Snyder and Davis 5th Grade News… 1/17/14
Live Kind Choose Happiness Unleash Learning
What we have been up to…
Math: We have been comparing fractions. We played games to reinforce fraction connections that make a whole. This will lead us into addition of fractions. We discussed the luck and strategies of these games. Any extra fraction skills at home to reinforce these areas would be helpful such as cooking with measuring cups, measuring distances with rulers or yardsticks and adding the measurements, etc. Everyday problem solving situations would be great!
Reading: Remember the Magic! Metaphors and Similes bring writing to life and can enhance understanding of what the author is saying. Often it helps us more deeply picture or understand what text is saying. We are digging into our books and sharing examples. We read books such as: My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil by Hanoch Piven, and Crazy Like a Fox by Loreen Leedy. We also discovered how fun it could be to determine important events from the plot of a story and write a riddle to describe the story after reading Spot the Plot by J. Patrick Lewis. We decided that would be a fun option to add for our Reading Response journals.
Science: Sunrise/sunset-- We analyzed our sunrise and sunset graphs of Hilliard Ohio and wrote about our noticings and explained the science behind what the graph showed. We also began building background knowledge about Sound, which is our next unit of study.
Social Studies: Students are putting the final touches on their travel brochures. Students picked what South American countries they wanted to learn more about and created their brochures. I have loved reading their persuasive language to entice their readers (including me) to want to visit that particular country. The due date for this in-class project is Wednesday, January 22.
Word Study: This week we started Greek and Latin roots. Your child brought home 10 words to study their spellings and meanings. Monday night homework was a vocabulary sort and Tuesday night offered choice of sentences, flashcards, or other activities. We worked each day with the vocabulary through games and discussions. Our spelling test and vocabulary quiz were today. Next week, we will feature another Greek and Latin root.
(It is normal routine for us to have a pretest or given word list on Monday and words should come home that day. We continue to focus on word features and challenges appropriate for us. More and more students are choosing harder words and vocabulary. I appreciate their eagerness to challenge themselves.)
Upcoming events:
Today…Interim sent home with your child-please sign and return attached blue form to acknowledge that you received it.
Book orders due- January 24
Recorders are needed for Music class
Band informational meeting: Tuesday, January 21, 7:00 p.m. Darby High School Auditorium (Contact: [email protected] or 614.921.6900)
Orchestra informational meeting: Wednesday, January 22, 7:00 Darby High School Auditorium (Contact: [email protected] or 614.921.2976)
Celebrations:
We had an eventful week! The students worked hard, and we had some special guests. Tuesday involved band and strings demonstrations. Blue forms were sent home about these activities. Then on Wednesday…Officer Slone from the Hilliard Police Dept. had a lesson on telecommunications harassment. She was outstanding with the kids as she helped them understand the importance of using electronic devices responsibly. Many of the students did not realize the consequences they or their parents could face for misuse. Officer Slone also provided NetSmartz.org as a great site to visit for some information and discussion with your child.
Live Kind Choose Happiness Unleash Learning
What we have been up to…
Math: We have been comparing fractions. We played games to reinforce fraction connections that make a whole. This will lead us into addition of fractions. We discussed the luck and strategies of these games. Any extra fraction skills at home to reinforce these areas would be helpful such as cooking with measuring cups, measuring distances with rulers or yardsticks and adding the measurements, etc. Everyday problem solving situations would be great!
Reading: Remember the Magic! Metaphors and Similes bring writing to life and can enhance understanding of what the author is saying. Often it helps us more deeply picture or understand what text is saying. We are digging into our books and sharing examples. We read books such as: My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil by Hanoch Piven, and Crazy Like a Fox by Loreen Leedy. We also discovered how fun it could be to determine important events from the plot of a story and write a riddle to describe the story after reading Spot the Plot by J. Patrick Lewis. We decided that would be a fun option to add for our Reading Response journals.
Science: Sunrise/sunset-- We analyzed our sunrise and sunset graphs of Hilliard Ohio and wrote about our noticings and explained the science behind what the graph showed. We also began building background knowledge about Sound, which is our next unit of study.
Social Studies: Students are putting the final touches on their travel brochures. Students picked what South American countries they wanted to learn more about and created their brochures. I have loved reading their persuasive language to entice their readers (including me) to want to visit that particular country. The due date for this in-class project is Wednesday, January 22.
Word Study: This week we started Greek and Latin roots. Your child brought home 10 words to study their spellings and meanings. Monday night homework was a vocabulary sort and Tuesday night offered choice of sentences, flashcards, or other activities. We worked each day with the vocabulary through games and discussions. Our spelling test and vocabulary quiz were today. Next week, we will feature another Greek and Latin root.
(It is normal routine for us to have a pretest or given word list on Monday and words should come home that day. We continue to focus on word features and challenges appropriate for us. More and more students are choosing harder words and vocabulary. I appreciate their eagerness to challenge themselves.)
Upcoming events:
Today…Interim sent home with your child-please sign and return attached blue form to acknowledge that you received it.
Book orders due- January 24
Recorders are needed for Music class
Band informational meeting: Tuesday, January 21, 7:00 p.m. Darby High School Auditorium (Contact: [email protected] or 614.921.6900)
Orchestra informational meeting: Wednesday, January 22, 7:00 Darby High School Auditorium (Contact: [email protected] or 614.921.2976)
Celebrations:
We had an eventful week! The students worked hard, and we had some special guests. Tuesday involved band and strings demonstrations. Blue forms were sent home about these activities. Then on Wednesday…Officer Slone from the Hilliard Police Dept. had a lesson on telecommunications harassment. She was outstanding with the kids as she helped them understand the importance of using electronic devices responsibly. Many of the students did not realize the consequences they or their parents could face for misuse. Officer Slone also provided NetSmartz.org as a great site to visit for some information and discussion with your child.