April 8, 2009
Dear Fifth Grade Parents,
I hope you all have a wonderful Easter and vacation. This boomerang refers to the week after spring break. Christ Is Risen! ??????? ??????!
Math
Monday: Lesson 81, Reducing Fractions, Part 1
Tuesday: Lesson 82, Greatest Common Factor
Wednesday: Lesson 83, Properties of Geometric Solids
Friday: Lesson 84, Mean, Median, Mode, Range
Social Studies
We will have a test on Chapter 13 on 4/22. Then we will begin Chapter 14, The Constitution. By the end of this chapter students will be able to describe the events that led to the creation of the Constitution, list and discuss key powers held by the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government, and explain how the system of checks and balances in the constitution prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful. Students really find this lesson interesting!!
Science
Students will learn how weathering, erosion, and deposition change the earth. Students will investigate how physical and chemical weathering occur using rocks, water, chalk and vinegar.
Reading
This week 5th graders have been studying the Genre Wheel. We have talked about the characteristics of the 9 genres. It has been interesting to identify into which genres their reading most often falls. There will be a short matching quiz covering the genres and their descriptions on Thursday. After Easter break, we will use the genre wheel to select a book for the 3rd Trimester book report.
Language Arts
April is “National Poetry Month.” Students are reading, writing and learning to appreciate poems in our poetry unit. They have received an assignment that explains the grading criteria and directions for choosing a poem to memorize.
Students have until May 1st to memorize and recite a poem of their choice. They should choose their poems by April 21st and have them approved by me in class. They have opportunities in class to look through dozens of poetry books, many written specifically for children. Also, they are using part of computer and library classes to check out the poetry links I have listed on my web page. Many children have favorite poems already. Others may want to do more research using the links provided or by reading through various books in our school or the Seattle Public Library. I hope this will be a fun activity for the children. Some may even choose to recite their poem over the intercom!
Have a great week!
Ms. Semandiris