#18 This Week in 5th Grade

WHAT WE'RE LEARNING IN CLASS

Math: We have been writing and evaluating numerical expressions after reading multi-step word problems using our knowledge of order of operations. We've also been looking at patterns in sequences, as well as learning how to graph on a coordinate plane.

Literacy (Reading & Comprehension): We are focusing on Main Idea. For the next month, we are going to be learning a lot about refugees. A big focus this time around is previewing the text and text features (maps, graphs, photographs, captions, bolded words, headings). Previewing text helps readers to gather understanding and make connections before reading. We've then been reading articles and determining the main ideas and important details for the different sections. To determine the main idea, we have been using the 5 W strategy (answering who, what, when, where, and why) to construct a main idea statement.

Writing: As stated above, we are learning a lot about refugees right now. We started writing informational essays describing the lives of refugees. Besides not stating their opinion, another change in informational essays is that they are adding photos, graphs, and maps, as well as domain-specific vocabulary. Every day this week, I've had a student talk to me about news they've heard about, projects they've helped with, or personal experiences they've had with refugees outside of school. I love that they are finding and making connections in everyday life!

Science: We are still learning all about electricity. We have conducted experiments to determine what materials are conductors (material electricity can flow through) or insulators. This upcoming week, we will be going on a virtual "field trip" to learn about sources of energy.