We are back in full swing after the Rosh HaShanah holiday. In history we are getting deeper into learning about the Age of Exploration. In class the students have written :letters to a sailor” warning of the dangers of sailing the oceans as perceived by the Europeans in the 1400’s. Dire warnings of sea monsters consuming ships and storms and winds forcing ships off course and off the edge of the flat world. The students wrote wonderfully graphic descriptions of the dangers which lurked in ocean travel. We also have beenlearning about the technological advances that Europe made over a 400 year period such as the lateen sail, the rudder, the compass, etc. which helped them feel more able to sail. We learned about how even the printing press played a role in developing navigational know-how. Students made illustrations of three inventions which helped launch exploration and wrote about how they were used. We have also been looking at maps to determine the geographical underpinnings of exploration such as why Portugal was the first European country to set sail for a sea route to the Indies (India). We will be looking at the unfolding of history through the lenses of geography, economics and , social conditions. As in today’s world, religious differences also played a great role in the Age of Exploration.

In our unit on Inventions, students have worked in class on projects such as looking up inventions from the past and present and have created their own designs of these same inventions in the future. Tomorrow in the computer lab, they will be practicing word processing by typing up the mini-reports they wrote on an inventor. They will be learning how to format a report, how to include images and how to use font sizes, spacing of lines and margins, etc. Today, I introduced to the class the concept of a Rube Goldberg “invention.” Each student will be designing his/her own Rube Goldberg invention. All this is done to stimulate their creativity so they will be able to come up with their own “original” invention.  Our study of history and science have inter-connected in learning about inventions and technology. From the invention of the printing press and the rudder to today’s Iphone, the course of history can be linked to the development of technology. Later this year we will be taking a trip to the Tech Museum of innovation in San Jose to further immerse ourselves in the world of technology.

In math, my  group is studying prime numbers, factors, multiples and exponents.  We have learned how to prime factor a composite number and write its prime factrs in exponent form. We will be reviewing all that we have studied this term so far and there will be a math test next Wednesday. All students have math notebooks where they have written down definitions of terms and examples of problems which will help them study for the math test. In addition, they will be taking home their textbook and workbooks for studying purposes.  Some students have also been working on an enrichment activity where they have to find out what numbers are “perfect,” “deficient,” or “abundant.”

In reading, we are talking about cliffhangers, allusions, symbolism and how characters change as the story progresses. Vocabulary is an important part of our reading. Ask your child to tell you what the following words mean: litany, decrepit, disembarkation, grotesque, cringe and dirk.  We are also writing short pieces from the main character’s point of view as well as our interpretations of the author’s point of view.

As you can see, we ar engaged in a rich and creative curriculum and that your children are doing very interesting and high level academic endeavors.  Nexy week they will get a chance to write their own skits for history and create their own inventions out of everyday materials in the classroom. Stay tuned.

L’SHANAH TOVA

L’Shanah Tovah, Have a Sweet and Healthy year.

In SCIENCE Our fifth graders are currently working on a “mini-report” on an inventor and his/her invention. Marcia Lovelace, our wonderful librarian, has brought stacks of books about inventions into our classroom. The students got to peruse the books and choose an invention or inventor each was interested in. They also got information at home on the internet and brought it to school. In class we are learning to take notes and organize the information into categories. Tomorrow, Wednesday 9/16, we will be typing up these reports in the computer lab and learning to put images in the reports. If your child was absent these last few days, he/she may feel uneasy and behind the rest of the class. I’ll do what I can to catch them up with the assignment but they will need to work on the weekend to catch up. Rosh Hashanah starts Friday night. There is no school on Friday. I suggest Friday may be a good day to work on this mini-report. See the INVENT booklet, p.4 for what is required to be in the report. Next week they learn about another invention which they pick and see how it has changed in design from the past to the present. Then they will think about how they would like to improve the design and function of that invention and come up with that invention in its future form.

In HISTORY, we have been learning about how the Europeans in the 14th and 15th centuries developed a desire to trade with the Orient, also known as the Spice Islands. This desire for trade and for the specific goods found in India and China such as silk and spices and precious metals, inspired sea exploration. The need for a sea route to Asia to bring these goods to Europe launched the Age of Exploration and discovery. It opened up the world to Europeans and led to colonizing the “New World,” the Americas. Shira and Amara brought in examples of things made out of Silk which were very beautiful. Selma, our chef, made everyone in the school delicious honey spice cakes for Rosh Hashanah which were redolent with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, some of the very spices the Europeans wanted to get from the Indies (India). We also have been looking at inventions and technology which encouraged exploration such as the rudder, the lateen sails, the cross-staff, the Caravel ship, the compass, and more. Here we see how inventions and technology have played a crucial role in the history of civilization. We also saw a 28 minute documentary on the three stages of the Age of Discovery: the crusaders and the tales of Marco Polo, Prince Henry of Portugal creating a college of navigation an training and developing navigational knowledge and skills and the voyages of Columbus, Magellan, Cortes, and many other explorers who “discovered” and conquered lands and the impact it had on Native populations.

In WRITING, the students hav been writing letters to a “friend” warning of the dangers of sea exploration as believed by people before 1492. They have been told to vividly describe the dangers of drifting off to sea and falling off the edge of the flat earth. They are writing dire warnings of grotesque sea monsters gobbling up ships like a play toy and of enduring storms and possible capsizing due to the weakness of the ships. Of course, this writing activity is meant to enrich not only the student’s writing ability, but reinforce our study of the Age of Exploration.

In MATH, we are learning about estimation and approximation for use in mental math. Today we introduced the concept of factors and how certain numbers have more factors than others. We will continue to learn about factors and multiples and how there are factors and multiples common to certain numbers. By the end of the week we will be learning about prime numbers.

Today, I introduced The Million Dollar Project to the class. I showed them several projects that former students did and we discussed many different ideas. I told the class to bring in a written proposal describing what project they would like to do by next Wednesday (Sept. 23). They need to have a second back up plan in case two people chose the same idea or I realize their project idea won’t work financially. The Million Dollar Project must be a service or business which benefits the community either locally or globally and is a non-profit. Most of the Million Dollar Project will be done in school.

In READING, we are getting further into the intrigues of True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. We have been emphasizing vocabulary as well as other literary devices. Ask your child to tell you what decrepit, loathsome, stench, cringe, gesticulate and grotesque mean.

Please check your child’s red homework assignment book and make sure they have done and packed in all their work. Best regards.