One MAP Week Down, Spring Keeps Coming!

Families, our All Stars have done a very nice job during MAP testing week.  We have taken to the task with grace and responsibility.  I appreciate families supporting healthy habits at home during this busy time of year.  Having a good attitude and stamina are sometimes the most important strategy for doing well on these tests and students who can develop those testing habits now will be better off down the road as they face more and more standardized testing.  

We have managed to stay loose during testing times with a nice schedule.  In the morning, we are working on a few main projects, then break for lunch, have a down time, MAP test, and then recess and relaxation.  Students made progress this week on geometry, their SPARK page for our Stream Table project, book shares, and we wrapped up discussing main documents of American History.  

Next week, our schedule is flipped: MAP test in the morning, lunch and relax, and then focus on projects in the afternoon.  We have a MKT trail walking field trip on Monday after lunch.  This is a reward for Read a Thon and it also fits nicely with our stream work.  We will keep working on the Stream Table and it is coming along nicely.  Please stop by the east side of our classroom and check it out.  Every 5th grader is incorporating in the building process.  Check out the pics below the Weekly Update!

MAP Schedule: Notice we will be completed before May.  Attendance on testing days/times is extremely helpful to decrease makeups. Thanks!

4/24: Science Session 3, 9:45-11:45

4/25: Math Session 1/3, 9:45-11:45

4/27: Math Session 2, 9:45-11:45

Weekly Update:

Math: There will be plenty of math next week through the MAP test.  We finished our geometry experience last week.  Next week, I will include some MAP prep topics for the MAP test.  After MAP, the math focus is on data, graphing, measurement and 3D shapes.

Science: Friday and next week, we will get a heavy dose of science through MAP testing. Our class science work is focused on our CPBL project.  Students are incorporating their science learning into SPARK presentations that will be used with our Stream Table which we are building for Grant School.  The remaining topics to cover and add to our project are Energy Chains and the Hydrological Cycle.

Social Studies: The two main topics for the rest of the year are Westward Expansion and Civil War. Next week, student groups will research Westward Expansion events ranging from the Louisiana Purchase up to trails West and European Immigration.  Following this research, for our remaining Social Studies time will be engrossed in Civil War learning and preparing for Civil War day.

Literacy: Most of our literacy work this week was the Language Arts MAP test.  We also got time in for Book Shares and continued researching for our Stream Table SPARK page.  Next week, all our reading time will be a focus on book shares since they are due at the end of April.  It will be fun to celebrate by sharing our folders full of creative reading work.