5th Grade

Current Unit:  Module 9 - Unexpected, Unexplained + Module 10 - The Lives of Animals

Module 9 Reading:

Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about mysterious events, with a focus on the mystery genre. We will read texts and view videos about why people are drawn to mysteries and driven to solve them. Children will also write an opinion essay about which mysteries in the module are the most believable and which seem made up for entertainment.

 

HOME CONNECTIONS:

Tips for families to support learning

→Set aside time daily for your child to share with you what he or she is learning. Use these ideas to help build your child’s knowledge about the topic:

• Talk about the ideas your child has added to the Knowledge Map each week.
• Ask about the texts your child is reading and what he or she has learned from them.
• Share with your child your own questions about the topic, and work together to find the

answers.

→The genre focus in this module is mystery. Discuss with your child the characteristics of this genre. Ask your child to read to you each day and make time to read together. Look for texts that:

• spark your child’s curiosity
• tie to the module topic
• describe interesting characters and events
• present a conflict and show how it is resolved

→ Build Vocabulary: Use these ideas to help your child build a rich vocabulary. 

• The Big Idea:  Reinforce the topic words suspense, falsify, factor, and effect in everyday conversations with your child. Use prompts like these: What factors can change your mood? Is suspense exciting? Why?
• What Does It Mean?: Have your child keep a growing list of the Critical Vocabulary words. Quiz each other on their meanings.
• Word Hunt:  Look for words with the roots fac, fec, fy and the suffixes –y, –ion, –ic, –less, –ous/–ious, –al, –ant, –ment in books, magazines, online texts, and environmental print.

 

Use these websites/materials to support your child’s learning at home:

→ RAZ Kids has a large variety of nonfiction reading passages on your child’s reading level - Kids Log-In

→ Open access reading is available on www.readworks.org/   for short nonfiction passages on a variety of reading levels - have your child log in using their NYC email account and they are connected to our classroom

→ Targeted reading lessons on IXL that correlate to the objectives and lesson foci of this unit. 

These will be updated weekly.  

→ Room Recess - reading games for all ages

Module 10 Reading:

Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about the lives of animals, with a focus on the informational text genre. We will read texts and view videos about the amazing characteristics and abilities of animals. Children will also write an expository essay that compares animal interactions and human interactions.

 

HOME CONNECTIONS:

Tips for families to support learning

→Set aside time daily for your child to share with you what he or she is learning. Use these ideas to help build your child’s knowledge about the topic:

• Talk about the ideas your child has added to the Knowledge Map each week.
• Ask about the texts your child is reading and what he or she has learned from them.
• Share with your child your own questions about the topic, and work together to find the

answers.

→The genre focus in this module is informational text. Discuss with your child the characteristics of this genre. Ask your child to read to you each day and make time to read together. Look for texts that:

• spark your child’s curiosity
• tie to the module topic
• express a clear central idea
• include text and graphic features
• have a particular tone
• use precise and descriptive words

→ Build Vocabulary: Use these ideas to help your child build a rich vocabulary. 

• The Big Idea:  Reinforce the topic words tension, antisocial, bond, and relationship in everyday conversations with your child. Use prompts like these: With whom do you feel a strong bond? When do you feel tension?
• What Does It Mean?: Have your child keep a growing list of the Critical Vocabulary words. Quiz each other on their meanings.
• Word Hunt:  Look for words with prefixes in–, anti–, and pre– and Latin root bene in books,magazines, online texts, and environmental print.

 

Use these websites/materials to support your child’s learning at home:

→ RAZ Kids has a large variety of nonfiction reading passages on your child’s reading level - Kids Log-In

→ Open access reading is available on www.readworks.org/ for short nonfiction passages on a variety of reading levels - have your child log in using their NYC email account and they are connected to our classroom

→ Targeted reading lessons on IXL that correlate to the objectives and lesson foci of this unit.  These will be updated weekly.  

→ Room Recess - reading games for all ages

Writing: Literary Essays

Students will be working with different forms of literature, both digital and print, to write thought-provoking literary essays throughout this unit.   We will be refining claims about themes to be more precise, gathering and organizing reasons and evidence logically based on our analysis of the character's words, and explaining how feelings and actions (as well as using language) when writing arguments should be specific to the story.  Most importantly, students will understand the style and tone of various types of argument writing related to literary analysis and "not just an opinion" about a topic.   Students will be using the Panyee Football Club as a Mentor Text to drive the unit.   Through the analysis of different pieces of literature (both fiction and nonfiction) students will be angling evidence from the texts to support their claim about the text.   Students will be completing two writing pieces over the course of this unit and showcase their ability to integrate information from multiple texts as well as their ability to deeply analyze the characters, plot, setting and dialogue in a text. 

