Monday, March 12, 2012

Homework for March 12

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due March 22

Spelling - Contract & Test due on Wednesday

Langugae Arts - Timelines due tomorrow

5P Math - Test tomorrow

5B Math - Study Link 7.8 due on Wednesday, Quiz on Tuesday

5V Math - Math boxes 7.6

Social Studies - Test on Thursday

Square Art due next Friday

Friday, March 9, 2012

Newsletter for the week of March 12

Reading: This week in reading, we be reading the story William Shakespeare & the Globe.  This story explores the world of Elizabethan England, focusing on the life and times of William Shakespeare and on the building of the Globe theater.  The skills we will be focusing on are determining the importance of information, word analysis and contextual clues, determine the meaning of words in context using denotation and connotation.  On Friday we will have an assessment on the story, and we will read a Time for Kids magazine.  The magazine we will be reading focuses on women pioneers.  After reading the magazine, the students will have to decide how they would celebrate Women's History Month in the magazine, and come up with new and different ways to explore the topic.

Book Report: Your book report for March must be a fairy tale. The presentation will be Thursday, March 22. For this book report you have three options to select from.
  • After reading your fairy tale, you can create your own fairy tale.
  • For the second option you can create a twist to the fairy tale you just read. This means that you can change a character, change the setting, change the character traits, etc. You do have to keep the message the same. You will rewrite your fairy tale with this twist.
  • The third option is to create your own parody. An example of a parody would be Cinderella's Rat. Cinderella's rat tells the story instead of Cinderella. Another parody is the Wolf telling the story of the three little pigs.
Math: In math we are finishing unit 9. The first two lessons focused on reading and plotting coordinate pairs. The next lesson focused on the area of rectangles. Last week we worked on the area of triangles and parallelograms. This week we will work on the volume of prisms and conversions of liters, milliliters, cubic centimeters.  On Monday of this week, we will go over the study guide, and on Tuesday there will be a test.  We will start unit 8 on Wednesday.  The first lesson of unit 8 will be focusing on renaming equilvalent fractions and comparing fractions.  The second and third lessons will focus on adding and subtracting mixed numbers.

Writing: This week in writing the students will finish their parallel timelines and present them. Our prompt is: If you could go back in time and change an event in history what would it be. The class will make two timelines. The first showing how history really evolved with all the major events before and after the event. They will also make a parallel timeline showing how the world might have been different if they could go back in time to change the event. Imagine if JFK would have lived because you stopped Oswald... what would the next few decades been like? Would the U.S. have gone to war in Vietnam? Would RFK have run for president and been killed like his brother? The final project will include these two timelines showing what the world was like and how it would be different and a written plan explaining how they would actually succeed in stopping the event. We will also work on using the BIG6 steps for research. These steps are task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation. 
Two other writing assignments this week will be on social studies topics.  The first prompt: Do you think it was a good idea for the colonists to start the American Revolution?  Explain your answer using evidence.  The second prompt: If you lived during the time of the Revolution which side would you have taken and why?  Explain your answer using evidence.

Science: We have finished the digestion unit and our next unit will focus on stars. This unit will be done after our unit in social studies.

Social Studies: The students  have learned about the French and Indian War which led to the taxes that were placed on the colonists. The students also learned about taxes, and the taxes that the colonists were required to pay.  Last week they will learn how the colonists protested these taxes and the start of the American Revolution.  This week the students will learn about the American Revolution.

Spelling Unit 22:
pretty     service     thunder     blanket     effort     fellow     subject     perhaps     attack     entire
chimney     tunnel     effect     suspended     challenge     pretzel     survive     pillow     hunger
college     determined     autobiography     disease     eternal     composition     percussion
malignant     elastic     silkworm     signal     suburban     warranty     yielding     perfection  
language     undeniable     despair     concocted     homestead     brooded

BOX TOPS:
The PTA is always collecting box tops. They can be found on many different products such as: Progresso soups, Kleenex boxes, Suddenly Salad, Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, and many more products. Check all of your purchased goods and send in your box tops. This is an easy way for the school to make money to enrich our children at May Watts.

