Blog Archives

Monday, October 1, 2018

9/30/2018

Happy October! It was another great week in fifth grade! Hopefully you received the email link from Mr. Larson for conferences. If not, please use this link to sign up for a slot. I will be sending out a pre-conference survey form later this week!

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
In math last week we continued moving through Chapter 2. We examined patterns when dividing by 10, 100, and 1000, and practiced rounding to estimate quotients.

READING WORKSHOP:
We had a busy week in reading workshop last week! Students practiced using prompts to get our student-led conversations started. We also examined ourselves as readers, learned how to grow ideas together, and began collecting data on our reading habits. Finally, after finishing up our whole class shared reading text, Among the Hidden, students explored the theme. We brainstormed common themes in fiction and examined how to use evidence from the text to determine its theme.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our writing focus last week shifted from creators to editors as we examined the writing process. Students began by selecting a draft from their writing notebook to use for publication. After selecting drafts, we spent the remainder of the week revising our work. Students looked for places in their writing that were confusing or needed to be deleted. We also established questions to be used as we conferenced with our writing partners. Finally, we explored opening sentences and revised our work to include engaging lead sentences.

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Our study of the American Revolution continued last week! Students examined the fight for freedom as we further explored the arguments in support of Loyalists, Patriots, and Neutralists.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will continue moving along in Chapter 2. This week we will focus on dividing by two digit numbers, and order of operations.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our reading workshop topics for the week include: books talks, partner talks, elements of a story, and examining characters.

WRITER'S WORKSHOP:
We will continue to move through the writing process this week. Students will proofread for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as they prepare for the publication of their drafts.

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
The American Revolution will continue in fifth grade! This week students will examine the Declaration of Independence.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Monday, 10/1: Picture Day!
Tuesday, 10/2: Causes of the American Revolution Assessment
Friday, 10/5: NO SCHOOL (SIP DAY)
Monday, 10/8: NO SCHOOL (Columbus Day)
Tuesday, 10/9: Monday Schedule

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Monday, September 24, 2018

9/23/2018

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Wow, it’s hard to believe that our final week of September is here! We’re busy as ever in fifth grade, moving through our units and of course having lots of fun doing so!

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
In math last week, we continued our work with whole number multiplication. Students learned how to multiply by powers of 10, and used exponents to solve problems. In addition, students multiplied 2, 3, and 4 digit numbers.

READING WORKSHOP:
Last week's reading workshop began with students considering their own reading identities. We reflected on our individual strengths, challenges, and interests as readers, and practiced using "fix up" strategies when we noticed the meaning of the text broke down. Students also activated schema before reading to help make connections and build understanding. Our final mini-lessons of the week focused on the importance of adding evidence from the text to support our opinions, and the power of conversation. Students learned that readers come together to have conversations in order to both share thinking, and grow ideas together. We developed a protocol to follow during our classroom conversations, and can't wait to implement our strategies this week!

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our Being a Writer lessons last week focused on getting ideas from nonfiction. Students explored nonfiction text and non-book examples of writing throughout the week. We practiced writing question and answer books, advertisements, and even brochures!

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Our social science time last week focused on the rising tension in the colonies and the causes of the American Revolution. As a class, we spent time further examining the French & Indian War, The Proclamation of 1763, various acts (Stamp, Sugar, Tea, etc.), and of course the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party. On Thursday our class participated in a fun-filled simulation where they could see the colonists’ perspective of No Taxation Without Representation first hand. Students earned Shillings and were then “taxed” for use of various everyday school items. Seeing King Heidi take 40% of their shillings, along with Parliament’s 50% just outraged our class! Of course everyone received equal amounts after the activity.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will continue moving through Chapter 2 this week. Students will practice dividing whole numbers.

READING WORKSHOP:
This week's workshop topics include: conversation, analyzing who we are as readers, making plans for ourselves as readers, and growing ideas.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
We will begin our second writing unit of the year, The Writing Process. Students will spend the week moving through the writing process for a self-selected draft.

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
This week we will continue examining the causes of the American Revolution and learn about the Battles of Lexington and Concord. We will also examine the arguments from the Loyalists, Patriots, and Neutralists as they decided whether or not to declare independence.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, 9/27: Boston Tea Party In-School Field Trip (2:15pm)
Friday, 10/5: No School (SIP DAY)
Monday, 10/8: No School (Columbus Day)

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Monday, September 17, 2018

9/16/2018

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Fifth grade continues to be busy and exciting! We finished our first round of goal settings last week, and I have to say...I am impressed! Our class set the bar high, and I can't wait to see the progress we make!

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH
In math last week, we began Unit 2: Whole Number Multiplication and Division. Students practiced using patterns to multiply by 10s, 100s, and 1000s. We also reviewed rounding and estimating.

READING WORKSHOP
We finished up our Notice & Note Literary Signposts study last week with our final two signposts! Our first signpost of the week was Again and Again; when you're reading and you notice a word, phrase, object, or situation mentioned over and over. Using excerpts from Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, students practiced answering the question, "Why does this keep showing up again and again." We learned that these answers will tell us about the theme and conflict, and might even foreshadow what will happen later.

Our final signpost of the week (and of the unit) was Memory Moment; when you're reading and the author interrupts the action to tell you a memory. Using an excerpt from Hope was Here, by Joan Bauer, students practiced answering the question, "Why might this memory be important?" We learned that the answers will tell us about the theme and conflict, and might even foreshadow what will happen later in the story.

