Weekly Updates 2023-2024
Week 32: April 22nd-26th, 2024
This week in READING...we continued reading our novel, Among the Hidden. Our focus skill this week was on mood & tone. Students analyzed various passages from the text to learn more about how the mood & tone can impact the story. Additionally, students participated in partner discussions to help debate & talk about important topics developing in the story.
This week in WRITING...we continued our informational writing unit. This week we selected the topics that we will be writing about. We also learned about the perfect verb tense & how to use it properly.
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES...we continued talking about the Constitution but with the focus of how the Constitution shaped our current government.
Week 31: April 15th-19th, 2024
This week in READING...we started our novel, Among the Hidden. Our focus skill this week was on dystopian literature and elements that authors use to build a dystopian world. Students analyzed various passages from the text to learn more about the setting.
This week in WRITING...we started our informational writing unit. We read various sample essays to learn about the different writing structures used in informational writing.
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES...we wrapped up our unit on the writing of the constitution. Students made their own persuasive posters to convince delegates to support the new plan for the Constitution.
Week 30: April 8th-12th, 2024
This week in READING & WRITING...we started the week out by learning about the total solar eclipse & we even wrote a creative short story about it too! We also a short nonfiction text about the curse of the Hope Diamond. Students analyzed the information to decide whether it was a legend or reality. Our focus skill was on identifying the central idea and supporting details. In grammar, we learned about the progressive verb tense.
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES...we continued our unit on the writing of the constitution. Students learned more about all the steps that were taken to create our current Constitution and the need for the Bill of Rights.
Week 29: April 1st-5th, 2024
It's great to be back! :)
This week in READING...we read an article that will prepare us for our upcoming novel about China's one-child policy. Our focus skill was on writing objective summaries. We practiced this skill in various ways to help us understand how to choose only the most important parts as well as how to paraphrase.
This week in WRITING...we worked on descriptive writing by writing about things that we did over spring break.
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES...we began our unit on the writing of the constitution. Students learned about building issues related to the Articles of Confederation and the Great Compromise.
Week of March 3, 2024
Ms. Moody for Mrs. Cooper
Reading: Fifth graders are still reading "Amal Unbound", and working on annotating the book while discovering new vocabulary and recognizing hyperbole in the upcoming week.
Our fifth graders have also been studying vocabulary words culled from a list of the most frequently used terms on the SAT college exams. Students are given a "10-pack" of words and are tested every other week. With each passing week, their scores have increased; they're doing so well and having fun while learning how an expanded vocabulary is essential to strong communication skills.
In Writing, we will complete a mini-lesson on prepositions. As you may have read in the news, Merriam-Webster has given the green light to using prepositions at the end of a sentence! Why not go for it? In addition to our celebration of the preposition, we started a unit on Persuasive Writing. Specifically, students have so far learned the importance of using "hooks" to capture the attention of readers. They are using this skill in social studies on the following project.
Social Studies: Students completed their "Recruitment Posters," speaking as either Loyalists or Patriots in 18th century America. This week, the posters will be displayed in the classroom; we're inviting some guests to visit and students will present and explain their choices in creating these persuasive posters. We are on Episode 7 of "Revolution!" a 13-part History Channel series on the American Revolution and the War of Independence. Students are answering questions and taking notes while watching each episode. They're enjoying it a great deal and many have asked if they can watch it at home. We've discovered that the links I provide via Google Classroom will not play on our students' accounts. However, if you go to YouTube and search for "13 episodes the revolution History Channel", a playlist has been uploaded by a YouTube user. History Channel may not exactly equal the work of Ken Burns, but as Burns has yet to release a documentary on the American Revolution (although I hear one is in the works!), we're having a great time watching and learning this series. I hope you are able to enjoy it together as a family!
Week of February 12, 2024
Ms. Moody for Mrs. Cooper
Reading: Fifth graders are enjoying "Amal Unbound", a compelling novel about the challenges a young girl faces while growing up in modern-day Pakistan. We focused on figurative language this week.
Our fifth graders have also been studying vocabulary words culled from a list of the most frequently used terms on the SAT college exams. Students are given a "10-pack" of words and are tested every other week. The last batch was a bit light, so we're kicking it up a notch on Tuesday.
In Writing, we started a unit on Persuasive Writing. Specifically, students learned the importance of using "hooks" to capture the attention of readers. They are using this skill in social studies as we...
Social Studies: Students are using Persuasive Writing techniques and creating recruitment posters for the Revolutionary War - Royalist/Loyalist or Rebel Patriot. We're watching the 13-episode documentary called "The Revolution". This week we are starting episode five and hope to get through to episode seven. Students are taking notes while answering highly-specific questions on a note-catcher. While I've posted links to the episodes in Google Classroom, I'm learning they're not opening when students and families want to view at home. I suggest going straight to YouTube and looking up: "Revolution 13 episodes" and someone has created a simple playlist. I'm honestly taken aback by how much our fifth-graders are enjoying this series - and they're doing a fantastic job on their notes! Our long-term goal is to use our notes to answer one solid essay question as we near the end of the series. They're also completing Exit Slips - in addition to the Recruitment Poster project. Busy!
