Happy Thursday Families!

It's hard to believe that the first half of the school year has come to a close. It has been so rewarding to watch how the students have continued to grow and change as learners. I can't wait to see what 2023 brings! 

Here are the concepts we are focusing on as we continue to work after Winter Break:

Literacy
Our students just wrapped up reading our shared text, "Angel Island".  The text told about the history and hardships surrounding immigrating through Angel Island in the early 20th century.  As we worked through the text, we practiced identifying the author's point of view and the evidence the author used to support the points that were made throughout. When utilizing non-fiction, because it can be more challenging to analyze, we have been practicing using inferencing skills and strategies within the text to help identify the author's point of view. 

Writing
Our students are working to wrap up their current analytical essays.   The prompt given was "Which classroom pet would be best for the classroom?". As we work towards their end product, we will continue to focus on students' organization, explaining how the evidence in their papers support the key ideas and the overall thesis, and writing effective and engaging lasting impressions within their conclusions.  

Math
Students have worked hard to master the standard algorithm of multiplication for both 2-digit by 2-digit and 3-digit by 2-digit problems. Throughout the unit, a variety of multiplication strategies have been practiced and emphasized. I am constantly amazed by the thinking processes that are demonstrated by students and their ability to explain their thinking. For those students who were ready to extend their learning in this area, many challenges have been available to stretch their thinking! By the end of the unit, students will be required to demonstrate their proficiency if using the standard multiplication strategy on three digit by two digit multiplication problems. 

Social Studies
When we return from break, we will shift our focus to the Colonial Era.  Through reading various texts, discussions, and activities, our students will work to answer how facing the complexities of America's past could help us to meet the challenges of the present?

Science
We are starting to wrap up our studies 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 people could protect the Earth, which involved the conservation of resources, such as fossil fuels.  In our investigation yesterday, we took on 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. Be sure to ask your student how effectively their group's filter was in cleaning the "polluted" water!

Upcoming Events

December 22nd - January 9th(Thursday): WINTER BREAK

January 16th: No School (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

Friendly Reminders

*As winter weather approaches, please make sure your student is properly dressed for recess.

*Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night.

*Orchestra & Band Parents: Please make sure your students have their instrument on assigned days.

*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.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Winter Break and that you are able to take time to rest and be surrounded by Peace, Love and Joy!

5th grade Blog update for 12/2/22

 Dear 5th Grade Families, 

Included within this week's email, there is a family letter regarding our upcoming unit in math, which focuses on multi-digit multiplication. We will be starting this new unit next week. In 5th grade, we expect students to demonstrate mastery of multi-digit multiplication using the standard algorithm (the one we all learned in school!) This is a change from fourth grade, where students were introduced to methods such as partial products and the area model. In 5th grade, we build upon those 4th grade "building block" skills, and transition students into using the standard algorithm. Those students who demonstrated mastery on the reassessment will be given other extension opportunities to supplement our learning.

Please also see the important dates below and take note of the fact that Winter MAP testing will take place on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Testing will take place first thing in the morning on both days.

 

As we begin to wrap up 2022, 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 what type of class pet we should get. After researching, students have been utilizing graphic organizers to organize information into reasons and evidence that support their animal. We will be practicing more with writing an engaging introduction, keeping our body paragraphs clear and organized, and writing strong conclusions. Ask your student which class pet they chose and why!

 

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 will measure 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 beginning deeper into our unit about the Earth's systems. We have learned about Earth’s four systems (biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere). We will be analyzing how farming and industries negatively impact those four systems. We also discussed ways that people could protect the Earth, which involves the conservation of resources, such as fossil fuels.

 

Upcoming Events

Monday, December 5th- MAP Testing

Tuesday, December 6th- MAP Testing

Tuesday, December 13th -  Early Release (Dismissal @ 2:05pm)

Friday, December 23rd - Sunday, January 8th - Winter Break

 

Friendly Reminders

• As winter weather approaches, please make sure your student is properly dressed for recess.

• Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night.

• Orchestra & Band Parents: Please make sure your students have their instrument on assigned days.

• 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.