Scrimmages

Hello, parents! Today I am sending home students' folders with their first scrimmages inside. Please review their scrimmage and sign on the record sheet. These will be due Monday.

We are quickly working toward our second scrimmage, which will be next Thursday. The scrimmage will cover the following standards (reviewing some from the last scrimmage):

• RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  
  
  We have practiced this a lot in class. This overlaps with characterization and the indirect/direct characterization we worked with two weeks ago. We've discussed making inferences about a character based on what they say and do, and we've done this together on the white board with a character from Hidden Figures, Dorothy Vaughan. 
  
  
  RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
  
  
  Both classes will have summarized several chapters of Hidden Figures out loud and in writing. They will have to summarize a passage from Hidden Figures for their scrimmage. 
  
  
  RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
  
  
  This is a review from last week, but will also be applied to Hidden Figures. We will be 9 chapters in, and we will be able to see several themes unfold already. 
  
  
  Homework:
  Read and Annotate Chapter 6
  Written summary of Chapter 6 (1 paragraph)
  
  
  
  
  

Homework 8/30

Homework: 

Mrs. Dole's Homeroom:
Read and Annotate Chapter 5
Write a summary of chapter 5
DWB---Describe Dorothy Vaughan (2 paragraphs)

*Students were given much of class time to do the work above, so most should have a good bit completed*

Ms. Bex's Homeroom:
Read and Annotate Chapter 5
Discussion Job

Hidden Figures ctd. again!

Today we had really great group discussions. Your students led them by coming prepared to fulfill their role in the discussion. Then we talked about inferences and how we make inferences about characters based on their character traits, tying together inferences and indirect characterization. Ask your kid--they should be able to talk to you about it!

Homework: Read and annotate chapter 4 and complete discussion job

Hidden Figures ctd.

Multiple students were not prepared for class today because they did not do their reading/annotating homework. As a reminder, kids are often given class time to work on this, they have dismissal time, they have homeroom, and they have study hall. There's no reason to not have their homework done. They are losing easy points by failing to complete this work, and they're falling behind. I had a discussion with both classes today about personal responsibility, and I expect that more students will be better prepared tomorrow.

Please check with your students about their homework being complete!

Homework: Read and Annotate Chapter 3 of Hidden Figures; Complete Discussion Job

Parent Letter about Hidden Figures

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Our new unit will introduce your students to Mary Winston Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Katherine Johnson. They are the women who inspired the book and the movie Hidden Figures. We will read, analyze, discuss, and debate their stories from a variety of angles. In addition to learning about the contributions of these women during their time at NASA, we will also discuss the challenges they endured as a result of the Jim Crow laws that were being enforced and the discrimination they faced.

Through discussion and debate your students will have the opportunity to form their own thoughts and opinions about these topics. They will also learn how to respectfully engage in civil discourse and learn how to express their points of view in an appropriate way.

Best,

Ms. Bex

Ready, Set, Go with Hidden Figures

We officially dove into Hidden Figures today. There are still several students without books, so they need to get them purchased as soon as possible. I have five extra copies, but they have to stay in my classroom, so that makes completing homework difficult for those students without books.

Today we read chapter 1 in class and assigned Literature Circle roles. Each student has his/her own job (should be written on the notecard they were given in class today) to come to class prepared for group discussions. We also discussed annotating/note taking while reading. I gave students a key to write in the front of their books (or on paper if they are using library books), and I expect to see annotations for every chapter. This will be a daily grade as well as the grade they will get for participating well in their group discussions. Each student can earn 2 points a day just through having their annotations and participating in group discussions.

Homework: Read Chapter 1 and 2 in Hidden Figures and complete annotations; complete literature circle role.  Students were given a good chunk of class time to do this--most should only have their literature circle role to complete.

Game Face On!

Tomorrow is our first scrimmage. I listed the standards covered in my last post, so please click back if you'd like more information on that. We will review these standards again down the line.

Students have notes in their IN for everything except characterization. We will review that today after we go over theme.

If you are new to scrimmages (like I am!), here's the layout. There will be 4 multiple choice questions and 2 extended response questions. The total point value of a scrimmage = 12 points (1 per multiple choice question, four per extended response). I will then have your child move his or her card on our data wall where we post where on the scale students fall for covered standards. If you're ever in the school, feel free to stop by the classroom and check out the data wall.

Last call for me to order your Hidden Figures book if you bought the incorrect version or have not yet purchased it. I need to receive an email from you TODAY if you want me to order it. You can send $5.22 in with your child by Friday. I sent a letter home to this effect, but if you did purchase the incorrect version, you can donate it to my classroom library, and I will then purchase the correct edition for your child.

I hope everybody is enjoying keeping up with what we are doing in our classroom. If you have any questions or would like me to post more pictures of your students in action, leave a comment!

Interactive Notebooks, continued

Today we will work on summarization and possibly jump into theme. These are all mostly review from last year, but we will do the work together on an example in class and then they will complete a similar exercise on their own.

We have also been using mini videos from Flocabulary to reinforce and review as we go. They're catchy and a fun way to start class.

I'm still waiting on the last group of students to get their Hidden Figures books, so I have pushed the start of that unit until Monday. I can accept orders accompanied by the $5 cost (it's technically $5.22 after tax) through THURSDAY. After that I will not be ordering books because they will not arrive on time. Please make sure you are getting the Young Readers' Edition. The other version has over 100 pages more, and it does not align well to the Young Readers' Edition for in class reading or for homework assignments. If you purchased the incorrect edition, you may donate it to my classroom library, and I will order the correct edition for you, free of charge. But I need to know this by Thursday morning. 

