5th Grade Monthly Newsletters
What are our 5th graders up to? Take a look to find out!
Translate this page
Important Dates & Reminders
Important Dates
- 1/2: Holiday - No school for students
- 1/12: Advanced Math - Unit 4 test
- 1/13: Field trip to the National Geographic Museum
- 1/16: Holiday - No school for students
- 1/24: Reading - Unit 5 test
- 1/25: Math - Unit 5 test
- 1/25: Advanced Math - Unit 5 test
- 1/25: End of Quarter 2
- 1/26: Staff Development Day - No school for students
- 1/27: Teacher Workday - No school for students
Reminders
- If it is cold, please send your child to school in a winter coat. If your child is in need of a winter coat, let their teacher know and we can get them one.
See what our 5th Graders are learning.
January
Language Arts
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Unit 5: Fantasy Book Clubs - We are learning to follow the character’s quest in order to synthesize multiple ideas and develop a complex theory; and interpret how themes and morals are developed through the author’s choices.
HOME PRACTICES
- If reading any fantasy text, look for examples of theme developed by the author.
- Read any text (book, MyOn, article, newspaper, etc.) for 20 minutes
- Lexia
Math
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Unit 5: Fraction Computation - We are developing an understanding of and fluency with the relationship between fractions and decimals; and computation of decimals and fractions.
HOME PRACTICES
- Look for real life examples of fraction computation
- Practice multiplication facts
- ST Math
Advanced Math
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Unit 4: Integer Operations - We are learning to identify and represent integers; identify and describe the absolute value of integers; add, subtract, multiply, and divide integers; and solve practical problems involving operations with integers.
- Unit 5: Coordinate Plane and Congruence - We are learning to identify the components of the coordinate plane; identify the coordinates of a point and graph ordered pairs in a coordinate plane; and determine congruence of segments, angles, and polygons.
HOME PRACTICES
- Look for real life examples of negative numbers
- Look for real life examples of integer computation (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing positive & negative whole numbers)
- Practice multiplication facts
- ST Math
Science & Social Studies
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
Science
- Landforms - We are learning to identify and describe the layers of the earth; infer what fossil evidence tells us about Earth’s past; describe how changes in Earth’s crust cause earthquakes and volcanoes; model and explain how weathering, erosion, and deposition shape and change Earth’s surface; separate mixtures; classify rocks as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic; and model the rock cycle and describe how one rock type changes to another.
Social Studies
- Africa - We are learning to explain how geography impacted the civilization and culture of eastern and southern Africa from 500 BCE - 1500 BCE; and explain how trade impacted the Kingdom of Axum and the civilization of Great Zimbabwe and how the exchange of ideas has influenced the world today.
HOME PRACTICES
- Look for real world examples of weathering, erosion, and deposition
- Look for real world examples of mixtures and solutions
- Look for examples of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis in the news
- Look for real world examples of Africa’s cultural influence.
AAP Curriculum & Strategies
A few of the AAP curriculum and strategies that fifth grade students have engaged in this month are: Jacob’s Ladder, Reading Above, and CCT Strategy: Questioning. Ask your child more about which strategies they engaged within their classroom in this month.
1st Quarter (November, October, & September)
Language Arts
November
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Unit 3: Critical Literacy - We are learning to understand that media messages (advertisements, blogs, etc.) represent beliefs held by the author; analyze the author’s choices (format, language, organization); take a critical stance, comparing the author’s beliefs to our own; and determine whether or not to accept the text’s position.
- Unit 4, Part 1: Nonfiction - We are learning to adjust our thinking based on how the author presents and organizes information in order to understand the information and messages the author is communicating; evaluate our theories against other texts and media to create new understandings about the world; and consider the perspectives of others to broaden our own thinking through discussion.
- Unit 4, Part 2: Narrative Nonfiction - We are learning to consider the significance and impact of the information presented in the text in order to understand the message the author is communication; engage with the narrative arc while learning information about the topic; and evaluate how the literary techniques impact our interpretations of the text.
HOME PRACTICES
- Look for real world examples of persuasion techniques, perspective, and bias.
- Read any text (book, MyOn, article, newspaper, etc.) for 20 minutes
- Lexia
October
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Reading
- Unit 2: Characters - We are learning to follow the journey of characters to develop new understandings about the human experience; consider multiple points of view within a text; and compare perspectives with others and build on ideas in discussion.
- Unit 3: Critical Literacy - We are learning to understand that media messages (advertisements, blogs, etc.) represent beliefs held by the author; analyze the author’s choices (format, language, organization); take a critical stance, comparing the author’s beliefs to our own; and determine whether or not to accept the text’s position.
