Ms. Ahrens 5TH AND 6TH

3/30

We are IAR testing this week. The schedule will be different and there will be no regular class work. 

3/31 update

The internet went out today so we were unable to test. Our testing schedule will be pushed back a day so we will be testing 1 day next week. 

Reading- We are getting ready to start a novel study on the book Restart. We watched the book trailer and did pre-reading activity. We discussed if there was a time in their lives they would like to have a redo or a fresh start. The main character in our book has this very chance. 

3/16

Last week of school before spring break. We will be IAR testing when we get back.

Reading- This week we will take the quiz for the guided reading passages provided last week after we read them one or two more times and write a summary about the passage. 

Language Arts- We will be writing one more argumentative paper. This time we will be looking for any research that supports our claim. Before spring break, we will share our claims and reasons. 

5th Math-  Reviewing area and perimeter by creating a project.

6th Math- We will review volume and surface area before taking the test later this week. Then we will review coordinate planes. 

3/9

Reading-  We will not be reading from the text book this week. We will be working on small groups during stations. We will also be reading different arguments to help in writing and having a debate. 

Language Arts- We will be working on writing a debate.

5th Math- We are finishing our unit on multiplying fractions. The test will be on Friday. 

6th Math- We are working on finding surface area of 3D shapes. 

3/2

5th grade will be ISA (Illinois Science Assessment) testing on Monday and Tuesday. We will be following a different schedule both days.

Reading- We did not get a chance to take the guided reading quizzes last week so we will complete them this week. There will not be a new story this week because of that and since we are testing two days. 

Language Arts- Last week, we read a story about Animals Snooping on each other. This week, we will be writing a comic about our pets snooping on us. The students will make up a story about their pet snooping and turn it into a comic. 

5th Math- We will be working on multiplying fractions through spring break. 

6th Math- We will be working on volume and surface area through spring break. 

2/23

Reading- We will be reading Animal Snoops this week from the Into Literature textbook. The students will learn about how animals eavesdrop on each other to aid with their survival. 

Language Arts- Students will create their own claim and write an argumentative essay to support that claim and refute any arguments against their claim. 

5th Math- We will continue working with adding and subtracting fractions with and without mixed numbers. The test will be on Friday. 

6th Math- We will finish up our Area unit taking the test on Thursday. We have learned how to find the area of parallelograms, triangles, and trapezoids. 

2/17

Reading- This week we are reading two articles called "Let People Own Exotic Animals" and "Wild Animals Aren't Pets." We will discuss the reasons within the articles and students will write a paragraph about which one they think is correct. Afterwards, we will look at multiple other issues and create pros and cons for each one. The issues are things like children shouldn't own cellphones, 4 day school week, no pop, etc. 

Language Arts- After we practice supporting both sides of an issue, students will create their own claim and supporting ideas. We will turn this into an essay with 3 supporting details and a rebuttal of the opposite side. 

5th Math- We are working on adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. We started using fraction tiles as a visual, but will move into using the calculator.

6th Math- Last week we learned area of parallelograms and triangles. We will work on trapezoids this week. There will also be review on coordinate planes and locating shapes on the plane. 

2/9

Reading- This week we are reading texts from the 6th grade book Into Literature. We will read an excerpt from the story Zoo in which the people believe they are going to the zoo, but the creatures in the zoo feel they are being taken to the zoo. The creatures come from other planets so we will have a fun project of creating our own creature and writing to describe what it looks like with a matching picture. 

Language Arts- Besides creating these fun creatures and describing them, we will also finish our animal papers based on the research we completed. There will also be a paragraph comparing the two animals in order to prepare for state testing. Some students have already started working on the brochure.

5th Math- We are working on dividing decimals, but will take the test later this week. After the test, we will move into adding and subtracting fractions. We will start by using fraction tiles to see what is happening, but then move to using the calculator to solve problems with unlike denominators.

6th Math- We finished our variables unit, but will be doing some review for missed concepts. We will start our unit on area reviewing area of squares/rectangles and moving into parallelograms, triangles, and trapezoids. 

2/2

Reading- In reading this week, we will watch a video about dolphins to learn about how the mother and baby interact. We will watch to see why these interactions are so important for the baby dolphin. Then we will read a story about animal friends. Sometimes animals are friends for a specific purpose. Students can always log into Into Reading to view our stories again at home. 

