Science Week of November 11th

We started the week with a quiz covering body systems. For Tuesday through Thursday, we will move into the study of disease and disease prevention.  Our three big questions for this unit are:
Why do we get sick?  Why do we get better?  How can we prevent the spread of disease?
Friday will be our Science Project work day! No more quizzes this week and your homework is to keep on plugging away at those science projects!!

***Be sure to use the information found in the "Science Fair Project Folder" in GoogleDocs.  We are on Week 4!  Throughout this week, I will be checking with you to see how your project is coming along.  The written report is due December 9th and you will present your project to your class Dec. 9th-19th. BWIS Science Night is January 30th! 

Social Studies Week of Nov. 11

This week we will begin learning about Meso-America and South America and the Native Americans in this region, including the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca.  I showed a video this week as an introduction to these cultures, and it was very well received by the students!  Upon their request, here's the link for that video so that you can watch at home.  Homework will be light this week since there aren't enough of the purple books for each student to have one to take home.  Instead, we'll be doing a lot of in class activities.  We won't be using History Alive for this unit.

HISTORY: Learning Targets

Essential question:

How have ideas and events from the past shaped the Western Hemisphere today?

Learning targets

- I can construct a multi-tier timeline and analyze the relationships among events. (HIST1)

- I can compare characteristics of early Indian civilizations (governments, social structures, religions, technologies, and agricultural practices and products). (HIST2)

GEOGRAPHY: Learning targets

Essential question: 

How does where you live influence how you live?

I can make generalizations about the cultural ways of life among American Indian cultural groups in North and South America. (GEO8)

LA Week of Nov. 11

Unit 2, Week 4: Up in the Air

This week students will read another science nonfiction piece from Treasures.  It is all about flight and the various inventions throughout history.  

Essential Question: Why is it important to verify facts and distinguish them from opinions?

Comprehension: Fact and Opinion

Vocabulary: Greek Roots

Fluency: Rate and Accuracy

Spelling: Contractions, Multisyllabic Words

Grammar: Possessive nouns, adding s or 's

Spelling Words-you've, she'd, that's, what's, doesn't, there's, you're, wasn't, we'll, we've, we're, couldn't, I've, didn't, they're, shouldn't, wouldn't, he'd, don't, isn't

Vocabulary Words-launched, particles, dense, inflate, anchored, companion, scientific, hydrogen

Graven Homework

Monday-read p.192-217, practice book p.75-83 due Thursday, Study Island Fact and Opinion due Friday

Tuesday-practice book p.75-83 due Thursday, Study Island Fact and Opinion due Friday

Wednesday-practice book p.75-83 due Thursday, Study Island Fact and Opinion due Friday

Thursday-selection test, practice book p.75-83 due, Study Island Fact and Opinion due Friday

Friday-Study Island Fact and Opinion due, spelling test, skills test

*Nov. 20-First Reading Counts quiz due on a book in your lexile level

Wright Homework

Mon-  Read Treasures pages 194-217, Practice Book p.73-80 due THUR

Tue-  Re-read Treasures pages 194-217, PB p 73-80 due THUR

Thur- Selection Test

Fri- Skills Test, Spelling Test

**You should have your Reading Counts quiz done for your independent reading book by 12/9/13!!

Bodker Homework

Mon-Read Treasures p. 196-213 Practice p. 74
Tues- Practice P. 78
Wed-Practice p. 73
Thur-Practice p. 77, Study spelling words Reading Selection Test
Fri-Spelling Test, Skills Test

**Students should have their first Reading Counts quiz completed 11/22.
**Students shold have a second Reading Counts quiz completed by 12/17.

Math Week of Nov 4th

This week in 5th Grade Math students will be discussing the properties of polygons.  Students will then learn the explanation behind why all the angles of a triangle total 180 degrees. Ask your child if he or she can explain it to you.  Students will then use the triangle method to find the sum of a polygons interior angles.  Students will understand that the measure of an angle is determined by the angle not the length of it's side.
Students will have a unit review on Thursday in preparation for a unit assessment on Friday.  Students will be allowed to use their notes.  They have been advised of the notes they will need and to bring them with them to class on Friday.

Homework

Mon- Polygon review worksheet
Tues-Polygon/triangle worksheet
Wed- math journal 90 and 91
Thurs-Review for Geometry test
Fri- Unit Assessment

SS Native American Presentations

The students presented their SS Native American projects Monday and Tuesday in class.  Most kids seemed to enjoy using the smart board and sharing their research with their classmates.  I was impressed with their overall projects and enthusiasm throughout the process.  Nice job to all!~Mrs. Graven

Science Week of Nov 4th

We continue with our study of human body systems this week.  The areas we will look at include the cardiovascular, digestive, and nervous systems.  Remember, our goals for this unit are to understand the functions of each system and be able to discuss how the systems are interconnected.

