February Newsletter

The month of February brings many new units of study for our 5th grade readers, writers, scientists, and mathematicians.

As part of our writing unit, "Argument and Advocacy," we have been reading and taking notes about whether or not chocolate milk should be served in school. Mr. Baker wrote the 5th grade students a letter asking our advice! After doing some research on the topic, we each decided whether or not chocolate milk should be served at Fiske School. We are currently working on our persuasive letters (essays) to Mr. Baker. Some kids think it should be served in school, but others disagree. We are all baking up our claims with reasons and evidence from our research!

In Reading, we're researching other controversial topics, and will proceed through a similar process that we learned from our "chocolate milk" essays. We had a "tasting" of five different topics, and selected the topics we are most interested in. Some of the topics include: whether we should or shouldn’t keep animals zoos, whether or not we should ban plastic, and whether we should be saving sharks from humans or humans from sharks. The challenge is to gain a solid understanding of both sides of the issue. This experience will result in a second argumentative essay! This has been challenging and exciting!

In math, we have been working on fractions. We have learned terms like LCD (Least Common Denominator) or LCM (Least Common Multiple). These are both ways of finding common denominators, so you can easily add and subtract fractions. We learned that you MUST have a common denominator before even thinking about tackling a problem. We are currently in the midst of another context unit, Parks and Playgrounds. Partners work together to tackle problems each day that two cousins face as they train for and run a marathon! We explore and discover various problem-solving strategies related to fractions. These "real" problems help us to make meaning connections while using fractions.

Finally, in science we have been learning about matter. We began this unit by building mini-lakes, scientific models of a lake. Almost every day, partners weigh the gravel, sand, and water, then we chart and graph it. We learned that matter is anything that has weight and takes up space (volume). We have been doing various experiments and learning what happens to matter under different circumstances. This has been a fun and eye-opening unit!

Thank you for your continued support. Please continue to ask your child questions about school! And, of course, never hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.