5th Grade Weekly Update Week of August 20th
Thank you to all who donated supplies this week! We greatly appreciate your generosity!
Math: All students did an incredible job with summer math presentations! We had several creative ideas including a student who built her own candy dispenser from cardboard! We also started our first unit in math. We reviewed how to read and write numbers to the billions place and are shifting our focus to understanding decimal numbers. We played a fun class game of I Have Who Has with a friendly competition between classes! In the week ahead, we will continue to learn how to read and write decimal numbers and play some fun partner games to practice.
Science: Our young scientists have hit the ground running in our Microscopic Explorations Cell. Last week, students toured the new science lab and familiarized themselves with the equipment we will be using this year. Students are currently learning why refraction occurs and how it affects the image we see when viewing an object through a convex and concave lens. Next, we will pull out the microscopes!
ELA: Last week, we practiced making a Book Talk script for our first outside reading project. Students have a project sheet and rubric in their yellow homework folder on the projects side. Students are required to bring 3 choices (Titles and authors) for their Book Talk. I will approve one of the choices so they may begin reading as soon as possible. All choices must be turned in by Wednesday. We are starting our first novel on Monday. We will be reading Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. We will read through the first 5 chapters this week in different ways: orally as a whole group, partner read, or listen to the audio version of the book. I will introduce students to vocabulary found within chapters 5-8 to prepare them for the following week’s chapters as well. In grammar, we will begin our diagramming sentences unit. We will focus on complete subjects and predicates, and how to diagram them. This is a great unit for all of our visual learners!
History: Last week, we practiced every day for the upcoming states and capitals test. This first test will take place on Friday, August 24th. Spelling for the states and capitals is required, so make sure to practice both ways. We will begin our regions unit this week, looking at the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. We’ll compare the climate and geography of these regions and look at what sets them apart from other regions within the United States. In Daily Geography we will study the Earth’s hemispheres. We’ve found that it’s very important to read the questions carefully and check for spelling mistakes when completing Daily Geography!
Other: Parent Night is this Thursday from 7:00-8:00. We will review curriculum and what to expect for your child’s 5th grade year! Please let us know if you are unable to attend and we will send home what you missed in your child’s Friday Folder.