Happy December! Fifth grade continues to be super busy! It's hard to believe that our final weeks of the calendar year are already upon us!!!
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
In math last week we began Unit 4, Division. We reviewed division vocabulary (divisor, dividend, quotient) and practiced dividing with one and two digit divisors. Students also examined map scales and found distances between US cities. In addition, we practiced dividing decimals and interpreting remainders.
READING WORKSHOP:
Our study of nonfiction continued last week with Notice & Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies. We began the week by creating the questioning stance. Students were asked to read with the following questions in mind:
What surprised me?
What did the author think I already knew?
What changed, challenged, or confirmed what I already knew?
"Reading with these Big Questions in mind encourages a critical, attentive stance and develops habits of mind that-if we can instill them in our students-may help them deal more attentively and intelligently with the nonfiction texts they will encounter throughout their lives."
Next, students began to explore the first nonfiction signpost, Contrasts and Contradictions: When the author shows you how things/people/ideas contrast or contradict one another, or shows you something that contrasts or contradicts what you already know, you need to stop and ask yourself...What does this make me wonder about (or why does this matter)? We learned that the answer will help us see details that show the main idea, compare and contrast, understand author's purpose, infer, make a generalization, notice cause and effect. Students also learned that phrases such as on the other hand, by contrast, however, and another viewpoint provide direct signals of a contrast.
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Our next research project began last week during social science! Students ranked ordered their interest level on the following topics to determine their course of study for the week:
Articles of Confederation/Constitutional Convention
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
Groups spent their time collaborating with one another as they planned their learning, researched their topic, and designed a presentation for teaching the class. As you can imagine, the high level of engagement during our work sessions was extremely evident. Students loved learning about their topics and collaborating with their groups! We're all excited to learn about these important aspects of the branches of government from our peers this week!
PERSONALIZED LEARNING:
Our Personalized Learning project is up and running! We had a fun week of reviewing how to narrow down a topic, and practiced writing "inch, foot, and yard" questions. Students developed "yard" questions to explore research topics, met with "critical friends" to receive feedback on their questions, and participated in question conferences with me as well. I'm so excited about last week's progress on this difficult step of developing research questions! Students were also introduced to their own personal learning web pages that will be used throughout this project. Many began documenting information on their page; including who their target audience is and what their plan of action will be. Finally, students began researching their question and documenting their learning.
THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will continue moving through Unit 4, Division. Students will practice making magnitude estimates when solving multiplication and division problems.
READING WORKSHOP:
Our study of nonfiction will continue with an exploration of the following signposts:
Extreme & Absolute Language
Numbers & Stats
Quoted Words
Word Gaps
We might also have time to examine our first nonfiction reading strategy, Possible Sentences.
PERSONALIZED LEARNING:
We will continue to explore our research questions this week during our Personalized Learning time. Students will also update their sites by documenting their notes, resources, and reflections.
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
This week in social science we will begin an exciting project to study the Bill of Rights! Students will be utilizing social science time, along with extra LMC time, to take an in depth look at the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Tuesday, 12/8.................................................Courthouse Field Trip (AM)
Thursday, 12/10................................................Band Concert @ 7pm
Tuesday, 12/15...............................................Unit 4 Math Test (Anderle)
Thursday, 12/17..............................................Choir Performance @ 7pm
Friday, 12/18...................................................Winter Break Begins @ 3:35pm!
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
In math last week we began Unit 4, Division. We reviewed division vocabulary (divisor, dividend, quotient) and practiced dividing with one and two digit divisors. Students also examined map scales and found distances between US cities. In addition, we practiced dividing decimals and interpreting remainders.
READING WORKSHOP:
Our study of nonfiction continued last week with Notice & Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies. We began the week by creating the questioning stance. Students were asked to read with the following questions in mind:
What surprised me?
What did the author think I already knew?
What changed, challenged, or confirmed what I already knew?
"Reading with these Big Questions in mind encourages a critical, attentive stance and develops habits of mind that-if we can instill them in our students-may help them deal more attentively and intelligently with the nonfiction texts they will encounter throughout their lives."
Next, students began to explore the first nonfiction signpost, Contrasts and Contradictions: When the author shows you how things/people/ideas contrast or contradict one another, or shows you something that contrasts or contradicts what you already know, you need to stop and ask yourself...What does this make me wonder about (or why does this matter)? We learned that the answer will help us see details that show the main idea, compare and contrast, understand author's purpose, infer, make a generalization, notice cause and effect. Students also learned that phrases such as on the other hand, by contrast, however, and another viewpoint provide direct signals of a contrast.
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Our next research project began last week during social science! Students ranked ordered their interest level on the following topics to determine their course of study for the week:
Articles of Confederation/Constitutional Convention
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
Groups spent their time collaborating with one another as they planned their learning, researched their topic, and designed a presentation for teaching the class. As you can imagine, the high level of engagement during our work sessions was extremely evident. Students loved learning about their topics and collaborating with their groups! We're all excited to learn about these important aspects of the branches of government from our peers this week!
PERSONALIZED LEARNING:
Our Personalized Learning project is up and running! We had a fun week of reviewing how to narrow down a topic, and practiced writing "inch, foot, and yard" questions. Students developed "yard" questions to explore research topics, met with "critical friends" to receive feedback on their questions, and participated in question conferences with me as well. I'm so excited about last week's progress on this difficult step of developing research questions! Students were also introduced to their own personal learning web pages that will be used throughout this project. Many began documenting information on their page; including who their target audience is and what their plan of action will be. Finally, students began researching their question and documenting their learning.
THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will continue moving through Unit 4, Division. Students will practice making magnitude estimates when solving multiplication and division problems.
READING WORKSHOP:
Our study of nonfiction will continue with an exploration of the following signposts:
Extreme & Absolute Language
Numbers & Stats
Quoted Words
Word Gaps
We might also have time to examine our first nonfiction reading strategy, Possible Sentences.
PERSONALIZED LEARNING:
We will continue to explore our research questions this week during our Personalized Learning time. Students will also update their sites by documenting their notes, resources, and reflections.
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
This week in social science we will begin an exciting project to study the Bill of Rights! Students will be utilizing social science time, along with extra LMC time, to take an in depth look at the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Tuesday, 12/8.................................................Courthouse Field Trip (AM)
Thursday, 12/10................................................Band Concert @ 7pm
Tuesday, 12/15...............................................Unit 4 Math Test (Anderle)
Thursday, 12/17..............................................Choir Performance @ 7pm
Friday, 12/18...................................................Winter Break Begins @ 3:35pm!
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