5th Grade Chronicle
January 13, 2012
Available online at http://mrssmithsfifthgrade.com

Please feel free to contact me anytime.
I can be reached at 816-628-4113 or by email at smiths@kearney.k12.mo.us

 

No School Monday!

Bowling Fieldtrip notes went out yesterday.  Please be sure to sign the form and return the $4 as soon as possible.

English / Language Arts

We have been working on Theme 7 the past two weeks.  It focuses on Creating Images when reading.  Students use all of their senses to connect to their reading.

 

Students began reading their first book club assignments this week.  Each group has a different novel of their choosing and we will begin discussions next week.

 

We have also been focusing on our second semester AIMS reading testing this week.

Math

We jumped into a quick view of equivalent fractions and then began our unit with exponents. Students have been working with writing very large and very small numbers in scientific and exponential notation. We reviewed standard, number and word, and expanded notation also. We spent some time also working with parentheses in number sentences and how to make a number model true using parentheses. This led us to studying the orders of operations. Ask your student what Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally means. We use word play to help use remember the order of operations! I through in some work with time this week also. This is a skill many students need review with due to digital clocks. Please give your child an opportunity to read and work on figuring elapsed time using an analog clock. We wrapped up the section with a quiz on Friday

Science

We have jumped right back into science this year with the study of “Inside Living Things.”  Students are learning about cells, body organs, and body systems.  We are coving a general overview of most of the body systems, except the reproductive system.  Students have lots of questions about the human body, so be sure to ask your child about what he/she has been learning about in science.

 

Social Studies

In social studies we have been discussing the 13 original colonies of the United States.  Students are learning about how each of the regions and colonies were different, as well as, creating a map.