More Writing, History, Science and Math

5th graders have been writing galore! In learning about Columbus’ requesting financial backing from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabela of Spain for his proposed expedition to find a western sea route to Asia, students wrote letters to these monarchs, as if he/she were Columbus. Each letter was written to persuade Spain to spend a large sum of money for, what was seen by many, as a foolish endeavor. After writing these letters, the class performed a skit, reanacting Columbus’ meeting with the Spanish King and Queen. Sofia and Kuba played Queen Isabela and King Ferdinand, respectively and Noah played the role of Columbus. The rest of the class was divided into two groups of advisors to the court. One group argued to support Columbus and the other group argued against it. It was set up somewhat like a debate and the students had to prepare their own arguments, writing persuasive paragraphs.

Another writing assignment we did in class came out of our reading The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. The language that the author uses is so rich and colorful that it can model for the students how to use descriptive language and also help increase vocabulary. I picked four phrases out of the chapter we were reading and students were told to make up brief paragraphs, incorporating these coloful phrases. What came out of this assignment was delightful. Many students came up with deliciously wicked and coloful paragraphs. Some students decided to make a story using all four phrases and were inspired to write more and more. For example, one of the phrases was: …”the pervaisive stench of rot permeated…”

We integrated science and history and made compasses. We discussed how magnets work, how the earth is magnetized, and how we can magnetize an ordinary sewing needle. After magnetizing the needle, the students floated corks in a dish of water and put the needle on top of the cork. Pretty soon all the needles were pointing North. Of course, we have been learning about how techno;ogy such as the compass encouraged exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries.

In math, we have been working on double and triple digit multiplication, the role of zero as a place holder and word problems using multiplication. Tomorrow we will be starting a short unit on division. There will be a math test on multiplication, division and order of operations next Thursday. 

Back to School After Holidays

Today we began a history unit on European Exploration during the Age of Exploration in the 15th & 16th centuries. This is where our story of how the United States became a country begins for us in 5th grade. This unit takes our students back to the Middle Ages, to the time of the Crusades and to the time of Marco Polo exploring China and writing about meeting the Ghengis Kan.  We are learning about how a desire for silk and spices from India and China set off a series of sea explorations which eventually led to Europeans “finding” the Americas. How did the Europeans learn about the luxurious silk fabric and the exotic spices that Asia cultivated? Ask your 5th grader and you will learn about a very exciting period in history. Students were given notebooks and are in the process of learning how to take notes. This is a stepping stone to learning how to study for a history test and how to organize information. We also discussed the role of technology in encouraging and enabling exploration. The development of the compass, the cross staff, the square rigged sails and the rudder, among others, were crucial in exploration.   Students are working on mini reports in our inventions unit. Each child has chosen to research an invention and write a brief report on the invention, the inventor and how the invention impacted the society in which it was made. Some of the inventions being researched are: the toaster, the car, the telephone, the pen, the sneaker, and more.  In writing, students are finishing up their first drafts of a short story about three wishes and are illustrating their story. We are also practicing daily proof reading/editing activities to develop self editing skills and improve awareness and knowledge of punctuatuation. In literature, we are continuing to read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and discussing the literary devices the author uses to enhance our pleasure and understanding of the book.  This week we are focusing on “allusions” and “cliffhangers”.  In math, we are working daily on solving word problems involving multi-step operations. The hardest part seems to be comprehending the question. We are breaking down the question, drawing pictorial symbols, and learning to focus on answering the question. This is an excellent technique for approaching word problems and I am already seeing the class make the neccessary mental connections. Tomorrow, we begin a short unit on “order of operations.” 

Simchat Torah and other updates

Tomorrow we are having an all-school Simchat Torah celebration. It is such a joyous holiday and our celebration will leave lasting good memories in the hearts and minds of our students.  In class, students have been working on their “Three Wishes” story. Some are editing their writing, some are developing certain areas of their stories to improve them, and some are revising whole plots. The exciting thing to see is how the writing process has taken hold and each child feels emboldened to be a creative writer and story teller. We have also been working on vocabulary development, learning about prefixes, suffixes and root words. Everyday of 5th grade will present some activity, lesson or experience which will enhance our students’ understanding of the English language. In math, we have started working on solving word problems that are geared to build the student’s understanding of algebraic thinking. We don’t use symbols such as “X” and “Y” but, we solve for the unknown by using pictorial bars. This allows the student to see how to solve for the unknown and eventually, to be able to transfer the concept to more abstract symbolism. We also had a test on place value and rounding for estimation. Today we went over the test and worked with individuals who needed help with certain problems.  In our Inventions unit, the students finished  making posters of the inventions they designed to help a fairytale character. For example: designing an invention that could put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Tomorrow, each group will present their designs and ideas to the whole class. We are trying to create an atmosphere where each child is thinking creatively and pragmatically about technology, design and solving problems. We hope to have a classroom of inventors by the end of the year! In Literature, every student was assigned a portion of a chapter from The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle to prepare and read for our Reader’s Theater experience today. It was wonderful hearing the students read dramatically and fluently to the class. I learned we have some fine actors in our class and that every child is a good reader. The book is getting very exciting and the students are becoming very good at discussing and analyzing the story. Every student should be reading a novel independently. I will soon teach the class how to write a book report and they will be writing a good portion of their first book report in class in mid-October. I am also working on helping them to develop organizational skills. It has started with their keeping their homework assignments in their planner book. I am checking each day to see that students write down their homework assignments, pack in the necessary books and papers and keep their papers filed in categories in their binders. This is a challenge for some and an easier task for the lucky who are naturally well organized. Yet, everyone, will practice routines and habits that will promote organization. You can help your child by reminding him/her to pack in their planners, their finished homework papers and their books in their backpacks at night before going to sleep so these necessary items will come to school the next day.

Sukkot is one of my favorite holidays

Who can resist a holiday celebrating the harvest, sitting outdoors under the open sky and being with family and friends? I hope that all of you had an opportunity to experience the beauty of being in a Sukkah, breaking bread with friends and family, singing some bracchot and tasting new and familiar fruits.  At this time  of the year, when Jewish holidays flow one after another, I always feel closer than ever to my Jewish heritage and to my family. Unfortunately, I have spent all the holidays at my mother’s hospital bedside. She fell and broke her hip on Rosh Hashanah. Because of this, I have missed some days of school. I have missed my students and can’t wait to get back to teaching tomorrow, Monday October 1. My mother is making good progress and is being released from the hospital with full time home care. It looks like, if all continues to go well, she is survivng this tribulation. It’s really quite a miracle, as she is quite elderly. She is determined to get well and to walk and maybe, even, dare we hope, dance at her granddaughter’s wedding. Although I didn’t get to celebrate the holidays this year, I got the greatest gift I could ever receive.