December Work

We continue to move forward with all kinds of learning during these few short weeks of December.

During December, our class is studying poetry.  We are reading, writing, and learning the language of poetry.  Last week, the students had a particularly engaging discussion of the book, Love That Dog by Sharon Creech.  It's a short read, written in free verse, and alludes to many different poems which are included in the back of the book.  I highly recommend it to all readers.  We're also fortunate to welcome into our classroom Judith Steinbergh, Brookline's Poet Laureate.  She has been working with students to read poetry and to write their own poem about the seasons.  It always amazes me how students truly embrace poetry.  Yes, even reluctant readers.

In Social Studies, we have begun to learn about European explorers who came to the New World in search of gold, land, and other treasure.  Students are also learning about the impact on the native people of what the explorers believed to be newly discovered lands.  Mind opening and good for discussion at home.

Science brings a study of genetics and how different traits combine to form unique beings.  We will look at what traits each of us possesses as well as use models of dogs and horses to understand how dominant and recessive traits play against one another.  This unit will have several hands on explorations to help students learn.

And of course, we continue with math.  This month we are working on multiplying and dividing fractions.  "Why do I need to know this?" one of the students asked.  My best response was that if I want to change a recipe, either divide it in half or double it, I have to be able to multiply and divide fractions.  What about measuring to build something if I want to make it half the size?  So many applications that we just do in daily life.  Being fluid with multiplication facts is especially important in this unit, as the ability to recognize factors and multiples makes working with fractions much easier.  Please take the time to practice facts with your student at home.

Report cards are due to come home on Monday, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone at conferences.

Giving is Good

The school has been having a canned food drive to support the Trinity food pantry in Topsfield this past week.  It ended today, and I am proud to report that our class contributed 111 items to the pantry.  Fantastic!!

I asked during the food drive for the students to not just go home and ask for cans.  I hope they took it to heart to contribute some of their own money or to do a chore around the house to earn the can.  I think the lessons that can be learned from doing this are invaluable.

And so the following little story.  We had a friendly competition going on among the 5th grade classes to see which class could bring in the most items; our class came in second.  Despite not being the "winning" class, your kids were incredibly gracious about coming in second.  They said, "We won even though we didn't because now there's more food for the poor."  That kind of spirit will take them far in life and should be celebrated.

 

25% There

It's hard to believe that we've completed more than 25% of the school year.  Our Calendar Math, however, shows that it's true.

We've been busy this past week starting in on fractions:  adding and subtracting, making equivalencies, and generally reviewing all that we know about fractions.  This coming week brings looking at division equations as fractions.  We are also working with mixed numbers.

In science, we are continuing with our study of light and color.  Experiments last week had us considering refraction and the various properties of objects in terms of light (i.e. translucent, transparent, opaque).  This week, we will work in CLIC to further explore light.  Please send your student in with a shoe box for this project (any extras are also appreciated).

I am looking forward to reading student blogs about Native Americans, their environments, and their cultures.  Knowledge of how Native Americans lived translates into deeper understanding of the colonization of the Americas.  Having students use technology in the classroom and in their learning supports the Common Core standards. 

In reading, we continue with group book studies.  Please encourage reading every day by your student.  The Scholastic Book Fair now in the school library offers a great selection of books for students along with the autonomy of making their own selections.  Ask students about their book choices, whether from the book fair, from the library, or from their own shelves.  This is a great way to get conversations going about what they're reading as well as about what you might be reading.

 

DASH - Disability Awareness Starts Here

A big thank you to the parents who came in last week to work with the class for DASH.  The program cannot run without this parent commitment.

Every year, the DASH program introduces a different disability to students in grades 2 through 5 in the Tri-town schools.  In 5th grade, students learn about physical disabilities, both gross and fine motor.  Through simulated activities, students become aware of differing abilities and also of strategies to overcome a disability.  Essentially, DASH strives to make students understand that even through our differences, we all have similarities. 

Below are a few photos of our classroom working through the DASH activities last week, including simulations of various fine motor disabilities.  This week we will work in the gym to experience gross motor disabilities and adaptations.

Math Is Everywhere!

Math does seem to be everywhere.  We encounter math constantly in our lives: calculating how much paint we will need for a room, figuring out if we have enough money to buy that shirt on sale, and the list goes on.

In our classroom, we've been working with extra diligence on math, and in particular real-world problems.  We will continue this week as we prepare for a math test on Chapter 2 on Friday.  But how can you study "math"?  Practice, practice, and some more practice.  Tell your student about situations that you come across everyday that required using math, and talk with them about how you solved it.  How might they have solved the same problem?

Remember, too, that our math text book is available on line.  Students can visit www-k6.thinkcentral.com to view the book and work through some of the guided practice problems that we did in class.  Please email me if you need additional information on how to sign in to the website.  Also, math help is available every Tuesday morning with Mrs. Steinberg.  I will also be having extra help sessions on Friday mornings (this is a change from my last post because of scheduling conflicts).  I also encourage you to attend the Math in Focus presentation scheduled for this evening in Middleton.

Have a math kind of day!

Let's Keep Moving Forward

After the shortened schedule last week, we are looking forward to a full week of good work.

Our science unit on color and light kicked off last week with a quick experiment proving that light travels in straight lines (through air) using flashlights and index cards.  It was a simple experiment, but powerfully demonstrated that light cannot curve around objects in a room.  We'll be looking at reflection and refraction more this week to further understand how light travels.

