Whew... time has really flown by! I can't believe we only have 10 days until Christmas break.
We have been EXTRA busy since last time I posted, sorry to keep you waiting.
Here's what we're working on now:
Math - Adding and subtracting improper fractions and mixed numbers and changing mixed numbers to improper fractions and improper fractions to mixed numbers. We just finish working on simplifying fractions and comparing fractions, including finding common denominators as a strategy to compare fractions.
Science - We have been talking about land formations and how to surface of the earth if always changing. We have studied constructive and destructive forces and how they create and break down different landforms. This week we are continuing Earth science with the study of rocks and fossils.
S.S. - We have beginning a new unit about the formation of the US government, the founding fathers and our constitution.
Reading/LA - We are still talking about informational text, understanding author's purpose and finding the main idea using what we know about paragraph structure and text features. Encourage you child to read something non-fiction 1-2 times per week. (Ex: newspapers, magazines, non-fiction books, parent approved internet sites, etc.)
Monday, December 6, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Classroom News...
Last week was a very busy week. We finished up the first 9 weeks of school!
Math - Last week we began our factor unit. We are working on finding factors of a number, common factors between 2 or 3 numbers and greatest common factors between 2 or 3 numbers. We will continue our factor unit this week focusing on identifying prime and composite numbers.
Reading - Last week the students studied a variety of Myths. We are beginning our poetry unit this week. The students will study rhyme scheme, internal and external rhyme, poetic technique, and a variety of poetry, including Acrostics, Limericks, Haiku, Alliteration and Onomatopoeia. The students will be creating their own mini-poetry book in our writing station.
SS - Last week we finished our colony unit and students turned in their colony brochures. They turned out great and are on display outside of our classroom. We are beginning our Road to the Revolution unit this week. The students will have an open book test on Friday.
Science - This week we are continuing our Energy unit. The students will also be participating in center rotations in the science lab. The rotations will focus on sound, electric circuits, light and matter.
REMINDERS:
Please turn in field trip money and permission forms. Also, let me know if you would like to volunteer. *We need 2 volunteers, first come first serve IF your child has turned everything in to me.
If you want to volunteer you MUST complete a background check. Please see the office for more details.
Dates to Remember
Thursday, November 11th - SCHOOL HOLIDAY
November 19th - Field Trip to the Super Scientific Circus - http://www.superscientificcircus.com/
November 24th - 26th - THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Thursday, December 2nd @ 5:00 - PTO Winter Program
Math - Last week we began our factor unit. We are working on finding factors of a number, common factors between 2 or 3 numbers and greatest common factors between 2 or 3 numbers. We will continue our factor unit this week focusing on identifying prime and composite numbers.
Reading - Last week the students studied a variety of Myths. We are beginning our poetry unit this week. The students will study rhyme scheme, internal and external rhyme, poetic technique, and a variety of poetry, including Acrostics, Limericks, Haiku, Alliteration and Onomatopoeia. The students will be creating their own mini-poetry book in our writing station.
SS - Last week we finished our colony unit and students turned in their colony brochures. They turned out great and are on display outside of our classroom. We are beginning our Road to the Revolution unit this week. The students will have an open book test on Friday.
Science - This week we are continuing our Energy unit. The students will also be participating in center rotations in the science lab. The rotations will focus on sound, electric circuits, light and matter.
REMINDERS:
Please turn in field trip money and permission forms. Also, let me know if you would like to volunteer. *We need 2 volunteers, first come first serve IF your child has turned everything in to me.
If you want to volunteer you MUST complete a background check. Please see the office for more details.
Dates to Remember
Thursday, November 11th - SCHOOL HOLIDAY
November 19th - Field Trip to the Super Scientific Circus - http://www.superscientificcircus.com/
November 24th - 26th - THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Thursday, December 2nd @ 5:00 - PTO Winter Program
Thursday, October 14, 2010
What's been happening?
Hello all!
It's been a while since I've updated so here it goes....
Things to Remember:
Fall Fest - October 15th - Come play games and eat Chick-fil-A ($5 box dinners)
Picture Day - October 21st
Early Release - October 22nd
We have been participating in "Buddy Reading" with a 1st and pre-k class. The students love reading with the younger kids and the younger kids really look up to our class. We will also begin Science Backpack Buddies with a 1st grade class. Once a month each 5th grader will teach a lesson in science to a 1st grader. All the materials and lessons are provided and a little backpack for the students to use.
Math - We have been working on strategies to solve long division problems. We are practicing estimating, using compatible numbers and working with manipulatives. We are now moving on to word problems and interpreting the remainders. This is a skill most students have trouble with.
Reading - We are learning about the different types of Point of View in a story. We are also working on Fables, Fairy Tales, lessons and morals. They students created their own modern fairy tale, fables and are now working on a news story from a particular point of view. We are also working on subject/verb agreement and learning to identify the simple and compound subject and predicate in sentences.
Science - The students have been learning about forces such as gravity and magnetism and motion, including speed, velocity, momentum and acceleration. Next week we will begin Forms of Energy, focusing on Kinetic and Potential energy.
S.S. - The students are continuing to work on their Colony project (we may push the due date back a few days). They are creating a brochure advertising their colony in the computer lab. Whatever they do not finish in the lab will become class work and possibly homework.
It's been a while since I've updated so here it goes....
Things to Remember:
Fall Fest - October 15th - Come play games and eat Chick-fil-A ($5 box dinners)
Picture Day - October 21st
Early Release - October 22nd
We have been participating in "Buddy Reading" with a 1st and pre-k class. The students love reading with the younger kids and the younger kids really look up to our class. We will also begin Science Backpack Buddies with a 1st grade class. Once a month each 5th grader will teach a lesson in science to a 1st grader. All the materials and lessons are provided and a little backpack for the students to use.
