March 16-20

This week in Science... What do you know about the Five Kingdoms of living things? We will head to the computer lab to begin working on our Five Kingdoms Videos. We spent last week learning about and taking notes on the 5 kingdoms in centers. This week we will create our powerpoint slides that will later become our videos! Stay tuned for the final products!

This week in Social Studies... we are taking our Unit 6 Test (Birth of a Nation) on Monday, March 16. We will begin exploring Westward Expansion. How/when/why did Americans move from the Atlantic Coast that was the Originial 13 colonies across to the Pacific Coast?

This week in Math... we are continuing our Fractions unit. We will practice comparing and ordering fractions, decimals, and percents. We will also look at how we can use a clock to help us add fractions with like and unlike denominators.
Assignments:
Monday - WKS: Simplifying Fractions
Tuesday - WKS: Comparing Fractions
Wednesday - WKS: Comparing and Ordering Fractions
Thursday - WKS: Ordering Fractions
Friday - No Homework

Week of March 19-13

This week in Science... we are spending time in Kingdom Rotations learning about the characteristic of living things in each kingdom in a "Centers" format.

This week in Social Studies... we are exploring the structure of our Federal Government as outlined at the Constitutional Convention. We'll also explore the first 10 Amendments called the Bill of Rights that were added to the Constitution to protect individual rights. Lastly, we'll explore two political parties that emerged during the first two presidencies -- Federalists and the Democratic Republicans. Students should be reviewing their notes in their Social Studies Spiral and in their History Alive Workbook. The Unit 6 Test will be Monday, March 16.

This week in Math... we are continuing to explore the relationship between fractions, precents, and decimals. We are also looking at patterns formed with equivalent fractions and how to name a fraction it its lowest terms.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Monday - WKS: Equivalent Fractions
Tuesday - WKS: "Quench Your Thirst" - Fractions and Percents
Wednesday - WKS: "7-6 - Percent Sense Using Models" SIDE ONLY
Thursday - WKS: 7-7 - Other Side
Friday - No Homework

Week of March 2-6

I hope everyone enjoyed their **snow** day yesterday! I know I was very productive and got lots of rest :)

This week 5th graders are taking the Grade 5 Writing SOL. Tuesday is the shorter portion - Multiple Choice and Wednesday is the longer portion - The Essay. Be sure students get plenty of sleep Tuesday night and eat a good breakfast Wednesday morning. Students are prepared for this exam and we know they'll do great!

This week in science... we will continue to explore how scientists classify living things. Last week we began looking at Dichotomous Keys and how they can help us identify an organism based on its features. This week we are identifying some families of sharks using a Dichotomous Key. We will also begin to explore the 5 Kingdoms of Living Things. What are the key characteristics of each kingdom??


This week in Social Studies... we are continuing to look at the United States as a new nation. After gaining independence from Britain, Americans had to come up with a system of government. It wasn't quick or easy, but the Constitution and Bill of Rights that was written and ratified still stands today. :) Students will learn about how the Constitution was written and how our Federal government is set up. Students will also explore the Bill of Rights which were added to the Constitution in order for it to be ratified by some states.


This week in Math... we are exploring the relationship between fractions and percents through a variety of Investigations. How do we express common fractions as percents? How are certain fractions - 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 related?
ASSIGNMENTS:
Monday - No School
Tuesday - No Homework
Wednesday -No Homework
Thursday -Student Sheet 6
Friday - No Homework

Week of February 23-27

This week in Science... we are beginning a new unit on the classification of living things. This week we'll look at what makes something a living organism and take a look at how scientist classify living things based on their features and characteristics.

First we classified these strange creatures according to their features:

































Then we had the task of classifiying all of this candy!














Check out our work!
































This week in Social Studies...we will take our Unit 5 Assessment on Wednesday, February 25. Students should study their History Alive workbooks and the notes in their Social Studies spirals. Friday we will begin a new unit on the Birth of a Nation - we'll look at the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, explore the Constiution & the three branches of government as well as the Bill of Rights.

This week in Math... we will have our DIVISION test on Tuesday, February 24. Students should be comfortable dividing with single digit divisors, double digit divisors, and dividends with decimals. Students should also know how to find factors of a given number the find the Greatest Common Factor of two numbers. We have also revisted find the mean of a set of data, this time without calculators. Toward the end of the week we will dive right in to our Fractions unit which we will use the Investigations series to explore the meaning of fractions and how decimals, fractions, and percents are all related.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Monday - Double Digit Division WKS
Tuesday -TEST TODAY -- NO HOMEWORK
Wednesday -Finish Test Corrections (started in class) and parent signature on Division Test
Thursday -WKS: Student Sheet 2 - Students should find one example of a fraction, one example of a decimal, and one example of a percentage in newspapers or old magazines. If students cannot find one of these things they may make one up but it must be an example that we did not already list in class.
Friday - NO HOMEWORK

Week of Feb. 16 - 20

Hooray! Atlantic has met their goal today, Friday, Feb. 20. The new goal is 15! Can they do it?

Check out Atlantic's Math Homework Record! Keep up the good work!

