Science Update

 Throughout the next two weeks, we will be wrapping up our Life Science unit, “Matter and Energy in an Ecosystem”. The “final assessment” will be a week-long project titled “Biomes Around the World”. Students will be “traveling” to different biomes and investigating/researching the living and nonliving things found in the ecosystems of these biomes. This will take place in the learning commons with many different research materials to help students complete their traveling journals. Students will also have a passport to indicate to which biomes they have traveled, and they will be expected to travel to at least two different biomes throughout the week. This project will take the place of a traditional science “test”, as it shows what students have learned throughout the unit in a variety of ways. 

Stay tuned for news of our upcoming new Physical Science unit: Structures and Properties of Matter!

Math Chapter 1

Today the students received their first checked math test back.  In class, the students looked over their test and reflected on how they performed on this test.  They are bringing it home tonight to show you and get a signature.  In addition to the test, your child’s math assignment sheet is attached.  This sheet is always kept in your child’s math folder.  If you are ever wondering how they are doing throughout a unit, you can always refer to their math assignment sheet to see their grades on their daily work.  The students will start a new math assignment sheet for the second part of chapter one.  I have reminded the students each day that they are always welcomed to redo a daily assignment if they want to improve their understanding and grade.  They just need to redo the problems that they had incorrect on a separate sheet of paper and bring them to me.  I will then re-grade their assignment and change the grade on their math assignment sheet.  However, all redone assignments need to be completed before our test review.  We will continue to work on multiplying whole numbers as well as writing numerical expressions and evaluating numerical expressions following the order of operations in the rest of chapter one.   

Language Lessons

Each week, the fifth graders will be engaged in grammar instruction.  During these language lessons, the students will learn the essential grammar and conventions that readers and writers require to make meaning.  We are just finishing up our first set of lessons where we focused on capitalization.  Throughout the year, these lessons will be taught with authentic texts that the students study and recognize the patterns.   The students have a packet that we fill out to record our class conversations about what they notice in a mentor sentence.  As we go through the process of learning the grammar focus lesson, the students then will be able to recognize errors in sentences and will be able to explain the effect of the error.  Each focus lesson will consist of 6-7 days of mini-lessons.  At the conclusion of the focus lesson, the students will complete a short Language Lesson Quiz to show what they know.  These quizzes help us to evaluate if the daily mini-lessons are transferring from practice to their everyday writing.  Overall, this instruction will help the students gain a better understanding of how language works for readers and writers.  

Canvas Accounts

 

Below are a few helpful steps that our district technology department provided so that you can create a parent/observer account in Canvas or to pair your account with another student account in Canvas.

 

To create a Parent/Observer account in Canvas:

1.     Have your student login to their Canvas account first.

2.     Go to account, then settings.

3.     On the right, click on the button to “Pair with observer.”

4.     Write down the six character pairing code.

5.     Go to https://egrps.instructure.com/login/canvas

6.     Create a parent/observer account, and when prompted, type in the pairing code.

 

To pair your account with another student in Canvas:

1.     Login to the parent portal at https://egrps.instructure.com/login/canvas

2.     Click on the Account link on the upper left.

3.     Select “Observing”.

4.     Type in the Student Pairing Code for the next student.

5.     Click on the +Student link.

6.     Below, you will see a list of “Students Being Observed”.

Fifth Grade Daily Activities & Assignments

We wanted to make you aware that you can find our daily activities and any possible homework on our Canvas sites by clicking on the different days of the week (see picture below).  If your child is ever absent, this will be a wonderful resource for them to see what we have done that day.  It is also a great resource for parents if you ever want to check what your child has for possible homework.  

Writing

The fifth graders are going to begin writing their first creative piece, "Autumn Senses". They will work on the skills of descriptive writing by using strong word choice, using figurative language such as similes and metaphors to create vivid images and incorporating transition words. Students will brainstorm what they experience in autumn with each of the five senses. The students will utilize the writing rubric that we will provide for this writing piece, and the final will be displayed for you to see in the hallway at conferences. The writing craft techniques that the students will learn and practice in this piece of writing will then be intentionally used in their personal writing piece to create details and imagery.  

Chapter 1 Math Test

We just finished learning the first part of chapter 1 in our math book.  We are splitting this long chapter into two parts.  Therefore, the students are currently working on a review over lessons 1-5.  We will check over this review in math class on Thursday.  The students can then use the review as a study guide to prepare for the test since the review looks just like the test.  We will then be taking the first math test on Wednesday, September 23rd.