November 20, 2008
Dear Fifth Grade Parents,
I would like to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving. There will be no boomerang next week because of the holiday. Here is the curriculum update for the following week.
Math
Friday: Test #6
Monday: Lesson 36, Classifying Triangles
Tuesday: Lesson 37, Drawing Pictures of Fractions
No Math-Mass
Religion
We are currently working on Chapter 14, Reborn In Christ. Students have received the study guide for this lesson and we are working on it during class. (Please do not have them do it for HW unless I assign it.)
We have also started to work on our Baptism Collages. Last night, your child was to ask you specific questions about their baptism. Then they were to record a rough draft of the answers in their 5-sub. Today they will get their rubric for this activity and we will begin the writing process in class. Next Tuesday, I would like students to bring in 20 pre-cut pictures (from magazines) of images having to do with Baptism We will come up with a list of ideas in class today. Please remind them to bring in old magazines to look for more pictures on Tuesday. We will be assembling the collage in class on Tuesday.
Social Studies
The Fifth Graders will have the Lesson 5 test next week. (Monday 5B & Tuesday 5A.) Please have your child practice the on-line test as well as study the vocabulary and the matrix in their interactive notebook with the answers to all the information about each of the 8 explorers. We will have the United States Map test (review from 4th grade) on 12/3. Students have been studying for this for several weeks now.
Science
Students will learn how plants and animals are classified into smaller groups. Students will take a test on Chapter 1, Comparing Living Things, and Friday, December 5th.
Language Arts
This week, students practiced identifying and using simple subjects and predicates. We write simple and compound sentences. Students learn how to combine sentences using conjunctions. Our spelling test is on Monday; homework is due on Monday, as well.
Looking ahead: Students will take a quiz on subjects, predicates and sentence structure on Wed. Dec. 3rd (5B) and Thurs. Dec. 4th (5A). Students will be given a study guide before the Thanksgiving holiday. Students should remember to check my webpage for resources to help them prepare.
Reading
Book Reports are on display in the 5th grade hall. Students will enjoy looking at all of the book reports to get ideas for holiday reading. Ive encouraged them to take note of presentation ideas for future projects as well.
We continue reading Hatchet. It is important that all 5th graders keep up with the reading. As of Wednesday, we have finished reading through Chapter 11. We continue to work on vocabulary development as well as comprehension strategies to build and strengthen reading comprehension.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Ms. Semandiris