New Activities, New Units, Lots More

The 5th grade has been learning how to write persuasively. We spent the last two weeks of English class learning to identify opinion, reasons and examples to support reasons. We learned about using stronger words to create a more vivid image. We practiced writing opinions, reasons and examples on many subjects such as “Should there be less school and more free time?” The students became very invigorated by this subject. Finally, everyone in the class wrote a persuasive essay on “Why Students Shouldn’t Smoke.” We generated a long list of reasons and each 5th grader had to make a structured essay, using an opening thesis statement, at least 3 to 4 reasons and examples to support these reasons. Several students got to read their essays to the class and we will continue to hear from others this week.  In history, students have been taking notes for their research paper. Many have completed their first book and are searching for new information in their second one. Soon, we will be finished  note taking and we will learn how to organize the notes and put them into an outline. Stay tuned. A member of the Berkeley Repertory Theater came to our class and spent an hour engaging our students in drama. He read the book, “One Piece of Rice,” to the class. Together, scenes were created to reenact the story. The class said they enjoyed the guest very much and enjoyed the opportunity to be so creative and have fun. In our Inventions unit, students learned how to make surveys and learned how they are good marketing tools. Soon, they will analyze their data to figure out who would buy their inventions. In our Million Dollar Project, everyone is learning how to make spread sheets in the computer lab. Many are also learning that it is not easy to spend exactly a million dollars. In our study of literature, we finished reading, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. I  have read this book at least 10 times and I never get tired of it. It is so beautifully written and rings so true. We are about to begin reading a historical novel about the American Revolution: Johnny Tremain.It is another great book but is written in more old fashioned language, so it can be a bit more challenging. In math, my class is finding the area of triangles, measuring angles and finding the missing angle. We’re using protractors and learning how to draw and measure angles. We are almost finished with book A and are about to start book B. This Tuesday, Rod Fujita (Eliana’s father) is coming to our class to talk about environmental studies. He has a great presentation for us and, it is a perfect way to prepare for our trip to the Marin Headlands.

Welcome Back After Winter Break

It’s hard to think about returning to school or work after an extended vacation. Luckily, this next semester is filled with high interest and stimulating units of study. We already began reading the novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My cry, before the break, but now, we are getting into the heart of the story. For those of you adults who would like a “good read,” try this book. It is so well written: beautiful language, vivid and well honed character development and very realistic recreation of an historical epoch in America. The life and times of an African -American family in The South during the Depression provides a story which will not only help the reader understand the effects of racism on those targeted, but will also inspire the reader to see how a family maintains their pride and dignity despite hardships. Learning about segregation, Jim Crow laws, racism, slavery and prejudice in American history coincides with honoring Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and accomplishments this January.  In history, we will be learning about the economic origins of slavery in America and see why it became so important to the South and not the North. We will also be contiuing the simulation activity, “Discovery” as our student groups colonize North America and experience the hardships and triumphs that the original colonists experienced.  Over the break, every student was assigned to read a biography about a woman of important achievement. When we return to class on January 7, 5th graders will begin learning about how to research and write a report. This unit will take a lot of time as it involves learning so many new skills. We’ll be learning how to take notes, how to paraphrase and not copy, how to organize notes into an outline form, how to structure a research report, how to write a thesis statement, an introductory paragraph and a conclusion, how to write a bibliography and use a bibliography. Students will also learn about the issues and historical background that led to the woman’s accomplishment. For instance, in reading about Eleanor Roosevelt, the student will learn about the Depression, World War ll, etc. We will be advancing our unit on inventions. Students have already submitted proposals for what they would like to invent. Now they will “research” if it has already been invented. If it hasn’t, they will make a survey to see who, if anyone, would buy it or use it. This is a form of marketing research. Then they will make a log book detailing all their experiences researching, surveying and making the invention. Keeping the log book is  crucial in order for them to get a patent. Parents may be asked to sign as a “witness” to the daily entries. Be sure to remind your child to get their entries signed and dated. Without a date there can be no patent awarded. An Invention Fair will be held during the week of Open House for all to see. We will also be doing a science unit on simple machines and will learn the physics behind how levers, inclines, wedges and pulleys work.  In math, we will review and complete division of fractions. We will be spending some focused time on word problems using all the operations we have learned in math this year. Then, we will do a unit on geometry. Geometry is one of my favorite subjects in math. I find that even those who say they are not good in math, enjoy and can excell in geometry. We will be learning more on decimals, ratio and a big unit on percent (and how it relates to fractions, decimals, ratio).  These are just some of the units and activities that will take place over January and February.  And now, a word about homework… for the next few weeks, your child will be taking notes for the research report. I will be teaching them how to do it in school and for the first week or so, they will mostly take notes in class. Then, they will be assigned to take some notes at home each night. I’ll collect them and read them each day and guide them accordingly. They need index cards, library books and an organized place to do this work. If your child tends to lose things, please help him/her pack their note cards in their homework folders and backpacks each night. Every step of this project, from organizing one’s work space to writing the final draft of the paper, will be a great learning curve for your child.

