5th Grade Blog Update for 2/23/24

Happy Friday Families!

Believe it or not, Trimester 2 has come to an end and we are ready to kick off our third and final trimester next week!  Throughout the last few weeks, our students completed several literacy/writing assessments to demonstrate their progress on T2 learning targets.  Students showed perseverance and stamina, and worked incredibly hard! 

Check below to see what we've covered over the last couple of weeks, as well as some of the learning we are looking forward to starting!

Literacy

We just wrapped up our exciting novel, George’s Secret Key to the Universe. The kids enjoyed the plot twists and the character development of George, Eric, and Dr. Reeper all throughout the book! They especially fell in love with George, who discovered the mysteries of the universe while he learned about various aspects such as stars, planets, and moons.  This is the first in a series of books.  Students showed so much interest that they have asked for other books in the series. Unfortunately our library does not have any copies of the other books, but your local library should have a few copies available! I have loaned out several copies of sequels from my personal collection! I'd love for anyone with an interest to read other books in the series, to be able to do so! In fact, for our weekly edition of "First Chapter Friday" I featured the next book in the series, George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt!

Going forward, next week we will begin work on a literacy target which emphasizes finding relationships between concepts and ideas in nonfiction. We will begin by using a non fiction text on black holes, since this is a familiar topic from the George's Secret Key to the Universe book.

Writing

Connecting to the theme of the universe, students finished their own science fiction narratives. They brainstormed characters, events, and others ideas to include within their stories. It was wonderful to see their creative juices flow!  Remember to ask your student all about the sci-fi narrative he/she wrote! We also practiced adding another "chapter" to a given narrative story. Students were asked to re-establish the storyline and characters in their own "chapter 2," and to then add their own unique set of events. Starting next week, we will enter the world of opinion writing! Today we got warmed up to the topic when we read an article about whether students should be allowed to choose their own seats! Both sides were represented in the article, and then we each produced a "quick write" which told our opinion, citing evidence from the text, of course! Many students shared some great responses!

Math

We're currently strengthening our abilities to multiply and divide fractions. Most recently, we have been learning different methods to multiply mixed numbers by a fraction, using both the area model and improper fractions. We've been learning how to solve these problems utilizing models, as well as more traditional strategies.This week we focused on dividing fractions with models. Our Unit 5 assessment will take place early next week. After that, we will begin our next unit on Geometry!

Social Studies

We are wrapping up our second unit in social studies on the Colonial Era. We ended our unit this week by creating a quilt square project. This hands-on activity was designed to demonstrate our understanding of how the complexities of the past can help us meet challenges of the present. Students each chose a topic they felt particularly passionate about. Topics varied from climate change, to animal protection...and many others! Each class will make a class paper quilt comprised of squares made by each student!

Important Dates

Friday, February 23rd- Trimester 2 Ends

Tuesday, February 27th- Early Release

Friday, March 1st--Trimester 2 Report Cards issued

Monday, March 4th- No School--District Holiday

Monday, March 11--Band Concert at Twin Groves 7:00 PM

Friendly Reminders

**Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack.  Nothing feeds the brain better than something healthy!

**Please continue to have your child practice his or her multiplication facts up to 12.

**Band and orchestra students should remember to be prepared with their instruments and music books on the days that lessons take place.

5th Grade Blog Update for 2/9/24

 

Happy Friday!

We have had a busy couple of weeks!  Your children have been working hard to improve their skills and extend their thinking!

Literacy

During Literacy, we have been reading George’s Secret Key to the Universe.  We are really enjoying this science fiction novel!  The students have been showing great stamina in reading this long book both inside and outside of school.  They have been analyzing the main characters by reflecting on the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and actions.  Students continue to use context clues to understand the challenging vocabulary of the text.  Within the story, the authors have included many wonderful examples of figurative language and sensory details.  Your children have read closely to determine the meanings of these well-written phrases. Ask your child to explain what has happened in the story so far and what they predict will happen next. WE have also been enjoying some literacy activities related to the upcoming holiday of Lunar New Year (which begins tomorrow!) In addition, in honor of black history month, we've been learning about some famous black Americans who have made outstanding contributions to our country.

Writing

In writing we are finishing our science fiction narratives!  The students were so creative! We began the writing process by understanding the science fiction genre.  Ask your child to tell you the difference between fantasy and science fiction.  Next, the students planned out their ideas.  We challenged the students to “hook the readers in” with descriptive details about their characters and setting.  We also encouraged the children to add in sensory details and examples of figurative language to make their writing more interesting. After writing, the students had an opportunity to revise and conference with others.  Next week we will be sharing these creative narratives.  Soon, your child should be able to share his/her narrative with you.

Math

In math, the students have been creating and labeling models to demonstrate their understanding of multiplying fractions.  We have also been reading story problems. The children are able to identify the important information and determine the best strategy to solve the problem.  We have learned several ways to model our thinking.  The students have already shown a lot of improvement in their abilities to draw and label models for multiplying fractions. Next up, our focus will be on dividing fractions, as well as fraction word problems.

Social Studies

In social studies, we continue to study the colonial era.  The students have learned about the cultural, geographic, and economic characteristics of the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. Ask your child to explain how the geography of the colonies affected its economy.  We also learned about the impact the slave trade had on the colonies.  Your children did a wonderful job reading and discussing these important topics.  They are really gaining a deep understanding of how history impacts the future.

Upcoming Events

• Wednesday, February 14th - Valentine’s Day Class Party

• Friday, February 16th - Half Day (Dismissal @ 11:45 AM)

• Monday, February 19th - No School (President’s Day)

• Wednesday, February 21st - PTO Special Lunch

• Wednesday, February 21st - Orchestra Concert @ 7:30 PM

• Tuesday, February 27th - Early Release Day

Friendly Reminders

• Since winter weather is here, please make sure your child is properly dressed for recess.

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

• Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack 

• Please continue to have your child practice their multiplication facts up to 12

• If your child participates in orchestra or band, please remind him/her to bring their instrument on their lesson day