: Story Web / QAR

L.I: to inference information using QAR strategy
L.I: To identify the main parts of the story
L.I: to predict using pictures, titles etc

This week as work for reading, we read a story called The Duel. Before we read the story we had to try to predict what the story was about, by looking at the title, cover and pictures. Once we read the story, we would then use the Story Web template to explain what the story was about, and use the QAR template to make questions about the story.

Inquiry: Saving Our Environment

L.I: to identify the causation, responsibility, and change in an issue.

This week for inquiry, we have been learning about what we have done to our environment around us, and how to make a change. A way we learnt about what is happening was by reading The Lorax, which was about saving the trees. We then got with a partner, and thought of the causation in the story, the responsibility, and ways we could change.

Story Web: My Mother And Stan

LI To identify the main parts of the story
LI to predict using pictures, titles etc

As an extension for our reading, we had to use the Story Web template, and get use the information from the story, My Mother And Stan. We would explain each part of the story in detail with what happened, and how it happened. We would explain what happened in each part of the story as well, e.g the orientation, problem, events, the resolution, and the ending.

QAR: My Mother And Stan

LI to inference information using QAR strategy
LI To identify the main parts of the story
LI to predict using pictures, titles etc

For reading this week, we had to read a story called My Mother And Stan. We would make a prediction on what the story was about, by looking at the pictures and the cover. We then had to do a quick QAR quiz, by reading a short story to practice what Right There questions are, what Think and Search questions are, what Author and You questions are, and what On My Own questions are. We then had to read the story again, and make our own QAR quiz about My Mother And Stan. Finally, we would publish it on our blog and wait for another person in our group to try and answer our questions.

Story Web: A Poor Shot

L.I: To identify the parts of a Narrative

As work for writing this week, we had to read a story called A Poor Shot. We had to understand what the story was about, and use the Story Web template to write in our own words all the parts of the narrative including making our own title for the story.