LOTS OF LEARNING

December is usually a productive month in the classroom and this year is no different.  As we transition into new books and a new math unit, we also find ourselves managing a few projects and fun topics in science and social studies.  These next two weeks aim to be full of enjoyable learning activities as we head into a deserved winter break.  Below is the learning snapshot for this week with a couple new categories.

MATH:  We will spend Monday revising our work on the unit test from Friday.  Starting Tuesday, we will jump into our new Unit 4: Decimals and Coordinate Grids.  Family letter will go home Tuesday evening with background information for the unit.  We will be in the middle of Unit 4 when Winter Break starts.

READING:  This week students will read the 2nd section of their books.  Literature Journal 2 A/B is due this Friday.  For this work, readers are comparing real world information about explorers from our textbook to scenes in our chapter books, focused on characters who are on a journey.

SS/WRITING:  We are slowly entering our Discovery theme work.  This unit is turning out different than past years just due to timing.  Usually, we finish most of it before break, but it looks like this year we will pick up in the middle after break.  As a part of our learning about the Age of Exploitation and colonization of the "New World", students are creating Passport assignments in the classroom and for homework.  3 Passport assignments with a total of 21 points will gain each student passage to a 5th grade "journey" on Dec 21., the last day before break.  We are working on Passports in class a bit and also beginning to plan our role playing game, Discovery, where colonies of students attempt to sail to the New World and start a successful colony despite realistic hardships.

SCIENCE:  We are planning our 5th Grade Community project a little bit each week.  Also, we are focusing on Matter.  Our first activity spurred a lot of discussion about elements, atoms, and states of matter.  Some of our Matter work will also connect to our community project.

CATTV:  Each 5th grader is in a group to plan some aspect of filming footage for our CATTV project.  Each group has a topic connected to our school construction.  Students are collaborating in person and via technology to plan their portions of our filming.  There's a lot going on!  So we are working 2 days a week on this project.

This picture below is from our preschool Buddy Time.  We enjoyed the Kindergarten winter performance together. 

CLASSY MUSEUM OF NATIVE AMERICA!

Our Native American museum exhibits are wonderful.  Historians did a fantastic job presenting their work last week.  Their projects, ranging from NA shelter and hunting to masks, pottery, and kachinas, are still decorating our classroom.  As always, this class pulled off impressive work and we enjoyed sharing.  Thank you for all your help getting kids prepared to share their projects.  Enjoy pictures of projects and more of the Potlatch celebration below.

This week we are transitioning in a few subjects and there is a description of our work below.

MATH: We will finish the fraction unit this week with a math test on Friday!  There will be a study guide and math homework each night this week.

READING: This week we are choosing new books based on a Journey theme.  Each book has a character going on a type of journey.  This dynamic will match our studies of the Age of Exploration in Social Studies.  Some students will choose to read in a book club, but they also have a choice to read a journey book by themselves too.  There will be weekly literature journal assignments with this reading cycle.

SS/WRITING:  We will spend a day reflecting on our Native American work.  Then we will start getting into the Age of Exploration.  Our work will be nestled in a theme we call Discovery.  This integrated work includes weekly projects in writing, mapping, and other skills.  There will be a packet for the theme in next week's folder but we will start the foundation this week.

SCIENCE:  We are working on many things during science time.  Each student will finish sharing their community inspirations on Monday. We will discuss and choose our 5th grade community project.  We might have another beeclipse lesson or we will start our matter unit.  Our science time will also be used to help plan our CATTV projects.

 

 

 

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

AWESOME POTLATCH TODAY!!! THANK YOU TO ALL THE FOLKS THAT HELPED OUT!  ENJOY THE PICS BELOW. 

Families, I thoroughly enjoyed conferences and meeting with all of you.  I fully appreciate all your efforts at home.  Every week, I am more impressed with this classes' ability and performance.  I am excited to see what class science project they choose for their 5th grade year.

Coming out of conferences, I want to share a couple curriculum developments.  I have updated the Book Share link on this blog to include more information about the Book Share program.  Everyone should have 3 by Thanksgiving, 4 or 5 by Winter Break.  The Book Share page now has student resources, updated links to award winning book lists, and examples of recent book shares.  I will continue to update.

