Ms. Quesenberry - Over the Rainbow

Analyzing Multiple Accounts

This week we read many different perspectives on topics such as spiders, Yosemite park, and even taxes.  These are the passages we read on taxes:

Text 1

Text 2

Students read through each passage and highlighted or underlined key details.  Then they used a graphic organizer to find similarities and differences.  Finally, they were asked to write a paragraph analyzing the two accounts.  This is just one of the awesome paragraphs that students wrote:

Students were graded using a rubric to show they successfully:

-Identified point of view

-Explained similarities and differences

-Used evidence from the texts

This paper got a 9/9!  Way to go!

Next Week: October 31-November 4

Wow!  What a busy week we have had!  We met an author (which was really fun AND educational), honored Red Ribbon Week, and had our first 4-H lesson.  We also spent sometime in the laptop lab publishing our opinion writing.  We were all over the school this week learning and working hard!

Don't forget about the Fall Festival on Saturday!  Mr. Buscher will be there handing out candy at the fifth grade table! (I will sadly be missing the festival to go see my sister in Charlotte, but can't wait to hear all about it!)

Coming up next week:

Writing- We have published our opinion pieces and are moving on to the next genre: informational writing.  Specifically, we will focus on biographies!  We will be exploring these at the beginning of the week, brainstorming people of interest, and then doing research.  Over the weekend help your student start thinking of some famous people they might want to learn and write about! Our mentor sentence is going to focus on using a comma to indicate direct address.  (Example: Will, are you ok?)

Reading-We are going to continue informational reading with biographies!  Between writing and reading we will be biography experts!  We are going to continue looking at main idea to help us write a nonfiction summary.  We will also continue to use evidence and proof to quote accurately from the text.  This year is all about answering "Why?" and backing it up with reasons from the text.  We are also continuing our reading of Shades of Gray. The main character, Will, is really starting to face some difficult ideas and adjusting to life out in the country.  

Math- We will be continuing to work with decimals.  Students have been doing a great job reading, writing, comparing and rounding.  We will continue this and dive into operations with decimals.  Students are loving practicing their skills on Prodigy!

Science- We are also continuing our study of electricity.  This week has focused on static electricity and conductors/insulators.  Next week we will look at series and parallel circuits.  Students will receive an electricity study guide next week to prepare for their science test on Monday, November 7th.  We have talked a little about short circuits.  It might be fun to show your child the circuit breaker at your house, and have a conversation about electricity at work!

Let us know if you have any questions!

Red Ribbon Week

Next Week is Red Ribbon Week!  We decorated our door with a Pokemon theme after a class vote!  They did a great job working together, and the door is so cute!

Don'r forget to participate in the themed days next week!  Here is another copy of the flyer if you need a reminder:  Download Red Ribbon Week 2016 I look forward to seeing everyone's red on Monday!

Next week is very busy:

-We have the author Diane Shore coming to Pitner on Tuesday.  All of fifth grade will get to see her that morning.  

-We have our first 4-H lesson of the year Wednesday morning.  Media Center checkout is also Wednesday AND Ms. Perry is coming in the afternoon for a Guidance lesson. 

Plus, we will be making some trips to the Laptop Lab to publish our writing pieces!  It should be a great week!  Don't forget to respond to the Parent Survey when you get a chance: Survey Thanks to those who already have! 

 

 

 

Survey

We have designed a survey because we want to hear back from YOU (the parents)!  We have had great conversations, ideas, and feedback this week.  We want to make sure we are communicating clearly and giving you all the tools you need to stay connected.  The survey asks 5 selected response questions and then has 2 questions for you to provide feedback.  The results are anonymous and we are excited to see what you have to say!

Click here to take the survey! Thanks in advance for your time! 

Next Week: October 24-28

It has been great meeting with everyone for conferences!  We love getting to hear more about our awesome students and telling you about the great things they are doing in fifth grade!  In today's Thursday folder there will be a letter about our BIG fifth grade field trip and a permission slip.  We have to put down a deposit for the buses in November so we are going to go ahead and start collecting money early.  You are welcome to pay all at once or send in installments.  Whatever works for you!  Let us know if you have any questions about the trip or chaperoning.  

Next week in class (we are SO looking forward to our regular schedule):

Writing- We will be publishing and presenting our opinion pieces.  It has been really cool to watch students find research and support their opinions!  Everyone will be typing up their pieces so we will make sure they print two copies: one for home and one for us! They have worked hard on these pieces. 

