ScienceThis week we had our Astronomy Fair. This was the culmination of the last eight weeks of science class. Student's got to show off their two artifacts of learning. It was a really awesome experience to see them demonstrate their creativity and research skills. They all were really excited to show off their work. The process was full of moments of both success and growth. Below you'll find a link to some of the artifacts. The other artifacts should be on their way home. MathMonday: Due to the short week we spent all Monday working in our books. Tuesday: As a class we worked on Word Problem #19. A lot of the discussion was about how to translate what we are reading into mathematical models. Specifically, we focused on the word "after" in this problem. When you read that in a problem that generally means you need to draw two models and something things are going to be the same between them and something is going to be different. Below you'll find the problem and solution. Wednesday: Book Check Day
Thursday: Game Day
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ScienceWe entered our final week of preparation for the Astronomy Fair. Students are working on their final drafts after receiving feedback last week. They also got their rubric back from me for their first artifact. They should all have copies in their binders. I recommend you take some time to talk to them about the feedback they received. If they don't bring a copy home I have a digital copy that I can send you. On Thursday this week the 3rd and 4th grade class stopped by to see their artifacts. We've been having a lot of conversations in class about how to talk about what you learned to different age groups. They've presented their research to students younger than them, the same age, and next week they'll be speaking with adults. Lastly, next week we'll be having our Astronomy Fair. There will be two opportunities to see your child's work. We'll have a practice setup on Wednesday from 1:00 to 1:30. This will be a less formal event and a dress rehearsal for the next day. You're more than welcome to stop by. The final Astronomy Fair will be on Thursday from 12:30 to 1:30. Hope to see you all there. MathMonday: We worked on another fraction based word problem. One of the key skills we're working on with word problems is learning how to break a problem down into smaller parts. As well as using grid paper for our bar models. Using grid paper allows students to see what parts of their models are equal to each other. If your child is struggling with bar models at home I recommend them using grid paper. It helps with setting models up. Feel free to do the problem again with them at home. The solution is provided below. Word Problem Solution Tuesday: We talked about pi and how it's calculated. As well as what an irrational number is. This was in preparation for our pi day actives on Thursday.
Wednesday & Thursday: Weekly Book Check and Game Day Friday: Our Number Talk this week focused on fractions and their relationship to each other on a number line. Fractions are tricky for kids to visualize as an actual number and placing it on a number line helps put things into perspective. ScienceThis week in science we had a practice science fair to show off our first astronomy artifacts. The 1st and 2nd graders came in on Tuesday to learn about what we've been researching. It was a good opportunity for the 5th and 6th graders to take what they've learned and explain it out loud to a group of younger students. Afterwards we discussed how you have to change the way you speak to different age groups. When we have the actual science fair at the end of the project they'll need to explain what they researched to young students, peers and adults. If you're looking for something to discuss with your kids at home about the project. Ask them about their experience, what they learned, and what they changed after speaking with the 1st and 2nd graders. Below is a picture gallery of the class talking about their research. MathMonday: We completed Word Problem #17 as a group. This problem is great for learning how to break a large problem into a series of smaller problems. As well as learning how to visualize fractions. Ask your kids about how to find the solution. They should have their answer in their math journal. Tuesday: We had a group discussion on what fractions mean and how to visualize them. This activity is called a Number Talk. All the work is done mentally and students are asked to share how they came to a solution. This allows us as a group to hear and think about how others interpret math questions. Wednesday: We had our weekly conferences to check in on our book goals. Thursday: No math class. 5th and 6th graders took a trip to the Ann Arbor Symphony. Friday: No School (Conferences) ScienceWe spent this week working on our second astronomy artifacts. Most groups are wrapping up their first draft. Just a reminder the process that they are working through looks like this. If possible, take some time to give you child some feedback on their first draft. Specifically focusing on the following:
MathWe finally got back to having a regular week in math class. Here's a breakdown of our group activities. After which, we worked on our book goals. Monday: We worked on a word problem #16 as a group. The problem focuses creating bar models and how to compare fractions with different denominators. Here's the problem if you would like to do the problem with your child. You'll find the answer to the problem on the math resource page. Tuesday: The 3rd and 4th graders came in and showed us some of the math guides they made using their textbooks. One of the main skills we're working on in math is learning how to use our textbooks. Seeing how the 3rd and 4th graders use their textbooks to learn gives the 5th and 6th graders another option for learning math. Wednesday: We completed our weekly book check. Remember, our goal in class is to complete 8 to 10 pages per week in our textbook. It's also an opportunity to catch up with each student and talk about their progress. If you're curious about their math progress please email me and I can share their weekly book average. Thursday: Game Day! Friday: Group KenKen and/or Set. Here are the KenKen puzzles we worked on. |
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