Week of 10/6

Dear families,

What a great week we had last week! We enjoyed watching the movie, Bridge to Terabithia, after finishing the book. It was nice to spend our lunch together that way. The movie is so different from the book, and it was neat to discuss what changes were made and to imagine why the screenwriters made those changes. Students also earned a popcorn party on Friday as a behavior reward! We are using Class Dojo to track student behavior. I have not signed you up to receive behavior notifications from the Class Dojo website because I think you receive enough emails from me :) However, if you would like to get a daily update on your child's in-class behavior, please let me know and I can set that up for you.

We also had a great time learning about childhood cancer, ways that laughter can relieve pain for people who are sick, and making a video to use our knowledge about laughter for the #whipchildhoodcancer challenge! See our video below:

If you haven't signed up for a conference yet, please do so. Thanks to everyone who has already signed up for a conference! We are asking students to attend their parent-teacher conferences this year, and so far, it has been a great experience. I believe it's important for students to hear all the good things we say about them and to learn about ways to improve in either academics or behavior. 

Please click HERE to sign up for a conference. There are morning time slots for each day of the week, and there are also sign ups during the day for Monday, October 13th. There is NO SCHOOL on October 13th for students. It is designated as a parent-conference/workday for teachers. 

As usual, the week ahead is a busy one. Let's take a look:
Coming Up This Week:

• Mon, 10/6: Class Dojo Reward Day
• Tues, 10/7: Family Tree project given out during social studies
• Wed, 10/8: Walk to School Day (meet at Rock Creek Park)
• Fri, 10/10: Reading test (main idea); OREO essay due; math homework due
• Mon, 10/13: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Reading/ELA
Standards

• RI.5.2. Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
• W.5.1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

We are not doing rotations this week. We have a lot of activities that will help us practice main idea to get us ready for our test on Friday! 
Activities

• Monday: Ice Cream interactives for main idea/details
• Tuesday: "Our Amazing Earth" main idea foldable book
• Wednesday: Big Picture activity for main idea
• Thursday: Practice main idea quiz and study guide
• Friday: Summative assessment for main idea

What We're Reading

• "Urban Jungle"
• various articles on Martin Luther King, Jr.
• One for the Murphy's

What We're Writing

• Opinion writing based on a variety of texts (final essay due on Friday; students may need to work on this at home)

Mathematics
Standards

• NBT.5 Fluently multiply multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.

We are starting a new unit that will last for the next 3 weeks. We are working on multiplying whole-digit numbers for a week and a half, and then in the middle of next week, we are learning division (long division, that is) of multi-digit whole numbers. The test will be in 3 weeks. We are multiplying large numbers (403 x 267) and dividing large numbers (6,792 ÷ 53). 
Videos to Watch
I HIGHLY recommend that you watch the following videos from LearnZillion.com to help you become familiar with the methods we'll be using in class. One of the biggest concerns parents have expressed to me is that they don't know the methods we use in class. These videos will show you exactly how we're working the math in class. As usual, feel free to email me if you have questions or want to come in to meet about the math. 
Visit www.learnzillion.com and enter in the following quick codes:

• Multiplication - Standard Algorithm (the way you know how to do it): LZ4391
• Multiplication - Area Model Strategy: LZ4389
• Multiplication - Partial Products Strategy: LZ4390
• Division - Estimate with Equations: LZ550
• Division - Area Model Strategy: LZ552
• Division - Rectangular Array: LZ553
• Division - Expanded Notation: LZ554

Activities

• Buddy Work: QR codes with task cards
• Exercise Your Brain (Mrs. Thompson): Multiplication tasks
• All By Myself: Multiplication practice (color-by-answer, "Morning Star") and Multiplication Crossword Puzzles
• Math Online: IXL F.7, F.1, F.10, F.11, and F.14

Social Studies
My homeroom is back with me for the next two weeks! This is our "Changing Nation" unit. Feel free to visit our social studies website, www.5socialstudies.weebly.com, and click the "Changing Nation" tab at the top. You will find the PowerPoint we'll be using in class as well as other interesting tidbits for this unit.
Standards

• SS5H3 The student will describe how life changed in America at the turn of the century. 
  
  1. Describe the role of the cattle trails in the late 19th century; include the Black Cowboys of Texas, the Great Western Cattle Trail, and the Chisholm Trail. 
     
  2. Describe the impact on American life of the Wright brothers (flight), George Washington Carver (science), Alexander Graham Bell (communication), and Thomas Edison (electricity). 
     
  3. Explain  how  William  McKinley  and  Theodore  Roosevelt  expanded  America’s role in the world; include the Spanish-American War and the building of the Panama Canal. 
     
  4. Describe the reasons people emigrated to the United States, from where they emigrated, and where they settled. 
     
  5. Describe the impact of westward expansion on Native Americans; include the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the relocation of Native Americans to reservations. 

Topics

• Monday: Cowboys & Cattle Trails
  
• Tuesday: Gold Rush and Battle of Little Big Horn
  
• Wednesday: Industrial Revolution & Inventors
  
• Thursday: Becoming a World Power
  
• Friday: Immigration

Family Tree Project
Students will be given a Family Tree project on Tuesday that will be due next Friday, 10/17. Students should conduct some informal research to find out family information to present to the class. Students should make a poster, PowerPoint, shoebox diorama, or other presentation to show the class on Friday. We are sensitive to the fact that some kids don't know a lot about their families; we just want to encourage students to learn more about themselves and the people who have shaped their lives. If you have any questions about this project, please email me. 
Assessment: Next Thursday, 10/16
Socrative (multiple choice) and essay questions