Week 34

Reminders:

• Spark Park Dedication - May 6th, 9:30am
• Science STAAR Test - May 10th
• Cumulative Social Studies Test - May 17th
• Portfolio Picnics - May 15-17th from 12:05-1:05pm and May 18th from 5:30-6:30pm. If you have not yet returned the paper that went home in last week’s Tuesday folder, please email me when you plan on coming. This will greatly help with planning for that week.
• 5th Grade End of Year Activities Schedule:
• Tuesday, May 23rd (9-11am) – Games2U Rotation at Roberts: video game truck, laser tag, foam pit. Please send a change of clothes!
• Tuesday, May 23rd (6pm) - Promotion Ceremony at Pershing Middle School Auditorium, 3838 Blue Bonnet Blvd.  There will be a professional photographer at Promotion from whom you can order photos directly.
• Wednesday, May 24th (9-11:30am) – Trip to University of Houston Student Center for bowling with glow effects, ping pong, etc. Students need to wear their 5th grade shirt and socks. (12-2pm) Pizza, DJ, Memory book signing, Photo Booth, Shaved Ice, and Pizza at Roberts

Math: This week we are finishing up our unit on triangles. We will have a test on Thursday of this week and our usual POD quiz on Friday. Probability, up next!

Reading: We will begin our final ELA project of the year, more information will be given in a handout on Monday. Spelling and Quizlet on Friday, May 5th.

Science: This week we will continue to review for our Science STAAR test as we cover Matter & Energy, Earth & Space, and Organisms & Environments. (More) Science Review Terms, science notebooks, textbooks, and previously linked videos are excellent study resources.

Social Studies: This week we will begin to review for our end of year social studies test. Social Studies Review Terms, notebook notes, newspapers, and review materials from this week and next in the S.S. folder are great resources for studying.

Week 33

Reminders:

• Field trip on Thursday, 4/27 to the Freedom Train performance at Miller Outdoor Theater. Buses will depart at 10:00am and we should arrive back at Roberts by 1:00pm. Please ensure that your student has a sack (disposable) lunch with plenty of water, a towel to sit on, hat, and sunscreen & bug repellent applied before school. We will also be wearing our 5th grade t-shirt (white with red sleeves).
• Spark Park dedication - May 6th
• Science STAAR - May 10th

Math: This week we will continue to look at how the area of triangles is related to the area of quadrilaterals. Math Antics - Area is a great video to review the calculation skills (area of triangles begins at 4:53).

Reading: Most of our book club groups finished their novels on Friday, 4/21 or Monday, 4/24. This week we will begin our “buffet book reports,” instructions will be given out on Monday and completed projects will be due on Friday, 4/28. Spelling and quizlet quizzes on Friday, 4/28.

Social Studies: We will finish up our week 22 newspaper, “Changing Times” and begin our week 23 newspaper, “WWI and the Great Depression.” These articles will help us analyze various issues and events of the 20th century including industrialization, urbanization, increased usage of oil and gas, the Great Depression, world wars, civil rights movement, and military actions.

Science: STAAR review - We will continue our focus on force, motion, and energy - there will be a short quiz on Monday along with a class Jeopardy game. Next, we will dive into our review of Earth and space science. This includes the water cycle, weather vs. climate, formation of sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels, alternative energy sources, earth, moon, and sun patterns, and much more. Science notebooks, textbooks, and previously linked videos are excellent study resources!

Week 32

Reminders:

• Freedom Train - On Tuesday, a permission slip will be sent home for our upcoming field trip to Miller Outdoor Theater. We will attend a performance about a mother and son’s journey to freedom on the underground railroad. Our trip is set for Thursday, 4/27, and we plan to sit on the hill and have lunch while we are there. Your child will need to pack a hat, small (beach) towel, and a disposable sack lunch. Since this event is quickly approaching, I appreciate your help in returning the signed forms and $6.00 (cash) fee as soon as possible. Also, please email me if you would be interested in joining us as a chaperone. Thanks for your support!
• Father-Daughter Dance - Friday, 4/21 (6-8pm)
• When I Grow Up Career Expo - Saturday, 4/22

Math: We will have our test on percentages on Wednesday, 4/19. On Thursday, we will cover area of triangles. Area of a Triangle is an introductory video on to calculate this, skip ahead to 4:53. POD quiz on Friday, 4/21.

Science: We will finish up force and motion this week and have a small quiz on Tuesday, 4/18. On Thursday, we will begin our cumulative review of all of 5th grade science TEKS in preparation for our upcoming STAAR test, which is May 10th. Students have excellent notes in their science journals and science textbooks are also a great resource to look back through.  I encourage students go to back to Study Jams to review as well.

