Book Report: Your book report for May must be a realistic fiction, and the presentation will be on Friday, May 25. The presentation will focus around a T-shirt. When you are finished reading your book, the T-shirt you design should focus around the main character of the book. You should include an illustration and at least 10 descriptive words about your character. You will use your T-shirt to give the class a summary of your book. On a separate piece of paper, you need to tell why each of the descriptive words you stated relates to your character, and you also need to include a summary. If you cannot use a real T-shirt, you can make one out of construction paper.
Math: In math we will continue working on unit 10 which focuses on using data, algebra concepts, and circumference. Our first two lessons focused on using pan balances to solve problems. Then we focused on using algebraic expressions, rules, tables, and graphs. Last week we focused on interpreting mystery graphs, circumference, diameter and radius. This week we will learn how to find the area of a circle. The test will be on Thursday, May 17.
Writing: This week in writing the students will continue to work on a persuasive piece with their magazine about sugar. The prompt: Should government ban the sale of sugary drinks/foods to kids? The students need to pick a side and argue their point of view. They will also need to use facts from the magazine and research to back up their opinions. After we finish our persuasive paper, we will be using our social studies to create a newspaper of the important events in American history that they learned this year. This week we will also be administering the district writing assessment.
Science: This week in science we will continue with our small life unit. The first lesson focused on the parts of a microscope. Then students used water drop lenses to see how a bigger lense does not magnify as good as a smaller lense. We also compared hair to thread, and learned about the range of view. Last week they learned about plant and animal cells. The students looked at an onion cell, their cheek cells and protists. We also used different stains to highlight the parts of a cell. Last week we focused on the protists and brine shrimp. The three protists the students learned about are ameba, euglena, and paramecium. The last test for science will be on Wednesday, May 16.
Social Studies: This week in social studies we will jigsaw our next chapter which focuses on people moving South and West. A jigsaw is where the students take a part of the chapter, learn about the topic, and report back to the class. After we finish this chapter we will move on to chapter 14 which focuses on a nation becoming divided.
Spelling Unit 29:
industry buffalo exciting terrible electric dangerous exercise horizon
favorite library substitute typical dinosaur curious average period
amazement bicycle conference family numerous exhaustion customary
hamburger persistent reunion toboggan editor computer practical
beverage spaghetti poetry syllable frequency Leeuwenhoek errands
pawnshop international obnoxious
READING INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
To earn the prize, the fifth graders will need to read about 400 minutes for this month. This month's reward is a coupon for a free Culver's ice cream cone.
Important Dates:
No School Monday, May 14
Spelling Test Wednesday, May 16
Science Test Wednesday, May 16
Math Test Thursday, May 17
5th Grade Farewell Permission Form due on Thursday, May 17
Book Report due Friday, May 25