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT UPDATE!!
For week 3 and week 4 you should be running your experiment and collecting all the data that you can.  Be sure to keep track of you observations in GoogleDocs or in a paper journal. Take accurate measurements!

I won't be checking progress until next week, so be sure to stay on task.  We will have a science project work day again this Friday, November 8th.

***Body systems quiz will be next Monday 11/11/13!

RISE October

Congrats to Grace, Halley, Ana, and Jack for being recognized at last Wednesday's RISE assembly.  These students have continuously demonstrated the characteristics of RISE; Responsibility, Integrity, Scholarly, and Exploration.  Keep it up!  

Conferences Nov. 4 and Nov. 7

 

We are looking forward to meeting with those of you that scheduled conferences this week for fall parent/teacher conferences.  Mrs. Graven, Mr. Wright, and Mrs. Bodker will be present at all of the conferences.  All conferences will be held in Mr. Wright's classroom, and students are welcome to join for the 15 minutes if you wish.  The Book Fair will also take place in the library.

If you did not get to schedule a conference this time and would still like to, please send us an email and we'll do our best to update you on your child's progress via email, phone, or a scheduled conference.  Please also note that our team is always willing to meet with you at any point in the school year as needs arise.  BWIS will hold spring conferences as well.  Thanks for your continued support! 

SS Week of Nov. 4

We will wrap up the North American Native American group projects with presentations in class on Monday and Tuesday.  Ask your child to show you their group's presentation on Google Docs!  Later this week we will begin learning about Native Americans of South America.

Learning Target: I can make generalizations about the cultural ways of life among American Indian cultural groups in North and South America.

Homework

Monday-Group Presentations

Tuesday-Group Presentations, all students complete group work evaluation

LA Week of Nov. 4

Unit 2, Week 3: "These Robots Are Wild"

READING: This week students will read "These Robots Are Wild", which is an expository text about scientific discoveries in robots. Paired selections will include "The Code Breakers" (expository text) and "Preventing Polio" (expository test practice).  Look at all of the the science connections we're having this week!

This Week's Language Arts Skills and Strategies
Strategy: Monitor Comprehension
Skill: Author's Purpose
Genre: Expository
Fluency: Phrasing
Phonics/Spelling: Inflectional endings
Grammar/Mechanics: More plural nouns, plural forms, appositives
Vocabulary: Greek and Latin Roots
Study Island: Author's Purpose

Spelling Words-inflectional endings
jogging, forbidding, complicated, dripping, referred, qualified, skimmed, injured, threatening, accepted, deserved, gnarled, amusing, applied, envied, easing, relied, fascinated, regretted, renewing

Vocabulary Words
investigating, observed, inhibit, conquer, insight

GRAVEN

Always-Read 30 minutes each night. Continue Study Island practice.
Monday-read Treasures p. 180-191, practice book pages 65-74 due Thursday, Study Island Author's Purpose due Friday
Tuesday-practice book pages 65-74 due Thursday, Study Island Author's Purpose due Friday
Wednesday-practice book pages 65-74 due Thursday, Study Island Author's Purpose due Friday
Thursday-practice book pages 65-74 due, selection test, Study Island Author's Purpose due Friday
Friday-spelling test, skills test, Study Island Author's Purpose due

*Study Island for LA is back up and running!

WRITING: Congrats to KATIE!!!!!!! She is the Graven winner for the monster of the week contest. She created "Fuzzy Bottom Bang Bang" to win the votes of her classmates. Second place went to Cameron with "The Boogie Man". Third place was Mykaela with "Mrs. Mommy Hero".   All of the monsters were fun to hear in class before Halloween last week.  Congrats to the winners!

LEXILE: Students will select a book within their Lexile level for silent reading.  They will 
need to take a Reading Counts quiz on this book this quarter.  Two book quizzes are required for the 2nd quarter. 

WRIGHT
Read Treasures pages 190-189, Complete Practice Book pages 64-71
*Comprehension Questions from pages 187 and 189 DUE THURSDAY for HW Check
*Final Revise/Edit of Perfect Classroom DUE FRIDAY

BODKER
Read 30 minutes Daily (First Reading Counts Test due Nov22)
Practice spelling words nightly.  Test -Friday
Final writing Draft for Searching for Cures due-Thurs
Mon- Read The Robots are Wild p.184-187, practice p. 65, Practice Spelling Words
Tues-Practice Page 66
Wed-Practice p.64
Thurs-Practice p. 68 Reading Comp. Test
Fri-Reading Skills Test, Spelling Test, Searching for Cures  writing assignment due.