Math

We are starting Unit 5 of Bridges, Multiplying and Dividing Fractions. In this unit, students extend their understanding of multiplication and division to working with fractions. During the first module, students review and extend skills and concepts first introduced in Grade 4 to solidify their understandings of whole-number-by fraction multiplication. In Modules 2 and 3, they use rectangular arrays to model and solve fraction-by-fraction multiplication problems. Module 4 features an introduction to division of whole numbers by unit fractions, and unit fractions by whole numbers. There is a strong emphasis throughout the unit on sense-making and understanding, as students tackle material that is conceptually challenging.

Every Module has 3-7 sessions. The class has taken a pre-test and will be setting personal goals based on their pre-test. At the end of the unit, they will take the post test to see their personal growth.

ELA

11-7-17

For our Native American simulation, each student has been assigned to read a novel related to the cultures and traditions of a tribe and its people. During their reading they are taking notes to share with the other members of their tribe. They meet often with their partners and have so far developed a belief system, a tribal name, an origin story and a symbol to represent their tribe. During small group, students are learning about the regions of the U.S. where Native Americans lived, as well as infamous tribal leaders from the past.

Members are also reading an interactive history adventure story about the Westward Expansion. Everything in the book happened to real people. As a group, they must choose which side they're on and what they will do next. The choices they make could lead to freedom, capture, survival, or death.

9-27-17

All students are reading a novel in a literature group. Your child has a copy of either The Whipping Boy, The Wanderer, Walk Two Moons, or Love, Ruby Lavender. Assignments are posted on the website weekly with the chapters to read and questions to answer for each group. When groups meet homework is discussed before the next few chapters are read and assigned. Feel free to read the book along with your child to start a discussion at home too. All reading completed at home counts on student reading logs.

In addition to small literature groups, we are reading a class novel as well. As we read Abel's Island and complete comprehension and vocabulary activities, we are focusing on the themes of justice, heroism, beliefs, values, and loyalty.

After assignments are completed for Abel's Island during independent work time, students work on various other ELA assignments including Storyworks, Time For Kids, spelling and Caesar's English.

9-11-17

We have been studying our first set of Caesar's English stems and robust vocabulary words from Story Town. Students made flashcards to practice quizzing each other and we played charades with the words as well. These lists will be sent home next week for students to study for the test on Friday, Sept. 15th.

Students are working on reviewing the tenses of verbs to determine when a shift of verb tense in their writing is acceptable.

Students are working on perfect verb tenses (present perfect, past perfect, future perfect), comparing and contrasting two texts, identifying a story's theme and point of view, and making inferences.

Social Studies

To start off the new year, we will be studying the lost colonies and the original thirteen colonies. We will be looking at the difficulties that settlers faced in Jamestown, where the Mayflower initially landed, the history of Roanoke, and what the daily life of colonies was like. After learning about the lost colonies, we will be discussing Puritans and founding the New England colonies, while comparing the differences between them and the middle and southern colonies. The students will be doing a project where they have selected one of the colonies and now have to convince us to move there through a commercial, travel poster, and brochure.

Writing

11-7-17

Our narrative unit has come to an end after celebrating with a writing share session that gave students the opportunity to hear the amazing small moment stories. Our next writing unit focuses on informational writing. The Lens of History unit is designed to support students' writing of informational texts within a content area study, in this case a social studies unit on Westward Expansion. This unit study has two main parts, or "bends." In the first bend, students will write quick drafts of research reports with various lenses before writing a second draft. In the second bend, students will write more focused research reports. Instead of writing about all of Westward Expansion, they will write about a more focused topic such as the Pony Express, the Oregon Trail, or the Erie Canal.

9-11-17

We completed our On Demand Assessment for narrative writing and have begun writing about a memorable first or last time story from our lives.

We are capturing moments that we can show to our readers to help them feel what we felt in the experience we are writing about.

Please be sure to check out the photos from our writing session in nature when the fluttering of the butterflies and jumping of the grasshoppers inspired our thoughts on paper!

Students are learning that getting inspiration from the writing of good authors is helpful when trying to think about stories of their own to write about.

Science

Second Step

Specials

Art: All 5th graders need to bring a plastic bottle, such as a dish soap, ketchup, or larger water bottle, to art for a recycled sculpture project. The bottles should be washed out, clean bottles. They need to be dropped off at the art room by winter break! Thanks

PE: Please be sure your child brings tennis shoes everyday.

Other