Parent/Teacher Conferences: I will be giving report cards and Thursday Envelopes to you during conferences. I look forward to discussing your child’s progress during fifth grade!
Math: We have been working on subtracting fractions and mixed numbers. Coming up is our test of adding and subtracting fractions. Please, feel free to have your child work on their math facts at home on 99math.com! They especially need to be focusing on their multiplication and division skills for the remainder of the year, as those are necessary in their future math lessons.
Reading: We have finished reading the novel, The Angel Tree, which is a Christmas mystery book about a group of children on a mission to find out who is granting wishes tied to the Angel Tree in town. We finished our book report as a final project to conclude the novel unit. This project has allowed us to share our understanding of the plot, characters, theme, setting, and a personal review of the novel. We will be starting a new novel this week, Indian in the Cupboard.
Writing: This week we will be starting a research paper using the skills we have practiced during our informational writing unit. We are going to be researching different aspects of Norway, and writing a 5 paragraph essay that will be part of the International Fair this April.
Social Studies: We are learning about the history and impact of Martin Luther King, Jr. Our next region we are diving into this week is the Southeast. This region includes Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. We have the opportunity to learn about each state’s history, economy, environment, culture, important places, and important people. Our Pretest for the states and capitals is Wednesday, January 22.
Below is the exact resource I will be using. The maps will be labeled with a number, and the students will write the State and Capital that matches the location on the map. It would be a great resource to print for studying and preparing for the test for each region. When we move on to the next region, we will start with a pretest, and if a student gets 94% or higher on the pretest, then they will not be required to take the final test at the end of the region’s unit. When a student takes the post test for the region, the higher of the two scores will remain in the gradebook.
Technology: Since students become more independent with their learning, and taking more ownership of their organization of school, Mrs. Stava is helping to expose students to proper email use and skills. She has taught us that emails must be productive and meaningful. We discussed the importance of spelling and grammar, and professionalism. We learned the fields in which they will be using, such as the recipient, subject, greeting, body text, closing, and signature. We will be practicing these skills this week.
