Blog Entry –Week of February 24th

Grade 5’s  - Celebration of Learning!!!

           

You are invited on Tuesday March 4^th to 5-1 FI’s Writer’s Fest! Our class of authors has been working hard all year on their writing skills. Using the writing process to plan, write, revise/edit their work.  You are welcome to join us at 2:00pm until 3:00pm and celebrate the amazing work your child has accomplished. They will be sharing some work with you and you will also have the opportunity to go through part of the writing process with them.

Independent Projects

I know the date for the projects has changed a few times and I apologize. Many activities and due dates were popping up and I did not want students to feel stressed about the Independent Projects. The purpose of the independent project is for students to be able to share their love of learning. It will allow students to take initiative and share their work. Students have the freedom to choose the topic of their project and how they want to present the information. Students can work in pairs or independently. Work on the project is to be done at home, however students may work on it in study hall or if they need help can stay in at breaks in the classroom when I do not have duty.

The Independent Projects will be presented March 21^st in class, in a similar set up to a science fair.

LANGUAGE

READING

Students are continuing to ask Questions as they read focusing on asking “Thick Questions” and not “Thin Questions”. 

Students are also using the APE model to answer their questions to ensure they are explaining their answer and supporting it with evidence. 

WRITING

            Students are continuing to work on their final piece of writing during work on writing times (Grade 4 – procedural recipe and Grade 5 – Explanation of How The Digestive System Works). They will be provided with feedback this week on their first writing piece so that they know what they did well and what they need to focus on in their writing. During Daily 5 this week students are also being pulled based on their writing goal they made at the beginning of the month. Students will work in small groups to gain strategies and tools to help them meet their goals. 

MATH

We are still working on our Measurement Unit. Students have been practicing estimating, and measuring objects choosing the unit of measurement to measure the object (e.g., mm, cm, dm, m, km). They have also practiced converting one unit of measurement to another. 

This week students will be looking into estimating and calculating perimeter of polygons using a variety of tools and strategies.

ART

We have been focusing on the Elements of Design to display emotion in an art piece. This week students can bring in any materials that they need to create their art piece. They are choosing to create an art piece (e.g. sculpture, drawing, painting etc..) of their choice that displays an emotion they feel on a regular basis. They will be writing a reflection afterwards about their art piece and how the Elements of Design they used help portray their emotion. 

Week of February 10th

Blog Entry –Week of February 10th

LANGUAGE

READING

Students did a great job making inferences over the past month about characters, words, and themes. This week students started to use the reading strategy questioning to think about the books they are reading. They are focusing on asking questions when reading and trying to answer the questions that they are asking. The answers may be found in the text, an outside source or they may have to infer the answer using clues from the text.

WRITING

The Grade 4’s finished up their first independent Procedural Writing piece this week. They went through the writing process really focusing on revising and editing their work in a different colour to see/show the changes that they were making to their writing. They had the opportunity to conference with a peer and get feedback on what they might be missing in their writing (e.g. success criteria) and things they did well (“Stars”). Next week students will be writing their final procedural piece on a recipe of how to make their favourite food.

The Grade 5 ‘s finished up their first independent Explanatory writing piece. They also went through the writing process really focusing on revising and editing their work in a different colour to see/show the changes that they were making to their writing. They had the opportunity to conference with a peer and get feedback on what they might be missing in their writing (e.g. success criteria) and things they did well (“Stars”). Next week students will be learning more about The Digestive System in order to gain knowledge to help them write an explanatory piece about how the digestive system works.

MATH

We have finished up our Decimal unit and are moving into Measurement focusing on Perimeter and Area.

