Fifth Grade

Written by Kate Grossman:

For awhile, we have been working on fictional stories. So far, we have gotten to the point where some people are typing them. After we type our stories, they get teacher-edited, and then we fix those corrections. The fun part is when we get to add in pictures and change the font, which isn’t until the end. Then, we get to print out our final copies! I have finished my story. In the very beginning, we had to pick a small section of our life and then turn it into a fictional story. My story is about when Daisy lent me a pair of  pants. So in my story, this girl lends her pants to her friend. Those pants turn out to be secret-agent pants. The girl then finds out that her friend is a secret agent too!

Highlights:

• In math this week, we have taken our studies of data and statistics to the next level. Students have been working with scattered coordinate graphs, plotting real data including their height and arm span lengths, and the time and distance of their commutes to school. New concepts include coordinate planes, X and Y axes, plotting points, and making relational statements about their data.
• In theme this week, we studied the fall of Richmond, General Sherman’s devastating campaign through the south, and the ultimate surrender of the Confederate General, Robert E. Lee.
• Students completed their latest Book Buzz presentations, which included an animation project, a 3-D Civil War battle scene, a beaded clay necklace, a beaded sand dollar necklace, book covers, and dioramas.
• We were able to watch the Middle School performance of “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.” This was an excellent opportunity for the students to see some incredible work and really great theater!

Written by Kurt Bruggeman:

About three weeks ago, we started a new project in art. We began making quilt codes from the Civil War. We began by making quilt squares out of fabric – this was the easiest step. Our quilt squares have names, for example one of them is called, “Shoofly” and another is “Monkey Wrench.” The next week, we started making the squares out of foam. This step was  so that we could plan for the clay portion of the project. The foam has the same 3-D dimension as the clay. Up to this point, we had been using only scissors, foam, and glue. This week, we started the clay portion of the project, and we were introduced to lots of new tools. We are using pin tools for making dots in the clay and special knives for cutting the clay. We started with simple shapes, like squares and triangles. Today, we learned the slip and score method to put the shapes onto a slab of clay that we’ve made. We have a few new patterns to pick from such as the North Star, a Log Cabin, Flying Geese, Bow Tie, and Bear Paw. Later on in the process, we will be firing our pieces, which is putting them into an oven-like machine that hardens the clay. Also after that, we will be putting on a couple coats of glaze – which is pretty weird, because you can never judge the glaze by its color – it always changes. We will be glaze-firing it soon!

Highlights:

In theme this week, the students completed their studies of Civil War battles. Throughout the week, partners worked together to conduct their own research on a battle, create a poster out of that research, and present their findings to the rest of the class. Today, the students participated in a “Gallery Walk” where they were able to study each poster and generate a comprehensive list of facts about individual battles. Each student now has a snapshot of eight major battles that occurred during the Civil War.  The snapshots include the date and location of the battle, the Union and Confederate Generals involved, the number of casualties on both sides, which side won, and an interesting fact unique to that battle. The hard work that went into these projects was most impressive!

• We began a new unit in math this week – data and statistics. We have been comparing and contrasting different bar graphs and line plots, and the students have revisited and solidified concepts such as collecting and organizing data, and finding the mode, range, and median of a set of data.
• In current events, the students read about new fossil findings that have led scientists to discover the color of the fur of a prehistoric dinosaur species. We talked about personal and classroom connections, and the students will spend the next week diving through newspaper articles in search of a current news story that is of personal interest and connected to our classroom.
• In writer’s workshop, the students have begun word processing their fiction stories. This part of the editing process will continue into next week.

Written by Lia Nelson:

We are doing battle projects about battles that happened in the Civil War. We have partners, and we each were assigned a battle. Then, we researched it – things like the generals in the battle, where the battle took place, and how many casualties there were in the battle. Then we are going to put all of our information onto a poster and share it with the class. My partner is Ben D., and we are doing the Battle of Shiloh. The Union won this battle, and the two generals were Ulysses S. Grant and Don Carlos Buell. I thought the research was a little hard, but I think it’s going to be fun making the poster.

Highlights:

• In math this week, students have been working with mixed numbers, equivalent fractions, and finding the lowest common multiple with fraction pairs. The students have also been working with adding and subtracting fractions. We have officially concluded our study of fractions and will begin a new unit on Data and Statistics next week.
• The students have begun a new round of Literature Circles this week. New books on the Civil War have been assigned, and the students are expected to read and complete reading responses for the next couple of weeks.
• In our study of the Civil War, the students are now engaged in a partner research project on a specific battle. The students have spent this entire week sifting through books and websites to gather important information on thier assigned battle. They will then put together a poster based on their research and present their battle to the class next week.
• In Current Events, we discussed the geography, culture, and climate of Haiti prior to and after the earthquake that devastated the country this past January. The students are now working on critical thinking essays based on our classroom discussion and a recent Time for Kids news article.
• In Writer’s Workshop, the students have progressed through rounds of peer-editing their fiction stories. They will now spend the next week typing their stories and incorporating the corrections recommended through the peer-editing process. Stories will then undergo a teacher-edit, followed by final drafts.
• Happy Birthday to Ben D. and Daisy!!