Math - We have been working on strategies to solve long division problems. We are practicing estimating, using compatible numbers and working with manipulatives. We are now moving on to word problems and interpreting the remainders. This is a skill most students have trouble with.
Reading - We are learning about the different types of Point of View in a story. We are also working on Fables, Fairy Tales, lessons and morals. They students created their own modern fairy tale, fables and are now working on a news story from a particular point of view. We are also working on subject/verb agreement and learning to identify the simple and compound subject and predicate in sentences.
Science - The students have been learning about forces such as gravity and magnetism and motion, including speed, velocity, momentum and acceleration. Next week we will begin Forms of Energy, focusing on Kinetic and Potential energy.
S.S. - The students are continuing to work on their Colony project (we may push the due date back a few days). They are creating a brochure advertising their colony in the computer lab. Whatever they do not finish in the lab will become class work and possibly homework.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Updates...
Math - Last week we began our multiplication unit. We will continue practicing 2 digit x 2 digit and 2 digit x 3 digit multiplication. We are working on the following strategies: Stretch, Arrays, and Stacked.
Reading - We continued our shared reading with The Invention of Hugo Cabret. We working on foreshadowing, making predictions, story elements and vocabulary building. This week we will be working on understanding authors use of humor, literary elements, vocabulary building and understanding what it means to be an effective listener and speaker.
Science - Last week we continued to study properties of matter. We learned about Celsius and Fahrenheit temperatures, freezing (melting) and boiling points of water and the scientists who invented the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales. We talked the movement of molecules in the different water temperatures and how that affects the thermometer readings.
S.S. - We continued our colony study and are currently focusing on why each group chose to come to the United States.
Reading - We continued our shared reading with The Invention of Hugo Cabret. We working on foreshadowing, making predictions, story elements and vocabulary building. This week we will be working on understanding authors use of humor, literary elements, vocabulary building and understanding what it means to be an effective listener and speaker.
Science - Last week we continued to study properties of matter. We learned about Celsius and Fahrenheit temperatures, freezing (melting) and boiling points of water and the scientists who invented the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales. We talked the movement of molecules in the different water temperatures and how that affects the thermometer readings.
S.S. - We continued our colony study and are currently focusing on why each group chose to come to the United States.
Friday, September 10, 2010
This Week...
This week we have been very busy!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend and didn't float away...now we're back in the swing of things!
Math - We have been working on place value through the billions and decimal place value through the thousandths. Yesterday we began working on measuring perimeter. Make sure you are checking over your child's homework and signing the agenda daily.
Reading - We are working on story elements in fiction and reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret for shared reading. The students are working on visualizing, plot sequence, story elements and predicting. We are also using the book to build our vocabulary and spelling lists.
Science - Today we are doing an experiment called "By Golly, By Gum" where the students will be put into teams of 3 types of gum. They will first measure the mass of the unchewed gum then predict what will happen to the mass of the gum after it is chewed for 10 minutes. They will then measure the chewed gum, collect data, and draw conclusions based on the data they collect.
S.S. - We are studying the exploration of different countries and the reasons those countries decided to settle in the U.S. The students are working in groups to create a chart highlighting the features of each colony then they will be creating a brochure trying to convince others to move to their colony based on its features.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend and didn't float away...now we're back in the swing of things!
Math - We have been working on place value through the billions and decimal place value through the thousandths. Yesterday we began working on measuring perimeter. Make sure you are checking over your child's homework and signing the agenda daily.
Reading - We are working on story elements in fiction and reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret for shared reading. The students are working on visualizing, plot sequence, story elements and predicting. We are also using the book to build our vocabulary and spelling lists.
Science - Today we are doing an experiment called "By Golly, By Gum" where the students will be put into teams of 3 types of gum. They will first measure the mass of the unchewed gum then predict what will happen to the mass of the gum after it is chewed for 10 minutes. They will then measure the chewed gum, collect data, and draw conclusions based on the data they collect.
S.S. - We are studying the exploration of different countries and the reasons those countries decided to settle in the U.S. The students are working in groups to create a chart highlighting the features of each colony then they will be creating a brochure trying to convince others to move to their colony based on its features.
Freedom Walk
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
What a great start!!
Yesterday was a great first day of school! We went over rules and procedures that are expected in the classroom and around the school. We talked about expectations and concerns for 5th grade. We began our Place Value math unit by reading How much is a Million? and talking about examples of big numbers. Did you know it would take you 95 years to count from one to one billion?! WOW! Today we continued our place value unit with a game and application activity. In writing we brainstormed ideas and set up our writing notebooks. Today we practiced free writing in our journals. In reading we have discussed our classroom library, how to choose books, understanding our purpose for reading and the students completed a reading inventory survey.
Homework Tonight: Tuesday, August 24th
Math - p. 9-10 (review of place value)
Reading - Read 20-30 minutes and finish survey (some students finished in class)
Science - Get safety contract signed
Reminders: Wear tennis shoes for PE tomorrow.
Fill out homework plan.
PARENTS: please sign your child's agenda daily.
Homework Tonight: Tuesday, August 24th
Math - p. 9-10 (review of place value)
Reading - Read 20-30 minutes and finish survey (some students finished in class)
Science - Get safety contract signed
Reminders: Wear tennis shoes for PE tomorrow.
Fill out homework plan.
PARENTS: please sign your child's agenda daily.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Welcome to 5th Grade!!
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