Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Book Report

We have a book report coming up!  I am really excited about this project and I think the students are too, or they will be once we get going.  Each student needs to have a chapter book that they have read independently this school year.  I met with each student this week to get the title of their book.  These book reports will be presented the week of December 17.  We will have some class time to work on them in the week of December 10, so please have your child finish his or her book that week.  

This report will be a cereal box book report.  Each student will need an empty cereal box to bring in the week of December 10.  They will design and name a new cereal to go with their book.  They will decorate a box with illustrations and information related to their book, including a prize in the box that would be something the main character would have liked or used.  We will display the empty boxes in the classroom after the oral presentations are completed. 

One of the purposes of this project is for the students to recommend good books to their classmates.  This will also involve an oral presentation, which meets our speaking and listening language standards, in addition to the reading and writing needed to complete this project.  Most of the work will be done in class.  At this point, just getting the book finished is the most important task.

Map Project

The fifth graders are involved in a map-making project.  The students are learning a lot and enjoying making the maps.  The students are working in triads or pairs to create one of seven types of maps.  We will use the maps as a resource in the classroom during the year as we continue to study Nevada.  We are making physical, political, historical, election, road, economic and population maps.  The students have worked well in their teams to research the information to create their maps and make a plan with materials.  They can't wait to get making the actual maps!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Parent Teacher Conferences

It was a pleasure to meet with each parent to discuss the progress of your child.  I love this class and I am pleased with the progress we are making.  I hope you came away with areas of success for your child and an idea or two of how to improve.  Thank you for making the time to meet with me and supporting your child's learning.  Please feel free to email me any time with questions.

PE Day - Nov. 13

Our next P.E dress-out day is November 13, which is after a Monday holiday.  Please remind your child to bring his or her shoes, shorts and t-shirts.  If it is cold, maybe sweats would be good.

Tuck Everlasting Project

We finished reading Tuck Everlasting and the students did a great job on their "In the Bag" project.  I loved their creativity with the items they chose.  Their classmates were mesmerized by the presentations as well.  Their bags are on display in the classroom, minus the heavier items.  Thank you for supporting them in bringing these items to school.  Look for their grade sheets that came home this week for specifics on your child's presentation.