5th Grade Weekly Update for Week of April 23rd

Photo Highlight of the Week: Our treasure maps are on display, so come check them out!

ELA: On Monday, we will meet for our week 4 discussion group for Tiger Rising. Students should be prepared with a vocabulary sheet, a writing assignment, and be prepared to discuss the questions they were given. The last assignment for Tiger Rising will be passed out after the discussion. In poetry this week, we will discuss types of poetry, focusing specifically on cinquain, lyric, limerick, haiku, sonnet, narrative, and concrete poems. We will practice recognizing these types of poems so we can eventually create our own. We’re going to start our last grammar unit this week as well, starting with descriptive adjectives, articles, and demonstrative adjectives.

History: Students were introduced to our next unit of study last week, the Italian Renaissance. We will check vocabulary terms they looked up on Friday and then we’re off! We’ll cover Lessons 1-3 over the course of the week, focusing on the differences between an artisan and a artist, many of the inspirations behind the Italian Renaissance; such as Plato, Virgil, and Cicero, why the Renaissance started in Italy, and the importance of Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press. I’m so excited to share many of my pictures from my travels to Italy back in November with students as we discuss perspective, realism, and Italian architecture!

Math: This week, we will review what students have learned thus far within our geometry unit and continue to explore geometrical figures. Students will use 3-D models to compare and contrast polyhedrons. They will learn the difference between prisms and pyramids and learn to identify the attributes of various solid figures. We will also learn how to calculate the surface area of rectangular prisms.

Science: On Monday, I will use a “Blob in a Bottle” demonstration to introduce our Exploring Density Cell, which one student will be able to take home! Within our new unit of study, students will learn how to define density and calculate the density of different liquids. There are several fun and easy density experiments that students can try at home! I will send home a handout with some of these experiments.

Other: We have our annual Field Day at Fullers Park on Friday, April 27th. Please look for an e-mail this week with more details.

Our canned food drive will be held on Saturday, April 28th from 9 a.m.-12:00 p.m. We encourage volunteers to join us and help collect cans for a good cause! Please contact our room parents if you are interested in volunteering.