Hello everyone,
Sorry, I know it has been awhile since I updated the blog! Let me fill you in about what has been going in in 5th grade!!
In math, we have wrapped up our unit of study on multiplication and will be moving on to division. Students will begin by learning how to divide by multiples of 10's. This will lay the foundation for estimating quotients in later lessons, before finally learning strategies for dividing multi-digit whole numbers.
In reading, we have been studying themes within a text. We have learned strategies for identifying themes, such as thinking of 1 word topics or paying attention to how the characters change. We have also been practicing how to compare themes across texts. We have compared our read aloud story to other picture books we have read in class. Additionally, students have continued to read their guided reading books, which should be finished before Thanksgiving Break!
In writing, we have finished our unit on Personal Narrative. This week, we begin our unit on Literary Essay. To start, we have looked at sample literary essays and compared them to narratives. We looked at how the purpose and the structure of an essay is different from that of a narrative. Throughout the rest of this week and next week, students will write practice essays with support from myself and partners before choosing a text and writing their own essay!
In science, we have been studying water. We began by learning about the scarcity of fresh water in our world. To do this, we graphed the amount of fresh, salt and frozen water on earth and compared them! This week, we are becoming engineers and designing a water filtration system out of house hold items. Students have learned about the stages in the design process as they defined a problem, brainstormed and planned their designs, and now, have begun building!
Take a look at the pictures below for more information on what has been happening in grade 5!
Ms. Phillips