READING INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
To earn the prize, the fifth graders will need to read 325 minutes for this month. The incentive will be sponsored by the Chicago Slaughter Professional Indoor Football Team along with Buffalo Wild Wings and GameWorks. Students who meet their goal will receive 2 ticket vouchers to a 2012 Chicago Slaughter game, a free kid's meal courtesy of Buffalo's Wild Wings, a free game card from Game Works, and other prizes. Since all reading must be done before Spring Break, and the month is shortened, the reading goals have been reduced.

LMC NEWS:
The Book Fair is coming! Preview was March 7-9, and sales are March 12-17. We will be open during the Fun Fair!  Our online homepage can be accessed directly by going to http://goo.gl/7jFU4 or go to www.scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs and follow the path to May Watts.

Important Dates:
Math test Tuesday, March 13
Spelling Test Wednesday, March 14
Social Studies Test Thursday, March 15
Paw Print Redemption Thursday, March 15
Band Concert at Hill on Thursday, March 15 @ 6:15
Orchestra Concert at Hill on Thursday, March 15 @ 7:45
Fun Fair Saturday, March 17 11:00-3:00
Book Report due Thursday, March 22

Homework for March 9

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due March 22

Spelling - Contract & Test due on Wednesday

5P Math - Study Guide due on Monday, Test on Tuesday

Square Art due next Friday

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Homework for March 8

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due March 22

Spelling - Contract & Test due on Wednesday

5P Math - Journal page 330, Mathboxes page 331, Study Guide due on Monday, Test on Tuesday

5V Math - Venn Diagram Questions 1-4

5B Math - Study Link 7.6 & 7.7

Square Art due Friday, March 16

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Homework for March 7

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due March 22

5P Math - Study Link 9.9, Study Guide due on Monday, Test on Tuesday

5V Math - Study Link 7.5

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Homework for March 6

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due March 22

5P Math - Extended Response, Study Guide due on Monday, Test on Tuesday

5B Math - Study Link 7.5

Monday, March 5, 2012

Homework for March 5

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due March 22

5P - Study Link 9.8, Study Guide due on Monday, Test on Tuesday

5B Math - Study Link 7.4

5V Math - Extended Response

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Newsletter for the week of March 5

Reading: This week in reading, we will work on nonfiction reading using a variety of stories and writing another extended response.  We will be doing ISATs during reading on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Book Report: Your book report for March must be a fairy tale. The presentation will be Thursday, March 22. For this book report you have three options to select from.
  • After reading your fairy tale, you can create your own fairy tale.
  • For the second option you can create a twist to the fairy tale you just read.  This means that you can change a character, change the setting, change the character traits, etc.  You do have to keep the message the same.  You will rewrite your fairy tale with this twist.
  • The third option is to create your own parody.  An example of a parody would be Cinderella's Rat.  Cinderella's rat tells the story instead of Cinderella.  Another parody is the Wolf telling the story of the three little pigs.
Math: In math we are working on unit 9.  The first two lessons focused on reading and plotting coordinate pairs.  The next lesson focused on the area of rectangles.  Last week we worked on the area of triangles and parallelograms.  This week we will work on the volume of prisms and conversions of liters, milliliters, cubic centimeters.  We will also continue to work on the extended response.

Writing: This week in writing the students will continue to work on researching an event in history.  Our prompt is: If you could go back in time and change an event in history what would it be.  The class will make two timelines.  The first showing how history really evolved with all the major events before and after the event.  They will also make a parallel timeline showing how the world might have been different if they could go back in time to change the event.  Imagine if JFK would have lived because you stopped Oswald... what would the next few decades been like?  Would the U.S. have gone to war in Vietnam?  Would RFK have run for president and been killed like his brother?  The final project will include these two timelines showing what the world was like and how it would be different and a written plan explaining how they would actually succeed in stopping the event.  We will also work on using the BIG6 steps for research.  These steps are task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation.

