Week of March 28, 2016

Informational Writing Sharing Party

​Highlights from Last Week:
Closing our informational writing project was fun and rewarding. We had a sharing party to celebrate all of our hard work. Then students impressed me even more with their “on-demand” informational writing assessments. They showed improvements in all areas, especially in researching, organizing, and using a friendly and informative teaching tone.
 
On Thursday, students sang beautifully for the Council on Aging, a group of senior citizens around the Sherborn area. The different colored t-shirts worn by the entire 5th grade looked like a rainbow of joy.
 
Students learned about unusual ways to raise money for a cause. We had a visit from the founders of Haymakers for Hope, which hosts amateur boxing matches to raise money for cancer research.
 
Putting our informational writing skills to use, students are writing about the causes of the American Revolution in a creative project. Students are conducting historical research and learning how to explain cause and effect.

 
What we didn't get to:

• In Math, scaling and resizing.
• In Writing, the business letter.
• In Reading, only one group finished their book.
• In Social Studies, we only got started on our “Causes of the Revolution” projects.

This Week's Plan
 
Special:
Busy week! We've got our first MCAS tests this week in English Language Arts. Please make sure students bring in multiple healthy snacks and a bottled drink. Students should not bring in an assortment of gum or candy. 

• Tuesday, March 29th  –Grade 5 English Language Arts MCAS Session 1
• Wednesday, March 30th   –Grade 5 English Language Arts MCAS Session 2 (this one will be timed with some "PARCC-like" elements.
• Thursday, March 31st –Meteorologist Math Noyes, weather presentation (11:00am)
• Thursday from 3-6pm –Talent Show Dress Rehearsal
• Friday, April 1st –Pine Hill Talent Show!! (6-9pm)

Math: 
Finish Multiplication of Fractions. Begin Division of Fractions.

• Scaling and Resizing –Fraction multiplication can help us scale dimensions to be larger or smaller.
• Fraction Division –We will use number lines and pictures to represent dividing with fractions.
  
  

Writing:  
Begin Business Letter Writing.

• Business Letter–As part of our Global Citizenship project, we will learn to write business letters that take a formal tone in order to inform and persuade members of an organization.
  
  

Reading:
Book Groups. Point of View.

• Point of View in Fiction –We will describe how a narrator’s point of view influences how events are described.
• Point of View in Informational Texts –We will analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic.
• Book Groups –Some groups may wrap up this week.

 
Social Studies:
Finish up the Causes of the American Revolution.

• Write an Informational Text describing the causes that lead up to the American Revolution. This will be used as an assessment. Students may conduct additional research.

 
Homework:
Please visit the Homework Page for more details.

• Homework Project: Invention Convention project, due Wednesday, April 6th.
• Math: There will be a page or two of math practice each night.
• Reading: 25 minutes of daily independent reading is expected. Students should log it in their Planners. 
• Reading Response Blog:  Students must reply to my comment by Friday.

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