This Week in Room 33! Sept. 6-9

I hope everyone had a wonderful 3-day weekend! A big thank you to all the parents that read through last week's ABC's of Mrs. Schaefer & Miss Hake's Classroom and for taking the time to check out the Parents tab at the top of the blog. Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! Please do not hesitate to email me with any questions or thoughts!

Here's what to expect this week in 5th grade...

Science- We are continuing to work hard as scientists in our first unit on scientific investigations. We will be completing a series of 3 investigations to complete this unit. This week we will conduct the evaporation investigation and the paper towel investigation. We are using the scientific method and our science notebooks to record our data and conclusions!

Writing- This week we are continuing our unit on personal narratives. Last week we chose our seed story, flash drafted and even RE-drafted to bring out the heart of our story- what it is really about. We will continue to work on revision this week as we bring forth the story arc, elaborate on the important parts, adding scenes from the past and future, and revising our leads and endings. 

Reading- We are working really hard on our goals to read more than EVER before this year! We have also been learning that it is not only about VOLUME but about the QUALITY of our reading- our metacognition (thinking about our thinking!) We are showing our deep thinking about our books by using our reader's notebook. This week we are learning to think analytically and taking a closer look at our characters and their struggles.We will also begin our first book clubs later this week!

Math- This week we are finishing up our study of place value by reviewing on Tuesday and Wednesday. Our chapter 1 test will be on Thursday! Students are always encouraged to study by doing practice problems in their textbook. Because we do not complete every problem in their book during school, there will always be an abundance of practice available to them. Study guide details will be given via an email. Another fantastic resource is their online textbook (see parents tab for video on how to access this). Each lesson has practice problems students can complete and the computer will check their answers (look for the checkmark icon).

Social Studies- We are beginning our Social Studies workshop this week as we dive into our study of Ancient Americans. We will participate in stations that include reading and discussing the textbook with a teacher, continuing to explore the textbook and Native American cultures, eCapstone library, and completing a regions map in their notebooks.