Did You Know…? In 1859, daredevil Charles Blondin walked across Niagara Falls on stilts.

Good evening,

Today we continued to work on our Words Their Way Spelling Menus, as we do every Thursday. Our Green Group has actually been doing something different this week . They have begun close reading. On Tuesday the group and I did a close reading of a poem together. We read a poem called “Her” by a grade 4 student at Beacon Hill School. Close reading is the purposeful reading and rereading of a text. We practiced reading the poem three times. The first time, we asked ourselves, “What is the text directly telling us as readers? What is the gist of the passage?” We noted that the author was describing a girl that he loves. He describes her eyes, skin, hair, and smile. His love is “as strong as a vice.” On our second read we asked ourselves, “What can you infer from the details in the passage? What has the author implied but not stated?” This lead to an interesting discussing among the Green Group. At first we thought that it must be a man describing a woman he loves. Then, a student pointed out that this poem was written by a grade 4 student. We thought harder. We decided that this poem must be about a woman that the student loves; maybe his mom or sister. Finally, on our third read we asked ourselves, “What evidence supports your inferences from the 2nd read? What words did the author use to imply certain ideas?” We discussed the author’s use of her. We also discussed the listed grade and school of the author and how that changed our inference during the second read. You can see that from our close read, the students developed a much deeper understanding of the text. All groups will begin working on close reading throughout the next month.

In Math today, we introduced our new Math unit, Multiplying and Dividing Whole Numbers. We discussed our goals for the unit. Our learning goals will be:

• find basic multiplication facts to 81 and the related division facts
• use different strategies to estimate products and quotients
• estimate to solve problems
• use different strategies to multiply mentally
• multiply a 2-digit number by a 2-digit number
• divide a 3-digit number by a 1-digit number

To start working on our basic multiplication facts, we played a new Math game called The Noisy Game. Students play in small groups. The group selects a multiplication family (eg. 5). A student starts to write the multiplication facts for the number 5 as quickly as they can (eg. 0x5=0, 1×5=5, 2×5=10,…). While the student is writing, the other students take turns rolling a dice. If a student roles the selected multiplication family (eg. 5), they get to steal the pencil from the first student. Then they try and write as many facts as possible while the other continue rolling, trying to steal the pencil from them. The player who gets to a product of 100 or greater wins. This game is really fun, but it also gets really loud. It isn’t a game we play often but we will definitely be playing it again this year.

In Language Arts we practiced a new strategy to help students create and organize expository pieces of writing. It is called Pick, List, Choose. Students pick a topic (eg. Amusement Parks). Then they list everything they know about the topic or do some research on the topic. Finally they choose what information from their list will be the main ideas of their piece of writing. Check out the work we started today. Students chose the topic Amusement Parks. Then we listed everything we knew about Amusement Parks. Finally, students began choosing related items that could be a main idea. In this case, students chose Food as their main idea.

 

In Science today, we worked together to summarize some of our learning from the last two weeks. Students had been working in small groups to research and share their learning about clouds, condensation, dew, and the dew point. Today we summarized this learning in our duotangs, for further use. You can see our notes below. I particularly like our condensation concept map at the end.

 

Agenda:

Read 20 minutes

Language Arts: Tower Book Report (December 17th)

Math: Unit 1 Test – signed and returned (ASAP)

Christmas Concert – December 11th @ 6:30 pm

Did You Know…? 40 million years ago there was a species of penguin which was 5 foot 7 inches tall.

Good evening,

Today we had our Monthly Virtues Assembly. Virtue of the Month? Self-respect! We were actually the hosting grade for this Assembly. We worked hard last week to decorate the Apple Schools Board (Colour Your World). We also had some student presenters from our classroom at the assembly today. Each grade 5 classroom selected some students to share a positive adjective about themselves at today’s assembly. We had words like creative, loyal, kind, etc. Thank you so much to the students for all their hard work (whether you were a presenter or a host) and congratulations to all our monthly award winners!

Students also received their second book report today. This book report will be due on December 17th. I’ve attached the assignment sheet below. Students will be building a “tower,” connecting the different elements of their book (setting, characters, conflict, and resolution). Each card has instructions for one of these story elements as well as an illustration. Students should construct their last card with the three different types of connections that we have studied over the past few weeks – text-to-text, text-to-self, text-to-world connections. Please look over the assignment sheet and attached rubric with your student this evening, and don’t forget to get them handed in on time!

