New Units of Study

Having had our history test on European Age of Exploration and Discovery, 5th graders are seeing the fruits of their studying labors. Those who studied their notes and study sheets and practiced writing the answers to the essay questions did very well. Children need different amounts of time to learn the material. Many of the 5th graders are starting to see that they may have needed to practice, study and prepare more than they did. Others found the right amount of time they needed to learn the material well. Each child is unique and needs to find the ways that work best for him or her. Part of the goal of giving the test was to teach our students study skills and test taking skills. Everyone has grown academically from the whole experience. Hopefully, everyone has a better understanding of what the world was like in the 15th and 16th centuries and how it has impacted America’s development to this very day. 

We have begun a new unit in history on early American colonization of North America. In order to make the concepts come alive and be real for our students, we will be doing a month long simulation of colonization, imitating the English colonization of the Atlantic coast.  The simulation involves dividing the class into three colony groups. They will be learning map skills, using a budget to buy supplies for their ships, sailing across the ocean and trying to colonize the land they arrive in. Along the way they will experience hardships, problems and excitement that the early English colonies experienced. They will have to survive by negotiating with the Native people, trading, fishing, hunting, and farming. They will pick fate cards that replicate actual experiences that early colonists had. Crops can be destroyed, epidemics can wipe out portions of a population, Native Americans can show your colony how to fish and hunt – all things that did happen to some colonies. This simulation will really help our students understand what life was like and what the goals were in establishing colonies in the “New World.” Students will be using problem solving strategies, math skills, leadership, collaborative team work, creativity and reading and writing skills to make their colony succeed. 

As you know, the presidential elections are almost here. We are discussing the electoral college- why it exists, what it does, and what is needed to win the election. I am asking the class to watch a half hour of the election returns (if parent allows) next Tuesday evening. They will have a map of the U.S. with the states and their corresponding electoral votes printed on it. The students’ assignment is to watch the news coverage of the election and jot down an O or an M on their maps on any states whose votes have been counted. I would also like them to see the big “fuss” that surrounds this event. We will discuss the elections the next day in school.

In our English and writing classes, we are finishing up writing a creative short story on being granted three wishes. The students have great imaginations. I am enjoying reading their stories as they work on them. The first draft will be due November 5. Then, they will need to get typed. I’m encouraging the class to try to type their stories themselves. But, I know the reality. For many children, they don’t have the typing skills to do so in a timely way. Many will need parent help. I would like to suggest that parents (who are willing) type a page and have your child type a page, or a paragraph or two paragraphs. As long as the child types some part of the story, he or she will be taking the first steps towards familiarity with the keyboard and with setting up  word processing.  The more students type up their work, the better they will get at it. Some of your kids have written very long stories so, your contribution to typing may be really needed.

We are learning about writing paragraphs, topic sentences and supporting details. This is the building block for writing essays and reports and for any expository writing. We continue to practice proof reading and the rules of punctuation that go with it. This week I will introduce our first spelling list. Most of the words are from our study of history and from the errors I see on the students papers. 

We continue working on the Million Dollar Project. Many of the children have listed most of the items they think they’ll need for their project and have begun pricing them. What good practice for real life and for working with a budget!  They are rounding prices to the nearest 10, 100, 1000 which calls upon their math skills. We are using calculators to add the totals, which gives them practice with calculators.  In Gail’s math class we have begun a unit in fractions. Some of the vocabulary we are learning in math is: numerator, denominator, lowest common multiple, divisor, equivalent fraction, and reducing to lowest terms or simplifying. Ask your child what these all mean. Maybe he or she will give you examples. It’s great when math discussions can happen at home.

The Happy Holiday Of Sukkot

Rabbi Tsipi told us that Sukkot is the one holiday in the Torah that commands us to be happy. I wish all of you a good holiday and to enjoy the beauty of the Fall and of the new fruits and harvest. We are having these wonderful holidays and yet, the learning process must go on in order for us to finish our fifth grade curriculum by the end of the school year. With that in mind, I need to announce that there will be a math quiz for my math group this Friday, October 17,  and a history test on Friday, October 24th. We are spending class time to study for the history test but students will need to review their notes and outlines in the days before the test. I will be sending home a study sheet listing all the topics that will be on the test and the three essay questions this Thursday.  Some students have some math to finish tonight, due Thursday.  They need to finish Textbook page 32 (#’s 7-14) and workbook page 30. Most of this assignment was done in class.

A Sweet & Healthy Rosh Ha’ Shana

I hope you all had a pleasant and meaningful Rosh Ha’ Shana. Despite the days off, the Fifth Grade has been very busy with our units of study. For the last two weeks we have been learning about some important inventions, writing mini-reports on an invention, drawing and writing about an invention and how it looked and worked in the past, in the present and the most fun, how might it evolve in the future. The latter assignment engaged the students creativity and thinking. We have many books on inventions displayed around the classroom. Students were fascinted by such old relics as the record player, the typewriter and the original telephones.  They are already thinking about what original invention they might design. Many children in the class were surprized that “bread” is an invention. We discussed the role of agriculture and use of grains as one of the key elements for the advancement of civilization in the history of humans.

In history, we are finishing up our unit on the Age of Exploration. Each student is keeping a history notebook where they take notes. They are learning outline form and Roman numerals and hopefully, how to use notes as a study aid. We are reviewing the unit and are learning how to prepare for a test. Next week, I will give everyone a study sheet listing all the topics that will be on the test and the 3 essay questions. I will have them write outlines for the essays – once again, showing them how to study. Study skills are a major skill that I strive to teach 5th graders over the course of the year.

In writing, the students have been writing stories in their journals. Some, have made several “chapters’ and hope to continue on in their novellas all year. We continue to practice proof reading/editing skills. Next week, I will begin teaching the class how to write a formal paragraph with a topic sentence and supporting details. This will develop into how to write a multi paragraphed essay and eventually, a report.

In math,  my math class has begun a unit on division with 2-digits in the divisor. We just finished learning multiplying by 2 and 3 digits. Division is one of the great challenges of the curriculum. Soon we will start fractions and learn how fractions is a form of division. Today, Tuesday, some students had to finish up some math for homework. I never give homework on the holidays but, they have a full day tomorrow before the holiday begins and they need the practice for mastery.

We have gotten to the exciting part of the book we are reading, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. The class is really riveted by the juicy plot and the great descriptive writing in this book. Last Friday we went to the library and every student took out a book for independent reading. They should be reading their new book as close to daily as possible.

In our  last Wednesday class meeting, we discussed how hurtful and embarrasing it may be for people to point out or make fun of other people’s physical characteristics such as: “you’re so short,” “Your ears are as big as Dumbo’s,” “You’re fat/skinny/tall,” etc. Many kids shared with the group how they have been teased or humiliated by other kids making these kinds of statements. When asked, “who in this class has ever felt bad about being teased about their physical traits, every child raised a hand.   We spoke of the Jewish value of not doing to others what you wouldn’t want for yourself. We spoke about the concept of empathy. How would you feel in that situation? Everyone agreed that we should pledge to be careful with our words and not use them to be hurtful to others.