Science: We have finished the digestion unit and our next unit will focus on stars.  This unit will be done after our unit in social studies.

Social Studies: Last week, the students learned about the French and Indian War which led to the taxes that were placed on the colonists.  The students learned about taxes, and the taxes that the colonists were required to pay.  This week they will learn how the colonists protested these taxes and the start of the American Revolution.

Spelling:
There is no spelling this week.

ISAT SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, March 6:  Session 1 for both reading and math
Wednesday, March 7: Session 2 for both reading and math
Thursday, March 8: Session 3 for both reading and math
  
BOX TOPS:
The PTA is always collecting box tops. They can be found on many different products such as: Progresso soups, Kleenex boxes, Suddenly Salad, Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, and many more products. Check all of your purchased goods and send in your box tops. This is an easy way for the school to make money to enrich our children at May Watts.

READING INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
To earn the prize, the fifth graders will need to read 325 minutes for this month. The incentive will be sponsored by the Chicago Slaughter Professional Indoor Football Team along with Buffalo Wild Wings and GameWorks.  Students who meet their goal will receive 2 ticket vouchers to a 2012 Chicago Slaughter game, a free kid's meal courtesy of Buffalo's Wild Wings, a free game card from Game Works, and other prizes.  Since all reading must be done before Spring Break, and the month is shortened, the reading goals have been reduced.

LMC NEWS:
Young Authors entries are due on Thursday - late admissions will not be accepted, so bring them in on time.
We are looking for parent scorers for the Young Authors entries.  Reading will be done during the school day on Monday - Wednesday, March 5-7.  Parents can sign up to read at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4A4AB2EA13-readers
The Book Fair is coming!  Preview will be on March 7-9, with sales March 12-17.  We will be open during the Fun Fair!  Flyers will go home next week.  Our online homepage can be accessed directly by going to http://goo.gl/7jFU4 or go to www.scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs and follow the path to May Watts.

Important Dates:
ISATs Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday
Math test Tuesday, March 13

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Homework for March 1

Reading - Book Report due on March 22, Read 20 minutes

5P Math - Study Link 9.5, Study Link 9.6 for extra credit

5B Math - Study Link 7.3

5V Math - Study Link 7.2

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Homework for Feb. 28

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due tomorrow, Alliteration book due tomorrow

Spelling - Contract & Test due tomorrow

5P Math - Study Link 9.4, Journal page 307 #s 2, 3, 4(select one), 6

5V Math - Study Link 7.1

Monday, February 27, 2012

Homework for Feb. 27

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due on Feb. 29, Alliteration book due on Feb. 29

Spelling - Contract & Test for Wednesday

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Newsletter for the week of February 27

Reading: This week in reading, we will work on nonfiction reading using a variety of stories.  Our skills will focus on: open ended questions, making connections, and working on inferences.  We will continue to work on test taking skills and go over the questions from the story Animals in Disguise.  The students will also be writing another extended response.

Book Report: Your book report for February must be a historical fiction. The presentation will be Wednesday, February 29. For this book report the you will create a book quilt, which should be a 3x3 quilt block with each of the squares being about 8x8. You should share something from the book in each of the 9 squares.  Some examples would be: character traits, setting, summary, illustration, conflict, solution, your favorite part, etc.  Make sure all 9 squares are filled in, and you will share your quilt with the class.

Math: In math we are working on unit 9.  The first two lessons focused on reading and plotting coordinate pairs.  The next lesson focused on the area of rectangles.  This week we will work on the area of triangles and parallelograms and the volume of prisms.  We will also continue to work on the extended response.