Tower (Connections) Book Report

Agenda:

Read 20 minutes

Language Arts – Tower Book Report (December 17th)

Math:

• Extra Workbook (Thursday)
• Unit 1 Test – signed and returned (ASAP)

Christmas Concert – December 11th @ 6:30 pm

 

Agenda:

Read 20 minutes

Math:

• pgs. 66-67 #1-13
• Extra Workbook (Thursday)
• Unit Test – tomorrow
• Unit 1 Test – signed and returned (ASAP)

Healthy Family Fun Night – November 25th, 5:00 – 6:30 pm

Did You Know…? The oldest known recipe for soup is flavoured with hippopotamus.

Good evening,

Today was our official last day of the Appalachian Region. To celebrate we ended with looking at an import symbol of identity for many in the Appalachian Region – lighthouses. Students were first challenged to research a lighthouse in the province of PEI. Students could choose from:

• West Point
• Point Prim
• Victoria Rangelight
• Panmure Head
• Wood Islands
• East Point
• Cape Bear

Students started their research by using the link below, and then were able to look up further information about their lighthouse if needed.

Lighthouses – http://www.tourismpei.com/island-lighthouses

We also were able to watch this small video about one of the world’s tallest lighthouses in beautiful Leeuwin National Park:

In Art, students began creating pieces inspired by the work completed on lighthouses this morning. Using warm colours for their sky and cool colours for their water, students used tissue paper to add a lot of texture and vibrancy to their work. Check out some of the completed pieces below.

Read 20 minutes

Math:

• pgs. 62-63 #1-7, 9-14
• Extra Workbook Lessons #4-5 (Monday)
• Unit Test – November 26th
• Extra Workbook (all) – November 27th

Ski Forms – ASAP

Family Movie Night (Mr. Peabody and Sherman) – Tonight, 7:00 pm, drinks/popcorn can be purchased (Gr.6 Edmonton fundraiser)

Healthy Family Fun Night – November 25th, 5:00 – 6:30 pm

Did You Know…? The first thing ever seen on television was the head of a ventriloquist’s doll named Jim, on the 2nd of October 1925.

Good evening,

Today we began by allowing students to complete their Social Studies quiz from yesterday. Many students needed a few extra minutes in order to fully answer the questions. Thank you to everyone else in the class for being so quite and respectful for your classmates.

In Math today, students completed Day 2 of their Lesson #7 work. Students practiced yesterday being able to check their answers using estimation. This is a great way to quickly check is your answer is reasonable. If your answer is extremely different from the estimate, it is probably a good idea to go back and check your work. Today student’s began with their review lesson. We reviewed the estimation strategies that we have been using throughout this unit, and will continue to use throughout the year. In order to review these strategies we looked at the following examples and table created by some of our students in Math Club last night. Check them out below:

 

Students all received a copy of these strategies that they can keep at the front of their duotangs, so that they can consult them throughout the year. Students were then given time to continue to work on their practice problems. We will be having our Whole Numbers Unit Test next Wednesday. Students will be reviewing on Monday and Tuesday in class. Remember, students will need to have completed their Extra Workbook as part of their review. Students have been given time throughout this unit to work on the workbook, and it should be completed by next Thursday. Need another place to study? Try Mathletics! The link is on the right and student usernames and passwords are in their Agendas.

In Language Arts today, students continued to look at the subject and the predicate. They practiced changing incomplete phrases into completed sentences. Eg. “thrills and chills” was changed to “Roller coasters can give riders thrills and chills.” Remember, we now have a sentence test that all our sentences need to pass! Do they have: a subject, a predicate, a capital letter, and appropriate end punctuation (. ! ?)?

In Science today, our groups were able to complete their posters on clouds. Students have been working together to research cumulus, nimbus, stratus, and cirrus clouds. They needed to know a description of the clouds, the associated weather patterns, and where you could find these clouds in the atmosphere. We had some fun adding the clouds to our posters – shaving cream paint! Check out some of our finished posters below!

Agenda:

Read 20 minutes

Math:

• pgs. 62-63 #1-7, 9-14
• Extra Workbook Lessons #4-5 (Monday)
• Unit Test – November 26th
• Extra Workbook (all) – November 27th

Ski Forms – ASAP

SPCA Calendar – Email Picture/$5 donation

Family Movie Night (Mr. Peabody and Sherman) – Friday, 7:00 pm, drinks/popcorn can be purchased (Gr.6 Edmonton fundraiser)

Healthy Family Fun Night – November 25th, 5:00 – 6:30 pm

Computer Class Links:

Scholastic Weather Watch (clouds) – http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/observe.htm

Weather Wiz Kids – http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-clouds.htm

Did You Know…? Roman women dyed their hair black using a paste made from leeches.

Good evening,

Today we started our day with some Words Their Way Spelling. Tuesday is the day that students are able to sort their new words and then use their sorting menus to further explore their weekly words. We also had 1 group complete their first Spell Check this week. Spell Checks are small quizzes that we will be using to help to assess how students are doing. This group was practicing spelling common antonyms (Eg. The opposite of above is __________.) and synonyms (Eg. Another word that for scared is __________.) Don’t forget, tomorrow is our Speed Sort day!

