Dear families,
This is our last week before Thanksgiving break. I just can't believe it! This year is flying by.
We are feeding the homeless this coming Friday. I believe the slips that came home said that we are doing it on Thursday. Please note the date change. We will start around 10 am, and we'll be making 50 lunches per class. These will be delivered to homeless and needy families in the Gainesville area. We are in need of bread, sandwich baggies, pretzels, peanut butter, jelly, fruit, and cookies. Thank you!
School Events
Tues, 11/19 My homeroom library visit
Wed, 11/20 Eric and Juliana's birthday; Italian Ice $2 due (Superhero Flavor); My Homeroom's Library visit; School Governance Council meeting @ 2:30
Fri, 11/22 Eli E.'s birthday; POW due (all language arts classes); Turkey Escape story due; Italian Ice delivered; NO SCHOOL NEXT WEEK!
Note for my homeroom students who have Mrs. Kennedy for reading:
If you have Mrs. Kennedy for reading, but you are in my homeroom, you can click to her website to read specifics about her reading class. You could also just look at my reading sections below! The only difference is that our classes are swapped.
Mrs. Kennedy's Reading 1 matches MY Reading 2.
Mrs. Kennedy's Reading 2 matches MY Reading 1.
Guest House Writing Project: Homeroom
Our friends at The Guest House LOVED reading our spooky stories! They have asked us to write them special stories each month. This month, we are writing about turkeys who are trying to sneak away from Thanksgiving dinner! Your turkey can escape however you like: time travel (like in the new movie Free Birds), snowboard, skate board, dressing up in disguise, hypnotizing the dinner guests... whatever you like! We will turn these in by Friday, 11/22.
SOCIAL STUDIES
(Mrs. May's homeroom)
Check out the social studies website to view resources and download notes! www.5socialstudies.weebly.com
Mrs. May's class class is beginning our Jazz Age & Great Depression unit. To find out more about the standards we’ll be learning, click on the “Social Studies” tab at the top and find SS5H.4b and SS5H.5.
Monday: SS5H4.2 - Read Studies Weekly newspapers to learn about how technology and entertainment changed in the 1920s.
Tuesday: SS5H4.2 – Discuss the cultural developments of the 1920s, including Louis Armstrong, Langston Hughes, Henry Ford, and Charles Lindbergh.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: These 3 days, social studies classes will do rotations:
1) Make assembly line graham cracker cars
2) Learn about how stocks and credit affected the end of the 1920s
3) Watch a video about cultural developments of the 1930s and the Dust Bowl
Test: Thursday AFTER Thanksgiving Break, December 5
LANGUAGE ARTS
POW Topic: Should tests be allowed in schools? What is the benefit? What is the harm? What would schools do without them?
Monday: Brainstorm.
Tuesday: Detail sentences.
Wednesday: Topic and concluding sentences.
Thursday: Final Copy.
Friday: Proofread/edit. (My homeroom: finish and turn in turkey stories)
Shurley English: none this week
Monday: Passion Project - Computer Lab; research and update Trello
Tuesday: Learn about the Dewey Decimal system
Wednesday: Visit media center to check out nonfiction books to aid in research
Thursday: Learn about the OREO Opinion Writing Method.
Friday: Start opinion essay - should all teachers try to incorporate genius hour into their classrooms? Why or why not?
READING 1
HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes every day.
Essential Questions
How are informational texts structured?
How are literary texts structured?
Common Core ELA Standards for Reading
RL.5.5. Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
RI.5.5. Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
Gifted Standards for Reading 1
*To see all the gifted standards, select "More" from the page bar at the top, then click on "Gifted."
ARS.1 The student investigates topics of interest and selects appropriate research tools.
ARS.2 The student formulates original and appropriate questions when researching.
ACS.1 The student uses written, spoken, and technological media to convey new learning.
ACS.2 The student produces written and/or oral work, including products and presentations, that is complex, purposeful, and organized, and that synthesizes information appropriately.
ACS.3 The student participates in small group discussions and supports and defends his/her own opinions while respecting the opinions of others.
HOCTS.2 The student responds to questions with supporting information that reflects in-depth knowledge of a topic.
HOCTS.6 The student identifies and illustrates basic principles and the foundational concepts that are central to understanding the essence of a field of study.
New Program for Reading 1
We have starting the SEM-R program in my Reading 1 Class. That stands for "Schoolwide Enrichment Model - Reading." We aren't doing this schoolwide; however, Mrs. Kennedy and I are implementing it in one of our classes. There are 3 "phases" in SEM-R, and those are detailed below. Students will participate in all 3 phases EACH DAY.