Writing: This week in writing the students will continue to work on researching an event in history.  Our prompt is: If you could go back in time and change an event in history what would it be.  The class will make two timelines.  The first showing how history really evolved with all the major events before and after the event.  They will also make a parallel timeline showing how the world might have been different if they could go back in time to change the event.  Imagine if JFK would have lived because you stopped Oswald... what would the next few decades been like?  Would the U.S. have gone to war in Vietnam?  Would RFK have run for president and been killed like his brother?  The final project will include these two timelines showing what the world was like and how it would be different and a written plan explaining how they would actually succeed in stopping the event.  We will also work on using the BIG6 steps for research.  These steps are task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation.

Science: We have finished the digestion unit and our next unit will focus on stars.  This unit will be done after our unit in social studies.

Social Studies: On Monday, we have our Harriet Tubman field trip.  On Tuesday, the students will learn about the French and Indian War which leads to the taxes that are placed on the colonists.  The students will learn about taxes, and the taxes that the colonists are required to pay.  They will also learn how the colonists protested these taxes.

Spelling Unit 21:
precede     predict     prefer     pretend     pretest     prevent     preview     previous     proceed
process     proclaim     professional     program     progress     project     promise     property
pronunciation     propose     protect     ceramic     opponent     aquarium     resources     prefix
acquaintance     prearrange     preparation     preserve     presume     process     profound
productive     prohibitive     proportional     hyperbole     personification     alliteration     simile
onomatopoeia     metaphor

ISAT SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, March 6:  Session 1 for both reading and math
Wednesday, March 7: Session 2 for both reading and math
Thursday, March 8: Session 3 for both reading and math
  
BOX TOPS:
The PTA is always collecting box tops. They can be found on many different products such as: Progresso soups, Kleenex boxes, Suddenly Salad, Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, and many more products. Check all of your purchased goods and send in your box tops. This is an easy way for the school to make money to enrich our children at May Watts.

READING INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
To earn the prize, the fifth graders will need to read 400 minutes for this month. The prizes this month will be a ticket to the Kane County Cougars May Watts Night on May 24 & a free personal pizza at Pizza Hut.  The Kane County Cougars ticket includes a free hot dog and drink voucher, tshirt, and an opportunity to run around the bases.

LMC NEWS:
Young Authors entries are due on Thursday - late admissions will not be accepted, so bring them in on time.
We are looking for parent scorers for the Young Authors entries.  Reading will be done during the school day on Monday - Wednesday, March 5-7.  Parents can sign up to read at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4A4AB2EA13-readers
The Book Fair is coming!  Preview will be on March 7-9, with sales March 12-17.  We will be open during the Fun Fair!  Flyers will go home next week.  Our online homepage can be accessed directly by going to http://goo.gl/7jFU4 or go to www.scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs and follow the path to May Watts.

Important Dates:
Harriet Tubman field trip Monday, February 27
Spelling Test Wednesday, February 29
Book Report due Wednesday, February 29
Final manuscripts for young authors due on Thursday, March 1
Paw print redemption Thursday, March 1
No School Friday, March 2 Teacher Institute

Friday, February 24, 2012

Homework for Feb. 24

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due on Feb. 29, Alliteration Book due on  Feb.29

Spelling - Contract & Test for Wednesday

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Homework for Feb. 23

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due on Feb. 29, Alliteration Book due Feb. 29

Spelling - Contract & Test due on Wednesday

5P Math - Extended Response

Science Fair is tonight.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Homework for Feb. 22

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due on Feb. 29, Alliteration Book due on Feb. 29

5P Math - Stduy Link 9.3

5V Math - Extended Response

P.E. Homework due tomorrow

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Newsletter for the week of Feb. 20

Reading: This week in reading, we will work on nonfiction reading using the Time for Kids magazines.  Our skills will focus on: open ended questions, making connections, and working on inferences.  We will work ontest taking skills and go the questions from the story Ready, Set, Flop.  The students will also be writing another extended response.

