Adding and Subtracting Unlike Fractions

This Week in Room 33! Jan. 26-30

Don't forget- our field trip to the Sheldon Theater for a performance on the history of jazz is tomorrow (Tuesday!) Here's what to expect this week in 5th grade-

Science- We will continue our study on the inner and outer planets.

Writing- I am so proud of our memoir work! Our 1st memoirs will be going home on Tuesday to be shared with families and portfolios will be due on Thursday. 

This week we are beginning our 2nd memoir piece! We are challenging ourselves to look deeply within for a new perspective to focus our next piece on. We will be flash drafting, revising the expository portions of our memoir, and reconsidering the finer points (focusing in on important and revealing details). 

Below are some thought prompts we are using to study ourselves as we might study characters in a book. These thoughts can lead to new memoir ideas. I would encourage families to use these prompts to spark discussions at home! 

Thought Prompts to Help Us Better Understand Ourselves

• Some people think I'm... But really I'm...
• Early on, (I had this problem). Later, (I changed).
• My ideas about myself are complicated. On the one hand, I think... On the other hand, I think...
• Experiences/relationships/struggles can teach us...
• When ______ first happened to me, I thought it was about... But now I realize it was really about...

Math- This week we are adding/subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, problem solving, estimating sums/differences, adding/subtracting mixed numbers, and subtracting mixed numbers with renaming. We will be reviewing chapter 9 on Friday and Monday. Our chapter 9 test will be on Tuesday, Feb. 3rd! 

Reading- We are busy readers as we are beginning our historical fiction literature circle meetings this week! Lit. circles will meet on Tuesdays and Fridays. Students are responsible for reading their assigned chapters by the meeting so they can participate in group discussions and higher level thinking about their text. We are also reading aloud The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and learning how historical fiction readers think, connect, and relate the characters' experiences to the true historical event. 

Social Studies- This week we are discussing Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, and Spanish explorers such as Cortez, Ponce de Leon, Coronado, and deSoto.

Reminders-

1/27 Field Trip to Sheldon

1/30 Concord Family BINGO

Rounding Fractions

So far this week we have learned how to round fractions to 0, 1/2, or 1. We also learned how to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator. The final thing we learned this week in math was turning a improper fraction into a mixed number. So far we've had a busy week in Math!!

Prism

Prism is really fun. You can still do it.

This is an example of a prism box.

This Week in Room 33! Jan. 20-23

I hope everyone enjoyed their 3-day weekend! Looking forward to seeing everyone! Here's what to expect this week in 5th grade-

Science- We will be studying the inner and outer planets this week. Students will begin a mini-research project/presentation on a planet during stations. 

Writing- Students will be revising, editing, and celebrating their 1st memoir this week! Completed memoirs will be due Friday for our celebration. 

Math- Our chapter 8 "quiz" (since this is a shorter chapter we are calling it a quiz rather than a test) is on Tuesday. Our next chapter will be on adding and subtracting fractions. 

Reading- We will begin our historical fiction literature circles this week. We will also continue to study memoirs in addition to historical fiction by paying close attention to external and internal story lines and using thought prompts to better understand the characters.

Social Studies- We will finish up our study on Martin Luther King Jr. and continue to discuss and research our historical events of our literature circle books. 

Other Reminders-

1/27- Field Trip to Sheldon

1/30- Concord Family Trivia Night

Early Release Today!!

Science- We learned about the sun and constellations

Math- We learned how a fraction can also be a decimal

Reading- We went over December reading evaluate questions

Today we had early release due to teachers meetings 

Have a great day!

This Week in Room 33- Jan. 12-16

I hope everyone is adjusting well to the new year! We are full steam ahead in 5th grade! Here's what to expect this week-

Science- We are continuing our study on Earth and Space. We are learning that the reason for the seasons isn't about the Earth's distance from the sun, but rather Earth's tilt! Ask your student to explain the difference between our hemisphere receiving direct or indirect sunlight. This week we will also learn about stars.

PRISM REMINDER- If your student is completing the PRISM project, please refer to THIS BLOG POST. Students should turn in their green PRISM proposal sheet to me and the pink PRISM sheet. The PRISM booklet this year is online- CLICK HERE!

Writing- We are continuing our study of memoirs by finding and growing ideas, pushing our thinking, and adding depth to our writing by asking ourselves "What is the deeper theme or message we want to convey?" We are also studying and planning our structures and will draft our first piece!

Math- We are wrapping up chapter 8 on fractions and decimals this week! Our test on chapter 8 will be next Tuesday, Jan. 20. The study guide (pgs. 601-602 #1-8ALL #9-27 ODDS) will be due Friday for our review day!

Reading- We are continuing to study memoirs in reading and will also begin to explore historical fiction in literature circles (book clubs)! 

Social Studies- We will spend some time discussing Martin Luther King Jr. and his impact and influence on our lives today.

Reminders:

Tomorrow (Wed.) is Early Release!

Mon. 1/19- No School!

Tue. 1/27- Field Trip to Sheldon

This Week in Room 33! Jan. 5-9

Welcome back! Thank you SO much for a fantastic winter party and for all the sweet and thoughtful gifts. I felt so spoiled and appreciated! :) :) I hope everyone enjoyed their winter break and that you are all relaxed and ready for the 2nd half of 5th grade! Here's what is going on this week-

Science- We are starting a new unit on Earth and Space (chapter 9)! Our first lesson focuses on how Earth moves. REMINDER- If your student is interested in completing a PRISM investigation project, he/she should be following the suggested timeline- SEE THIS BLOG POST!

Writing- We are beginning an exciting and challenging unit on memoirs! A memoir is a hybrid kind of writing, including elements of both personal narrative and personal essay. We are raising the level of our craft by adding in more reflection, opinions, and thoughts. We will then be supporting our thoughts with evidence in the form of personal stories! As a reminder, students should be spending 10 minutes each night writing- they can write in their writer's notebook or they can write an email to me or on their Google drive!

Math- We are now in Volume 2 of our math series and starting chapter 8 on fractions and decimals. Students should NOT throw away Volume 1 because we will need to return to chapter 7 at a later time. This week our focus is on relating fractions and division, greatest common factor, simplest form, problem solving, and least common multiple. Please practice those basic multiplication facts with your student- it is SO important to know them quickly in order to efficiently perform these new skills. Thank you for all your hard work at home!

Reading- We are studying memoirs in reading to connect with our writing unit! We are excited to work with small guided reading groups this week and will begin literature circles next week!

Social Studies- We will be studying the Renaissance and new inventions in Europe. This will lead us to discussions about famous sailors/explorers such as Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco de Gama, and Christopher Columbus.

Reminders/Upcoming Dates:
Wed. 1/14- Early Release
Mon. 1/19 No School
Tue. 1/27- Field Trip to Sheldon Theater