Language Arts- Students will research an animal, write a paper, and create an informational brochure. We will break the assignment into parts so it is easy to manage the requirements of each part. 

5th Math- We are working on dividing decimals to extend our division of whole numbers. This will be a short unit because we are using our calculators not the standard algorithm. 

6th Math- We continue working with variables and how to solve for a missing number. The test will be on Friday. 

1/26

Reading- This week, we are starting Module 10. We will look at how animals and humans interact with each other. Our first story is called Willie B. It is about a gorilla raised in captivity and how his life changes with increased awareness of animal needs. This also changes modern zoos. 

Language Arts- We will work on writing summaries this week using complete sentences and including the necessary details. We will discuss how we know which details get included and which ones we can leave out. 

5th Math- We will start Unit 7 this week working on dividing whole numbers. We will use calculators to complete the math. 

6th Math- We are continuing to work on solving variables. We learned addition last week and will focus on subtraction and multiplication this week. 

1/16

Reading- We did not get to Play Louis Play so we will be reading that this week. We needed to spend a lot of time discussing expectations, classroom procedures, minding our own business, and being kind to others whether we like them or not. 

During stations we will have new stories for the 2 weeks. The quiz will be on the 30th. We will read the passages for two weeks, practicing our phonics skills, fluency, and comprehension. 

Language Arts- We started our Famous Person Research this week. Some students already started writing the report. We will continue the report writing next week and start our posters. 

5th Math-  We will finish our volume unit next week with the test being on Wednesday. Then we will start working on long division of whole numbers. 

6th Math- We finished the unit working on exponents and order of operations. We will start working on algebraic expressions and solving for variables next week. 

1/9/26

Reading-  Next week, we will read Play, Louis, Play a short story about Louis Armstrong. The test will be Wednesday or Thursday. We will be discussing important information we learn and making note of it in the margins to help when it comes to taking the test. There will also be a chance for students to listen to his music and decide if they love jazz. 

During stations, students will continue reading their guided reading stories. The quiz will be on Friday. 

Language Arts- We will be working on how to write a summary because students write one later in the week on their guided reading story. At the end of the week, we will start a project on a famous person. Students will get to pick who they want to research. To start, students will be given questions to answer then they will write a paragraph about the person they chose followed by a poster or brochure.

5th Math- We will continue working with volume. We started with using unit cubes and have moved into using the formula. Late next week, we will look at conjoined rectangular prisms. The test will be sometime the week of 1/20. 

6th Math-  We will be wrapping up our unit working on order of operations. The test will be Wednesday. After that we will move into Unit 6 working on variables. Students will start by deciding if a given number solves an equation. 

1/5/26-

Reading- This week we will be reading a text from the textbook called " Phillis's Big Test." In this text, Phillis is a slave and has to prove that she wrote some works of poetry. We will work on our comprehension skills while reading the text. We will also be focusing on deficit skills during reading groups. 

5th Math- We will be working on volume for the next couple of weeks. We will start by reviewing area and perimeter before we start. 

6th Math- We were half way through Unit 5 before break so we will continue working through algebraic expressions. We will review solving equations with a given variable and order of operations. Then we will move into greatest common factors and least common multiples before the test next week. 

12/20/25- Have a very Merry Christmas! May the new year bring you much joy and happiness!

12/12/25- One more week until break!!! These week we completed MAP testing. This involved multiple days of testing so we could complete math, reading, and language usage. Each test is 40-43 questions. Students in my reading class have the language and math tests read to them by the computer. The students did great as many of the scores show the increase from fall to winter. We will take MAP again in the spring (late April/early May).

12/5/25- MAP testing starts next week! Reading and language usage will be tested on Monday and Tuesday. Math is tested on Thursday and Friday. 

Reading- We finished Pax. It was so sad and happy all at the same time. We worked on a summarizing activity using our notes to help. We also wrote an alternate ending. Those grades will be entered into the grade book next week. Language Arts- We worked on the suffixes -y, -ment, and -able/-ible. We also started new guided reading stories. The quiz will be the end of next week or the beginning of the following week.

