// Week of Nov. 26: Curriculum Update //

This week, students began a new unit in Science about soil composition. They will be collecting soil samples in Jersey City (and may bring in samples from other place they might visit on the weekend).  Students will then use water to break down and identify the soil’s components. In History, students had a lesson on government in Mesopotamia, including Hammurabi’s code. They will be studying the social classes in Mesopotamia and comparing/contrasting forms of government, including democracy and theocracy. In Language, we have begun an on-going study of Word Roots.  The study of Greek and Latin roots will help students grow their vocabulary and identify the meaning of unknown words using logical reasoning. In Readers’ Workshop, students continue to share their theories about which character murdered Sam Westing in The Westing Game.  In Writers’ Workshop, our writing process is in full-swing. Students have developed an idea about their lives to introduce their memoir, and are now developing a story or stories that show how this idea is true.