Outdoor Week- 9/23-9/27

This week was Outdoor week and special schedules for both the pizza party and the Alumni Buddy event.

We started talking about Main Idea and Summarizing Nonfiction. We read a paragraph about colorful expressions like "feeling blue" or "turning green" and made a web with the main idea in the middle and supporting details on the outside. Then, we practiced writing a summary using the web. Students practiced the same concept of making a web with main idea and details and then turning the web into a summary on their own with a paragraph about the differents ways a GPS can be used.

We went outside this week and created skits using our Unit 2 Vocabulary words. We then performed them for the class and had the class guess which vocabulary word we were describing with our actions. Some of the classes were able to read outside with the nice sunny weather.

Next week we will be talking more in depth about the requirements for the Booktalk and answering any questions the students may have about their project. We will also briefly discuss summarizing fiction for our booktalk summary and begin author's purpose.

Booktalk Visual option- Wordle

Check out the VISUAL I made for Language Arts class. Would you be interested in doing something like this for your booktalk visual? If so, check out Moodle for more information or other resources.

www.Wordle.net

Week at a Glance- and a short week to come!

September 9-13:

This week, we finished up the Comprehensive Assessment of Reading Strategies Pretests. We also worked on our very first unit in Vocab.

This week we really focused on Reading Strategies- we talked about "what is a strategy?" and "what is a reading strategy?"

We dove into Building Background knowledge using the an example of expository text: The article "What makes Pogo Sticks Bounce?" They students then had to practice the skill on their own using an article either about shooting basketballs or water freezing.

The week of September 16-20 is short-- Conferences on the 19th and 20th mean no Language Arts class. The students this week will work on a second reading strategy: Questioning. We will talk about Thick and Thin Questions and practice writing them using our own independent reading books. We also will have a quiz over Vocabulary Unit 1.

Our first "project" of the year will be introduced on Tuesday or Wednesday. The students will complete a "book talk" on an independent reading book they have read this year. The requirements will be given to them in class and are also posted on Moodle.

Pictures are scheduled through the LA classes- Section 3 has their pictures Tuesday while Sections 1, 4 and 5 have their pictures on Wednesday.

Student work- wonder

Our "Open Mind Portraits" of four different characters in Wonder. Students were asked to write what the character was thinking and feeling during three different events as well as what they were thinking and feeling while reading the event. The assignment asked students to consider the characters perspective as well as their own. We discussed how the book doesn't rely on outward appearances to describe characters, but rather focuses on the character's character. The students could be creative in their portrait of their character after a briefly viewing some Picasso. I really enjoyed reading them!

Shelfari!

I am currently in the process of uploading all of the books each section of 5th grade LA is reading onto Shelfari.com. It is a website that shows a bookshelf of all of the books we are currently reading or have read. Shelfari is powered by Amazon, so it gives us the ability to click on a book we are interested in, read the Amazon description, read reviews, post reviews, and some offer a chance to read the first chapter for free. This is a great resource if you are looking for a new book to read or are interested in what other 5th graders are reading!

If you are interested in accessing this website there are three different options you can do:
1. E-mail me that you are interested and I will respond back with the username and password information
2. Come talk to me in class
3. Comment that you are interested on the post making sure to STATE your NAME and I will give you more details!

Labor Day Week- Sept 3-6

    For a short week, we accomplished a lot. This week we practiced "Read to Self" time and the appropriate expectations for both students and teacher: For students it is:

• reading the whole time
• quiet
• focused
• staying in one spot of the room
• getting started right away

For the teacher it is:

• reading
• checking in with students
• one on ones
• small group work

We also began our project for Wonder stemming from the brainstorming and discussion we had in class on one particular character from the book. Students had class time during each class to work on and ask questions.

We also began our first Vocabulary Unit out of our book Vocabulary Workshop. We read a myth attempting to explain why bears hibernate. We then took the time to talk about all of our vocabulary words and some synonyms and antonyms for each. 

Finally, we began our CARS Pretests. These are Comprehensive Assessments of Reading Strategies. There are 5 pretests total and we will finish all five in the beginning of this coming week!

Just a reminder, for those of you who will not be at school because of the Jewish holiday, the Open Mind Portrait is NOT due Friday. You have the weekend to finish it. I am giving everyone Flex time on Friday to work on it and it is not due until the end of the school day on Friday. Check out Moodle for the assignment and papers if you need another copy.

Rosh Hashana

For those of you celebrating Rosh Hashana this week, I have given two class periods to complete the "Open Mind Portrait" that was assigned either Friday or today (Tuesday). It is due Friday. If you are participating in Rosh Hashana and could not complete the work I ask that you a.) please turn the work in early b.) please e-mail me and let me know that you could not complete it or c.) please come and talk ot me. I am willing to provide the weekend to complete the assignment, but would like to keep track of who comes to see me.

Thanks!