5th Grade Families, Happy December! I hope that everyone had a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving break! From spending time with family and friends, traveling, shopping, eating delicious food, and relaxing, the students were excited to share all about their break! Included within this week's update, there is a family letter regarding our upcoming unit in math, which focuses on multi-digit multiplication. As we begin to wrap up 2021, here's what's going on within our classroom! Literacy This week, our shared text featured an excerpt of the novel, Hatchet. The text tells the story of Brian, a thirteen-year-old boy, who encounters a completely unexpected and unfortunate event that leaves him stranded in the Canadian wilderness to survive by himself with nothing but a hatchet. Using Hatchet, we discussed Brian's thoughts, actions, and feelings in order to analyze the challenges he faced and determine the overall theme. We also practiced our summarizing skills by identifying the main events and character responses in the text. Writing Our analytical writing focuses on the students' opinions of whether they think video games have a positive or negative effect on children. After researching, students have been utilizing graphic organizers to organize information into reasons and evidence that support their stance. Instead of composing a multi-paragraph essay, students are utilizing Book Creator, an application, to create a digital book based on their research and opinion. Within their digital book, students are required to include elements of analytical writing, such as an engaging introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and an effective conclusion. Ask your student about his/her opinion regarding the effects of video games! Math We wrapped up our math unit on decimals and place values by reviewing learned concepts and taking the end of unit assessment. The Unit 3 targets included reading/writing decimals, comparing decimals, rounding decimals, and adding/subtracting decimals. Our upcoming unit encompasses mulit-digit multiplication. Students will be learning how to use the standard algorithm to multiply. In Number Corner, we measured our height and feet length within inches. Throughout the month of December, we will regularly plot the data onto a line plot. We will also be plotting the data onto a scatter plot to analyze the correlation between height and foot length. Science We are continuing to dive deeper into our unit about the Earth's systems. Recently, we analyzed how farming and industries negatively impact Earth's four systems (biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere). We also discussed ways that people could protect the Earth, which involves the conservation of resources, such as fossil fuels. In our recent investigation, we took upon the role of engineers and used various materials to design a water filter that could remove dirt and produce clean water. Through this investigation, we explored the consequences of pollution and ways to protect the Earth's systems. Social Studies Our students wrapped up their discussions about the various responsibilities and powers of different types of governments, which revolved around the pros and cons of a democracy, a parliamentary government, a monarchy, and a dictatorship. In the coming weeks, we will learn about probable causes and effects of events and developments in U.S. history, with a focus on Westward Expansion and on the California Gold Rush. Based on what we learn about Westward Expansion, students will construct and defend an argument of whether or not they would have traveled West. Upcoming Events Monday, December 6th- Reading NWEA MAP test in the morning (bring fully charged Ipad) Tuesday, December 7th- Math NWEA MAP test in the morning (bring fully charged Ipad) Tuesday, December 14th - Early Release (Dismissal @ 2pm) Friday, December 17th - Classroom Winter Parties Monday, December 20th - Tuesday, January 4th - Winter Break 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