Grade 4 Expectations

* estimate, measure, and record length, height and distance using standard units (e.g. mm, cm, m , km)

*estimate the perimeter and area of polygons using a variety of tools and strategies

*draw items using a ruler, given specific lengths is mm, and cm

*describe the relationship between various units of length (e.g. cm, mm, dm, m, km)

*select and justify the most appropriate standard unit to measure side lengths and perimeters

*determine the relationship between length and width of a rectangle and its area and perimeter  (A = LXW) (P=2XL + 2XW)

* create through investigation using a variety of tools and strategies 2D shapes with the same perimeter and area (geo boards, dot paper, and pattern blocks)

*pose and solve meaningful problems that require the ability to distinguish perimeter and area

Grade 5 Expectations

*estimate the perimeter and area of regular and irregular polygons using a variety of tools and strategies

*determine using stacked congruent rectangular layers of concrete materials the relationship between height, area of

the base, and the volumes of a rectangular prism to create a formula (V=area of base X height)

* create through investigation using a variety of tools and strategies 2D shapes with the same perimeter and area

*solve problems requiring the estimation and calculations of perimeters and areas of rectangles

*select and justify the most appropriate standard unit to measure length, height, width, distance, and perimeter

*determine the relationship between length and width of a rectangle and its area and perimeter  (A = LXW) (P=2XL + 2XW)

* solve problems requiring conversions from m to cm, km to m

* measure the perimeter and area of regular and irregular polygons using a variety of tools and strategies

E-Text Pages

Grade 4  318-361                        Grade 5 – 306-347

Week of February 3rd

LANGUAGE

WRITING

The Grade 4’s are working on Procedural Writing. They have written “How to Make Hot Chocolate in Partners” bumping up a level 1/2 procedural writing piece they were given to a 3/4. They also wrote as a whole class “How to Plan Your Birthday Party”. This week they will be writing their own Procedural piece on a topic of their choice and focusing on the revising/editing part of the writing process.

The Grade 5 ‘s are working on Explanatory Writing. They have examined some samples and used those to create our success criteria. They were given leveled samples of explanatory writing and focused on the text features pulling out the information and placing it on a graphic organizer. They were searching for the topic, definition, components/parts, operation, and applications. As a whole class we used the Internet to search for “How a toaster works” and filled in our graphic organizer for our prewrite. This coming week we will write our draft and students will be given time to use our school I-pads to search for information on a topic of their choice that either “Explains why something happens, or How something works”.

Both grades have looked at examples of the text form they are focusing on and created their success criteria.

Procedural Success Criteria

                    Explanatory Success Criteria

In addition students choose a writing goal that they needed to focus on when it came to their writing. Using the 6+1 writing traits learned at the beginning of the year students selected a goal that they know needs improvement in their writing (e.g. revising, editing their work, spelling, punctuation, organizing their ideas, etc.).

MATH

Decimals!

Students have been doing a fantastic job using their prior knowledge of place value of whole numbers to help with our decimal unit.

We have already looked at reading decimals properly.

E.g. 5.6 = five and six tenths

We compared and ordered decimals, and came up with some great strategies to add decimals. This coming week we will be focusing on equivalent decimals, subtracting decimals, and solving word problems involving decimals.  

Blog Entry - Week of January 13th

Blog Entry –Week of January 13^th

LANGUAGE - READING

A reminder that students write a letter every other week to me in their Readers Notebook. They are given time during Daily 5 read to self to work on their letters in class.

Here is the schedule of when students’ letters are due. Next week the Grade 5’s (week of Jan. 27) will be handing their letters in and the following week Grade 4’s will.

Letter Due Dates

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Alex Antony Mark Amelia Madison E	Nyle Martina Adam Lucas Ella	Madison J Iqra Samiya Amber Bella	Fatima Lindsay Ben Fernanda Josef	Nick Taha Eshaal Zoya Yasmeen Sahar

Letter Due Dates

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Lauren Eric Daniel B. Ethan Adrian Talla	Nathan Stuart Je Nae Tristan Iris Sam	Samuel Filip Jonah Sarah Hanna L. Pratham	Aistis Alex Hannah N. Abdullah Omar Reid	Will Zeerak Daniel S. Aaron Isaac Emily

I’m very impressed with many students who respond and answer the questions I have asked them in my responses to their letters. A few have asked for sample letters that fall in the 3+ to a 4 range. Here are some examples.