 

Tips for families to support learning

→ Provide a place for your child to write. 

→ Read, read, read! 

→ Encourage your child to keep a writer's notebook.

→ Provide authentic writing opportunities for your child. 

→ Be a writing role model. 

→ Ask questions. 

→ Help your child publish their writing.

 

Check out these resources that we are going to use to guide our literary essay writing

Anchor Charts 

 

5 Paragraph Essay Flocabulary Video

 

What’s a Thesis Flocabulary Video

 

Paraphrasing Flocabulary Video

 

Five Paragraph Essay BrainPop Video

 

Math Topics 8 and 9: Multiplying and Dividing Fractions 

 

We will begin this unit by applying and extending previous understandings of multiplication to multiply a fraction by a whole number or a fraction. We will also be multiplying mixed numbers. We learn how to multiply fractions and mixed numbers using hundredths grids. We will extend on the 4th grade skill of finding the area of a rectangle by using fraction side lengths. Then we will interpret multiplication as scaling or resizing. We will create multiplication rules just like we did for decimals! 

 

Next, we will interpret a fraction as division of the numerator by the denominator. The fraction line means division! We will apply and extend previous understandings of division to divide unit fractions by whole numbers and whole numbers by unit fractions. Throughout the entire unit, we will solve real world problems involving multiplication and division of fractions, mixed numbers, and whole numbers. We will continuously stress the importance of using math vocabulary when speaking and in solutions.

 

**It is extremely important that children know their basic multiplication and division facts.

 

Exemplars

Ask your child about our Exemplars work! We are working on showing our thinking not only with an algorithm but with a representation. They are creating plans with math vocabulary. They are labeling their representations with keys. They are verifying their results and they are making connections. They take each task a step further by doing something extra!

 

Tips for families to support learning

→ Practice your Multiplication facts

→ Basic Facts Flash Cards 

→ Cook with your child and have discussions about the recipes. 

→ Have them multiply recipes to create more servings.

→ Have them divide recipes to create less servings.

 

Use these websites to support your child’s learning at home with fractions:

→ http://www.math-play.com/fractions-board-game/fractions-board-game_html5.html 

→ http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/math/fractions/add-sub-unlike-denom.htm 

→ https://www.mathgames.com/skill/5.77-add-and-subtract-fractions-with-unlike-denominators 

→ https://www.mathgames.com/skill/5.85-multiply-fractions 

→ https://braingenie.ck12.org/skills/102631 

→ https://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/fractions/mathman_fractions_add_uncommon.htm 

 

Science: 

Humans have been observing the Moon, the stars, and other objects in space and recording their observations since the Paleolithic Era. Records that demonstrate an attention to the observable patterns in space range from miniature to megalithic and can be carved or built from stone, crafted from clay or metal, or carved in bone. Observing and recording the apparent patterns of movement of the Moon, the sun, and other stars has allowed people to track and mark the passage of time for millennia. Archaeoastronomers investigate how ancient cultures viewed and understood astronomical phenomena and the role that astronomy played in society. In this unit, students take on the role of astronomers, helping a team of archaeologists at the fictional Museum of Archaeology. Students are asked to figure out and explain the significance of the illustrations on a recently discovered thousand-year-old artifact with a missing piece, the anchor phenomenon for the unit. Students observe and investigate patterns in the sky by day and by night with kinesthetic models, as well as using a digital simulation, and informational text. They learn that stars are all around us in space, develop an understanding of scale and distance in the universe, and discover how the spin and orbit of our planet causes us to observe daily and yearly patterns of stars. Students apply their understanding of why we see different stars at different times to explain what is shown on the artifact, and what might be on the missing piece.

 

Tips for families to support learning

To support your child at home there are resources posted on your child’s Google Classroom under the Science topic.  You can check out the different simulations and ask your child to explain what they have been learning using the following question prompts:

 

Chapter 1: Why don’t we see a lot of stars in the daytime?

Chapter 2: Why is the sun up sometimes, but not other times?

Chapter 3: Why do we see different stars at different times of year?

Chapter 4: How can we investigate why we see different stars on different nights

 

Use these websites to support your child’s learning at home:

→ Students can work on the “Teacher Recommended” lessons that correlate to the Amplify Science topics and lessons.  

→ Students can explore the unit simulations at home through the links in Google Classroom.

