LAKER NEWS
OCTOBER 2015
Welcome to October
5th Grade Language Arts
Reading
We have also been working on main idea and supporting details when outlining a text.
One of our next skills for reading will be identification of various forms of figurative language. Try your hand at this game of baseball: http://www.starrmatica.com/standalone/starrMaticaFigurativeLanguageBaseball.swf
Writing and Grammar
Included in their reading assignments, the kids have been working on using the RACE format when answering questions that include multi-directions. We will continue to work on that, but will soon enter into narrative writing in the month of October. This type of writing has shown to be one of the favorites of students.
6th Grade Language Arts
6th Grade Reading
The sixth grade has been diving into the research of different types of government through the reading selection called, "A Funeral Speech". It is a complex text that students read, reviewed and annotated. Through the reading, they have learned where democracy began, in B.C. times. They then used QR codes to compare and contrast that text to the different types of government in the world.
It is quite a learning experience and uses high level thinking skills to compare texts through research on the internet. This type of 21st Century learning is critically important in today's world. It teaches students to collaborate , think critically, use global awareness, communicate and many other skills.
We will be reviewing Figurative Language this month as well. They used these skills last year and will continue to apply their knowledge to various fictional readings and poems.
Language Arts
6th Grade Math Purple/Gold
The 6th graders have been working really hard on Ratios and Unit Rates. We are almost finished with Module 1 and the students are finishing this Module with a "Ratio Poster" that is due October 12th, rubrics were handed out on October 5th.
Here is what we will be working on for the 2nd grading period.
***Arithmetic Operations Including Division of Fractions***
Module 2 Overview:
Topic A: Dividing Fractions by Fractions (6.NS.A.1)
Lesson 1: Interpreting Division of a Fraction by a Whole Number—Visual Models
Lesson 2: Interpreting Division of a Whole Number by a Fraction—Visual Models
Lessons 3–4: Interpreting and Computing Division of a Fraction by a Fraction
Lesson5: Creating Division Stories
Lesson 6: More Division Stories
Lesson 7: The Relationship Between Visual Fraction Models and Equations
Lesson 8: Dividing Fractions and Mixed Numbers
Topic B: Multi-Digit Decimal Operations—Adding, Subtracting, and Multiplying (6.NS.B.3)
Lesson 9: Sums and Differences of Decimals
Lesson 10: The Distributive Property and the Products of Decimals
Lesson 11: Fraction Multiplication and the Products of Decimals
Topic C: Dividing Whole Numbers and Decimals (6.NS.B.2, 6.NS.B.3)
5th Grade Math/Gold
The 5th graders have been working really hard on Place Value. They are finishing up this Module with a "Place Value Poster" which is due October 12th, rubrics were handed out on October 5th.
We will be starting Module 2 for the 2nd grading period, here is an overview of the 2nd Module:
Mental Strategies for Multi-Digit Whole Number Multiplication, The Standard Algorithm for Multi-Digit Whole Number Multiplication, Decimal Multi-Digit Multiplication, Measurement Word Problems with Whole Number and Decimal Multiplication, Mental Strategies for Multi-Digit Whole Number Division, Partial Quotients and Multi-Digit Decimal Division, and Measurement Word Problems with Multi-Digit Division.
***Keep working hard on Math Facts!
(5.NBT.1 5.NBT.2,5.OA.1 5.OA.2 5.NBT.5,
5.NBT.7,5.MD.1, 5.NBT.6)
5th Grade Purple Math
Taking our place value knowledge even further, the 5th graders now know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions. Using these skills, the students were able to plan a birthday party with a budget of $100 and a pricing chart for party needs. Since the students just finished Module 1 of EngageNY, we ended our unit by doing a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activity. Students were to use engineering skills, scientific inquiry, and measurement to decide how to take 20 toothpicks and 10 gumdrops to build a house that could withstand the weight of a textbook. Although some teams were successful in building tall structures, our successful structures were between ½ and 1 inch tall.
(5.NBT.5-7)5th/6th Grade Science
5th Grade Science
5th graders started science class on September 16th. Beginning our quarter together, we set up our interactive notebooks and reviewed scientific inquiry skills, including scientific method, lab safety, and lab equipment. After this brief review, the 5th graders began the life science unit of our state standards. So far we have learned about ecology and how energy flows throughout an ecosystem. 5th grade students built bottle terrariums to observe an ecosystem on a small scale. The terrariums will also serve as a discussion point for our photosynthesis unit as our flower pods begin to grow.
(5.LS.1-2)6th Grade Science
After learning about minerals, the building blocks of rocks, the 6th graders were able to explore the rock cycle more in depth. 6th graders learned about how sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks, and metamorphic rocks are formed using a crayon simulation.
October 19th will be the first day back to science for 6th graders where we will finish our earth science unit with soil and begin learning about cells.
(6.ESS.2,3,and 5)Simulating the formation of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks!
5th/6th Social Studies
6th Grade Social Studies
When we return to class we will be starting our study of 5 major world religions. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.