Thursday, March 6, 2014

5M Highlights 3/3 -3/7



5M Highlights:
·        On Wednesday we had our second whole school community meeting. These meetings are a chance for our entire school to get together and work on social learning and community building. The meeting follows a typical morning meeting format: greeting, share, activity, and morning message. This month we enjoyed hearing the second graders share about their study of the Arctic.
·        Monday marked the beginning of Puberty classes. Students learned about changes that happen to males during puberty. As expected there was some uncomfortable giggling, but students survived. I would like to remind students to be sure to remember that this is fifth grade material and is not suitable for conversation on the bus or anywhere else where younger students might be.
·        Students have done a great job doing investigative lab work on rocks and minerals.  So far they have completed two labs: one on properties of rocks and minerals and one on the luster of minerals.  Next week we will continue with the hardness lab. Students will be able to rate the hardness of minerals using Moh’s Scale, which was created by Freidrich Mohs in 1812. 
·        This week we began our next writing project. This will be a creative narrative where students will tell a story from the perspective of a rock in the rock cycle. They are full of zany, wacky ideas!
·        We have begun using the standard algorithm method of multi-digit multiplication.  This is the traditional way that we all learned multi-digit multiplication, so it should look familiar to you.  The target for fifth grade is to be able to accurately solve a 3 digit by 2 digit problem.
·        In our book Winter Camp, the kids have learned a ton of information about surviving in the arctic tundra. This week we practiced analyzing a character (Toughboy) and how he responds to problems. Additionally, we did some work around foreshadowing (when an author gives hints or clues about what might come later in the story). 

About Me

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I live in Cape Elizabeth with my husband, two daughters, and our cat Nessie. Our family loves to spend time outdoors together, camping, hiking, and gardening. Another past time of mine is triathlons. I have completed nine triathlons, including one Half Ironman. I loved swimming, biking, and running 70.3 miles! You might also find me cozied up with a good book in my free time. I have been teaching for 10 years in a variety of grade levels. Fifth grade is my favorite! The kids are capable of so much! I can't say I have a favorite subject to teach, but love getting students to think deeply. I enjoy getting kids to think critically and be creative in all subject areas. I often use simulations and project based learning to do this. Teambuilding and working on social skills in another major goal of mine. Teaching kids to work effectively together and use good communication skills will help prepare them for life after school.