5-4 News

Hello 5-4 Parents,
It is hard to believe that we are into the last two weeks of school! As the temperatures rise, the fifth graders' attention spans seem to be diminishing. :)  However, they are really trying hard to stay focused and make the most of these last two weeks of learning.   Here are some important dates to remember:

5/30     Field Day (afternoon)
            May Book Reports Due
6/2       Yearbooks come home.
6/5       Last day of school!

Field Day:
For Field Day this Friday, please remember to send your child with a filled water bottle. Remind your child to wear clothing suitable for playing outdoor games, including gym shoes. You may also send in sunscreen for your child to apply before we head outside for the afternoon.

South Reading List:  
A note from the South language arts teachers is posted on Edmodo. It explains that each of our students should read Maniac Magee and The Running Dream this summer in preparation of the coming school year.

Reading:
The class is enjoying reading The Killing Sea during our shared reading time. Our main focuses during this time has been author's structure and author's craft.  We've also been working on vocabulary and comprehension skills.  During guided reading time, the groups are reading leveled online books about water-related topics as well. We have the chance to compare the structure of these informational texts to other informational texts we've read and to The Killing Sea.

Writing:
The class has been working hard to develop all of the skills necessary to write a short fiction piece. We've used picture books to examine the "shape of a story" and identify that all stories contain characters, setting, a conflict, rising action, a climax, and resolution.  We've been practicing developing believable characters through showing feelings, dialogue, strong verbs, and descriptions. They have written several pieces of a story, and will begin a rough draft of one of these stories this week. The plan is to publish and share the short fiction pieces next week.

Science:
Through experiments, discussion, and text, our class has been learning about water. We've explored percolation and aquifers, the scarcity of freshwater, water reclamation, and conservation.  The "Watery Earth" unit test will be this Thursday. The review is posted on Edmodo and will will work on and discuss the study guide tomorrow.

Have a wonderful week! Please contact me with any questions and concerns.

:) Kelly