Plans Week of September 22, 2014

Marc had a clear, complete, and accurate response to a math problem about cookies.

Review
Last week was our second full week. We had a lot going on, from the School Picnic to Curriculum Night. Students worked hard and had fun while learning.

Highlights:

• We debated and voted to create our very own class rules.
  
• Students learned about some properties of water through hands-on science experiments. For example, students learned about cohesion and surface tensions after trying to float a paper clip on water.

• Using a checklist of 5th grade writing goals, students measured their own writing and began targeting their areas of weakness.
  
• We finished the lessons in Unit 1 of math, focusing on factors, multiples, divisibility, and prime and composite numbers.
  
• Students thoughtfully blogged about their reading on our class reading blog. I am delighted by all of the activity!

What We Didn't Get To

• In Reading, we didn't get to learn about how to keep track of our thinking using sticky notes or our reading journals.
  
• In Writing, we didn't get to read the work of published authors to spark our ideas for our own stories.
  
• In Math, we didn't get to play Factor Bingo.
  
• In Science, we only started discussing the characteristics of a pond.
  

Special
Rosh Hashanah is from sundown on Wednesday to sundown on Friday, so in honor of the Jewish New Year, there is no school on Thursday, September 25.


Reading
Here are the reading lessons we will be working on this week:

• Keep track of our thinking during reading using sticky notes and using the Reading Journal.
• Use higher-order thinking skills embodied in Larry Bell's twelve power verbs within the context of literature. We'll be reading the following books throughout the week by Eve Bunting: "A Day's Work," "The Memory String," "My Red Balloon," and "The Wednesday Surprise." 
• Analyze and describe a character using evidence from the text.
• Analyze a character's change over time using evidence from the text.

Writing:
Here are the writing lessons we will be working on this week:

• Read the words of other authors to spark our own story ideas.
  
• Flash draft (writing fast and furious) to get the words on the page in one sitting.
  
• Determine what our stories are really about and revise to bring out the heart of the story.
  

Math:
Here are the math lessons we will be working on this week:

• Review concepts for our first math assessment on Tuesday. Click here for the Study Guide.
  
• Learn how to correct our assessments and set goals for ourselves.
  
• Analyze a complex, multi-step problem, persevere in solving it, and share strategies.
  

Science
Our study of Pond Life this week:

• Scientific observational drawings.
  
• We'll learn about the parts of a microscope and use one to examine life.
  
• We'll read about ponds and the organism that live in them.
  

Thanks for Reading!
So that's the plan for the week. Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or concerns.

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