Phase 1: Book Hooks
I will be introducing students to more challenging books, both literary and informational, during book hooks. I won't read the whole book, just snippets to whet their appetites. We will spend between 15-20 minutes on this each morning.
Phase 2: SIR (Supported Independent Reading)
During this time, students will have 30-40 minutes of independent reading. I'll be conducting one-on-one conferences during this time with students to discuss their books and assess them on standards and higher-order thinking skills. Each student will have at least one conference per week.
Phase 3: Student Choice
Students will be able to have 25-30 minutes of activities of their choosing each day. Students may choose a different project each day if they choose.
Monday
Phase 1: Book Hooks
Phase 2: Supported Independent Reading, Conference Questions
Phase 3: Student Choices
READING 2
HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes every day.
Essential Questions
How are informational texts structured?
Common Core ELA Standards for Reading 2
RI.5.5. Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
Monday: Whole Group
Introduce the 5 organizational structures for informational texts: chronological, description, cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution. Look at descriptors for each type of text. Find samples of organizational structures in Scholastic News articles.
Instructional Conversation
Cut and glue the different structures and descriptor words for each type of organizational structure. Find examples of each type of structure in a Scholastic News article, :A Hero Cut in Stone." Glue those to the paper as well.
Computers
Take a Study Island test on plot. Afterwards, students have choice! They can read articles on TweenTribune or Wonderopolis.
Literature Circles
Continue in your new text. Begin "Day 2" where students will discuss the text, provide evidence for their ideas, and complete an activity that goes along with the book.
Friday Assessment #1
Answer quiz questions using the clickers about the different types of organizational structure.
Friday Group Work
Matching game: match the organizational structure with the descriptors and a sample paragraph.
Friday Assessment #2
Read a paragraph, use the clickers to select the correct organizational structure, and repeat as time allows.
This is our last week before Thanksgiving break. I just can't believe it! This year is flying by.
We are feeding the homeless this coming Friday. I believe the slips that came home said that we are doing it on Thursday. Please note the date change. We will start around 10 am, and we'll be making 50 lunches per class. These will be delivered to homeless and needy families in the Gainesville area. We are in need of bread, sandwich baggies, pretzels, peanut butter, jelly, fruit, and cookies. Thank you!
School Events
Tues, 11/19 My homeroom library visit
Wed, 11/20 Eric and Juliana's birthday; Italian Ice $2 due (Superhero Flavor); My Homeroom's Library visit; School Governance Council meeting @ 2:30
Fri, 11/22 Eli E.'s birthday; POW due (all language arts classes); Turkey Escape story due; Italian Ice delivered; NO SCHOOL NEXT WEEK!
Note for my homeroom students who have Mrs. Kennedy for reading:
If you have Mrs. Kennedy for reading, but you are in my homeroom, you can click to her website to read specifics about her reading class. You could also just look at my reading sections below! The only difference is that our classes are swapped.
Mrs. Kennedy's Reading 1 matches MY Reading 2.
Mrs. Kennedy's Reading 2 matches MY Reading 1.
Guest House Writing Project: Homeroom
Our friends at The Guest House LOVED reading our spooky stories! They have asked us to write them special stories each month. This month, we are writing about turkeys who are trying to sneak away from Thanksgiving dinner! Your turkey can escape however you like: time travel (like in the new movie Free Birds), snowboard, skate board, dressing up in disguise, hypnotizing the dinner guests... whatever you like! We will turn these in by Friday, 11/22.
SOCIAL STUDIES
(Mrs. May's homeroom)
Check out the social studies website to view resources and download notes! www.5socialstudies.weebly.com
Mrs. May's class class is beginning our Jazz Age & Great Depression unit. To find out more about the standards we’ll be learning, click on the “Social Studies” tab at the top and find SS5H.4b and SS5H.5.
Monday: SS5H4.2 - Read Studies Weekly newspapers to learn about how technology and entertainment changed in the 1920s.
Tuesday: SS5H4.2 – Discuss the cultural developments of the 1920s, including Louis Armstrong, Langston Hughes, Henry Ford, and Charles Lindbergh.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: These 3 days, social studies classes will do rotations:
1) Make assembly line graham cracker cars
2) Learn about how stocks and credit affected the end of the 1920s
3) Watch a video about cultural developments of the 1930s and the Dust Bowl
Test: Thursday AFTER Thanksgiving Break, December 5
LANGUAGE ARTS
POW Topic: Should tests be allowed in schools? What is the benefit? What is the harm? What would schools do without them?
