Week of April 7-11

Hi Families,

   We all finished our English Language Arts MCAS tests early this week. Students all seemed very focused and tried their best.
   We have a field trip on Monday! We will be visiting Appleton Farms in South Hamilton to learn about decomposers, decomposition, and animal behaviors on a farm. We encourage your child to wear their Barrows 5th Grade T-shirt underneath their jacket (maybe on top of a layer).
    Temperatures will be cooler north of Reading where the farm is located. The morning and early afternoon will also be on the cooler side. Please have your child dress in layers, including a jacket.
     Students should wear old sneakers or hiking boots. We will be walking around a farm with wetland-like conditions and their shoes will get dirty. Crocs are NOT permitted. Students will not be permitted to use their cell phones or devices while on the field trip. 

   Each student should bring their back pack with them on the field trip. Please have them pack:

• A lunch. You can pack in a lunch box or disposable bag. 
• A snack. 
• A reusable water bottle with a lid that does not leak.
• A towel to sit on during lunch.
• A sweatshirt or jacket.
• An extra pair of socks (just in case shoes get wet).

   This will be a very fun, hands-on, outdoor field trip!

   Next week is Spirit Week!  Tuesday: Sports Day. Wednesday: Dress like a food. Thursday: Travel back in time. Friday: Dress to impress or relax.

   Here is what we’ve been up to this past week.

Math 
Unit 6: More Decimal and Fraction Operations
    This week we worked on adding and subtracting fractions. We learned how to find common denominators using either multiplication or a multiplication grid. We multiplied fractions by a form of 1 (such as 2/2, 3/3, 4/4, etc) to create equivalent fractions with common denominators. We also learned how to regroup mixed numbers when subtracting a larger fraction. For example, 2 ⅓ - ⅔ can be solved by regrouping the 2 wholes into 1 and 3/3, and then combining the 3/3 and ⅓. Students then could subtract the ⅔ from 1 4/3, which would get them 1 ⅔. 

• Yet again, a plea to continue quizzing your child on their basic multiplication facts. Try flipping them to division, such as “54 ÷ 6” to help them build flexibility with these facts. Thank you!

English Language Arts
Unit 4: The Civil War Era
     We continue learning about enslavement and the lead up to the Civil War. This week we learned about Nat Turner’s Rebellion, where enslaved people rose up violently against enslavers, and John Brown’s raid, “one of the best planned and best executed conspiracies that ever failed.” We also learned about Abraham Lincoln and how his election enraged the southern, pro-slavery states, triggering the Civil War. Students practiced answering questions about their reading and writing short responses.

Science
     This week we made long-overdue conclusions about our acid rain experiment, realizing that acid affects all parts of a plant, leaves, roots, and stems. When plants lose leaves, they can’t photosynthesize and make food for themselves. When their roots are damaged, they can’t draw in nutrients. 
   We then began Unit 6 on Force and Motion. We set up our “Sled Dog and Friction” Lab, experimenting with how different surfaces (rough and smooth) create friction on a “sled”. Students apply different levels of force (using gravity and weights) to the sled. They collect data on how much force is needed to move a sled over different surfaces and compare results.

Community Building
    In our Second Step lesson this week we learned about avoiding assumptions. We discussed various assumptions we might make about our peers and how often those assumptions are wrong. I encouraged students to be careful about assuming negative things about their peers and to ask questions before jumping to conclusions during disagreements. 

Homework
   Homework was not consistent this week, particularly because of MCAS. Homework will also be light next week too.
   You can stay on top of your child’s homework with my Homework Assignment Log. 

Upcoming Events

• April 14:  Appleton Farms Field Trip
• April 21-25: April Break
• April 28: Band Night 6 pm - 8pm at Coolidge
• May 13 & 14:  5th grade Math MCAS
• May 19 & 20:  5th grade Science MCAS 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!​

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