→ Additional 3rd and 4th grade science topics are available for practice on IXL - this will help them review for science topics that may appear on the NYS Science Exam in May.

 

Materials:

Amplify Science digital tools, Amplify Science Simulations, investigations notebook/packet

 

Art: 

Our fifth-grade artists have officially moved into the world of urban design and architecture. In this project, students are transforming multi-media ideas into a mini village. By applying their knowledge of line, shape, and color, they began by mapping out intricate bird's-eye view landscapes featuring winding roads and buildings/houses. This lesson challenges students to think like both artists and engineers, balancing aesthetic choices with planning. We are so impressed by the architectural diversity and vibrant community spirit shining through in their tiny towns!

  

Music: Students in 5th Grade will begin learning the song “The Mystery of Your Gift” by Josh Groban. The lyrics of the song talk about searching within your own life to find the gifts that you can give the world. Students will be drawing connections between the lyrics of the song and their own lives. As they read about mysteries in their HMH unit, the students will be drawing connections between their future life being a mystery that they will unravel as they progress to middle school. By learning this song, the students will practice singing with appropriate pitch, posture and tone.

In addition, students in 5th grade are learning to play the soprano recorder. Home recorders for additional practice can be purchased at the link below. The students are using the recorder to practice reading notes on the treble clef staff.  

SPARK: In their fifteen session partnership with SPARK New Victory Theater, the students have been developing and performing monologues in small groups or alone. The students are permitted to select a cause that resonates with them, like technology access, racial equality or gender equality . Their work draws connections to their learnings in Civics for All. 

Health: Some adolescents are at risk for HIV transmission because they face barriers to accessing trusted information, testing, and other sexual health care. Students are learning the foundational skills of identifying trusted and reliable resources and how to access them can lead to increased HIV testing and treatment when they get older. It can also reduce stigma and enhance decision- making skills for social, emotional, mental, and physical health and well-being.

Students will demonstrate how to advocate for changes to improve the health of kids in New York by working independently to complete Creating an Advocacy Campaign. This will lead to our final project which consists of a 4 square that assesses what HIV is, transmission, tests/treatment, and how to advocate.

Physical Education: 

We are so excited the nicer weather is finally here! We are hoping it is here to stay and we can get back outside to play. In the Spring, the 5th grade will be focusing on building teamwork, improving their fitness, and learning new games and activities. Students will reinforce important skills such as throwing, catching, kicking, dribbling and running through fun activities such as relay races, kickball, basketball, Wiffle Ball and team challenges. We will also spend some time working on endurance and strength to help our bodies stay healthy and strong.

Remember as the weather gets nicer, please remember to wear sneakers every day. Please do not forget to label all sweaters and jackets.

 

We  ❤️  Feedback in Fifth Grade

 

Math: 

Alexa A.: I like how we are learning how to multiply fractions. It is important to learn because it is something we can use in our everyday lives. 

Jason C.: We are learning about multiplying and dividing fractions.  It is important because it can help me work with common fractions, like halves, quarters, and wholes.

Shuayb A.: I learned how to add fractions.  You need to find the LCD.  When you are finished solving, you need to simplify your answer.    

 

Reading:

Nusaiba R.: We have learned about graphic features in nonfiction texts.  They are important because they give the reader a better understanding of the topic.  If you don’t understand something, you might be able to learn more from the pictures or diagrams.  

Erick M.: We have learned different types of text structures, like compare and contrast.  Text structures help me as a reader because it connects back to the meaning of the story.  If it is “problem and solution,” you know there will be some kind of conflict.  

Ayleen P.: I am working on finding the central idea.  I can think about what the text is teaching me about, as well as repeated words.  

 

Writing:

Levi C.: I learned how there are very few urban gardens, which is a problem.  As a writer, I learned to use sensory details and a “call to action” to inspire my reader.  

Noah F.: In order to get a reader interested, we need to hook the reader by giving shocking facts and statistics.  You need to give reasons to support your reader and a counterclaim to disprove the other side of the opinion.  

Evan M.: Doing an editorial helps the writer express how they feel about a topic and you can give your own opinion.  I used strong words and big details in order to convince people who are reading my writing to come to “my side” of the argument.  

 

Science: 

Kaira A.: Something that I have learned about the sky and space is that a star can be light years away from Earth.  The bigger the light years, the farther away something is. 

Anthony S.: The reason you can’t see stars in the daylight is because the sun overwhelms  the stars’ light.   

Ethan J.: We learned about how the sun is so bright that we can not see the stars during the day.  In our simulation, we can see the star patterns called constellations