Monday: Brainstorm.
Tuesday: Detail sentences.
Wednesday: Topic and concluding sentences.
Thursday: Final Copy.
Friday: Proofread/edit. (My homeroom: finish and turn in turkey stories)
Shurley English: none this week
Monday: Passion Project - Computer Lab; research and update Trello
Tuesday: Learn about the Dewey Decimal system
Wednesday: Visit media center to check out nonfiction books to aid in research
Thursday: Learn about the OREO Opinion Writing Method.
Friday: Start opinion essay - should all teachers try to incorporate genius hour into their classrooms? Why or why not?
READING 1
HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes every day.
Essential Questions
How are informational texts structured?
How are literary texts structured?
Common Core ELA Standards for Reading
RL.5.5. Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
RI.5.5. Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
Gifted Standards for Reading 1
*To see all the gifted standards, select "More" from the page bar at the top, then click on "Gifted."
ARS.1 The student investigates topics of interest and selects appropriate research tools.
ARS.2 The student formulates original and appropriate questions when researching.
ACS.1 The student uses written, spoken, and technological media to convey new learning.
ACS.2 The student produces written and/or oral work, including products and presentations, that is complex, purposeful, and organized, and that synthesizes information appropriately.
ACS.3 The student participates in small group discussions and supports and defends his/her own opinions while respecting the opinions of others.
HOCTS.2 The student responds to questions with supporting information that reflects in-depth knowledge of a topic.
HOCTS.6 The student identifies and illustrates basic principles and the foundational concepts that are central to understanding the essence of a field of study.
New Program for Reading 1
We have starting the SEM-R program in my Reading 1 Class. That stands for "Schoolwide Enrichment Model - Reading." We aren't doing this schoolwide; however, Mrs. Kennedy and I are implementing it in one of our classes. There are 3 "phases" in SEM-R, and those are detailed below. Students will participate in all 3 phases EACH DAY.
Phase 1: Book Hooks
I will be introducing students to more challenging books, both literary and informational, during book hooks. I won't read the whole book, just snippets to whet their appetites. We will spend between 15-20 minutes on this each morning.
Phase 2: SIR (Supported Independent Reading)
During this time, students will have 30-40 minutes of independent reading. I'll be conducting one-on-one conferences during this time with students to discuss their books and assess them on standards and higher-order thinking skills. Each student will have at least one conference per week.
Phase 3: Student Choice
Students will be able to have 25-30 minutes of activities of their choosing each day. Students may choose a different project each day if they choose.
Monday
- Read "The Discovery of Fire" in the Nov/Dec StoryWorks edition. Introduce the 5 structures of nonfiction texts: compare/contrast, chronological, problem/solution, description, and cause/effect. Label the structure of each section of the text.
- Phase 2 (SIR)
Phase 1: Book Hooks
- Animals Nobody Loves
- Albino Animals
- Actual Size
- Journey Into the Deep
- The Coral Reef
- Interrupted Journey
- Weddell Seal
- Dinosaur Discovery
- Crocodiles
Phase 2: Supported Independent Reading, Conference Questions
- How do the chapters of your book work together in the overall story structure?
- Explain your book's progression through a plot map.
Phase 3: Student Choices
- Continued independent reading
- Passion project
- Essay contest
- Creative writing (write your own book)
- Online books and videos
- Edgenuity (reading)
READING 2
HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes every day.
Essential Questions
How are informational texts structured?
Common Core ELA Standards for Reading 2
RI.5.5. Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
Monday: Whole Group
Introduce the 5 organizational structures for informational texts: chronological, description, cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution. Look at descriptors for each type of text. Find samples of organizational structures in Scholastic News articles.
Instructional Conversation
Cut and glue the different structures and descriptor words for each type of organizational structure. Find examples of each type of structure in a Scholastic News article, :A Hero Cut in Stone." Glue those to the paper as well.
Computers
Take a Study Island test on plot. Afterwards, students have choice! They can read articles on TweenTribune or Wonderopolis.
Literature Circles
Continue in your new text. Begin "Day 2" where students will discuss the text, provide evidence for their ideas, and complete an activity that goes along with the book.
Friday Assessment #1
Answer quiz questions using the clickers about the different types of organizational structure.
Friday Group Work
Matching game: match the organizational structure with the descriptors and a sample paragraph.
Friday Assessment #2
Read a paragraph, use the clickers to select the correct organizational structure, and repeat as time allows.