I hope everyone had a restful three-day weekend :) I'm looking forward to a great four-day school week filled with learning experiences and fun!

This week in Social Studies... we are exploring key events and leaders in the American Revolution. Tuesday we'll be playing a little game of Tug-of-War.... How does that help us understand the advantages each side had in the war? Our Unit 5 Test on the American Revolution will be on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Students should be reviewing their notes in their Social Studies spirals, History Alive Workbooks, quizzes, and the History Alive Online Tutorials for Chapters 10, 12, and 13.

This week in Science... we are reviewing the parts of the plant and animal cell, comparing the two, and looking at examples of each type of cell in the microscopes. Our CELLS test will be on Friday, Feb. 20.

This week in Math... we are continuing to explore division strategies, Prime factors & GCF, and we will learn how to divide with decimals!
ASSIGNMENTS:
Monday - No School
Tuesday - WKS: Greatest Common Factor
Wednesday -WKS: Practice 4-12 - Dividing Decimals
Thursday -WKS: Dividing Decimals
Friday - No Homework but... Decimals test will be on Tuesday, February 24. There is no study guide, so be sure you are comfortable with factors/GCF, dividing whole numbers and decimals, and prime vs. composite numbers

Week of Feb. 9-13

So I have a new document camera in my classroom hooked up to the computer and my projector (to be shared with others on my team :))

It has tons of cool features like turning my image negative.... this is using it for instructional purposes isn't it???? How about if it was the kids' idea and they helped me take the picture with the new imager. :) It's great. According to my math class, this picture should be called "Zombie Hand".

Speaking of math classes -- check out Atlantic's HW record! We've been working toward this goal since September and finally reached our goal of 6 in a row! We're working on 10 now. Stayed tuned and find out if we make it.

This week is SCA sponsored SPIRIT WEEK! Students can show school spirit by dressing up each day this week in the following ways:
Monday - Hippie Day
Tuesday - Pajama Day
Wednesday - Crazy Hair Day
Thursday - Husky Spirit Day - wear Husky apparel or dress in green and blue
Friday - Valentine's Colors Day - Wear Red, Pink, and White

This week in Science... we are continuing to explore parts of a cell and their functions. We are also comparing animal cells and plant cells. We will also examine cells through our microscopes. Students will be bringing home a study guide for cells and microscopes on Wednesday. Our Assessment will be Friday, February 20.

This week in Social Studies.. we are continuing to explore key events leading up to and key individuals in the American Revolution. Students have a quiz on Chapter 10 on Tuesday. Notes on Chapter 10 can be found in their SS spirals and students should have completed the History Alive Online Tutorial for Ch. 10. This week we are focusing on key individuals and the writing of the Declaration of Independence. We will discuss and explore ideas and philosophies that are represented in the Declaration.

This week in Math... we will learn and practice several strategies for division! We'll learn the standard algorithm as well as "column division". We will also explore prime and composite numbers and how to find the GCF of two numbers to help carry us in to our fractions unit.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Monday - WKS: Practice 4-5
Tuesday -WKS: Practice 4-8
Wednesday - WKS: Prime and Composite Numbers
Thursday -WKS: 4-14
Friday -No Homework

Week of February 2-6

Welcome to the THIRD Quarter! It's hard to believe we are already kicking off the second half of the school year. Students are well in to the swing of things and ready for a great quarter!

Tuesday, Feb 3 we will have our in-school field trip called Life of a Private - students will experience what life was like for a colonist during the American Revolution.

Report cards will be sent home Friday, Feb. 6.

One new announcement for Fifth Graders - Students will be bringing home a letter to inform families about a Homework Club that will begin today and run through May. In case this letter does not make it home here it is:

Starting Monday, February 2^nd, the 5^th grade teachers will begin hosting a Homework Club which will be held on most Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays (late-bus days) from now through May. This club is meant as an opportunity for students to catch up on class work or homework they have missed and requires their teacher’s permission to attend. Teachers may also request that a student attend homework club. Please know that this is intended to be a quiet place for students to complete work and not as an environment for students to receive individual tutoring.

Homework club rotates between different classrooms and the specific location is posted in the fifth grade hallway. HW club meets from 2:30-3:45 PM, which allows students to take the late bus home.

This week in Science...we will continue to explore the parts of the cell and their function. We will also compare basic parts of plants and animal cells.

This week in Social Studies... we will begin (Unit 5) exploring key events that led to the American Revolution. We will be answering the following questions - What steps did England take to increase control over its colonies? Why did many colonists become dissatisfied with England's control? We will be using chapter 10 of our History Alive! text to explore these questions.
Monday - No Homework
Wednesday- Complete Chapter 10 History Alive Online Tutorial

This week in Math...we will be making some math placement switches. Students will be given a notice on Tuesday if their placement has changed for the division and fractions unit. We are working on properties of division, mental math, and determining factors! Next week we will look at different strategies for solving division problems.... long division made easy!
ASSIGNMENTS:
Monday - No Homework
Tuesday -No Homework
Wednesday -WKS - Practice 4-2
Thursday - WKS - Practice 4-3
Friday - No Homework