Book Report: Your book report for February must be a historical fiction. The presentation will be Wednesday, February 29. For this book report the you will create a book quilt, which should be a 3x3 quilt block with each of the squares being about 8x8. You should share something from the book in each of the 9 squares.  Some examples would be: character traits, setting, summary, illustration, conflict, solution, your favorite part, etc.  Make sure all 9 squares are filled in, and you will share your quilt with the class.

Math: In math we started unit 9.  The first two lessons focus on reading and plotting coordinate pairs.  The next lesson will focus on the area of rectangles.  We will also continue to work on the extended response.

Writing: This week in writing the students will continue to work on researching an event in history.  Our prompt is: If you could go back in time and change an event in history what would it be.  The class will make two timelines.  The first showing how history really evolved with all the major events before and after the event.  They will also make a parallel timeline showing how the world might have been different if they could go back in time to change the event.  Imagine if JFK would have lived because you stopped Oswald... what would the next few decades been like?  Would the U.S. have gone to war in Vietnam?  Would RFK have run for president and been killed like his brother?  The final project will include these two timelines showing what the world was like and how it would be different and a written plan explaining how they would actually succeed in stopping the event.  We will also work on using the BIG6 steps for research.  These steps are task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation.

Science: We have finished the digestion unit and our next unit will focus on stars.  This unit will be done after our unit in social studies.

Social Studies: Last week in social studies we focused on the colonial trade routes and cities, towns and farms.  We also learned about slavery in the colonies.  This week we will learn about Frederick Douglass, the North and South growing apart, and Harriet Tubman.

Spelling Unit 20:
discuss     deduct     dismissed     develop     disease     discount    disturb     details    demand
determined    depressed     defense     disappointing     discouraged     disadvantage    
demonstrated     defeat     descent     disappear     disconnect     distract     decision     deliver
distressed     distribute     disable     describe     destroyed     disobey     disassemble     disagreed
discipline     discredit     delete     define     encyclopdeia     investor     interchangeable     reaper
stagecoach

ISAT SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, March 6:  Session 1 for both reading and math
Wednesday, March 7: Session 2 for both reading and math
Thursday, March 8: Session 3 for both reading and math
  
BOX TOPS:
The PTA is always collecting box tops. They can be found on many different products such as: Progresso soups, Kleenex boxes, Suddenly Salad, Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, and many more products. Check all of your purchased goods and send in your box tops. This is an easy way for the school to make money to enrich our children at May Watts.

READING INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
To earn the prize, the fifth graders will need to read 400 minutes for this month. The prizes this month will be a ticket to the Kane County Cougars May Watts Night on May 24 & a free personal pizza at Pizza Hut.  The Kane County Cougars ticket includes a free hot dog and drink voucher, tshirt, and an opportunity to run around the bases.

Important Dates:
President's Day - No School Monday, February 20
Parent Teacher Conferences - No School Tuesday, February 21
Spelling Test Wednesday, February 22
Paw Print Redemption Thursday, February 23
Book Report due Wednesday, February 29
Final manuscripts for young authors due on Thursday, March 1

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Homework for Feb. 16

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due on Feb. 29

P.E. homework due next week

Field Trip form due on Friday

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Homework for Feb. 15

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due on Feb. 29

5B Math - Study Link 7.2

5V Math - Mathboxes

P.E. homework due next week

Field Trip form due on Friday

Book Order due on Friday

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Homework for Feb. 14

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due on Feb. 29

Spelling - Test & Contract due on Wednesday

5P Math - Test Wednesday

5B Math - 2 Sheets

Field Trip form due on Friday

Book Order due on Friday

Monday, February 13, 2012

Homework for Feb. 13

Reading - Read 20 minutes, Book Report due on Feb. 29

Spelling - Test & Contract due on Wednesday

5P Math - Study Link 7.11, Study Guide due on Tuesday, Test Wednesday

5B Math - Study Link 7.1

5V Math - Mathboxes 6.10

Field trip note due on Feb. 17