December 10-14

Reading
Our focus this week was to strengthen our reading abilities when we read about controversial topics. We used strategies to help us think and wonder while we're reading so that we can consider other research that might help support our argument. Then, we learned how to both summarize and annotate our texts to make it a bit easier for us when we're building our argument. In effort to argue to learn, all three fifth grade classrooms got together to have a debate. Students prepared their arguments, had a chance to respond to the other side, and walked away with ideas for further research. As we continue to learn more about our topic, we are learning strategies to help us tackle more difficult texts.

Writing
Writers learned about the importance of balancing their evidence with their own thinking.  We included both paraphrasing and direct quotes in our writing.  We also learned about counterclaims to boost the strength of our arguments and we added on some endings that included a call to action.   

Science
Students showed what they new on a post assessment for our Structures and Properties of Matter unit. Everyone has shown so much growth! From there, we thought about our upcoming unit, Earth and Space Systems, and things that we already know about it. We watched a few informational videos about The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The information was SHOCKING! We thought about the plastics that we use everyday and thought of ways that we could reduce our plastic usage.

Math
We finished up Unit 3 this week with a math test. Look for it to come home next week!
Our next unit we will be focusing on multiplying whole numbers and fractions!


Social Studies
We wrapped up studying lots and lots of Native Americans this week!!    Chapter three was filled with amazing new concepts about our Native Americans and we took the chapter 3 test on Friday, 12/14.   Next week, we will shift gears and start learning about explorers. 

DG
The DG 4 quiz is this coming Tuesday!  Be sure to study, study, study!

December 3-7, 2018

Reading
As students continued to research about their debatable topics in reading, they began to mine other texts for information relevant to their topic. Students realized that they need to broaden their horizons by finding out more information about vitamins, for example, when researching the debate on serving chocolate milk in schools. The kids prepared quick flash-debates on their topics to get a feel for finding and using the most powerful reasons and evidence.

Writing
This week in writing, we looked back at our flash drafts on the chocolate milk debate. We learned how to paraphrase evidence from texts so that we can add it into our own writing. We saw that sometimes it is important to include the exact words that someone said. To do this, we talked about the things that make quotations powerful and began including them in our writing as well.

Science
We wrapped up our unit structures and properties of matter this week. To review, students worked with words generated from the unit, sorted them into categories, then made connections between them. Once they made all of their connections, they took some time to elaborate on a few of the concepts or connections that they had made. We read a bit from our class text, What's the Matter in Mr. Whisker's Room to review the big ideas of the unit as well.  Then, we FINALLY found out what the mystery object was! On Friday, we began our "Show What You Know Now" to see how their thinking has changed from the beginning of this unit until now.

Math
We are working on tricky story problems with fractions in math! We have been talking about strategies to help us solve the problems.

1. Play a movie in your mind - picture what is happening
2. Predict the results - what would make sense? a big whole number? a fraction?
3. Decide the operation
4. Write/Solve the equation
5. Check - Does my answer make sense in the story?

Our Journal Review pages are due on Wednesday, December 12th. Our Unit 3 test will be on Thursday, December 13th.

Social Studies
Students have been very busy working as reading detectives as we make our way through chapter 3.  Looking for clues in the reading is helping us to figure out what artifacts the Native Americans would have used in each of the different regions we are studying.  Be sure to have your student show you the amazing map of the Native American Cultural Regions.   The test on chapter 3 will be next Friday, December 14, 2018.

DG
The new  DG #4 was passed out this week.  It is due on Wednesday December 12 and the quiz will be on Tuesday, December 18.