Reading- We are continuing informational reading with a focus on analyzing multiple accounts of the same event or topic.  We will be reading some different takes on insects, taxes and Yosemite park!

Math- We will be continuing to study decimals.  We really want students to understand what a decimals is (a number!) and where it falls on a number line (in between two whole numbers).  Having a strong understanding of decimals will help students with operations later. 

Science- IDMs are being presented this week and we have seen some really cool projects!  We have seen PowerPoints, posters and even some songs!  Next week, we will continue to study electricity with a focus on series and parallel circuits.  There are a lot of cool games that allow students to "build" these circuits online.  One example is: http://thefusebox.northernpowergrid.com/page/circuitbuilder.cfm

 

Coming Up: Fall Festival on October 29th! 

Next Week: Oct 17-21

The second nine weeks is off to a great start!  Mr. Buscher and I are very excited to meet with everyone next week at conferences.  If you are not sure of your conference time please let us know!  Reminders will be going home the day before as well.  

Writing- Our opinion papers are officially launched!  We are working on our first drafts.  We are really working on using evidence, citing that evidence and writing organized paragraphs.  Next week we will focus on revising by paying close attention to word choice, adding appropriate transitions, and taking out unnecessary details. Due to the shorter days, we will not have a mentor sentence or vocabulary.  

 

Reading- There is so much going on in reading!  Students are enjoying their novels and meeting with their book clubs.  We also have been studying informational texts and using text features (glossary, index, table of contents).  Next week we will continue studying informational texts and start working comparing and contrasting information.   

 

Math- We are wrapping up our BIG unit 1 (order of operations, exponents and powers of ten, whole number operations) and kicking off Unit 2 for the year.  This will be all about decimals.  We will start with a place value review and then work on comparing.  Again, decimals are a great opportunity to talk about money!  We are also continuing to study word problems--especially 2 part problems! 

 

Social Studies/Science- Next week we will wrap up our big IDM: Does location matter?  After that we are transitioning back to Science with our Electricity unit.  We will start off looking at static electricity.  This is easy to talk about when you get shocked opening a car door, pulling out clothes that stick together in the dryer, or playing with a balloon!  

 

Let us know if you have any questions/concerns!  Also, Ms. Stanley wanted to pass on the news that you are invited to the Media Center Open House.  See the invite below:

Download Open House-Ribbon Cutting

Next Week: October 10-14

It's been a good week back from break!  We dove into informational reading, decided on topics for opinion writing, and wrapped up Reconstruction!  Whew!  Today is the last day of the first nine weeks.  Grades will be solidified on ParentVue the beginning of the next week so that report cards can be printed off for Conference Week.  Make sure that you have returned your Conference form confirmation so that we can set the schedule for the week of October 17th.  

Coming up next week:

Writing- We are going to start drafting our opinion papers.  Students have picked a topic, done research and started their graphic organizers.  Next week is all about introductions, adding facts, and organizing our papers.

Reading- We are continuing informational reading.  Students have done a great job finding main idea.  We will continue this next week and review nonfiction text features (table of contents, index, etc). 

Math- We are wrapping up division of whole numbers and will be reviewing everything from Unit 1 before our summative assessment.  This will cover place value, powers of 10, order of operations and whole number multiplication/division. 

Social Studies-To wrap up our Civil War/Reconstruction unit we will work on our Inquiry Design Model.  You can read about this model here: http://www.c3teachers.org/  Students will be answering the question: Does Location Matter?  Many of them already have an opinion on this and are finding examples!

Other updates:

-Book Fair is all next week!  You received a flyer in the Thursday folder for you to browse the selection. 

-Curriculum Night is this Thursday, October 13th.  There will be two informational sessions: Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop.  I will be one of the presenters for the Reading Workshop session if you stop by!   

Welcome back!

Fall break is over and we are getting back to routine!  A few updates/reminders for the week:

1. Class Directory Forms were due back today

You should have received this in the Thursday folder before break.  If you still have this form at home please turn it in tomorrow.  Let me know if you need another copy!

       2. Civil War and Reconstruction test is Friday, October 7th 

Students are receiving their study guide today.  You can also get a copy here:  Download Civil War study guide

Students should have all the answers in their notebooks, but they can also use textbooks or the internet to help them at home.  This study guide should be complete for us to use as a review tool on Thursday.  Students may turn in the guide on Friday when they take their test for 5 bonus points on the assessment!

This is the last nine weeks of Quarter 1--it has really flown by!  Stay tuned for information soon about Conference week to discuss First Quarter Report Cards.