5th Grade Weekly Update for Week of January 29th
Photo Highlight of the Week: Students loved practicing dividing fractions with a fun game of Fraction Frenzy!
Math: This week, our focus will turn to problem-solving and estimating quotients and products with mixed numbers. Learning to differentiate when to multiply verses divide in a word problem can be challenging for some students. Therefore, I have created a useful guide that will give tips and example problems. I strongly recommend that you encourage your child to use this when completing his or her homework this week. We plan to take our unit test on Monday, February 5th. Students will receive a study guide this week in preparation, and we will have an in-class review at the end of the week.
Science: This week, we will begin our final investigation.In Investigation Five, students will explore the relationship between balanced and unbalanced force, mass, motion and acceleration. Students first explore how forces change when a stationary object held in the air begins to move either upwards or downwards. Then, by performing and experiment in which an object is pulled horizontally, students recognize that the same principles apply. Students consider the vertical and horizontal forces acting on these stationary and moving objects and realize that the same principles apply. In doing so, students are introduced formally to Newton’s law of acceleration, which states that the sum of the forces is equal to the mass multiplied by the acceleration. Afterwards, we will begin preparing for our unit test. The date of our unit test will depend upon how quickly we move through our final investigation, so I will update you with the final test date when we finish.
ELA: We are diligently working on note cards this week, students did a wonderful job staying focused so we could catch up after our snow days! We will hopefully finish note cards by the end of this week or a little into the next week! In grammar, we are learning how to appropriately capitalize and mark titles. We will also start reviewing commas in a series, commas setting off introductory words or phrases, using commas in direct addresses, as well as, using commas when adding a tag question at the end of the sentence. Students should turn in their Power Words from the last two weeks on Monday. We’re using our Studies Weekly this week to practice identifying fact or opinion and we’ll be using our comprehension skills to identify the main players and battles in WWII. Please remember to renew library books for the research paper!
History: Students were given their Study Guide to prepare for the test over Chapters 18-25 that will take place on Wednesday. We’ll review the study guide and prepare for the test on Tuesday. Once we’ve complete the Civil War test, we’ll move on to Westward Expansion After the Civil War. This unit will mostly be completed as independent study, with a variety of activities and exercises. In class, we’ll complete some engaging activities, such as a simulated cattle drive, stories around the campfire, and a Cowboy Day to end the unit!
Other: Our meeting about our upcoming overnight field trip to Camp Widjiwagan in Antioch, Tennessee will take place on Tuesday right after school in Mrs. Rozier’s classroom. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please let us know and we will send home information and paperwork to be completed in your child’s Friday Folder. Therefore, there will not be a math help session on Tuesday afternoon.
Our prospective and legacy Open House will take place on Sunday, January 28th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. This is a great Open House to attend to meet the Upper School teachers!
Please send in large empty cereal boxes for Valentine’s Day boxes by February 2nd. There will be a Valentine’s Day card exchange on Wednesday, February 14th! There are 25 students between both classes. In the next Friday Folder, we will send home a class list to help students label their valentines.