update 1-23

Number the Stars is coming to a close.  Tomorrow will be the day to finish it up.  The kids seem to be enjoying it!  Please ask your child what part they are on.  We have been working on writing out a story map with the events and showing the structure of the story.  Also, we have been stopping and discussing as we read.  We also have tweeted on our fake Twitter board and will do tomorrow too.  See below.

  

    



To end the week, we will finish this up and have a weekly ten.  At the end of the week, we will be reading an informational article on Denmark and how brave those people were during this time.  We learned about Denmark last week and the Tivoli Gardens along with the Kronborg Castle and the city of Gilleje.

Our writing piece is on Changes during World War 2.  We will finish typing our first draft and then start the revision process.  As we talk in class, I always explain how good writers revise constantly.

Lastly, Cogat testing is happening this week and we are lucky to be able to attend the Harmon musical on Thursday morning.

No online Google homework this week or Readworks, only to finish Number the Stars and the questions due to testing.  Next week, there will be an online log and a Readworks article.

update 1-17

Today, we are starting Number the Stars.  There are two links on the homework site that may prove helpful.  One is for the packet we are using in class that contains a calendar for the book and which chapters will be read each day in class and as homework.  Also, a link to the audio versions is on Youtube if your child needs it.  Homework this week includes a Google Log and reading a chapter each night with 2 questions.

We have had some great conversation regarding World War 2 and the students seemed very engaged!  A schedule that details the chapters we will be reading each day is on the front of your child's packet.  Please ask him/her about it.

Reading Counts goals have been set for 3rd quarter and went home in report cards this past Friday.  Points are due by March 21.

Our writing focus will continue to be on using evidence from the text to support our thinking.  Due to the snow day, we will write about changes during the war this week.

Conference info is attached to the body of the email.

Have a great week!

update 1-9

Welcome to 2017!  Happy New Year!

A few changes this semester to reading homework...there will be no more paper homework being given out.  All homework is now online through Google Classroom.  The reading homework will typically be one 6-8 sentence paragraph and one vocabulary entry about the independent book your child is reading at home along with one Digital Readworks assignment.  Digital Readworks is reading an online article or story and answering a set of questions.  We have practiced both things in class so your child should be comfortable logging in and in knowing how to complete these things.  If there are Internet issues or any questions, please let me know.  Ask your child to login to show you at anytime.  Click this link to see the homework due this week.

We are learning about point of view and how it affects the way a person may see something.  Today, we started our mini-unit on World War 2.  The time period was introduced along with some general information regarding WW2.  This is to prepare us to read a historical fiction book called Number the Stars next week.  The rest of this week, we will be reading a biography about a man named Mr. Sugihara who wrote visas for Jewish people along with some letters from kids experiencing World War 2.  The week will end with an article on Denmark because Number the Stars takes place there.  Click here to learn more about the book.  On Friday, our first reading formative of the quarter will take place.



In writing, we are working on using evidence to support our ideas as we will writing a piece on changes that happened during World War 2.  It lies into our literary analysis and informational standards.

Reading Counts Goals for 3rd quarter have been set with your child.  Look for an informational paper in your child's report card envelope this Friday.  It will show your child's progress from 2nd quarter along with a self-selected goal for 3rd quarter.  I will enter those into the computer this week.  Happy reading!

Biography Projects- 12/21

update 12-19

Last update for the year...can't believe the first semester is over!  Your kids are halfway to sixth grade.

We have been very busy as usual.  We are finishing up our file-folder biography projects which turned out really nice.  The kids have been working hard to draw portraits of their people on the front cover of the project and filling up the inside with a timeline, the impact that person has made along with what influenced them in their lives.  On the back cover is a free choice activity.  The creativity is definitely flowing along!

We have also been working on our integrated unit on Native Americans between Social Studies and Language Arts.  That has culminated with a flip-book showing how similar and different two tribal areas are. Last week, we finished our informational writing pieces on Native Americans too.   Native American projects are due tomorrow and will be shared while the biography projects will be shared Wednesday.

One of our last, fun activities that we will be doing in class related to Native Americans is having the kids create an artifact that shows what they learned about Native Americans to display in our hallway.  Today, I saw dream-catchers being made, teepees, longhouses, and a head-dress with feathers being started.

As a reminder, the holiday parties are this Wednesday from 2:45-3:30.  Several fifth graders have also helped fill up our display case to show their festive holiday spirit!  I will post a picture on here tomorrow.

Reading Counts comes to a close for the 2nd quarter this Wednesday.  There will be an incentive for kids that read over winter break and take the quizzes.  Ask your child about this as they will find out in class Wednesday and glue it into their planners.

Thanks for all of your continued support and happy holidays!  Enjoy winter break.

update 12-5

Last week, we had another essay battle from writing about Infographics.  Your child took his/her paper home and should have shared it with you.  Here are the winners:  Trinidad, Ollie, Emma, Ben, Sophia, Maddie, Megan, and Aidan B.  Congrats to them!




This week, we started our Native American unit.  We will be learning and studying Native Americans in both SS and LA class.  The goal in fifth grade is to learn about Native Americans around the United States, not just Ohio (4th grade was just Ohio).  There is one more formative for the 2nd quarter this Friday and a summative the following Friday.

Our writing focus is on writing informational pieces drawing information from multiple sources.  We continue to work on that and are typing each week through Google Classroom.

A reading log is due this Friday along with a Digital Readworks article that is online.  Reading Counts points are due by 12/21.  As an incentive, if a child reaches his/her goal by this Friday, they will be excused from the homework next week.  So far, many kids have accomplished this!  I have met with each child today and let them know how they are doing.

Thanks for your support!  Holiday shop is this week.

update 11-29

Our informational studies continue...each day we have independent reading time.  This week and next, we are reading biographies and continue to work on main idea and details along with vocabulary.   Ask your child who he/she is reading about!

We also had some fun reading about pirates this week.  A man, Barry Clifford, found and salvaged the only known pirate treasure in the whole world.  One kid wanted us to take a field trip to Cape Cod where the museum is.  We took the vocabulary words from the article and made a graffiti board to show them.  That was fun for all of us!

Informational writing continues on.  Tomorrow, we will be writing about infographics using Google Classroom.  Next week, we will start learning about Native Americans in North America.

Reminders:
*Reading Counts Points due by 12/21
*Digital Readworks Article due this Friday
*Book Talks start tomorrow!  I have been reminding kids in class when they have their turns coming up.