News from Room 305
November 13, 2015
Project Lead the Way
Creating the Testbed
Math
Placing decimals on the number line was an important focus as it helped students compare, order, and round them. The meter stick was used again this week to help students visual the relationship between tenths, hundreds, and thousandths. On Friday, students used base ten blocks and pictures to represent adding and subtracting decimals.
E/LA & Social Studies
Our reading focus standard for this quarter: RI 5.2 - Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details.
Our current social studies standard: Outline the discovery, exploration, and colonization of America.
The class read an article to gain background knowledge about the Titanic. We are using this high-interest topic study to practice main ideas/details, using context clues, making inferences, quoting accurately from the text, and integrating information from several texts to write about the topic knowledgeably. As students read, they noted unfamiliar vocabulary and wondered "If this tragedy could have been prevented."
We continued to use the memoir "Quietly Struggling" this week as it helped students recognize the structure of a five paragraph essay (intro paragraph, 3 reason/detail paragraphs with several examples in each, and a concluding paragraph). Each day I also shared a memoir written by a former fifth grader. Students discussed its structure and its theme or message. They then flash-drafted their own memories with similar themes.
Students learned how the first initial settlements grew into additional colonies as a result of disagreements.
Science
Early in the week, students created clouds in a jar using hot water, ice, and hair spray. The hair spray acted as the dust particles on which the cooled water vapor could condense. Student groups were amazed as their cloud swirled inside the jar and enjoyed watching it rise as they took off the lid. After reading about how dew and frost are formed, students created their own on tin cans. They monitored the temperatures of both cans, which also reviewed the freezing point of water in both Fahrenheit and Celsius. Students completed their collection of weather data. Wednesday's weather was very timely as the class learned about air masses and fronts on Thursday. Students practiced reading weather maps using the EdHeads website.
In Project Lead the Way (PLTW), students used Educreations to create a brief presentation about the robot they researched last week. Students shared these using a jigsaw format. Today, students began using the Vex Kits for the first time to create the "Testbed." Every group did an AMAZING job communicating and collaborating! Check out the pics to see what they accomplished today and ask your child about it.
Next Week's Specials' Calendar:
Tuesday, Nov. 17 - Day 4: Library
Wednesday, Nov. 18 - Day 1: Music
Thursday, Nov. 19 - Day 2: PE
Friday, Nov. 20 - Day 3: Art
Upcoming Events:
November
11/19-5th grade and Choir Concert 5:30pm
11/25-11/27 Thanksgiving: No School
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Contact Information:
(816)736-5600 x.2637