Overall, I'm highly impressed by how much they've matured since October! Great school year!
Week of January 17, 2024
Ms. Moody for Mrs. Cooper
Special Announcement:
Due to the Monday holiday and Tuesday's cancellation due to the cold weather, the fifth-graders of Room 105 will take their Star 360 Reading assessment on Monday, January 22, during their regular Reading/ELA block. Room 107 is scheduled to take their Star 360 Reading assessment on the same day - in the morning during their regular Reading/ELA block.
I know parents are aware of the importance of a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, especially on testing days! I feel strongly that Decatur's fifth graders will perform well on the assessment, and I know we're all rooting for them!
The last two weeks in Reading: Fifth graders began reading "Amal Unbound", a compelling novel about the challenges a young girl faces while growing up in modern-day Pakistan. We are focusing on character traits and comparing and contrasting the complexities of the relationships between characters.
Our fifth graders have also been studying vocabulary words culled from a list of the most frequently used terms on the SAT college exams. Students are given a "10-pack" of words and are tested every other week. I'm thrilled and proud to report that most of our children are not only enjoying the assignment but have even started incorporating the words in their conversation and writing.
In Writing, we will soon begin a special unit on Argumentative Writing.
The last two weeks in Social Studies: Students have started reading, studying, discussing, and writing about the complicated causes of the American Revolution and the events leading to the War of Independence. We are using a combination of resources: Skyline Social Studies Curriculum and a documentary called "Revolution". I plan to post a link to the entire series in Google Classroom if anyone is interested in watching as a family! With a background in History and Political Science, I have to admit I'm personally enjoying this particular unit, and I've started planning a special "American Revolution" project. Details to follow!
December 4-8, 2023
Ms. Moody for Mrs. Cooper
Decatur's fifth graders have also started a new vocabulary program. We are using a list of words representing the most frequently used terms on SAT college exams, and students complete Word-of-the-Day organizers. I was heartened to see how much they enjoy this activity, and many students even took the initiative to create flashcards. They've been using the words throughout the day, showing next-level understanding by correctly using these words in their daily interactions!
This week in WRITING: We reviewed the basic rules for comma usage, and students wrote answers providing text evidence in Reading. Students also employ their strong writing skills in Social Studies by providing both short and essay-styled answers to unit questions. We will soon move into a unit on argumentative writing.
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES: Students explored the European Colonial System. We'll soon be moving on to study the issues that led to the American Revolution: The War of Independence, and I'm hoping to start exploring The US Constitution!
Overall, I'm impressed with the progress fifth graders have made in terms of their classroom behaviors. We have a smooth system in place wherein table team members take turns collecting materials and retrieving Chromebooks. Turning in completed work is even more streamlined. Our goal is to minimize any confusion or downtime when transitioning between activities and lessons - while MAXIMIZING instructional and learning time! Fifth graders are truly maturing intellectually and behaviorally.
November 6 - 9, 2023
Ms. Moody for Mrs. Cooper
This week in READING: Fifth graders finished Freak the Mighty! We are watching the film version, "The Mighty", and notating some of the similarities and differences between the book and the movie, and how those difference impact our understanding of the story. In addition to a final quiz, students are also taking on the persona of one of the major characters and creating a Google Slide collage reflecting the character's relationship with one of the other characters. Doing so demonstrates a keen level of understanding of character development. Next week, we will wrap up the unit by creating "Freak the Mighty" trivia questions to enter in Quizziz for other classes to enjoy!
This week in WRITING: We reviewed the basic rules for paragraphs and when to indent. Students used the proofreading/editing paragraph symbol to notate passages to demonstrate mastery of the rules.
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES: Students explored the power dynamic between Spanish colonizers and Native American peoples. After reading and keeping copious notes, the fifth graders began working on a Constructed Response exploring the complicated relationships resulting from colonization. Their writing is becoming more sophisticated as they learn to more thoroughly defend and support their claim with text evidence.
Week 10: October 23 - 27, 2023
Ms. Moody for Mrs. Cooper
This week in READING: We are nearing the end of Freak the Mighty! Our focus skills this week included thinking, writing, and talking about the THEME of this riveting novel. Students annotated their books, engaged in debrief sessions, and shared some of their most interesting thoughts and ideas stemming from their annotations. The fifth graders are becoming more confident in their peer-to-peer discussions!
This week in WRITING: We reviewed VERB TENSE and identified past, present, and future tense in both regular and irregular verbs.
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES: We explored successful civilizations in the Americas, Africa, and Europe and why they looked to expand. Students read, annotated, and interacted with the text by recording their thoughts in a notecatcher.