5th Math- We took the test on Unit 5 this week using our new calculator knowledge. We also started Unit 6 with learning about exponents and how to use them. We will continue working with decimals next week. 

6th Math- We started Unit 5 working on exponents and how to enter them into the calculator. We will be learning how to say problems with words and numbers as well as translating them back and forth. 

11/21/25- Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Reading- We are so close to finishing Pax. After break, we will work on a project. Students will have a choice of 2 or 4 projects (I'm still finalizing the project options). Language Arts- We will be finishing our work with suffixes and continuing stations to increase our reading abilities. Good sentences are important so we will be focusing on how to write a more detailed sentence while making sure we don't have 1 really long run on sentence. 

6th Math- We are continuing to work on integers while graphing on coordinate planes. The test will be midweek after some review time to refresh our memories of what we learned before break. After the test, we will start Unit 5 Numerical and Algebraic Expressions. We will be working to complete this unit before winter break.

5th Math-  We will continue working on Unit 5 multipying whole numbers. The test will be midweek after some review time. Unit 6 Multiplying Decimals will start at the end of the week. We will be working to complete this unit before winter break.

11/14/25- Reading- We are continuing to read Pax during class. We are speeding up our pace to make sure we finish before the end of the quarter. The 6th graders will participate in Pax day on Friday before Thanksgiving break where they will participate in a day full of fun fox activities. Language Arts- We will be finishing up with our suffixes before winter break. We have -y, -ness, -ment, -able/-ible, -ful, and -less left to complete. We will also be refreshing our memories of what makes a good sentence. 

6th Math- We are working on integers and learned how to compare positive and negative numbers. Next week, we will work on fractions on a numberline and 4 quadrant coordinate planes. 

5th Math- Today, we took the Unit 4 Test on adding and subtracting decimals. We will move to Unit 5 working on multiplication of whole numbers next week. We may even have time for a special project planning how much it costs to have a Thanksgiving dinner. 

11/7/25- In reading we are continuing to read Pax. We won't finish the book until closer to Winter Break. 

6th grade math is focusing on Integers. We will discuss different scenerios such as gaining 10 yards is a positive integer where losing $10 is a negative integer. We will also learn about the opposite of each integer and how to compare and order integers. 

5th grade math has started working with decimals. We have discussed how important the decimal is and that it means it is not a whole part. We have been adding and subtracting decimal numbers with a calculator and will take the test next Friday. 

10/31/25- In reading, we are reading Pax. We are still at the beginning of the book, but are heartborken by what has happened already. While we are reading, we are taking notes of the important events so we can use them on the chapter quizzes and for a project after we finish the book. In language arts, we are working on morphological awareness using prefixes and suffixes. We are also continuing a new reading passage to practice decoding and comprehension. A new passage is given every week to two weeks. 

6th grade math, we are using calculators to divide whole numbers and fractions. We will be taking the test next week. 

5th grade math is taking their order of operations test this week and will start the unit on adding and subtracting decimals next week. 

Friday we are showing a movie in the afternoon for Halloween. There is one nonHalloween movie for each grade so students who don't do well with Halloween or can't watch Halloween movies have an option. Please remember that after Halloween, the students should not be bringing candy with them to school. They can have some at lunch, but they will not be allowed to eat it during the day in their classes. 

10/17/25- In math, we finished our decimals, fractions, and percentages unit. Using calculators, this skill proved to be an easy task. We will start Module 3 Compute with Multidigit Numbers and Fractions. Division starts this module, but we will review multiplication skills too. Fractions will be a large part of what we learn in this module so we will start by reviewing what we learned last year. We will be using calculators to support our learning. 

In reading, we finished out unit on Unexpected and Unexplained. Today, we shared our projects on why people do or do not believe in certain creatures. Next week, we will be starting a novel study with the text Pax. The entire 6th grade is reading this text, discussing, and completing quizzes and projects. 

10/10/25- This week has been busy. In reading, we have been working on finishing our unit Unexpected Unexplained. We have learned about the Loch Ness Monster and Big Foot with claims supporting and not supporting their existence. Students will do further research next week on other unexplained animals/objects to debate their existence in language arts. 

In math, we made some yummy treats last month converting recipes and making sure our ratios stayed the same. We are now working on converting decimals, fractions, and percentages. We will review next week and take the unit test.