January Read Aloud

FANTASY UNIT

  5-307 & 5-309

Gregor the Overlander

By: Suzanne Collins

In the irresistible first novel by the author of The Hunger Games, a boy embarks on a dangerous quest in order to fulfill his destiny — and find his father.

When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.

Vocabulary:

1. arrogant
2. recourse
3. cunning
4. prudent
5. optimistic
6. eerie
7. skeptical
8. resourceful
9. reserved 

 5-310

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

By: C.S. Lewis

Air-raids over London during WWII compel four siblings — Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy — to be sent away from the city to the house of a kindly, but remote Professor "who lived in the heart of the country." There is much to discover in the country: woods, mountains, owls, eagles, maybe even hawks and snakes. But the children will soon discover that the Professor's large house, staffed by three servants, holds even more mystery. It is a house filled with unexpected places, including a room which holds nothing but a large wardrobe, which Lucy opens one rainy day, never dreaming that the wardrobe is a passageway into Narnia.

A once peaceful world inhabited by Fauns, Dwarves, Giants, and Talking Beasts, Narnia has been frozen into perpetual winter by the fiendish White Witch who rules over it. Before long, Edmund steps into the wardrobe, and, in spite of himself, into Narnia, where he has a chilling encounter with the seductive White Witch. Soon, all of the children become embroiled in an adventure that includes themes of betrayal, forgiveness, death, and rebirth.

Vocabulary:

1. manipulative
2. spiteful
3. egotistical
4. arrogant
5. impulsive
6. erratic
7. hesitant
8. optimistic
9. sympathetic
10. confident
11. courageous
12. volatile
13. sincere
14. vicious

The Skills we will be working on throughout our

 Fantasy Read Aloud include:

·       Challenges and Overcoming Obstacles (Character Changes)

·       Action and Adventure Heroes

·       Courage, Bravery, Heroism

·       Lost and Found

·       Magical symbols

·       Good Vs. Evil

·       The Quest

January and February 2016 Writing Workshop

WRITING

In writing we are currently working on writing short and extended responses based off of texts/articles that we read.

………………………………………………………………………….

A SHORT RESPONSE should include the 2 points components in order to receive the highest possible score 2/2

2-Point Rubric—Short Response

Score	Response Features
2 point	A two-point response… ·      Makes an inference:  develop an idea based on the clues in the text. ·      Contains two or more facts, definitions, and/or specific details from the text are used to support the answer. ·      Is written in complete sentences. ·      Contains very few grammatical errors (spelling, capitalization, punctuation, etc.).
1 point	A one-point response… ·      Does not include an inference.  The answer is simply a retelling, and it does not develop an idea about the text. ·      Contains some facts, definitions, and/or specific details. ·      Contains incomplete sentences or uses bullets.
0 point	A zero point response… ·      Doesn’t answer the question. ·      Is incorrect. ·      Contains many grammatical errors. ·      Cannot be read.

………………………………………………………………………….

An EXTENDED RESPONSE should contain the 4 points components in order to receive the best possible score 4/4.

December Math Workshop

MATH MODULE 3

Grade 5 Module 3: Addition and Subtraction of Fractions

In Module 3, students' understanding of addition and subtraction of fractions extends from earlier work with fraction equivalence and decimals. This module marks a significant shift away from the elementary grades' centrality of base ten units to the study and use of the full set of fractional units from Grade 5 forward, especially as applied to algebra.

Finding Equivalent Fractions

Conceptual Understanding of Equivalent Fractions

DECEMBER READ ALOUD 2015

DECEMBER  

Read Aloud FLUSH CONTINUED 

In Read Aloud this month, we are reading FLush by Carl Hiaasen.  We have only just started, but we're already hooked!!  For information about the book, click here.  As we read, we will discuss the big ideas or themes in the book, just like we did in Eggs.  We are working to improve our skills in:

·                Determining the lesson/moral/theme/central message

·                Making inferences about the characters as well as tone and mood

·                Drawing conclusions and predicting what's to come

·                Thinking about the author's craft and purpose

·                Monitoring for meaning by using context to determine word meaning and interpreting                 figurative language

In addition, this new read aloud book will make us think about Social Issues.  These are serious issues that affect our daily lives like family relationships, family struggles, caring for our environment, and what it means to do the right thing.

Below you will find our new vocabulary words that we are learning to improve our Read Aloud conversation.  These words will help us articulate our thinking as we discuss the book Flush.  Click the link below to find a copy of our Vocabulary Packet with the 14 words, definitions, and synonyms.  Students will be quizzed weekly on these words.  The purpose of this is to ensure that the students have a deep understanding of the words because they will be used all year.  They should become a part of your child's permanent vocabulary.  They have been provided a list of "Ways to Study Vocabulary Words".  A copy of this list is below.  Please encourage your child to find a method that works best for them.  There are plenty of study options for active students, music lovers, and artists.

Note:  Although we have new words for Flush, students are still expected to know and use the vocabulary we learned in Eggs.  Students should continue to incorporate those words in conversation and in their writing.  They may also see one or two of those words pop up on a quiz!

Flush Conversation Words:  

1.              impulsive

2.              keen

3.              volatile

4.              murky

5.              vicious

6.              sincere

7.              erratic

8.              salvage

9.              expedition

 Vocabulary Homework Schedule

Day 1: In your own words- Write the vocabulary words and definitions in your own words.

Day 2:  Visual Representation- Draw a picture representing the vocabulary words (or find an illustration). Write a caption explaining your picture.

Day 3: Meaningful Sentences- Write each vocabulary word in a sentence. Your sentences must contain the words when or because (see example below).

            Vocabulary Word:  Compassionate

            The boy was compassionate when he offered to share his snack with the new girl at                    school.

            The boy was compassionate because he understood how it felt to be made fun of.

Day 4:  Study Night- Create a synonym tree or web for each word or choose 1 option from the menu to help you study all the vocab words.

Flush Conversation Words Vocabulary Packet:  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9xCI4aHAVlqRDdwUkhob2hNclE/view?usp=sharing

Ways To Study Vocabulary Words: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3-CCyb5iLkAci1jSjJRd2Z6eEE/view?usp=sharing

December Writing Workshop 2015

December 2015 Writing Workshop

       This unit focuses on teaching students to craft arguments based on research. In this writing unit, students will learn to develop an argument and support it with multiple resources. This unit aims to give fifth graders additional practice producing texts that are written as arguments. Students will be reading collections of texts on a topic. The work with text sets will provide an opportunity for students to see that while many authors may write about a similar topic often, they often have different opinions about that topic. Students will learn to develop their own opinion based on their own selected topic, select evidence that supports their opinion, and show how that evidence relates to their opinion.

December Reading Workshop

Non fiction Text Structure Unit

Nonfiction articles present a challenge to young readers. The Common Core State English-language Arts Standards provides a convincing argument, we need to “up” the level of text complexity and provide greater opportunities for independent reading.

Text complexity is the most important variable in reading comprehension.

The level of difficulty is a more important variable in reading comprehension than is a reader’s degree of mastery of inferential reading strategies or critical thinking skills. In other words, what you read is more of an issue than how you read.

The Purpose of this Unit:

Students will understand:

• All texts have a structure that organizes information.
• Chronological/Sequential
• Problem-Solution
• Cause & Effect
• Compare & Contrast
• When writing, authors decide how they want to organize information and choose text structure based on their goals or purposes.
• A text structure arranges events, ideas, or information in a text.
• Identifying the structure of a text can help you better understand the main ideas an author is sharing.
• The text structure an author chooses is connected to an author’s purpose.
• There are key words that help identify a particular text structure.