Additionally, we officially put together our structure for our Reading Workshop! Students reflected on real reading vs. fake reading, and discussed the importance of engaging in their texts. We also examined the roles of the teacher and students during our reading workshop time. Finally, using a few helpful hints and reminders, students explored how good readers know when to stop and jot. Using one of my favorite texts, The Hard Times Jar, students practiced how to stop and jot to track their thinking.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP
Being a Writer was awesome last week! Students explored a prewriting technique, quick writes, to get their writing juices flowing. We also explored point of view and learned how to get ideas from nonfiction texts. In addition, our class loved writing from the perspective of a thing during our I am... creations!

SOCIAL STUDIES
The majority of our American Revolution Personalized Learning projects were shared last week, and they were amazing! Students not only shared their work, but reflected on the process of completing this project and gave feedback to the presenters as well.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH
We will continue moving through Unit 2. Students will examine the powers of 10 and practice multiplying by 2-digit numbers.

READING WORKSHOP
This week we will consider our reading identities, dive into thinking strategies, and begin to explore to the power of conversation.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
We will continue to focus on getting ideas from nonfiction. Students will also participate in our first pair conferring experiences!

SOCIAL STUDIES:
This week students will step back into time and relive the 1770s as angry colonists as we examine the causes of the American Revolution!

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, 9/27: In School Field Trip...Boston Tea Party Skype! (2:15-3:15)

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Monday, September 10, 2018

9/7/2018

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Welcome to the first official issue of 5-1’s Class News! Our year is off to a wonderful start, and I am truly enjoying getting to know our class! I just love our classroom community already, and can't wait to share an exciting year together! Just a few highlights from our first couple of weeks:

-We completed 2 breakouts (Oh The Places You'll Go and Digital Citizenship).
-We set an all time record for the Orange Card Game (1 min, 50 sec).
-We've played two other "Orange Card" games inspired by our original game and created by our very own students.
-All of our classroom table supplies have arrived and our management system is successfully underway!
-Students were "high-fived" by the Hersey Soccer Team and Arlington Heights Police Department on Friday morning before school! WOW...loved that!

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
In math last week we finished up our first math chapter, Whole Numbers. Students compared numbers to 10,000,000, solved number pattern problems, and reviewed the major concepts from the chapter. We took our first assessment on Friday!

READING WORKSHOP:
Our reading workshop is up and running in our classroom! Over the last two weeks, our whole class instruction has focused on the first four Notice & Note signposts: Contrasts and Contradictions, Aha Moments, Tough Questions, and Words of the Wiser.

We used the text "Thank You, Ma'm" to examine Contrasts and Contradictions; when you're reading and a character says or does something that contradicts what he has been saying or doing all along. We learned to ask ourselves the question, "Why is the character doing that?" to help make a prediction or inference about the plot and conflict.

Next, students were introduced to Aha Moments. Using an excerpt from Crash, by Jerry Spinelli, students found and analyzed Aha Moments; when you're reading and suddenly a character realizes, understands, or finally figures something out. We practiced answering the question, "How might this change things?" Answering this question helped us realize that if the character figured out a problem, we probably just learned about the conflict; or, if the character understood a life lesson, we probably just learned the theme.

Our third signpost was Tough Questions; when you're reading and the character asks himself a really difficult question. Using excerpts from A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park, students practiced locating tough questions and answered their own question, "What does this question make me wonder about." We learned that these answers will tell us about the conflict and might give us ideas about what will happen later in the story.

Finally, using an excerpt from Riding Freedom, by Pam Munoz Ryan, students found and analyzed Words of the Wiser; when you're reading and a character (who's probably much older and wiser) takes the main character aside and gives serious advice. We practiced answering the question, "What's the life lesson, and how might it affect the character?" Answering this question helped us find the theme for the story.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our writers' workshop is off to an amazing start! I couldn't be more proud of our writers and the community we've built! Our focus these last weeks has been on gathering writing ideas for our own writing. Using inspiring authors as our examples, students have learned how to use poetry, fairytales, and even their own life experiences to create meaningful writing sessions!

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
During the first week of school, students learned about the importance of taverns during the 1770s. We elected tavern group leaders for our entire American Revolution study. The following students were chosen among their peers as leaders: Jack, Grace, Zoe, Lucas, and Ethan. Congratulations to our great leaders!!!

Once our taverns were up and running, we began our introductory American Revolution Personalized Learning Project!

Together, as a class, we discussed our prior knowledge of the American Revolution and then developed essential questions to guide our understanding of what actually took place before, during, and after the American Revolution. Students were eager to be in charge of their learning and plan their course of travel...they developed their own questions and began to research their answers (using a multitude of resources) to eventually be shared (in any capacity) with the rest of the class. We stopped along the way to document our learning, reflect on our progress, and give peer feedback. We are all excited to share these projects this week with the class!

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
This week in math we will begin Chapter 2: Whole Number Multiplication and Division.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our "Launching" Schoolwide unit will begin this week as we explore our reading identities. We will also finish learning the remaining signposts: Again & Again and Memory Moment.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
This week we will explore a prewriting technique and gather writing ideas from Nonfiction.

SOCIAL SCIENCE
Students will share American Revolution personalized learning projects this week. We will also dive into the causes of the American Revolution.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
??? I'm not sure how this is possible, but I'm not seeing any upcoming events this week...stay tuned in case that changes!

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