Hello Everyone,

This week we had our Frosty Fun Run!  It was a beautiful day out and the kids enjoyed the wonderful weather.   I have included lots of great pictures below from the Fun Run!

This week in math, we wrapped up division and began our new unit.....FRACTIONS!  Understanding of fractions is a huge 5th grade standard.  We will learn how to use models to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.  We will connect these models to a written method ( finding LCM).  This week, we spent time thinking about fraction equivalency with area models and representing the addition of fractions with like denominators on number lines.

In writing, we continued our study of poetry craft.  We learned about using figurative language in our poetry writing such as similes, metaphors and personification.    To learn about personification, we went outside to observe nonhuman objects and takes notes in our writer's notebook.  Then we came inside, and tried to describe the object by giving it human characteristics.  We also studied how thinking hard about line breaks and word choice are ways to revise our poetry.

In reading, we worked on the skill of determining the main idea in a nonfiction text.  We have been reading articles about the American Revolution, and using those texts as mentors when finding main ideas.  During our workshop time, students have been immersing themselves in nonfiction reading.  Many of the kiddos have gravitated toward reading Scholastic News or nonfiction texts from the library in order to practice these skills.  We have also been reading nonfiction articles in our guided reading groups.

In science, we learned about rocks and how they changed. We began by observing samples of rocks and jotting our observations and questions. We wondered, "do rocks stay the same or will they change? Are there rock types?"  We modeled this using starburst candies to represent broken down sediment.  We "compacted " the sediment together to create a rock, then applied " heat and pressure" to transform the rock.  Finally, we heated up the rock on a hot plate and observed the rock when it cooled.  Next week, I will introduce the vocabulary of the rock types as well as the rock cycle.

Reminders:

Writer's Celebration- December 23rd!

 We are low on extra snacks in the classroom.  If anyone is willing to bring in a snack ( pretzels, goldfish, saltines etc..) that would be most helpful.


Have a nice weekend!

Ms. Phillips

Hi Everyone,

We had a great week.  We continued working on division in math and poetry in writing.  So far we have drafted: self portrait poems, memory poems, "poetry hides" poems and surrounding haikus!  This week, we will move into the revising phase in which be learn craft strategies to make our poetry better!

In reading, we began nonfiction.  In read aloud, we read a long article about the American Revolution.  This ties nicely to our Social Studies Curriculum.  We have also been learning about good nonfiction reading strategies, such as previewing and predicting using text features, paraphrasing information and note taking.  Next week, we will focus on how good readers determine the main ideas in a text.

In science, we learned about weathering and erosion.  We did an experiment with sugar cubes to model what happens to rocks when they erode.  Then, we completed a design challenge in which students had to design and construct a landfill that prevented erosion from bringing pollution into a "town."  See the pictures below for the constructions students made.  They were so excited and extremely engaged!

Have a great week!

Ms. Phillips