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.

L’SHANA TOVA

Gail’s fifth grade is learning about the elements of literature in our reading of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. It has been a little bit of a struggle for many to compose ideas and answers about literary devices such as “allusions,” and foreshadowing but, with much discussion and example, students are getting the idea of how to write about literature and understand the author’s craft in a work of fiction. We are also learning how to write paragraph answers to questions and fully explain answers with examples and discussion. It’s just the beginning of the year and for many this is a demanding and hard process. But, soon, every student will be skilled in analyzing literature and writing about it.

We are also continuing to learn about inventions and technology and doing interesting activities to encourage the students to problem solve for invention ideas.

Almost everyday, we are  editing and proofreading   paragraphs about real historical figures. These paragraphs have many errors of punctuation in them. Students take their red pencils and correct and edit the paragraphs. We are also  working on writing stories about being granted three wishes. We discussed the importance of creating a setting in the story as well as using dialogue and description to “show” us the story in a real and vivid way.

In math, we have been studying place value and multiplying by 10’s, 100’s, 1000’s, etc. as well as dividing by these numbers. Students are being taught estimation strategies for greater understanding of math. We are having our first math test on Tuesday.  I wish you all a healthy and happy New Year filled with blessings.

Back To School Night

I really enjoyed meeting those of you who came to Back to School Night. I feel so positive about the year ahead. I will do everything I can to give your child a happy and productive year. The evening was so filled with lots of information that I forgot to talk about birthday parties. Please try to invite all the children of your child’s gender or, all the children in the class. By 5th Grade, social status becomes a serious issue. It is very hurtful to any child to be left out of a birthday party. We are a small school and everybody knows what is going on. It is hard to keep birthday parties a secret and the impact of leaving a few kids out effects the dynamics of the classroom. We have only seven boys and nine girls in our class. If your child is a girl, for instance, and you invite 6 girls, for example, you are leaving out two girls. The hurt and pain to those two girls will be great. Including all the girls, in this case, will teach your own daughter the value of compassion and inclusiveness. 

We need some volunteers. Would anyone be willing to do the Scholastic book orders for our class? Nobody signed up to volunteer for our Thanksgiving cooking activity and for the day of our Thanksgiving meal. The cooking will take plave on November 19, 8:30 to 11:30, and we also need help for the next day, November 20, 10:30 to 12:30. It’s a lovely opportunity to be with the children and enjoy this fun time.

These last few days of school our children have been making oral presentations about the invention they chose as one of the most important in the world. They have had to explain why the invention they chose has been so important, as well as describe the invention and gives it’s inventor and date of origin. Then they place their information card on a graph which has been divided up into seven categories. They must decide under which category the invention should be listed. Some inventions are hard to limit to one category. For instance, Is the light bulb under “convenience” or under “tool”? What about the computer? It could be under “communication,” “tools,”  “health and safety,” etc.  All this led to lively and thoughtful discussions about the role technology plays in our lives. Some of the more unusual invention choices students made were: antibiotics, written laguage, steam engine and roller skates.

In writing, students took red pencils and “proof read” and edited their own stories that they wrote last week. Much discussion and instruction arose concerning when to make a new paragraph. What is a paragraph? How do you know when to start one? It’s not easy for them to “get it,” yet. But we will be revisiting this process over and over again this year.

In math, we learned and reviewed rounding numbers to the nearest 10,  100,  1000, etc. in order to estimate the answer to a problem. Estimation and place value are foundation blocks for mathematical understanding.

On Friday afternoon, our class lit the Shabbat candles and made the brachot and the Kiddush in front of the whole school assembly. It was lovely! Thank you for letting me work with your wonderful children.

Second Week Has Begun

We are already in the thick of learning and working. Students have written poems and a short story. They have created and performed skits to demonstrate the origin of certain inventions. For instance, one group portrayed how ice cream cones were invented. Another group portrayed how several inventors made telephones   but the Supreme Court gave the patent to Alexander Graham Bell. Ask your child how velcro was invented. We started our math program today. We began by talking about place value and the importance of how many zeroes are in a number and the location of the decimal. In literature, we discussed the authors use of names to hint at personality traits. We also talked about the society of the 1830’s and how class divided people more than it does today. Most students in the class identified themselves as being middle class. We talked about how different a society might be when there is a small middle class, a large working class and a small privileged upper class. Our book, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, uses class differences to enhance the plot. All the books we will read together as a class have, not only strong girl and boy characters, but are rich in historical background.

Finished Our First Week

On Friday we began writing stories about our worst (or Best) day at school. We talked about the role of the narrator in a story and how the narrator must draw us into the story. We also began reading The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. In this novel, the Narrator warns the reader not to read any further if the reader cannot take strong ideas and difficult circumstances. We discussed how the author has used this “warning” as a “hook” to make the reader want to read on.  In history, we looked at the geography of Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. We began to learn about why the late 15th and 16th centuries saw an explosion of exploration and colonization of Europeans in the Americas.