The time was May, 1866. The Civil War had ended, and Union General Ulysses S. Grant was headed to Washington D.C. to accept a congress-appointed promotion to Four-Star General. Mr. Grant was kind enough to stop at Baker along his way and share with the 4th and 5th grade classes all about his childhood, his military experience, and the different battles he fought in during the war. His visit offered the students a unique and authentic window into the life and times of Grant and the Civil War. The students were actively engaged and excited to learn various anecdotes of Grant’s life that went way beyond anything we could have read in a book or on the internet. General Grant was the perfect addition to our studies of the Civil War.

A note from Mrs. Leshock

I want to take this opportunity to share with you the plans for our current theme unit on the Civil War. As some of you may know, I am in the gradual take-over process of my student teaching, and it has been quite an exciting journey thus far! We kicked off our exploration with the New Year when the kids where engaged in a classroom simulation of the Civil War. The simulation helped to set the stage for our overarching theme: To Preserve Unity versus Having the Right to Make Our Own Decisions. We began by studying these opposing perspectives and discussed how these very different ideas permeated the hearts and actions of the people living in the north and south.

Since then, we have explored some of the economic and cultural differences between the north and south and how those differences ultimately led to a great war. We learned about the heroic efforts and contributions of Harriet Beecher Stowe (“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”) and Harriet Tubman (the Underground Railroad), and we just completed an in-depth look into slavery. After viewing, “Unchained Memories, Readings From The Slave Narratives,” our slavery study culminated in an interpretive art project. The goal of this project was for the students to analyze and combine all they had learned over the two week time period and turn their knowledge and understanding into a single, interpretive piece. These projects were to demonstrate their understanding and perspective of slavery. This was a thought-provoking assignment and required a lot of abstract thinking. I have to say, we were blown away by the kids’ creativity and thoughtfulness that went into each design.

Currently, we are learning about the life of Abraham Lincoln. They are working in small groups to put together formal presentations, which will be used to teach the class about the different periods in Lincoln’s life. The goal of this activity is for the students to develop and improve on public speaking skills, developing time-lines, and synthesizing information from a text. Moving forward, we will begin our exploration of generals, soldiers, and battles. We will be hearing from General Ulysses S. Grant, a Civil War reenactor, on Friday, which I’m sure will be an exciting presentation! The students will then be partnering up for a research project in which they will choose one battle to study in depth. These studies will culminate in a battle presentation, complete with visuals.

The final portion of our theme unit will be an intensive writing project, which the students will begin in writer’s workshop. For the Civil War writing project, the kids will be writing a variety of articles for a classroom newspaper. Each student will be assigned a journalistic job and a group to work with. Each small group will then create their own newspaper from a northern or southern perspective. Individually, each student will be conducting their own research and writing articles for their group’s paper. The students will also be working in Publisher to put their newspapers together. This final writing project will conclude our theme study of the Civil War, and we are hoping to receive a date for our trip to Springfield very soon.

Now a note from Ms. Ross
In writer’s workshop we are writing narrative stories. We spent the month of January imagining stories developed from ordinary moments. We also experimented with imagining stories that we wish existed in the world. Our next focus was developing believable characters who often share some of our own traits or characteristics. Once the characters came to life the next step was to decide what the characters wanted and yearned for and what got in their way, which will turn into the problem and solution. Before the students were let loose to write, there was one more step. The idea of planning and writing “scenes” by showing and not telling was a lesson that each child benefited from. Lucy Caukins, author and expert of writer’ workshop, Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3–5, compares fiction writing to a brick wall where the bricks (scenes or vignettes) fit together to form the story or “wall”.

Students have now been writing their stories for two weeks and they are finishing with the first drafts. Once first drafts are complete students will peer edit, word process their second drafts, teacher edit and finally revise to a final draft. If students are not yet done with first drafts, stories should be coming home over this long weekend to be completed. The goal is to have published stories by the end of February.

We are completing the fraction, decimal and percents unit. We have explored the concepts of mixed numbers, improper fractions, equivalent fractions, simplifying fractions, renaming fractions to decimals, using the calculator to find decimals, and finally converting and moving between fractions, decimals and percents. We are spending the next few days applying what we have learned through shooting free throws, cutting pizzas and eating M&Ms. Our next mathematics topic will be adding and subtracting fractions and then a unit on data and statistics.
Be sure to watch the Winter Olympics as the students have explored this topic in current events.

We will continue to rotate books for Literature circles. We are in between books over the President’s Day weekend but will start up again right after. There are many good historical fiction books centered on the Civil War. The goal for literature circles is to engage in a meaningful and thought-provoking dialogue. In order to prepare to participate in these meetings, the students are being asked to organize their thoughts on Civil War terms, facts and interesting topics for discussions. Students should also be keeping track of the geography when applicable.

