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- Learning Highlights and Updates
January 29
Posted by Sarah Silver on 1/29/2023
Dear 5S Community -
Greetings from Room 402! Please read on for classroom information and curriculum updates.
Classroom Information
Passion Projects: Most students have finished and shared their Passion Projects with the class. It was a delight to see so much creativity and self-guidance as the students pursued their interests. The presentation process involved either a set of Google Slides, a poster, a narration of their creative process (along with their artifact(s)) or a combination of these options.
Travel and Extended Absences: If your child will be missing school for an extended period, please prepare in advance by completing Family Educational Tour or Trip form here. Please read here for more information and the rationale. Thank you in advance.
Human Development Lesson: Nurse Lisa Flanagan visited our class on Friday for the human development lesson. Given the sensitive nature of the topics, the students did an excellent job of being mature and composed. After, we had a few follow-up questions and
some brief discussions. If your child was absent or did not attend, you can find the video we viewed here.
Upcoming Events:
January 31 - Fraction baking lesson*
February 3 - SPARK arts acting through history
February 6 - SPARK arts acting through history
February 10 - SPARK arts acting through history
February 13 - No School - Professional Development
February 14 - SPARK arts acting through history & Valentine's Day (TBD)
February 17 - SPARK arts acting through history
February 20 - No School, President’s Day
*We still need a few items for Tuesday’s lesson. Please visit the Sign Up Genius Link here if you can help out!
Curriculum Update
ELA: We have finished the first section of the Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. In addition, students researched to build background knowledge on the fur trade and interactions between the Ojibwe tribe and the Europeans. After, student wrote an essay summarizing the impact of these interactions as well identifying whether the impact could be classified as positive, negative or a combination.
In combination with our Science unit, students began an informational writing project about a space topic of their choosing. After narrowing a topic, formulating big questions around the main ideas, students started researching and taking notes using nonfiction books and through teacher approved websites. Note-taking consists using key words and phrases in bullet point structure so that students can draft their information using their own words. of Early this week, students will begin drafting the body section of their informational report. The project will conclude with a focus on writing an introduction and a conclusion prior to typing the report in Google Docs.
**Please make sure that your student is reading every day for 30 minutes. Students should be finishing about one chapter book per week.**
Math: After finishing fraction computation with unlike denominators, students are now using estimation with benchmark fractions to determine the reasonableness of an answer. The Lesson 14 quiz will be taken mid-week. Then, we will be reviewing all of Unit 2 (nine lessons!) prior to taking the end-of-unit assessment.
For specific information on each Lesson, please find the Family Letters on the 5S website here. As you will see, Unit 2 has nine lessons with 3-4 sessions in each lesson so we will be spending a considerable amount of time exploring, developing and refining decimals and fractions concepts.
Social Studies & Spark Arts: This coming week we will begin our next Social Studies unit on the French and Indian War in combination with our Spark Arts residency on acting through history. Students will have the unique opportunity to transfer their knowledge gained about the French and Indian War through dramatic script writing and performance.
Science: Students are been researching and collecting evidence on space related patterns such as the interaction between the sun’s altitude and shadow lengths throughout the years as well as the interactions between Earth’s tilt, the sun’s altitude, temperatures and seasonal patterns. Using the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning model for scientific writing, students have been practicing formulating an evidence-based argument in order to explain these interactions.
SEL: This month's focus is on Perseverance. Students demonstrated their perseverance while completing their Passion Projects!
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out as necessary.
In partnership,
Sarah Silver