Fifth Grade
Welcome back! It’s been a great semester so far in the fifth grade, but there is still so much more to do. The fifth graders have been working hard since their return from break in all the different areas of school.
Reading has brought about some changes. We are still working with "Treasures" in the classroom. Our theme for this unit is “Team Up to Survive.” Throughout the weeks of this unit, we have been and will be working on problem and solution, main idea and details, fact and opinion, drawing conclusions, and character and setting. Along with those comprehension skills, we have also been discussing pronouns. The fifth graders have also been learning how to write a comparing and contrasting essay. The changes in reading have occurred in small groups. We have changed the groups around and made it so that more time can be spent with a teacher during small group time so that the instruction can be more intense. In addition, there is also a time after lunch when the fifth graders break into four groups and each group is working on different things with a teacher.
The fifth graders have been hard thinkers in Math. We started off the new year dealing with long equations and working them the correct way according to the order of operations. We have also dealt with different ways that a number can be written. More recently, the fifth graders have been working with positive and negative numbers. This has included just knowing what a negative number really means, adding positive and negative numbers, and subtracting positive and negative numbers. Up next in math is work with fractions. This will include comparing fractions, adding and subtracting mixed numbers, multiplying fractions, and even a little bit of fraction division. This unit will require a lot of hard work and practice.
We have been learning about meteorology in Science. Scientists who study weather are called meteorologists. We have learned about temperature, air pressure, moisture in the air (humidity, clouds, dew, precipitation), and wind. We learned how to read a thermometer, barometer, and rain gauge. We have made weather station models using the weather for the day (temperature, barometer, cloud coverage, wind speed and direction). We have used the information that we collect and predicted the weather. We can calculate wind chill and heat index. We then learned about the major storms, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and blizzards, and their dangers. Pairs of students then created power points telling about a certain storm and its safety rules. Many groups included videos showing a storm in action. We will start on our electrical unit next.
Becoming a country has been the talk in Social Studies. The fifth graders have been learning about how the original colonies were controlled by England and eventually, the colonists ended up fighting to become their own country. After we finish this unit, the students will then learn about the growth of our country and research some inventions that were important during this growth.
We would like to also take this opportunity to thank you for the help you are giving your child at home. With that support, you child is able to be successful. Make sure you keep them reading, doing homework, and studying for tests at home. It truly is a BIG help! One reminder…please make sure that your child is coming to school with the proper winter gear which includes winter coats, hats, gloves, snow boots, and snow pants. We look forward to getting to talk to each of you at Parent Teacher Conferences on February 9th.