We are quickly approaching our first scrimmage, as I mentioned in my last post. Students will have the entire class to complete it, though many will not need that much time. They will need to have a quiet option with them to work on after they finish.

Homework: 
Buy Hidden Figures

Interactive Notebooks Started!

My ELA classes started their interactive notebooks (IN) this week. It's a fun way to take notes and look back at the information quickly and easily. I provided each student with a composition notebook, but we may need a second one before the year is out!

In our IN we are working with informational texts. We've covered Topic, Topic Sentences, Main Idea, and Supporting Details. Today we will work on Transitional Sentences and review the items from yesterday. Tomorrow we will focus on Summarization.

Our Scrimmage on Friday will cover Characterization, Theme, Main Idea, Supporting Details, and Summarization.

Standards:

• RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
• 
  
• RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• 
  
• RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
• 
  
• RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

We also are ready to jump into reading Hidden Figures, so continue to send those books in please.

Here's a peek into our IN entry from yesterday:

Homework: 
Required IN assignment--finish Hurricane Katrina graphic organizer
Optional IN assignment--for those who want more practice. Read and annotate an article from teacher provided magazine using the method from class (Blue, circle topic; Green, box around topic sentence; Orange, zigzag underline transitional sentences; Red, underline supporting details; Purple, find and write the main idea. This is not required--some students just requested extra practice. 

Hidden Figures--New Unit Starts Today!

Today we started reviewing topic, topic sentence, main idea, and supporting details (Standard RI 5.8). We will also address summarization (Standard RI 5.2) this week.

We started putting together our interactive notebooks and taking notes on topic, topic sentence, main idea, and supporting details from a brief sample essay. We will be using these skills with Hidden Figures as well.

In class I read the Prologue to them, and I initially assigned chapter 1 as homework. Unfortunately, half of the students still do not have the book, so for the next few days we will be mostly working with the text in class to give students a little more time for ordered books to arrive. PLEASE purchase the book as soon as possible if you have not already. In my last post I put the cover of the book to make sure the correct version is purchased. It's the Scholastic Young Readers' Edition.

Homework: Purchase Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures

We are starting our first novel unit today! Yesterday we did a very brief intro by watching a Flocabulary video about one of the characters in the book ("Katherine Johnson & The Human Computers").

Today we will be using iPads to research the four main characters in the book. Students will then fill out a graphic organizer about the character they are assigned.

We will start reading on Monday, so make sure you send your student with his/her copy; please write your child's name inside the front cover.

Homework: 

None

Mid Week Summary

Good morning!

So far this week we have continued working on characterization, and today we will write short narratives featuring four specific character traits (organized, helpful, impatient, and brave).

On Wednesday we took our pretest. Students were given the entire class time to complete this.

Please make sure you have purchased Hidden Figures as we will start reading that Monday. Today and tomorrow will be an introduction to the unit.

I now have a school email: rbarker@columbuspreparatory.org

Looking forward to a strong wrap up to the week!

Important:
Purchase Hidden Figures if you have not already.

Monday--Characterization Continued

Welcome to the first full week of fifth grade! This week we will continue our dive into characterization. Keep in mind the standard's goal as we work on this: we want to be able to compare and contrast two or more characters. We'll be able to do that very well by the end of the week.

Today we watched a video about characterization--the video creator used scenes from Frozen to illustrate direct and indirect characterization. Ask your kids about the difference between these two--most of them should be able to tell you AND give you an example (they certainly could in class!).

After the video, we worked on a reading passage. Students had to fill in a report card for two of the characters, grading them on specific character traits. This is exactly what they will do for homework, so it was good practice.

HOMEWORK:
Choose ONE character from any book read recently or being read currently. Fill out the Character Traits Report Card handout for that character. This is due tomorrow morning.

Make sure your student owns the book Hidden Figures. It's the young readers edition through Scholastic. This was on the class supply list, and we will be starting with it soon so we can do some cross-curricular work with science class.

I will not always list the homework as students should be getting in the habit of writing it into their planners. 

Fun Friday!

We made it through the first two days! Today we finished up some discussion on class rules, completed an in class writing assignment about our summer activities (DWB), and then jumped head first into characterization.

We are starting with standard RL.5.3:

 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

 We worked this week with general characterization. Students worked individually on a short reading passage and filling out a character trait chart. Unfinished worksheets will need to be completed for homework.

PLEASE start getting into the habit of checking your student's planner for homework and signing it.

Homework for Monday:

1. Finish character trait charts (most students completed these in class)


NOTE:
I will sometimes update this blog several times a week, but generally I will post at the very least on Wednesdays and Fridays. 

First Day of School

Hello! I hope everybody had an excellent first day of school. I know I did! Parents, today we did some general introductions, organized our materials, and worked on establishing our classroom procedures. Students had an active part of this process by working in groups of 8 to brainstorm what THEY thought our classroom rules should be. Then we had a group discussion to put our information together. Tomorrow we'll be putting those rules on poster board to display in our classroom.

I sent home a parent letter today with general information and a link to this blog. You can email me through this blog, and I will update the email address once I get my CPA email assigned to me.

Homework:
Journal #1: A letter to my teacher--what I would like my teacher to know about me.
This should be one half page of notebook paper, written as neatly as possible. It can be longer, if they need more space.

Welcome to fifth grade English! I'm Ms. Bex, and I will be the lucky individual who gets to work with your children this year. The purpose for this blog is to provide a place for students and parents to keep up with assignments and other important information as the year goes on.

I'm really looking forward to this year, and I can't wait to get to know the students!

Love,

Ms. Bex