Also, I will be sharing information about the math curriculum.  I will be sending home all the math books for students to share with you.  Also, expect family letters for each unit.  Finally, I will be sharing how to access the math curriculum digitally.  It might all end up a new link on the blog too.

This week included steady progress in all subjects.  Below is a short description of our current work.

READING: Each reader focused on Book Share progress. Book Shares will be the focus next week too.  They are looking great.  After Thanksgiving Break, we will start new book clubs with weekly assignments until Winter Break.  The theme of our next book club will be "journey" and include stories of characters on some type of journey.  This theme mirrors our Social Studies work at that time which will be Explorers.

WRITING/SS: All time was spent developing drafts of our Native American museum exhibits.  Students are all preparing poster board displays, models, presentations, and more.  I hope to have our final exhibits ready by Nov. 30 to start presenting.  Finalizing our projects will be our work until then.

MATH: Fractions is what it's all about.  Fractions and how they relate to division.  Fractions with number lines.  Fractions operations with mental math.  Our fraction progress is very smooth and kids are enjoying the work.  We will assess this fraction unit around Dec 1.

SCIENCE: We really enjoyed our Beeclipse activity this week.  Our MU science expert Ms. Emi trained us in listening to the bee buzzes on the data recovered the day of the eclipse.  We practiced listening and discussed science words like amplitude, frequency/pitch, and duration.  We also learned about bee biology and behavior too.  We spent time sharing our science WORDLES as expression of our fall field experiences.  This discussion will determine our science project for the year.  I have spent time sharing past projects too.

 

NOVEMBER ALREADY!!!

Time seems to be flying by in Class C.  We are in the middle of our Native American learning, finishing up our Native American themed book clubs, and starting Unit 3 in math which is focused on fractions.  In science, we wrapped up our final Fall community field trip to day with an experience at the CCUA urban farm.  Below is a snapshot of our work next week and a few reminders.

Friday Folder:  Please check your conference time in the folder and return the form.  I look forward to meeting with each family during conferences and sharing everyone's progress. 

Fall Party:  Thank you for helping with our 5th grade party.  Please remember our costume guidelines: no costumes work to school (we will have time to change), no accessories (especially weapons), and no makeup (especially fake blood!). We will get ready shortly before 2 and the parade will start shortly after 2.  Our 5th grade party will be in the gym after the parade.  

READING: Readers will finish their book club books this week.  We will also take the STAR test to measure our overall reading progress.  Our last Lit Journal assignment for this book will be to make a book share for the book. 

WRITING/SS:  We have researched specific NA regions and shared our research.  Next, students will be choosing a NA topic to create a museum exhibit for.  We were inspired by our trip to the Museum of Anthropology at Mizzou North this week.  We also looked at online museums during media time.  Students can choose any topic and any type of museum exhibit.  We are only limited by the resources we have. 

MATH:  Students did a great job on the Unit 2 math test, focused on place value, multiplication, and division.  Unit 3 begins by connecting division to fractions.  The unit is focused around fractions and operations with fractions.  

SCIENCE:  We had our last Fall community field trip today.  Scientists had one more chance to be inspired before moving our science mostly indoors for the fall/winter.  Students will be making a presentation on their inspirations as we decide as a 5th grade level what our community science project will be.  I am introducing past projects to students while highlighting experimental design aspects. 

Climate Survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H9RTV78

FALLING INTO PLACE

This was a great week in Class C.  Many of our projects and work are progressing nicely.  Students are hard at work and we are finding times to enjoy ourselves and relax too. There is some work in thee Friday Folder for students to share at home.  Please return all this work for students to use in their portfolio.  You will receive all this work again during Family Conferences.  I look forward to sharing your child's progress with you at that time.  Below is a description of current and upcoming work.  Enjoy the pictures of Preschool Buddy time and our last field trip.

READING: Students have completed half of their book club book.  This week we wrote a letter about our reading thoughts and answered more comprehension questions.  Students are doing a nice job finishing their reading and moving on to the writing in their Literature Journal.  Next week, we will focus on predictions and continue our work on making connections.  We are also enjoying our read aloud Touching Spirit Bear.