Reading: We are continuing our book clubs this week. We will have spelling and quizlet this Friday, 4/21.

Social Studies: This week we are covering social, economic, and political issues that occurred in the beginning of the 20th century. This includes women's rights, the suffrage movement, and labor laws.

Week 31

Reminders:

• No school on Friday, 4/14. Due to the shortened week, our Friday quizzes will take place on Thursday, 4/13.
• Tuesday, 4/11, is spirit night at Jerry Built Burgers

Math: Review of ratios and test on Tuesday, 4/11. From there, we will begin to look at writing and converting values into percentages. Math Antics - Percents.

Reading: We are continuing our book clubs this week, students must come prepared to discuss their assigned pages and have their job completed on paper. Spelling and quizlet quizzes on Thursday, 4/13.

Science: We will start our unit on force and motion, along with experimental design to help test related concepts. Study Jams ("Force and Motion" tab) has some great videos to take a look at. We will also be having a science district level assessment (DLA) on Thursday to collect data and drive instruction as we quickly approach the STAAR on May 10th.

Social Studies: This week we are focusing on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad and its economical impact on the United States.

Week 30

Math: Ratios with real-world applications. We will also resume our usual “Problem of the Day,” “Exit Ticket,” and “Number of the Day” routines this week.

Reading: Book Club “Shortcut” projects due on Monday, April 3rd. We will begin our next book club novels on Tuesday. Spelling and Quizlet quizzes on Friday.

Science: This week we will be studying heredity and biomes. We will also continue to work on our life science projects (Part 1: Brochure - due Tuesday 4/4 & Part 2: Zoology Textbook Page - due Monday, 4/10)

Social Studies: We will continue to learn about, and discuss the Civil War using our week 19 newspapers. Civil War test on Thursday, 4/6.

Week 29

Hello all! This is a very important week for the kids to “show what they know” on STAAR math (Tuesday) and reading (Wednesday). Parents can continue to support these efforts by providing a healthy breakfast, clean snacks (the kids know what I mean by this!), and a good night’s sleep prior to testing. I have also discussed excellent review resources to look over this weekend: math journal and folder (POD questions), Go Math textbooks, Think Through Math, Quizlet Vocab (link in last week’s blog), Math Antics Videos, reading folder (and previous practice passages), and blue reading workbook to name a few! We have worked very hard this year, and I feel confident that this group will do great! Also, please ask your child what they plan to “brain dump” on their test come Tuesday!

Math: On Thursday, we will begin to take a look at ratios and equivalent ratios. This video acts as a great introduction: Ratios

Reading: Book club groups wrapped up last week, so we will be getting started with our projects. A description of options will be given on Wednesday, and projects will be due on Monday, 4/3. Spelling and Quizlet quizzes will take place on Friday.

Science: This week we are continuing our unit on life science and adaptations. The students will explore different animal and plant adaptations. We will also be going over heredity and complete vs. incomplete metamorphosis. Study Jams has plant and animal adaptation videos that would be great to take a look at.

Social Studies: We will be continuing the Civil War… Students have their week 18 newspaper to take notes on as weekend homework (more great summarization and main idea practice!) We will review and have a cumulative test on the Civil War the following week.

Week 28

I hope you have all had a wonderful spring break! As we prepare to get back into the normal routine on Monday, here is a look at our upcoming week.

Math: Our in-class review will cover input/output tables, dot plots, scatter plots, stem & leaf plots, geometry (polygons), and financial literacy. Again, students are encouraged to review at home by looking back through their math notebooks and folders (especially POD and exit tickets), checking out 5th Grade Math Quizlet Review, and logging on to Think Through Math for extra practice. Math STAAR: Tuesday, March 28

Reading: We are finishing our book club novels this week and will be meeting in groups to discuss jobs. Students will be assigned their book project (centered around the jobs they’ve been working on throughout the novel) which will be due on 3/31. We will also be focusing on summarization and reading passage skills in preparation for the quickly approaching STAAR test. At home practice may include: reading aloud to someone and focusing on inferencing, summarizing, and predicting, working through practice passages in blue workbook, reviewing objectives in reading folder, and checking out 5th Grade Reading Quizlet Review. Reading STAAR: Wednesday, March 29

Quizlet and spelling quizzes on Friday.

Science: This week we are covering invasive species and plant/animal adaptations. Here are some great videos for review: Study Jams - under the “Plants” tab -> Roots & Stems, Flowers, Plants with Seeds. Under the “Animals” tab -> Animal Life Cycles

Social Studies: Civil War - students will continue to learn the causes of the war, the differences between the Northern and Southern economies at that time, states' rights, slavery/underground railroad, and a couple of key battles of the war.