Grade 5 Sample

Grade 4 Sample

Recording Students Fluency

Over the next few weeks students will be reading a “Good Fit” Book Aloud and I will be recording there reading. Afterwards they will have the opportunity to listen to themselves read and self assess their own fluency. Helping them hear their strengths and next steps when it comes to their fluency.

At home during when students are reading 20 minutes a night. Ten of those minutes should be spent reading their books aloud.

What is fluency?

Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately and quickly with expression..

Why is fluency important?

Fluency is important because it allows students to focus on making meaning rather than sounding out words.

How can fluency be developed and improved?

Model fluent reading and engage children in repeated oral reading.

Fluency has important elements to focus on:

1.. Expression & volume: The reader is reading the passage with feeling, paying attention to

punctuation marks. The reader is also loud enough for the audience to hear with correct

emotion.

2.. Phrasing: Reader is using punctuation and meaning to read complete thoughts. (Reader

stops at periods and pauses at commas.)

3. Smoothness/Accuracy: The reader can read smoothly without having to sound out words as

they read.

4. Pace: The reader is reading at a normal pace. Reading sounds like a conversation. It is not

slow or choppy. It’s also not too fast!

MATH

We finished our Data Management Unit. Students created their own survey questions, and collect data from their peers in the school. Using the data they collected they graphed their results. There will not be a test for Data Management their assignment was their final assessment.  

We will be starting Decimals!!

Grade 4 Expectations:

* demonstrate an understanding of place value from 0.1 -10,000 using a variety of different tools and strategies

*count forward by tenths from any decimal number expressed to one decimal place, using concrete materials and number lines (e.g., use base ten materials to represent 3.7 and count forward: 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, ...;

*add and subtract decimal numbers to tenths, using concrete materials (e.g., paper strips divided into tenths, base ten materials) and student-generated algorithms (eg., “When I added 6.5 and 5.6, I took five tenths in fraction circles and added six tenths in fraction circles to give me one whole and one tenth. Then I added 6 + 5 + 1.1, which equals 12.1.”);

* compare whole numbers from 0.1 to 10,000 using a variety of tools (e.g. base ten blocks, number lines)

* order whole numbers from 0.1 to 10,000

* explain equivalent decimals to tenths (e.g. three tenths (0.3) is equal to thirty hundredths (0.3)

* represent whole numbers to 10, 000 and decimals to 0.1

* demonstrate equivalent representations of a decimal number, using concrete materials

Grade 5 Expectations:

*demonstrate an understanding of place value from 0.01 -100,000 using a variety of different tools and strategies

* compare whole numbers from 0.01 to 100,000 using a variety of tools (e.g. base ten blocks, number lines)

* order whole numbers from 0.01 to 100,000

* explain equivalent decimals to hundredths (e.g. three tenths (0.3) is equal to thirty hundredths (0.3)

*round decimal numbers to the nearest tenth, in problems arising from real-life situations;

*add and subtract decimal numbers to hundredths, including money amounts, using concrete materials, estimation, and algorithms (e.g., use 10 x 10 grids to add 2.45 and 3.25);

*multiply decimals numbers by 10, 100, 1000, and 10 000 and divide decimal numbers by 10, and 100 using mental math strategies (e.g. use a calculator to look for patterns and generalize to develop and rule)

*count forward by hundredths from any decimal number expressed to two decimal places, using concrete materials and number lines (e.g., use base ten materials to represent 2.96 and count forward by hundredths: 2.97, 2.98, 2.99, 3.00, 3.01, ...; “Two and ninety-six hundredths,

* represent whole numbers to 100, 000 and decimals to 0.01

* demonstrate equivalent representations of a decimal number, using concrete materials

Math Help

Wednesdays (1^st break) and Fridays (2^nd break)

E-TEXT (a great resource for extra practice)

The pages on the E-text for this unit is…

Grade 4 p. 299-307

Grade 5 p.112 -149