This morning we began with a discussion on the trial system. We supported our discussion with the Brainpop videos on Trials, Court System, and Student Rights. We were introduced to the concepts of criminal and civil cases. We discussed several examples of each. Additionally, we talked about the difference between state and federal courts. We learned about the prosecution and defense as well as the terms evidence and verdict. We worked through the follow-up quizzes together. Finally, we discussed the jury system process. We examined the need for a fair, impartial jury. We talked about the process of selecting a jury and how this impacts the trial as well as the individual participating on the jury. For our next area of study, we focused on a Time for Kids current events magazine. We read articles about how plastics are impacting our environment and how children and adults are working to reduce our use globally. We also read about pollution, a documentary of a panda moving into the wild in China, and the death of the last male northern white rhinoceros. In one article, we read about the use of robotic animals made to look like real animals for integration into the wild. This new experiment is providing a great deal of information to biologists about animals. Additionally, we practiced cursive handwriting.

For math, we enjoyed a fun card game called 3 Up 3 Down. This is a quick game in which strategy and luck play a part in helping the player get rid of their cards first. Next, we rolled dice to create two-digit numbers. We then used these for two-digit by two-digit multiplication practice on the whiteboard. For our next activity, we watched the Brainpop learning video on mixed numbers. We saw how they work with improper fractions. We went through the quiz together and worked out some problems. We then continued to practice making mixed numbers and improper fractions on the whiteboard. Yanuell did a great job learning this new skill!