5th Grade

Current Unit:  Reading and Writing about Westward Expansion in the United States

Summary of Unit: 

Westward Ho! During this reading and writing unit we will be taking our wagon trains out west as we travel from the newly established American colonies in the East and move out to the Pacific Coast.  We will explore the different events that lead the pioneers to expand and explore from sea to shining sea.  We will start with the Louisiana Purchase and the expansion of the US territories westward, move into the monumental expedition of Lewis and Clark, read about the journey along the treacherous Oregon Trail, investigate the circumstances and consequences of the Trail of Tears, examine the causes and effects of the California Gold Rush, and determine the necessity and importance of the Transcontinental Railroad.   We will also have a visit from the NY Historical Society, who will be providing an in-school field trip where our fifth grade students will consider how westward expansion impacted pioneers and Indigenous People by studying maps, images and replica touch objects.

Reading: Non-Fiction

Our fantastic fifth graders will be returning to nonfiction reading, focusing on analyzing multiple accounts around different events involved within the historical topic of Westward Expansion in the United States.  Through the use of differing perspectives, and primary and secondary sources, students will see how an author’s point of view is critical to how we understand a text/event and how we learn about history is impacted by the perspective in which we read.  Our students will use their nonfiction reading and research skills to create their own information books.  By gathering information and identifying key ideas and findings from the time period, our readers will gain a better understanding of the causes and effects of Westward Expansion in both the eastern and western portions of the United States.

HOME CONNECTIONS:

Tips for families to support learning

→ Access content vocabulary for our Westward Expansion reading here!

→ Access Ducksters  for more information about the nonfiction topics your child is reading about

→ Use these anchor charts  to help with various nonfiction reading strategies and skills

→ Push your child to read MORE THAN ONE TEXT about a topic.  Ask them to compare and contrast the information they uncover.  Consider the following: Is similar information presented in both texts?  If the information is different, does it discuss the topic from a different point of view/perspective?  Your child will be assigned text sets for Westward Expansion topics, which is the perfect resource to use to compare texts across the same topic/concept.  Click here to access Epic! Reading.

→ Encourage your child to read every night to build stamina.

 

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

→ RAZ Kids has a large variety of fictional reading passages on your child’s reading level - Kids Log-In - please reach out to your child’s teacher if they need their log-in information.

→ Open access reading is available on www.readworks.org/ and www.commonlit.org for short fiction and 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

→ Students are able to read on Sora through the NYC Library.  Click this link to access the Sora Library with your child’s NYC students email address.  

→ Check out videos on different literary elements and historical concepts on Flocabulary

→ Room Recess - reading games for all ages

→ IXL - have your child read nightly on IXL and practice a variety of reading skills.  Check out your child’s  individualized MAP Skills Plan, based upon their January 2024 MAP screener results.  They can work on their skill plans for both reading and math.  We are running a LEADERBOARD competition to see how  many 5th grade skills can be mastered by our awesome students in both classes!

Writing: Persuasive 

As we travel out west, we will be wearing the hat of both a researcher and a teacher.  Students will be enhancing the skills from our first informational writing unit to research about one of the big events that occurred during the period of time in US History known as Westward Expansion.  As we learn about these different events throughout the reading lessons, we will be keeping research notes as writers to be able to refer back to as informational writers. At the conclusion of the unit, students will be able to introduce a topic clearly, provide a general focus, organize related information logically, develop a topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information; include text features, illustrations, and multimedia.  We will be creating a collaborative digital class book to teach our peers and families all about the major events during  this eventful time in US History.

 

Tips for families to support learning

→ Keep a fact tracker.  When reading about the different topics, practice note taking by writing down interesting facts.  Try putting that information in your own words. 

→ 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 informational writing

Informational Writing Scaffolds and Supports - Check out these scaffolds and supports we will use to guide all of our informational writing lessons.  You can use these resources to help you revise and publish your writing. 

5th Grade Informational Writing Rubric - This is the rubric we will be using to grade our informational writing pieces. 

Informational Writing Video - Watch this video to help understand what informational writing is and what is expected of our young writers. 

Westward Expansion Resources - Use these resources to help with your Westward Expansion research! There are so many other important events during this time in history. 

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

ART 

Our creative fifth grade artists will embark on a unique adventure exploring the era of westward expansion through visual artistic expression. 

By channeling their inner pioneers, students will bring this historical period to life through 2D design. These artworks will not only showcase their artistic talent but also demonstrate a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs faced by those who journeyed westward. These captivating artistic creations will be in conjunction with their written reflections.

Stay tuned for a glimpse into both the artistic and written journeys of our young pioneers!

 

We  ❤️  Feedback in Fifth Grade

Jessenia S. - I enjoyed the science investigation about animal life cycles.

Ean P. - We learned about literary essays and creating a thesis.

John S. - I learned how to use the LCD (least common denominator) to help me when adding or subtracting fractions with different denominators.

Angeline V. - We went to the Senior Center to sing the songs we learned in music.

Maliha H. - Something I learned in unit 4 writing is how to angle your evidence towards your claim.

Kayla R. - I have learned in writing for unit 4 is elaborating on your own thinking about your reading.

Leyla V. - Last unit in math, I learned how to add and subtract fractions. A strategy you learned to help me is to find the least common denominator.

Aissata D. - I learned about choosing the "right" evidence, elaborating on your own thinking about your reading, and noting and noticing the author's craft moves.

Adyan G. - I  learned in the last unit in math adding and subtracting fractions.

Mahzabin H. - I learned how to find the theme in reading. The  strategy I used was finding reasons  and evidence from the text to find a theme from the text.

Jacob T. - What I learned in the last unit is to work with a fraction greater than 1 and mixed numbers.