Week 30

TWiG5: This Week in Grade 5...


Excitement is in the air as spring break is around the corner...the kids have shared their plans for the break and we wish you all a safe and happy 11 days off!
Don't forget to read over the break!

• Reminders that April 8 & 9 are holidays!
• As we return the Book parade will be on April 10th - the theme will be 'Graphic Novels'. 
• We completed our second puberty talk this week.

Reading & Writing Integrated Unit

Students continue to read, research and note-take within their research groups. The issues students are reading about include:

• Should plastic bottles be banned?
• Should plastic bags be banned?
• Should orca shows be banned?
• Should more resources be put towards space exploration or ocean exploration? 
• Should extreme sports be banned?
• Should schools serve chocolate milk?
• Should people be allowed to climb Mount Everest? 

Groups have held mini debates around their issues to help clarify thinking, become flexible thinkers, raise new research questions and deepen understanding. Students are working to deepen conversations by asking, “What moves can people make that help a conversation to deepen and grow reacher?” Using a video as a model, as well as sentence starters, students are holding interesting conversations; responding in respectful ways to build on each others' ideas. This week, we will also work to see research as a continual cycle of reading more, raising new questions, and having new ideas...then reading more, this time with those new ideas in mind.

Students have been working on developing claims in their writing as they continue with several drafts, practicing strategies such as using 'words that persuade' and supporting claims with reasons and evidence.


Math
      
Module 5 - This week students begin by reasoning about and working with three-dimensional shapes. They explore cubic units and move toward calculations of volumes of rectangular prisms. Students also extend their two-dimensional work with area to figures with fractional side lengths. This module bridges the Grade 4 work on area with the Grade 6 work on volume and area to come in Middle School.

New vocabulary includes: 

Base: one face of a three dimensional 

Solid—often thought of as the surface upon which the solid rests 

Bisect: divide into two equal parts 

Cubic units: cubes of the same size used for measuring 

Height: adjacent layers of the base that form a rectangular prism 
Hierarchy: series of ordered groupings of shapes 

Unit cube: cube whose sides all measure 1 unit 

Volume of a solid: measurement of space or capacity

Science

We are heading into the last week of this unit on Earth changes due to the slow processes of weathering and erosion. The assessment project is the science blog which has been building up, step by step over the weeks, from the students' experiences in the science lab and their expanding knowledge from the classroom and field trip. The students will be given a checklist which they are responsible for completing while managing their time. These blogs will be shared with you at during the May Student-Led Conferences!  We will be starting a unit on a Social Studies unit on World Development in Science & Technology in the near future.

Circle Solutions

We have enjoyed reading a book titled: When Worry Takes Control" by Liz Haske. Students have shared strategies on how to handle worry. This book has led to some great conversations. Ask your child about the book.

Your partners in education,

LeeAnn Kasal lkasal@cacegypt.org

Caitlin Johnson cjohnson@cacegypt.org

Bonnie Greene barmstronggreene@cacegypt.org

Jonathan O'Sullivan josullivan@cacegypt.org