Classroom News It was great to meet with all of you during Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please review the assessment folder and the goal setting sheet with your fifth grader. Assessment folders are due back this week. Unit Update "War, Huh, What is it Good For?" After learning about the Revolutionary War and the different perspectives from King George to Paul Revere, students took on the perspective of a Loyalist or a Patriot and produced a persuasive publication. These are on display in the classroom. Students also conducted research on a chosen conflict/war. They then chose a photograph that captured a moment during that war and will write a poem that communicates the photograph's perspective. Students will also work with our music teacher, Mr. M. and create a powerful poetic reading of their poem. The projects will be on display at the Expressions of War Gallery on the evening of November 6th. Please save the date. Highlights of the week- Meeting up with our Senior Mentors and creating Trash Talk /Black Out Poetry Measuring the volume of the classroom Studying figurative language and its use in poetry & Ms. Barina, Grade 2 Teaching Assistant, talks about her courageous father who survived the Holocaust New Math Unit Subtraction Strategies Students need to log on to IXL a minimum of 2x a week to strengthen math skills. Reminders Please check your child's blog and comment on their posts. (Ask your child to show you the scores on their reading entries, the scores are included in my comments, which are private and can only be viewed by the owner of the blog.) Upcoming Dates
Oct. 31st- Halloween Parade Nov. 1st- All School Open House/ Come check out the Middle School Nov. 4th Field Trip to Art Academy Nov. 6th 6:00 PM- Expressions of War Gallery Nov. 24-28th FALL BREAK We had a great trip to Pearl Harbor. It was a gorgeous day to visit the Memorial. Students answered many of their inquiries. They discovered why the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the war tactics used and how the bombing affected the people on the island of Oahu and all Americans. These new inquiries sparked many new questions- How did the war end? Did we make peace with Japan? What other countries were involved in the war? Why do Japanese visitors visit the Memorial? These questions are good opportunities for family discussions. We enjoyed the museum, movie and the trip out to the Memorial. Thank you to Mr. Tarter and Ms. Sbarbaro for chaperoning! We are continuing to learn about the many ways people express themselves in times surrounding war. This week we will take a look at propaganda posters, students will then create their own propaganda poster incorporating specific elements. Students are also meeting in Book Clubs and discussing books with a conflict theme. Students are required to post reading responses on their blogs, please visit your child's blog and leave a comment! We will begin our Poetry Unit and explore figurative language and poetry. The following week, students will choose a war/conflict that they are interested in learning more about. Students will then look for photographs to reenact and conduct personal inquiries about that war. The summative projects will be on display at the Expressions of War Art Gallery on the evening of November 6th. Mark your calendars! See the checklist below for the complete list of learning activities and requirements for this unit. REMINDERS
Oct. 13th- No School Oct. 14- Parent/Teacher Conferences Oct. 24th- Book Orders due- Order online and choose from any of the online catalogues Oct. 31st-Halloween Parade Oct. 31st Nov. 4th -Art Academy Field Trip Nov. 6th -Expressions of War Art Gallery *Do you need to order a field trip t-shirt for your 5th grader? Check out the online spirit store to order. http://co-store.com/ljaspiritstore Middle school students are required to follow the dress code, so your child will be able to wear their t-shirt next year! New Unit- How We Express Ourselves- "War, HUH, What is it Good For?" Central Idea: In times surrounding war, people express and promote their points of view in many ways. Lines of Inquiry: War is a result of conflicting viewpoints & perspectives Artistic expressions relating to war (writings, songs, art, monuments, and protests of war) How these expressions impact both the creator and audience We "unpacked" our new unit this week by viewing pictures that showed the different ways that people express themselves during times of war. We also looked at song lyrics and viewed music videos that were written with a perspective regarding war. During this unit we conduct a case study on the Revolutionary War. Students experienced a Skittle Tax Provocation. We traveled back to the time of the colonists and experienced "payday" by receiving Skittles, which represented our earnings or fortune. Unfortunately, the King of England decided to tax all of us and he took away most of our hard earned money (Skittles). This provocation generated a list of inquiries. Why was the King mean? What did he need the money for? What did the King do with the money? Why didn't the colonists take action against the King? What were the colonists' perspectives about being taxed? Next, the French & Indian War and the events leading up to the Revolutionary War The summative for this unit is to conduct a mini inquiry on a chosen war/conflict. Then choose a photograph from that war/conflict and reenact the photograph. Inspired by the photograph, write a poem using figurative language to communicate a message. Conduct a poetic reading set to music. The summative assessments will be on display at the Expressions of War Art Gallery on Nov. 6th. Curriculum Update
Math Shape and Space IXL Accounts are set up. Information will be sent home this week. Language Reading Book Clubs *Books with a conflict theme *Responding to Literature * Cause & Effect Writing * Figurative Language & Powerful Poetry * Propaganda Poster Study *Song Lyric Study Viewing & Presenting Viewing Propaganda Posters and identifying elements (slogan, color, symbols, message) Viewing Music Videos and looking at language Presenting a message through a photo and a poetic reading Upcoming Dates- Oct. 10- Excursion to Pearl Harbor Oct. 13- Discoverer's Day Oct.14- Parent/Teacher Conferences Oct. 31- Halloween Parade at 9:00 November 6- Expressions of War Art Gallery |
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