The Upton 4/5 Team News
Curriculum News for January 2017
Marvelous Math with Ms. Wasil
4th Grade - Students are working within Unit 5, which focuses on measurement. Students are converting units of measurement within the metric system, the customary units of measurement, and time. Students will be taking the NWEA Math Test on Thursday, January 26th. Students have homework every Monday-Thursday.
5th Grade - Students are working within Unit 4, which focuses on multiplication of whole numbers and decimals. Students are practicing different strategies to solve multiplication problems. Students will be taking the NWEA Math Test on Thursday, January 26th. Students have homework every Monday-Thursday.
Spectacular Science with Mr. Boyer
5th Grade - Students will be working with motion and design in the third quarter. We will investigate the basic laws of motion through the use of vehicle design. This is a great unit and allows us to spend more time with the engineering element of science. Additionally, all 5th grade students will participate in our annual science fair. Paperwork will be coming home in the next couple weeks. Students can choose between a science fair project or a research paper on a science topic that interests them. Keep an eye out for more information!
Social Studies with Mr. VanFleteren
4th Grade Economics
In this unit students deepen their understanding of economic principles and examine how an economic system works using the United States as an example. They begin the unit by engaging in a scarcity simulation designed to review economic concepts from previous grades. Students then explore the characteristics of market economies and the types of questions economists ask. Using a circular flow model, students examine how households and businesses interact in a market economy. They expand their understanding of economic decision making by applying the concepts of price, competition, and incentives. Using the automobile industry as a context, students consider how businesses become interdependent through the use of specialization and division of labor. They then explore how these factors influence productivity. In addition, the role of government in the economy is introduced as students distinguish between taxing and spending, and consider how the purposes of government influence decisions to tax and spend. Finally, students investigate the role of global competition on the economy and employment in the United States. In doing so, they apply economic concepts in assessing the impact of global competition on the national economy and identify public issues relating to global competition.
5th Colonization and Settlement
In this unit students examine the causes and consequences of European settlement in North America during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Throughout the unit, students use primary and secondary sources to examine how Europeans adapted to life in North America. Students begin the unit by exploring the reasons for European colonization and identifying the push and pull factors that caused people to migrate to the New World. Students next examine a variety of early settlements such as Roanoke, New Amsterdam, Jamestown, and Plymouth. In doing so, students explore how the reasons for migration and the physical geography of the New World influenced patterns of early colonial settlements and their development. Students explore the three distinct colonial regions: New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. They investigate significant developments in each colonial region, focusing on political institutions and economic activities. For example, in studying the growth political institutions, students explore the Mayflower Compact, colonial representative assemblies, the establishment of town meetings, and growth of royal government. Emphasis is also placed on the economic development of each region, including the establishment of staple-crop agricultural economies in the south and the growth of manufacturing and small farms in New England. Students also consider how regional economic differences influenced the use of slave labor in different colonial regions. In exploring the relationships between the European settlers and American Indians, students compare how the British and French differed in their interactions with indigenous peoples. In considering the Dutch settlements in New Netherlands, Quaker settlement in Pennsylvania, and the subsequent English takeover of the Middle colonies, students analyze immigration patterns that led to ethnic diversity. Students also assess the role of religion when exploring each colonial region. Throughout the unit, students gather and evaluate evidence to answer the question: Why did different colonial regions develop in North America?
Wonderous Writing with Ms. Kirkwood and Mrs. Piccirilli
4th & 5th Grade Writing~
*Students are finishing up their Persuasive Writing Essays this week. All typed essays must be completed by Friday, January 20th. Students will need to turn in their completed Persuasive Essay Drafting Packet with the essay. Next week students will do their on demand for persuasive writing and then we will move onto our Unit 3 in writing.
Informational Writing Unit 3~
Fourth and Fifth graders will begin working on informational writing in the third marking period. This is a very exciting time in our class because students get to write about a topic they are familiar with. We often ask them to list things that they are extremely knowledgeable about or that they feel they are an expert in so they can generate topic ideas for this unit. Some examples might include the following: knowing how to care for a pet, playing a sport, a vacation or a repeated place they have visited or even a hobby they have. Students get to be the "expert" in this writing piece.
They will learn how to create a table of contents, a book introduction, chapters, a book conclusion, include graphs or images and even a list of definitions in a glossary. Students will feel like an official author when they write their book. In this process, students will continue using what they know about correct sentence formation, transitional words and phrases, and paraphrasing when researching to add balance to their chapters. We will provide students with a drafting packet so that they can keep all their notes in one place. Staying organization is a very important part of the writing process so we will expect that students continue to do this throughout this unit.
Writing Tools & Expectations:
- Students are using professional editing marks to check their own and peer writing.
- We are focusing on correct sentence structure. Students have learned that every sentence needs a subject and predicate. They are expected to use capitalization and punctuation correctly.
- Understanding grammar is vital to becoming an excellent communicator. In writing conferences and as a whole group, students will be asked to work on specific grammar rules and issues that may present themselves in their writing.
- All 4th and 5th grade students have Google Classroom accounts. Ask your child about Google Classroom. Please also note that all of our final copies are done on Google. This means that when deadlines draw near, students may be able to complete their final drafts as homework.
Contact Us on "Class Dojo" or by Email
Mr. Boyer: boyert@royalaokschools.org
Ms.Kirkwood: kirkwooda@royaloakschools.org
Mrs. Piccirilli: piccirillik@royaloakschools.org
Mr. Van: vanfleterenw@royaloakschools.org
Ms. Wasil: wasilk@royaloakschools.org
Website: royaloakschools.org
Location: 4400 Mandalay Avenue, Royal Oak, MI, United States