In Social Studies today, students were give then opportunity to work individually and in groups to prepare for their Appalachians Quiz tomorrow. Students were reviewing the unit together, searching their duotangs and textbook for the answers to the attached questions. Remember, if you look over these questions again tonight, chances are you will do VERY well on our quiz tomorrow!

Appalachians Review

In Math today, students completed Day 2 of our work on Lesson #6 – Estimating Differences. We have been using some of the same strategies that we used when we were estimating sums. For example, we can use front end rounding:

Eg. 23 567   –   8323   =   ?

Well… using front-end rounding 23 567 rounds to 23 000. Using front-end rounding 8323 rounds to 8000. So… I need to solve 23 000   –   8000   =   ?

23 000   –   8000   =   15 000

So 23 567   –   8323   =   is about 15 000

We could also use compatible numbers.

Eg. 56 718   –   2623   =   ?

Well… 56 718 would round to 56 700 if I was rounding to the nearest 100. When I look at the number 2623, I see that I can round it up to 2700 because the 700 will make the numbers easier to work with. So… I need to solve 56 700   –   2700   =   ?

56 700   –   2700   =   54 000

So 56 718   –   2623   =   is about 54 000

Students who were unable to complete their practice questions in class, should be completing them for homework this evening. We will be writing our unit test later next week.

In Language Arts today, students had another challenge activity to complete in their Writer’s Notebooks. They were asked to read and then respond to the following:

I heard some very creative, very descriptive examples! I can’t wait for our Publishing Day tomorrow (more information to follow!)

Agenda:

Read 20 minutes

Math: pgs. 58-59 #1-4, 6-8

Social: Appalachians Quiz (tomorrow!)

Ski Forms – ASAP

SPCA Calendar – Email Picture/$5 donation

Family Movie Night (Mr. Peabody and Sherman) – Friday, 7:00 pm, drinks/popcorn can be purchased (Gr.6 Edmonton fundraiser)

Healthy Family Fun Night – November 25th, 5:00 – 6:30 pm

Psssst… want to study les vetements at home? Check out this link:

http://quizlet.com/_yz1jo (password: timberlea2014)

Agenda:

Read 20 minutes

Math: Lesson #3 (Extra Workbook)

Social: Appalachians Quiz (Wednesday)

Ski Forms – ASAP

SPCA Calendar – Email Picture/$5 donation

Family Movie Night (Mr. Peabody and Sherman) – Friday, 7:00 pm, drinks/popcorn can be purchased (Gr.6 Edmonton fundraiser)

Healthy Family Fun Night – November 25th, 5:00 – 6:30 pm

Did You Know…? The first postcard sent from the antarctic had a picture of a penguin tethered to the leg of a bagpiper.

Good evening,

Today we started off with a Social Studies lesson. Students completed their study of the Appalachian Region today. They worked in groups to write and answer quiz questions about what they have learned. On Monday, students will work through the compiled quizzes and review the Unit. On Wednesday we will be having a small quiz on the information learned. Student have focused on the landforms/bodies of water, natural resources, climate, and how people live within the regions. We have discussed the provinces of the Appalachian Region (primarily Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). We looked at the similarities and differences in available natural resources within these provinces. We discussed the effects glaciers have had on the creation the landscape (this handy video and a fun experiment helped us!):

We discussed some of the severe weather (such as hurricanes) that can be experienced in this region, and how the Mi’kmaq First Nations peoples used the climate to create calendars and to carefully plan their lives. We’re really excited to have students share with us what they have learned. Great job everyone!

In Art today, students looked at line. Specifically, we were looking at how we can use a variety of lines (eg. thick, small) but also shapes, words, etc. to create the illusions of line, by following a clear and direct path. Students used these concepts to create the creative images seen below. Well done everyone!

In Science, students continued to research clouds. Students were asked the following questions:

1. What do clouds look like?
2. What weather patterns are associated with clouds?
3. Where are clouds located in the atmosphere?

Students have been working in small groups with the IPads to research the answers to these questions. They will be creating display posters next week with visuals about the types of clouds they have been studying. They have been asked to specifically focus on nimbus, cumulus, stratus, and cirrus clouds. Don’t forget everyone, clouds are also mentioned in our Water Cycle song from earlier lessons (see the Sept-Oct Links on the right)!

Agenda:

Read 20 minutes

Math:

• pgs. 55-56 #1-9, 11, 12
• Extra Workbook Lesson #3

Ski Forms – due ASAP

Agenda:

Read 20 minutes

Math: pgs. 55-56 #1-9, 11, 12

Ski Forms – due ASAP