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!!!

 

MOVING RIGHT ALONG

This was a productive week in Classroom C.  Students make progress individually on there Where in the World work and as a class we progressed through math and reading routines. Some students have donated items to our Hurricane Harvey relief drive.  We are accepting items until next Monday. Next Friday, our Blues in the Schools program begins at Grant School and there are many musicians in our class that have signed up for the Blues Corps to work with our guest musician, TJ Wheeler. Below is an outline for our academic work next week.

READING: We have had discussions about choosing Just Right books and books for book shares.  Every student should be finished or finishing a book share book.  The next two weeks will be the only class time we have for a while to work in class on book shares.  I have already collecting a few from students.  Ideally, a reader would finish 1 a month.  While we are reading our book share books, we are also practicing our reading communication by recording and expanding reading thoughts.

WRITING: We have two writing projects going on.  Every student has completed a draft of their I AM poem and we will revise and edit those next week.  Also, we will begin our Travel Brochure project for our islands.  Students will be making a brochure for their island, describing elements like climate, resources, transportation, and more.

MATH: In math, we have finished the lessons for our first unit.  We will have the unit test on Tuesday morning.  Until then, we will be practicing volume and area.  Students have plenty of resources to help them prepare.

SCIENCE: We have 2 walking field trips next week.  They are posted in the Important Dates section.  We also have Plant Tower presentation on Monday.  5th graders will be responsible for maintaining Grant School's Plant Tower, growing indoor plants to use with our cafeteria lunch menu.

SOCIAL STUDIES: While we work on our Travel Brochures, we are also studying the geography chapter of our textbook.  This helps us understand how to use nonfiction features (headings, pictures, bolded words, etc) to write about climate, resources, etc... Our walking filed trip to the City Council building will help us develop ideas also as we listen to the City of Columbia's Sustainable Design coordinator.

Enjoy pics of these great maps below:

FANTASTIC WEEK!

I was impressed with our All-Stars all week.  They did a great job on our field trip and we caught up on all our creative work.  Thanks so much for those that attended Back to School Night/Potluck Night.  I can send home or email the PowerPoint I shared if you could not make it.  Also, I am happy to meet with anyone at school or digitally to answer any questions.  Below is a snapshot of our focus for next week.  Have a great weekend!

READING: I have finished listening to all students read and have a good idea of each child as a reader.  Next week, we will focus on how to pick just right books and students will get time to choose and read books for Book Shares.  We will also meet in small groups to read some nonfiction text about geography.

WRITING: We have two writing jobs to focus on next week.  First, we will make final drafts of our I AM poem and put them together with our sketches.  Also, we will be creating Gazetteers describing places on our islands.

MATH: In math, we will continue our work in the first unit.  The lessons have extended area into volume.  My goal is to finish the first unit next week and prepare for an assessment over the material.  I will let the class know when the test will be so they can prepare accordingly.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We will take a closer look at landforms throughout the week.  Also, students will be creating their Gazetteer for their island.  This writing will describe places on their island and help others locate them on the map.  

SCIENCE: We will keep working on our observations of Columbia to inform or science work for the year.  Next week, we will be observing the Daniel Boone Regional Library and learning about their resources, including how to read books on our ipads. 

CATTV: Another special project in 5th grade is our partnership project with CATTV. Our community TV station is training our All Stars on cameras and sound equipment.  Our students will then be capturing Grant School's transition this year.  We will be sending students in groups of 4 or 5 throughout this month and October to get trained.