WRITING/SS:  Students completed a group mini research project about a Native American region.  We will share about each region and visit the Museum of Anthropology at Mizzou North.  This is a walking field trip to assist our Native American learning.  Students will soon choose their own Native American topic for their museum exhibit and begin that research.

MATH:  Mathmagicians are making solid progress with large number multiplication and division. We will have a test on Unit 2 next Tuesday morning.  Monday will be spent in review for this test.  Students can review any of the material in their Math Journal and Homelinks book to help prepare.  After students have an opportunity to look over their test, we will begin our next unit on fractions.

SCIENCE: We have completed one science experiment plan.  We used data from our Beeclipse experiment.  As we practice experimental design with another experiment, we are also sharing our inspirations from this season's field trips.  Our presentations and discussions will lay the groundwork of our 5th grade community science project. 

 

 

 

TRAVEL SHOW SPECTACULAR!

What a fantastic job kids did at the Travel Show!  Thanks to all who could make it and support the learning in our first big project.  This week was kind of a transition week as we finished a few projects and prepared for new things starting next week.  Below is a snapshot of next week's work.

Please know the Friday Folder includes Bank Shadowing applications if students wanted them.  There is also a flyer for an annual diversity writing contest.
Enjoy the Travel Show pics below and check out the important dates for some October events.

NEXT WEEK'S LEARNING:
MATH: Our work will continue with  multiplication.  We have covered a few strategies but are focusing on the US Algorithm.  After practicing multiplication up to 3 digit times 2 digit, we will practice division strategies too. This will be the bulk of our practice for this unit. 

SOCIAL STUDIES: We will start our Powwow Theme next week.  This learning will focus on Native American culture.  Historians will work in groups to learn about different regions and cultures.  Then they will choose a NA topic to become experts on and make a museum exhibit for.  There will be a theme packet complete with calendar and assignment ideas in next week's Friday Folder.

READING: We had a couple more days for book share work this week.  We start book clubs next week.  All of our books will focus on NA themes.  Students will have weekly reading and writing assignments for the book club book they are reading.  The assignments will be due weekly. Our reading focus will be on summarizing, making connections, and predictions.

WRITING: We finished our I AM poems this week and they will be displayed in the halls of Grant School.  This creative work will surely wow you!  Our writing this week will be integrated with reading and social studies assignments.  We will also start talking more about our CATTV project.

SCIENCE: We have a couple more field trips to gather science observations.  Then students will be making a presentation of their experiences in the community as we start to discuss our science community project.  We are also looking at out Beeclipse data from the solar eclipse.

ROOTS N ARTS N BLUES!!!

We are entering one of the best weeks at Grant School - Roots n Blues week.  So many event connected to this fun week are coming.  We have the Blues Corps working with our guest musician TJ Wheeler - they will perform at Grant School and during the Root n Blues Festival downtown on Saturday.  Also, Thursday night is our Arts n Blues night.  This night, with raffle items, helps fund our program for the week.  There will be donated art items and teacher prize giveaways too.  I will be hosting a canoeing afternoon for a lucky winner.  I hope to see families out celebrating this fun week at Grant or at the festival.

This week in the Friday Folder you will see a Portfolio Folder of work.  Some of the work is graded and some is not.  We save all our work in 5th grade so we make electronic portfolios to share during conference time.  Please look over the work and SEND IT BACK TO SCHOOL!!!! If you have any questions about the work please let me know.

Also in the Friday Folder is an invitation to the 5th Grade Travel Show on October 3rd.  We will be sharing our geography work and islands from 12:30-2:30!  Fun!  Please join us at anytime.

Below is an update for our work next week:
READING: This will be our last week to have class time for Book Share work.  We will also take the STAR test again to monitor our improvement.

WRITING: Almost all our writing will be focused on the island project.  We may revisit our I AM poetry work also.

MATH: Our next unit is on place value and the umber system.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our lessons will be on geography and finishing our island work.

SCIENCE: We will revisit our Beeclipse study with the UMC biology department.  The data is in and kids will start looking it over.

KEYS TO THE CITY!!!

I BOUGHT THEM ICE CREAM  - BEST LESSON EVER!!!

HURRICANE HARVEY DONATIONS!!!