5th Grade Weekly Update for Week of November 4th
Photo Highlight of the Week: What a fun and festive Halloween week! Our students enjoyed helping book buddies make glow-in-the-dark slime! We had fun treats and dressed up as book characters! We even had a jack-o-lantern raffle, and Darby brought home a pumpkin with a carving kit! Happy Halloween! Now, we are looking forward to a month of cooler autumn weather and giving thanks to those around us!
Math: Students often confuse the terms greatest common factor and least common multiple. Therefore, last week, we created graphic organizers that students can use as a reference to help them with the terms and skills we are learning. After practicing these skills separately, students raced together in teams to solve a fun puzzle that incorporated these skills together! This week, we will practice renaming fractions in lowest and greater terms. There is a great resource I’ve added to our fifth grade website that will help students practice renaming fractions in simplest terms! We used this web tool on Friday in a class competition, so students are familiar with it. This week, we will also learn how to read and write mixed numbers and improper fractions.
ELA: Our “Selfie Challenge” wall is on display and has our first few photos! Caleb visited the Roswell Mill, which is very significant in Turn Homeward, Hannalee. Also, my family and I enjoyed a picnic lunch as we explored Sope Creek. With the autumn weather ushering in, it is a perfect time to take the family on a weekend hike and explore some of the local American Civil War historical sites! Your child will earn bonus test points for the pictures he or she brings in to display. You can also e-mail the picture to me, and I am happy to print it out for you.
On Monday, we will hold our second class discussion for our book Turn Homeward, Hannalee. It is important that the students prepare for the discussions ahead of time by reading the list of discussion questions and thinking about their answers. This encourages participation because they are ready to share! On Monday, we will also introduce a new set of vocabulary terms for our next chapters in Shades of Gray.
In honor of Veteran’s Day coming up soon, students will participate in an Internet scavenger hunt to learn more about this special day. Then, we will write a friendly letter to a veteran letting him or her know how much we appreciate his or her service for our country. This is where I will need your help! If you personally know a veteran you think will be touched by this act, please share his or her name and mailing address! I will send home a sheet on Monday that you can complete with the information. It means so much to the children when they know they are writing to someone he or she may know or even is a friend of a friend!
Science: In our first two investigations, students explored the concept of force and learned how to calculate work done. They will use this knowledge as we learn more about the fixed pulley, lever, and inclined plane. During Investigation Three, students will begin their exploration of simple machines by investigating the pulley. Students will calculate and compare the work done when performing a task with and without a pulley, varying the mass of the load and the distance the load is lifted. This investigation guides students toward concluding that the pulley makes work feel easier by changing the direction force is applied to a load, even though the amount of work done remains the same.
History: In history this week, we will discuss the importance of the Lincoln-Douglass debates, the Dred Scott case, John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, and the election of 1860. We’ll discuss how all of these causes of conflict lead up to the start of the American Civil War, along with the advantages and disadvantages both sides faced at the start of the war. We’ll create an outline of Lesson 9 which is good prep for the research paper in quarter three! This outline will cover how the southern states succeeded and the first shots at Ft. Sumter. We’ll then cover vocabulary we’re studying throughout the unit and practice the terms in context.
Other: Please join us tomorrow for our Open House from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.! This is a wonderful opportunity to speak to our Upper School team and get excited about the years ahead! Also, please invite others! Last week, students came home with an invitation that you can pass along to a neighbor or friend.
Week at a Glance:
Sunday: November 3rd, Open House 2:00-4:00 p.m. (Also, daylight savings time ends. Don’t forget to change your clocks)
Monday: THH Ch 3 and 4 assignment due/discussion questions
Tuesday: Veteran’s Day Letter Request form due