For your viewing pleasure I am including a link from Sir Ken Robinson. He challenges schools to cultivate creativity and acknowledge for multiple types of intelligence.

Written by Lizabeth Raffel:

This week in P.E., we are putting dance and music to poems. I am in a group with Daisy and Elise, and we are doing a poem about a cat getting a jet-pack. We are acting out what the poem is saying, and it’s really fun. Some other groups are making their poems like a play.  Some groups are using our P.E. equipment for props, and some people are doing gymnastics. We will be performing our poems for the other groups once we are ready. It will be a great show!

Highlights:

• Early in the week, the kids heard from renowned storyteller, Beth Horner. She incorporated a variety of musical instruments into her storytelling, including her own voice, a fiddle, and the bagpipes. Not only were the kids enthralled with her stories, but they learned a great deal about how the instruments work.
• The 4th-5th grade Battle of the Books was a huge hit this week. The students demonstrated their knowledge and expertise as well as exceptional sportsmanship and encouragement to other teams. Congratulations to all of the participants!
• This week concluded our in-depth look into slavery as it existed in the south prior to and during the Civil War. We watched and discussed an extremely informative documentary, “Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives,” and the kids will now incorporate all they have learned into an interpretive art piece.
• In Current Events this week, students participated in a National Survey conducted by” Time For Kids” magazine.  Small groups worked together in the classroom to dissect specific data and statistics from the  national survey, and reported their findings to the rest of the class.
• In music, the students are working in groups to create their own music videos! They will be recorded onto flip cameras, and we will find a way to make them available online for you.
• In math we are continuing our exploration of fractions, decimals, and percents. This week’s focus was converting fractions to decimals. Next week we will be adding percents into the mix!

Happy “January” Birthday to Daniela, Lizabeth, and Taylor!!!

Announcements:

• There is an official all-school effort for Haitian relief! The Swimathon/ Walkathon scheduled for Febuary 25 will be donating all of its proceeds to “Doctors without Borders” which will be designated for their efforts in Haiti. BDS Student Council is working hard to put together this fantastic event. More information will be coming home soon.
• The students are beginning to see the fruits of their labor! Back in October, the kids wrote letters to their favorite directors asking them to consider making a film based on their favorite books. So far, Kurt, Allison, and Ben G. have received letters in return that have included a signed autograph and studio goodies. One letter was even hand-written with cartoon sketches. Receiving these letters has been a highlight for these students, and we are hoping for more to arrive in the coming weeks.

This Week’s Highlights:

• Renowned storyteller Beth Horner shared a Civil War story with the kids this week that was truly riveting. If your child has yet to share this with you, be sure to ask him or her about it – it will make for fantastic dinner conversation!
• Students were able to cheer on their favorite teachers and middle school friends during the faculty and middle school “Battle of the Books” competitions this week. More than half of our students are gearing up for their own competition which will take place this coming Tuesday.
• Students have begun a new Lit Circle book this week based on the Civil War. They were able to choose from six different titles, and will complete these books in two weeks. These books will give the students varying perspectives of what life was like for people during the war.
• In theme this week, students dove into the lives, contributions, and accomplishments of two heroic women,  Harriet Beecher Stowe and Harriet Tubman. We learned about the significance of Stowe’s book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and Tubman’s heroic efforts as a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
• In Writer’s Workshop, students completed a “story mountain” which helped them to map and sequence important scenes leading up to the climax. Students are now in a good position to begin writing their fiction pieces.
• In math, we continued our exploration of fractions, decimals, and percents. Students have been working on equivalent fractions and will move into fraction/decimal conversions next week.

We had a busy week after a long, relaxing weekend!

Highlights:

• We began a new unit on Fractions, Decimals, and Percents, and we will spend the next couple of weeks exploring several new concepts.
• In Writer’s Workshop, students continued their in-depth character development, which is the first of several steps in creating a work of fiction. We have moved from physical depictions to realizing and defining character desires and roadblocks.
• In Current Events, we discussed the fast-approaching Winter Olympics and took an in-depth look at some of the cultural events surrounding the games. A website is posted that tracks the Olympic Torch Relay on it’s  journey throughout Canada, and also goes into great detail about the individual sporting events and athletes. Students will use this website to produce an essay for next week.
• During our Civil War theme, we discussed many of the major differences between the North and South that ultimately led our country into the Civil War. We are focusing on an overall theme of  “Preserving Unity vs. Having the Right to Make Your Own Decisions.” Students were engaged in several rich discussions about these opposing ideas.
• Students, along with their Kindergarten Buddies, have settled on a Read-a-Thon to raise money for our H2O for Life service project. This week, they got together and brainstormed several wonderful ideas of ways to make the Read-a-Thon more exciting, more active, and more profitable.