Week 9: October 16 - 20, 2023
Ms. Moody for Mrs. Cooper
This week in READING...we read Freak the Mighty. Our focus skills were making inferences, and we're beginning to think about THEME. Students annotated in their books, engaged in debrief sessions, and shared some of their most interesting thoughts and ideas stemming from their annotations.
This week in WRITING...we continued our narrative writing unit. Fifth graders enjoyed peer editing sessions and offered each other advice - in both editing and revising. Students made final revisions and submitted their stories. We're looking forward to publishing/printing and creating a cover for these highly creative stories.
Next week in SOCIAL STUDIES...we will move deeper into Unit 2 and explore successful civilizations in the Americas, Africa, and Europe and why they looked to expand. Students will read, annotate, and write their opinions and impressions in a simple response journal that will be shared with a peer.
Week 8: October 9 - 13, 2023
Ms. Moody for Mrs. Cooper
This week in READING...we are enjoying the novel, Freak the Mighty. Our focus skills were making inferences and figurative language. Students annotated in their books, engaged in a think-pair-discussion as well as analyzed the main characters in the text to get a better understanding of their motivations.
This week in WRITING...we continued our narrative writing unit. We explored how writers use sensory details and figurative language to enhance their descriptions. Students added both figurative language and sensory details to their own writing, making their narratives even more meaningful and exciting. Our grammar mini-lessons included both punctuation and common usage errors. Next week, we will begin working on peer editing.
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES...we continued learning about how Native American nations shaped North America. Next week, we will move deeper into Unit 2 and explore successful civilizations in the Americas, Africa, and Europe and why they looked to expand.
Week 5: September 18th- September 22nd, 2023
This week in READING...our focus skill was on the memoir genre. We read the short story, "The Friend Who Changed My Life" in preparation for our upcoming novel, Freak the Mighty. Students learned about the different elements of a memoir and applied it to the story that we read this week.
This week in WRITING...we began our narrative writing unit this week & learned about 3 different types of narratives: personal, biographical & fictional. Students began gathering ideas to start writing their own narrative next week.
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES...we started our third lesson about Native Americans. Our lesson focus this week was on how Native American societies and governments. have developed and changed over time.
Week 4: September 11th- September 15th, 2023
This week in READING...our focus skill was on nonfiction text structures. We reviewed various types of nonfiction text structures through a series of various tasks & games. In the picture to the right, students worked with partners to color code the different text structures found in a nonfiction text. Students are now able to identify the 6 different types of nonfiction text structures & use those structures to have a deeper understanding of the text.
This week in WRITING...we edited our creative writing story about a problem that a 5th grader could possibly have at Decatur. Students created their final drafts
and were able to share them with their classmates.
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES...we wrapped up our second lesson on Native Americans focusing on the land & resources. We learned that regardless of the region, Native Americans shared many of the same beliefs about how to treat the land & resources.
Week 3: September 4th- September 8th, 2023
This week in READING...our focus skill was on nonfiction text features. We reviewed various typ
es of nonfiction text features & also looked at how to analyze their effectiveness. We read the narrative nonfiction story, "Finding Hope in the Time of War", and students were able to analyze the text features and how they helped support their understanding of the text.
This week in WRITING...we wrote a rough draft of our creative writing story about a problem that a 5th grade could possibly encounter this year school year. After writing our rough drafts, students switched their stories with a partner for some peer editing. We look forward to editing our rough drafts next week and writing our final drafts. Ask you your child what problem they selected for their story!
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES...we wrapped up our first lesson on Native American origin stories & oral traditions. Students reviewed the significance of origin stories and oral traditions for the preservation and continuation of Native American culture.
Week 2: August 28th-September 1st, 2023
This week in READING...our focus skill was on annotating our text and making inferences while reading. We reviewed our anchor chart from last year about annotations and then worked with partners to annotate a short text together. We also read a short story this week "Fancy Dancer", which tied in very nicely with our Social Studies unit. We annotated the text, used clues from the text to make inferences and then pushed our thinking further by completing a choice writing task where students had to write about the main character's experience of participating in a powwow.
This week in WRITING...we began the brainstorming process for a short creative writing piece about overcoming a challenge that students might encounter as 5th graders and how they would solve this problem. They are very excited to have an opportunity to engage in some narrative creative writing that can also help prepare them for possible obstacles this school year!
This week in SOCIAL STUDIES...we began our first unit about Native Americans in North America. Our lesson this week was about how history is told through origin stories, traditions and science.
Week 1: August 21st-August 25, 2023
In literacy & social studies, we had a great time building community in our classroom and getting right back
into the swing of a new year. Students participated in hexagonal thinking, where they had to find connections between themselves and their classmates. We also completed an activity where students created a visual of what makes up their personality both inside and outside to help e
ach other have a better understanding of their classmates. In addition to community building tasks, we read two great picture books, After the Fall and The Magical Yet to help facilitate our discussions about having a growth mindset as we start this new year. I’m looking forward to jumping right into our curriculum next week!