Week of September 21st: Four Weeks Already?!!!

Greetings!

It is hard to believe that we are entering the fourth week of school.  It was wonderful seeing so many of you at Back to School Night last week!  For those of you who were unable to attend, or if you wanted a review, here is a copy of my presentation from Thursday. I am enjoying your children so very much.  They are lively learners, and we are making some great connections. In the spirit of Festina Lente (make haste slowly), we have been building the habits necessary for us to be strong readers and comprehenders. We have been working on establishing work habits and learning when to stop and annotate, as well as what to annotate, when we are reading literary text.  We have also been practicing how to respond to a writing prompt and use a rubric to evaluate our own work.  

Reptito Mater Memoriae:  Repetition is the Mother of Memory reminds us that it is important to practice new skills to build those memory paths in our brains.  With this pedagogy in mind, we will continue to practice note taking this week using short stories.  We will also continue refining our writing about reading.  For more detailed information about our studies and work this week, please refer to your child's planner linked below.

Next week we will embark on our novel study with Wit and Wisdom.  We are still waiting for hard copies of the novels.  Please be on the lookout for an invitation to come pick them up from school when they arrive.  While we wait, we will use my Kindle version.  If you would like to purchase your own copy of the class novel, you may.  They are widely available in hard copy and on digital devices.  5th Graders will be reading Thunder Rolling in the Mountains by Scott O'Dell and 6th Graders will be reading Bud not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis.  

5th Grade Planner for the Week

6th Grade Planner for the Week

Reminders:

• 9/28 School is Closed
• 9/29 Novel Study Starts

Week of September 14th: Off to a Great Start!

 Important Dates:

9/17 Back to School Night for 5th Grade and Middle School Families

Helpful Hints:

Student Planners with Meet agendas and work are posted weekly in the Reading Course for 5th Grade and the English Course for 6th Grade.  Click to access the 5th Grade Planner or the 6th Grade Planner for this week.

To keep our Course looking tidy, I am putting all work in a weekly folder.  Past week's folders and work can be found in the black Previous Learning Folder.  I encourage students to complete work in a timely manner, but understand that sometimes that is not possible.  All work will be scored on a full credit scale regardless of when it is turned in.  

Reading This Week:

This week and next we will be focusing on comprehending literary text.  I have found that teaching students to annotate as they read increases their comprehension, but often students do not know what to annotate.  What is important to record?  To help with this, I like to teach Notice and Note as a strategy for note taking.  Students learn that author leave clues or "signposts' to help them discover messages and themes in the text.  We are learning how to recognize those signposts and are practicing looking for them in our independent reading this week.  Next week we will practice using short stories.  By October we will move into our novel studies with Wit and Wisdom and be ready to annotate as we read more complex text.

These anchor charts have been provided to the scholars to help them recall the different signposts.  I linked the charts in case some of you want a copy or if the students prefer a printed copy.  They will also receive a bookmark with the signposts when they get their ELA materials.

Questions?  Concerns?

Please know that you can contact me at any time with issues or questions.  My email is melissa.anzick@fcps.org.  You can also message me through Schoology.

Quarter One Review: October 24, 2019

Math:  

Many students are still working on math fact mastery.  Here are some great helps for home:

• Hooda Math Timed Tests
• Grouping Similar Facts (addition/subtraction pages 6-9 and multiplication/division pages 14-15)
• Fun Activities
• Games like Challenge 24, Farkle, and Math Dice are great too!

Unit 1 Standards (Use the links in the explanations for demonstration videos.)

• Students will use the multiplication algorithm to multiply a multi-digit number by a whole number. (NBT.B.5)
• Students will use their understanding of multiplication to help them explore the strategies of area model and partial quotient to divide whole numbers up to four-digit dividend and one-digit divisor. (NBT.B.6)
• Students will solve word problems involving division of whole numbers leading to answers in the form of fractions to explain what part of a whole is left over. (NF.B.3)

Students are expected to be able to multiply any number by 1 digit with the algorithm.  If they are multiplying by two or more digits, students will use the area model to solve the problem.

Students will use the partial quotient strategy to solve division problems.  

Students should also know how to interpret any remainders in the division problem.

Unit 2 Standards

• Students will recognize that in any multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left. (NBT.A.1)
• Students will denote powers of 10 and use symbols to compare two powers of 10 expressed exponentially (Example: 10 to the power of 2 and 10 to the power 5) (NBT.A.2)
• Students will use parentheses in a numerical expressions to write numbers in expanded form. (OA.A.1)
• Students will read, write, and compare decimals to thousandths using base ten numerals, number names & expanded form. (NBT.A.3a)
• Students will compare two decimals to thousandths based on meanings of the digits in each place, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.(NBT.A.3b)
• Students will use place value understanding to round decimals to any place.(NBT.A.4)
• Students will add and subtract decimals to the hundredths and apply this concept to a real world context.