In writing, we worked on polishing our persuasive essays on whether or not students should be required to volunteer.  I've read some thought provoking arguments on both sides of the issue.  Students have been working diligently to learn how to construct this kind of writing.  It requires lots of careful thinking of your reasons and explanation of those reasons. 

We are continuing with reading mysteries and discussing them in small groups.  I am impressed with the inferences being made and the pieces of support being used in discussions in all three book groups.  If you have any old Nancy Drew or Hardy Boy mystery books around the house, encourage your child to read them and find the elements of mystery in them.

Math continues with multiplication and division of multi-digit numbers.  I will be starting an extra help session on Thursdays this week so that we can reinforce skills that we've learned in this chapter. 

 

Enjoy the Long Weekend!

I hope that everyone is enjoying this long weekend.

When we get back to school on Wednesday, we'll have lots to do. 

• We will be finishing up our topographical map project started last week in CLIC.  I'm excited to see the painted finishes to these salt dough maps of imaginary islands.  
• We'll begin to delve deeper into the science of light and color. 
• Math will continue with simplifying numeric expressions after which our class will move on to real world problems (i.e. word problems).  If anyone asks why learning all this multiplication and division is important, you can tell them about a recent study that shows that it pays to know math.  The study concludes that in "an Amazonian tribe that has limited contact with civilization and limited use of numbers in their culture", knowing how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide is associated with acquiring goods, wealth, and health in their foraging and farming community (from "Quants rule, even in the jungle" in the Uncommon Knowledge feature by Kevin Lewis -- Boston Globe, 10/13/13). 
• Groups are continuing to read mysteries, as well.  We've begun to discuss the books, looking for the elements of mystery and considering various types of comprehension questions in our conversations.  Please keep the reading up at home, too.  I've seen some thoughtful responses to at-home reading come in on Fridays.
• Having completed our first chapter in social studies on the geography of the United States, we'll continue with a brief overview of the Native American tribes present on the continent at the time of the New World settlements.

So take advantage of this weekend to refresh yourselves, appreciate the beautiful New England fall days, and come back to school ready to learn.

Practice, Practice, Practice

In math, we've been working on dividing with a one-digit divisor.  This week we will delve even deeper into division, using two-digit divisors.  In order to be successful at this, students need to have a firm grasp of their multiplication facts.  I encourage you to work with your child to practice these facts, switching back and forth between multiplication and division problems in order to develop fact fluency.  Just as with reading, the greater a student's fluency with these basic facts, the greater their comprehension of mathematics will become. 

Practice also relates to other content areas.  Later this week, our class will be having a social studies test.  Study skills take practice.  In class, we will talk about how we can study and what strategies can be used.  Discuss with your child what works best for them.  As a child, I used to pretend to "teach class" when I studied.  What creative, and effective, ways can you and your child develop to help them learn?

Practice isn't just for sports.  Learning takes practice too.

Here Comes October!

The first month of school has come and gone, and we've settled into our routines.  New classroom job responsibilities are assigned each Monday, and I'm glad to say that our geraniums are thriving thanks to our "Gardeners"; lunches make it to the cafeteria without fail due to our "Lunch Luggers"; and I have come to rely on my "Teacher's Assistant" each week to help with distributing materials. 

We continue to work on reading comprehension strategies, and have fine tuned the difference between predicting and inferring while reading.  Since students understand what kinds of questions might be asked for comprehension, they can organize a strategy for answering it.  Please remind your child to read every night.  They are required to read for at least 20 minutes on four different nights over the course of a week.  They should be planning accordingly if they know they may be out one night.  Also, encourage them to read aloud to you (or a younger sibling or even the family pet).  This promotes fluency which contributes to overall comprehension.

In science, we performed an activity last week that had us thinking like scientists.  Ask your student about "saving Fred".  I was impressed by how students really thought outside the box to solve the problem and worked together with a teammate. 

In math, we have been learning how to multiply by two digit numbers.  Today we expanded that to multiplying 3-digit numbers and 4-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers.  Students were seeing the patterns that develop when we practice these algorithms. 

October will bring more writing, reading, plenty more math, and content material.  I look forward to it all.

 

Off to a Great Start

Our classroom is really beginning to buzz as we get into the groove of our daily routine and start to dive into various content areas.  We've been learning about the scientific method as we use water and Gatorade to grow grass on our window sill.  Which will provide better nourishment for our grass?  Stayed tuned for the results! 

In social studies, our class has begun to learn about geography; we're studying globes, hemispheres, and latitude and longitude.  Being familiar with the geography of the United States and the world helps to make sense of the migration patterns that we'll learn about later in the year.

After finishing up various assessments, reading has been all about comprehension strategies.  Knowing how we can think about what we read helps us to think more effectively. 

Calendar Math provides us with our daily "math vitamin" that really gets our heads working.  It also helps with learning how to "write math".  We've completed Chapter 1 on whole numbers and are moving into Chapter 2 which promises lots of practice with multiplication and division of multi-digit  numbers.  Make sure to have those times tables well under control.

Enjoy these beautiful first days of fall!

Parent Seminar Thoughts

Thank you to everyone for attending Parent Seminar this evening.  It was wonderful to put names and faces together, and I appreciate the support everyone offered. 

Our class is off to a great start, with the students coming together as a team of learners.  I've seen great evidence of persevering to get the job done and of students assuming responsibility for their own learning and for the their classroom.  They are a joy.

 

A New Website for Our Class

Here's a new website for our class.  This is the place that parents and students can look for news and information about what's happening in Room 104.  I've also created a page where I will be listing homework assignments daily.

I hope that we find this website easy to use and helpful as we dream, explore, and create throughout the year.

Mrs. Ellis