It's hard to believe, but this week we began our final cycle of the school year! Summer is just around the corner, but we still have lots of learning to do and much to get accomplished! As we progress through the final months of school, we will have many special events and dates that will be important to mark on calendars. Please pay special attention to the dates listed at the bottom of the blog updates so that you can stay informed!
Literacy
This week, we began reading a fun book called Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Adventure. We will be comparing fictional texts of similar content and/or topic. The two main characters of the story travel back in time and meet many of history’s famous philosophers and scientists! As we read, we will continue to practice literacy skills such as comparing and contrasting characters and settings, analyzing themes, and using quoted evidence from a text to support responses. Next week, we will read another science fiction story of the same genre called Mayday on the Moon of Jupiter, so that we can compare and contrast how the two stories approach their respective themes.
Writing
We wrapped up our Real Life Superhero speeches this week! Students have really enjoyed researching, working on their notecards, and presenting about their real-life superhero to the class. We learned so much about individuals, such as Jackie Robinson, Ada Lovelace, Marie Curie and Mahatma Gandhi, who made a positive impact on our society. Each student was videotaped while they were presenting! This video is on your student's I Pad! Please ask them to share it with you! During the rest of the year, we will continue to work on refining our analytical writing skills.
Math
We are in our last unit of math this year! This unit teaches us multiple strategies for dividing whole numbers. Some strategies for division include: ratio table, area model, partial quotients, and the standard algorithm. Students have been working hard to refine their skills to divide multi-digit numbers using a strategy they feel most comfortable with. Within the unit, we will also be learning more about the powers of ten and multiplying and dividing decimals.
Science
We have begun our final science unit exploring the concept of conservation of matter. This week, students completed a lab where they tested liquids to see which ones would clean the tarnish off a penny. Then, when one penny changed from dark and dirty to bright and shiny, they had the chance to think about where the tarnish went.Yesterday, we did a fun experiment with glow sticks to discover how the law of the conservation of mass applied to the "before" and after" weight, once we activated the glow! We are looking forward to many more hands-on investigations later in the unit.
Social Studies
Last week, we wrapped up our final inquiry-based social studies unit of the year. We explored the topic of democracy and generated ideas throughout the unit about how citizens can contribute to keeping a democracy healthy. Students worked in groups on an Informed Action Project based on one of the Five Habits of the Heart. They did a great job! Be sure to ask your student which habit they worked on, and what their project consisted of!
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, April 30th - Twin Groves Musical Presentation (5th grade travels to TG)
Tuesday, April 30th - Early Release (Dismissal @ 2:05)
Wednesday, May 1st - MAP Testing (Reading)
Thursday, May 2nd - MAP Testing (Math)
Friday, May 3rd - Field Trip to Dunn Museum (a.m. only)
Wednesday, May 15th - Literacy Placement Test
Friendly Reminders
Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night
Please remember to send your student with a healthy snack - nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!
Please continue to have your student practice their multiplication facts up to 12
Band and orchestra students should remember to be prepared with their instruments and music books on the days of lessons
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