5th Grade Weekly Update for Week of May 7th

Photo Highlight of the Week: A big thank you to all of our volunteers who helped collect cans for our annual canned food drive! Our school collected nearly 1,000 cans for Must Ministries!

Math: Last week, we explored the concept of volume by using sugar cubes to build rectangular prisms and measure volume. We also learned how to calculate the area of triangles and parallelograms, and students created a graphic organizer to help them practice this skill at home. Towards the end of the week, I introduced our geometry illustrated dictionary project. This is a project that will be completed in class. Geometry is filled with terms that students often mix up and learning to “speak” the language is an important role in being successful. Therefore, this project is designed to serve as a reference for students to use this year and future years. I have provided students with a list of the terms we have learned this year and their definition. Students are to add illustrations for each term and the geometric formulas we have used. Students will be allowed to use this reference on their end of the year cumulative math test.

Science: On Monday, students will head into lab to explore the differences between conductors and insulators. We will also learn about chemical reactions this week, including endothermic and exothermic reactions. For those who decided to participate in the extra credit density tower experiment, please remember it is due this Monday. Students should bring in a poster that states the liquids used and their density. They should also submit a video or include pictures of them with their density tower.

ELA: We will begin our cumulative poetry project this week. Students will create a poetry book that uses 5 of the 7 types of poems that we’ve learned about. Within each of the poems, students will use similes, metaphors, personification, a rhyme scheme, and alliteration; all skills we’ve studied throughout the unit. In grammar, we will study adverbs, using good/well and real/very, and comparing with adverbs.

History: On Monday, students will take their Renaissance Vocabulary Test. This is the last vocabulary test of the quarter, so students need to study over the weekend! They should prepare by using the terms in context and study the definitions. We will continue our study of the Italian Renaissance, by learning all about Michelangelo, some of the writers during this time period, such as, Baldassare Castiglione and Niccolo Machiavelli, and how the Renaissance spread to other countries in Northern and Eastern Europe.

Other: Don’t Forget! The Spring Band Concert will take place on May 10th at 6:30, it will be outside in the quad if the weather is nice! Additional details will go home this week from Mr. G.