Students can use exponents to show powers of 10 and can represent 10 times a number and 1/10 of a number.

Students are expected to use the traditional algorithm when adding and subtracting decimals to the thousandths.

Reading:

 Q1  Standards
Informational Text

• RI1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• RI2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
• RI4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.

Literary Text

• RL1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• RL2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
• RL3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact.)
• RL4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

One of the best ways to check your child's comprehension is to talk to them about what they are reading.  This link has some great generic questions you can use to get your child taking about their book.

Thursday, Nov 1st

Announcements/Reminders 

• Monday, November 5th - School Closed
• Tuesday, November 6th - School Closed
• Wednesday, November 7th - School Opens 4 hours late (Conferences in the evening)
• Thursday, November 8th -  School Opens 4 hours late (Conferences in the evening)
• Friday, November 9th - School Closes 3 1/2 hours early (Conferences in the afternoon)

Reading 

Focus Standards:

• RL.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• RL.5.2 - Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

We have been working on identifying themes in literature or "finding the heart of the story".  For a look at how I am teaching theme, check out this video:  Teaching Theme

Writing

Focus Standards:

• L.5.2.b - Conventions of Standard English: Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence.
• L.5.1.a - Conventions of Standard English: Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences.
• W.5.3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

The students are putting the final edits on their personal narratives.  We have been working on sentence structure and adding variety to our writing with more complex sentence structures.  We are also working on using proper punctuation, especially when using dialogue.

Thursday, October 24th

Announcements/Reminders 

• Monday, November 5th - School Closed
• Tuesday, November 6th - School Closed
• Wednesday, November 7th - Friday, November 9th -Fall Conferences (School is Open with Half Day Schedules) 
• Conference Sign Up Link:  Click Here

Reading 

Focus Standards:

• RL.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• RL.5.2 - Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

We are continuing to work with literary text.  Our discussions focus on identifying key events to summarize the text and on identifying signposts to determine what the author is trying to tell us about the character or plot.

Writing

Focus Standards:

• W.5.3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
• W.5.3.b - Text Types and Purposes: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.

This week we are finalizing our story ideas making sure that we have a clear message for our readers and that the message is conveyed through the events and other elements in our writing.

Thursday, October 11th

Reminders and Announcements 

• Mid Term Progress Reports Home Today
• Please send a water bottle to school with your student.  We no longer have fountains in the classroom and the kids get thirsty after recess.  The line at the fountain in the hall is long.

Reading

Focus Standards

•  RL.5.2 - Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
• RL.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

We are continuing to identify key events in our narrative reading and explain the importance of those events by showing how they help us understand the characters, plot, or theme.  Reading Groups are now reading novels or anthologies.  As we read, we are practicing note taking skills to assist us in our comprehension and discussions.  

Writing

Focus Standards

• W.5.3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
• W.5.10 - Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Monday through Thursday we are continuing to work on our narrative writing.  Next week we will continue to work on bringing out the heart of the story and bringing forth the story arc.

On Fridays we are writing to respond to reading.  The point of response writing is to help students learn how to communicate and support their thougths about their reading and to proficiently respond to a given prompt.  Some weeks we will write a traditional response paragraph or mini essay.  Other weeks we will respond more creatively.  Tomorrow we will try Black Out Poetry for the first time as a creative way to bring out a message or theme.

Thursday, October 4th

Reminders and Announcements 

• Tomorrow, Friday, October 5th - Mid Term and 2 Hour Early Dismissal
• Friday, October 12 - Mobile Dentist at SRES

If you missed picture day, don't worry.  All children's pictures were taken and you can order copies with this link:  Online Picture Order

Reading 

Focus Standards

• RL.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• RL.5.2 - Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

We will be working with these two standards using novels in small group in addition to our class novel.  Mrs. Johnson's homeroom is working with the novel The Crossover by Kwame Alexander and Ms. Anzick's homeroom is working with Wonder.  We are focusing on understanding how to identify key events and why those events are so important using Sign Posts (see last week's blog for more on this).  As students are ready, we will also be looking at analyzing character and theme as well as author's craft.  For a look at author's craft see the reference below.

A look at Authors Craft with Kwame Alexander

Writing 

Focus Standard
W.5.5 - With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

This week we will approach another bend in our writing as we look at finding the heart of the story, the message or theme they want to share with their readers.  Our lessons will focus on how to develop a personal narrative that reads like a story and engages the reader by bringing them into the story.  You can take a look at your student's work by asking them to show you their working document.  At this point, we are NOT deleting anything.  While we may choose to start over, further down the document, as part of the revision process, I want students to keep all writing to refer back to for good parts or essential ideas.

Math Helpers

Some of you have requested references for the strategies we use to teach multiplication and division in math.  The Unit newsletters have helpful links, however, I have included two videos below that may help as well.

Box Method Multiplication

Area Method for Division