Quick updates on each grade level... first up language arts/creativity... 5th grade has begun a unit on poetry. We learned about some famous poets and their lives. Then the kids began a refresher on figurative language (similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and more.) They also had to pick two poems this week and do some analysis (mood, rhyming pattern, language usage.) When we return from Thanksgiving break, we'll begin writing some poetry of our own. 4th grade language arts just wrapped up our second four-week session today. This last month, the students have been reading Bud, Not Buddy. They began working on projects related to the book in the last week. Their projects are due when we return to our time together on January 4. Check-in with your child and see what projects they have chosen to complete. 3rd grade language arts will begin again November 30 after Thanksgiving break. On that day, students will be presenting their book projects from our study of The Green Book. I'll be working with the kids in December to understand how literature circles work in my class and reading some short novels to practice. Please make sure your third grader has their book projects ready to bring to school on the 30th. And now what's up in math... 5th grade completed their first Math Olympiad contest this last week. The kids did a GREAT job! We are still working on graphing. Our test for this unit will be shortly after our return from Thanksgiving break. 4th grade has spent the last week learning about decimals and operations with decimals - helpful skills to have to deal with money in the future. As part of this unit, we'll also be looking at measurement and conversions of measurement. This group will also have a test over this unit shortly after we get back from break. 3rd grade math students have been practicing their measurement skills and using those skills to answer perimeter and area problems. We also spent this week exploring the connection between diameter of circles and their circumference. The pictures below are from their charting and measuring of cylinder surfaces to determine the formula for determining circumference. I love it when the kids can make discoveries like this! Just in case you need a suggestion or two for a learning gift for Christmas. Here are a few of the games that my students love to play with when they have a free moment. And the answer to last week's Math Olympiad practice problem is...
654-123 = 531
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Next week is the first Math Olympiad contest for 4th and 5th grade math students. Tuesday, November 17, the students will get five problems and 25 minutes to solve them. This is a national competition that we participate in each year. There are five competitions - one each month November through March. My goal with our participation is to work on our problem solving skills and perseverance since these problems are not easy. Our school district sponsors an end-of-year, team competition for students too. Fifth graders will be able to join me on May 4 to test their math smarts - and have some fun! Here is an example of the type of problems students must answer (stay tuned next week for the answer!) Juan uses the digits 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 to make two 3-digit numbers. Each digit is used once. The numbers are subtracted. What is the greatest possible difference? Fifth grade math students have begun a new unit on graphing, data collection, and measures of central tendency. The last couple of days they have been surveying classmates, collecting data, and creating dot plots. In the next couple of weeks we will move on from line graphs and bar graphs to analyzing and creating histograms, stem-and-leaf plots, pie graphs, and also looking at how graphs can be created that persuade people. Here are a couple of shots of the students both creating and analyzing our dot plots this week. Forgive me, but I just have to make this a week all about 5th grade because not only did we do interesting graphing work in math, but the kids in language arts/creativity were sharing their deserted places descriptive writing. The assignment was to expand a moment that might be in a story where you (as the author) would slow down and explain to the reader the setting of the story. They had to pick one of the deserted places from the YouTube video (I shared it last week but posted it again here.) It was so fun to combine some Halloween spookiness, a tad of creativity, and their awesome writing abilities. And to top it off, as each student shared their work, they gave each other "glows and grows" feedback. They were so insightful with their praise and suggestions, and the writers were so willing to listen to the feedback without embarrassment or taking offense. We talked about how good writers are able to take good editor's advice - and they all did just that. Read a couple examples below and watch the video. See if you can pick out the scene that these two students were writing about. It was an old, old castle that you almost couldn’t see, because the trees had wrapped around the building for decades. There was no paint on the house at all. It was made completely of wood and brick. I heard leaves crunching, and looked everywhere for the thing that was making the noise. I quickly realized that it was my own, terrified feet. I tried not to pay any attention to the sound of an owl hooting in the distance, but in these woods, I was aware of everything. All of a sudden the air became thick with the scent of wildflowers and fresh leaves. I stared, and stared at the windows, but the ancient wood’s color made them unusual. The sunlight let in by a few gaps in the trees was beating down on my back, and making me feel weak. I tried to look away from the mansion, but my eyes were glued like magnets. Suddenly I felt my legs moving. Before I knew it, I was right in front of the wooden door. My hands slid easily across the smooth wood, but there was something odd about it. I felt for the doorknob, but there wasn’t one. Instead there was a small piece of wood to slip out. I slipped it out. I tried to stop myself, but it was no use. I took a deep breath. opened the door, and walked inside.
Last week I shared all math updates so this week I'll share language arts/creativity updates. The only quick reminder is that Tuesday, November 17, is the first Math Olympiad of the year. Please try to make sure 4th and 5th grade students are not absent that day as they cannot make it up. Fifth grade language arts/creativity has been working on a couple of different learning opportunities. The students have been reading a mystery novel for literature circles - either The Westing Game or The Graveyard Book. Those literature circles were completed this week so they all know "whodunit" now. We'll begin a unit on poetry next week. We have also been working a brief creative writing project. In order to help the kids understand how to "explode the moment" and work on "showing not telling" in their writing, I showed them a YouTube video of the most beautiful abandoned places. The kids had to pick one and use their senses to write about setting. Their final work is due on Monday, and I can't wait to read their deserted descriptive writing. I do try to keep the schedule consistent for them and so that you know, here is how our weeks usually play out: Mondays - Work day to prep for literature circles Tuesdays - Greek & Latin root word work Wednesday - Literature Circles Thursdays - Creativity or Additional reading lessons or Mrs. Bean's choice Last week began another four-week session with fourth grade language arts/creative students. We began reading Bud, Not Buddy. We spent some time setting up the background of the story's timeframe. It takes place in the 30's during the depression. A big piece of the story is jazz music and Hoovervilles (shanty towns set up near large cities where people were forced to live during the Depression.) The video below is one that we watched showing pictures from this time. We'll be doing projects related to this book on Thursdays beginning next week. This group follows the same schedule as 5th grade (see above,) and we have just begun also looking at the roots of English through Greek/Latin word work. I'll continue with this group and this book until Thanksgiving break when we will take time off until after Christmas. While third grade language arts/creativity kids are not currently working with me in class, I did send them with a project based on The Green Book that hopefully they are all working on in the evenings though. Their project is due on November 30 when we come back together. Below is a copy of their menu of options. They only need to complete one choice, but can do two if they choose (NO more than 2 though - this shouldn't become stressful, extra work but is hopefully fun.) We'll then meet for the month of December ending another four-week session before Christmas break. |
Tracey BeanWerner Elementary Archives
May 2018
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