Notes From the Learning Lab
A long overdue update...
Important Dates to Remember
May 22nd- East Middle School tour
May 23rd- Parent Meeting NEMS 6:30
May 25th- Cincinnati field trip
May 29th- Careers on Wheels field trip (9:15-12:30)
May 30th- Field Day
June 1st- Last Day of School; 5th Grade Awards and Graduation 2:00-3:15
West Middle School Tour
Reading Workshop
Short Story + Deep Thinking = Literary Commentary
Moving into next week, we repeat the process rotating the kids through all three stories. In this upcoming round, we will discuss the questions generated in the same way as the first round. The difference is the writing piece. Each student will go through two discussions of the text within their groups and then choose which story to write about in the same style as before. We call this literary commentary. Below, you will find examples of how students responded to these questions. Both oral discussion and written explanation give your child the balance needed for middle school reading and responding. We are very proud of the mature conversations and thoughts that have come out of reading these unusual stories.
Writing Workshop
Essay and Opinion
Fantasy and Memoir
Our last unit of study as writers is a choice unit on fantasy and memoir. Therefore, each writer made a decision on his/her last genre of 5th grade. Writers are developing elements of fantasy by creating fantasy characters or realistic characters placed in fantasy settings. Stories range from comic, short story, mini-chapter book, or graphic novel.
Some writers are writing memoirs, which are memories of any kinds. Some writers are crafting memoirs around themes like friendship or elementary school memories while others are organizing their memoir about a single event or around memories with a person.
Writers are motivated to write and are ending the year using creativity.
Social Studies
Government Applied to Real Life
Today, two laws are being enforced in our classroom because of our democratic process- gum chewing in our classroom and free choice seating. There have been rules and restrictions with these laws that have been enforced. The students in our class have agreed to these and the leaders have had to follow through with restricting gum or seating choices as needed. Overall, the students in our lab have done a great job with the entire process and it has been a great way to teach real life application to a study in government.
Economics
Free Market
Economy was so much fun for the students. Each group created a product to sell wrote a business plan including budgeting and pricing and finally sold the product in our very own mini economy free market. After the market, business partners counted their money and calculated the profits gained. Many businesses made a great product and profit. It was a great experience and will possibly lead to an interest in business outside of school.
Science
A Study of the Solar System
Ecosystems
Transfer of Energy
Math Workshop
Jones 6th Grade Math- The mathematicians in class have been working hard on pre-algebra concepts including combining like terms, learning and applying the distributive property, solving expressions with given values, solving word problems and creative warm up problems with outside the box thinking. We now move into solving equations and transitioning our knowledge into solving problems.