- Writing
- Unit 2: Memoirs - We are learning to analyze significant moments in our lives for larger lessons and ideas; revise our writing using literary techniques to elaborate on the message; use a combination of narrative and expository writing to develop our message; and discuss, share ideas, and provide feedback with peers.
- Unit 3: Persuasive Essay - We are learning to consider multiple perspectives to develop our position on an issue; craft a more persuasive piece when voice is informed by their audience; decide how to organize and order the parts of our essay to build the most convincing argument; and rely on feedback from the community to help refine our argument.
HOME PRACTICES
- Read any text (book, MyOn, article, newspaper, etc.) for 20 minutes
- Lexia
September
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Reading: Unit 2: Characters - We are learning to follow the journey of characters to develop new understandings about the human experience; consider multiple points of view within a text; and compare perspectives with others and build on ideas in discussion.
- Writing: Unit 2: Memoirs - We are learning to analyze significant moments in our lives for larger lessons and ideas; revise our writing using literary techniques to elaborate on the message; use a combination of narrative and expository writing to develop our message; and discuss, share ideas, and provide feedback with peers.
HOME PRACTICES
- Read any text (book, MyOn, article, newspaper, etc.) for 20 minutes
- Lexia
Math
November
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Unit 4: Decimal Computation - We are developing an understanding of and fluency with the relationship between fractions and decimals; and computation of decimals and fractions.
HOME PRACTICES
- Look for real life examples of decimal computation
- Practice multiplication facts
- ST Math
October
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Unit 3: Whole Number Computation - We are learning to refine and extend understandings of division of whole numbers; and to use understanding of computation and properties to solve multistep problems.
HOME PRACTICES
- Practice multiplication facts
- Look for real world examples of using computation of whole numbers
- ST Math
September
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Unit 2: Decimals & Fraction Number Sense - We are learning to develop an understanding of and fluency with the relationship between fractions and decimals.
- Unit 3: Whole Number Computation - We are learning to refine and extend understandings of division of whole numbers; and to use understanding of computation and properties to solve multistep problems.
HOME PRACTICES
- Practice multiplication facts
- ST Math
Advanced Math
November
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Unit 3: Rational Numbers & Exponents - We are developing an understanding of the connections among ratios, fractions, decimals, and percents.
- Unit 4: Integer Operations - We are developing an understanding of and fluency with multiplication and division of fractions, decimals, and integers (including negative numbers).
HOME PRACTICES
- Look for real life examples of ratios, fractions, decimals, and percents
- Look for real life examples of negative numbers
- Practice multiplication facts
- ST Math
October
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Unit 2: Fractions & Decimals - We are learning to develop an understanding of the connections among ratios, fractions, decimals, and percents; and to develop an understanding of and fluency with multiplication and division of fractions and decimals.
- Unit 3: Rational Numbers & Exponents - We are learning to develop an understanding of the connections among ratios, fractions, decimals, and percents.
HOME PRACTICES
- Practice multiplication facts
- Look for real world examples of fraction and decimal computation
- ST Math
September
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Unit 1: Ratios - We are learning to develop an understanding of the connections among ratios, fractions, decimals, and percentages.
- Unit 2: Fractions & Decimals - We are learning to develop an understanding of the connections among ratios, fractions, decimals, and percents; and to develop an understanding of and fluency with multiplication and division of fractions and decimals.
HOME PRACTICES
- Look for real-world examples of ratios
- Practice multiplication facts
- ST Math
Social Studies & Science
November
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
Social Studies
- Greece - We are learning to understand how geography shaped the civilization and culture of ancient Greece; how myths and religion contributed to the culture of Greece; and how the growth of democracy and their contributions have influenced the world today.
Science
- Landforms - We are learning to identify and describe the layers of the earth; infer what fossil evidence tells us about Earth’s past; describe how changes in Earth’s crust cause earthquakes and volcanoes; model and explain how weathering, erosion, and deposition shape and change Earth’s surface; separate mixtures; classify rocks as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic; and model the rock cycle and describe how one rock type changes to another.
HOME PRACTICES
- Look for real world examples of ancient Greece's contributions to our civilization and culture
- Look for real world examples of weathering, erosion, and deposition
October
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Science
- Force, Motion, & Energy - We are learning to develop an understanding that energy can take many forms; to develop an understanding that there is a relationship between force and energy of moving objects; and to develop an understanding that the conservation of energy resources is important.
- Social Studies
China - We are learning to explain how geography impacted the daily lives of people living in Classical China; and explain how China’s contributions to architecture have influenced the world today.
September
WHAT ARE WE LEARNING
- Science: Unit 1: Force, Motion, & Energy - We are learning to develop an understanding that energy can take many forms; to develop an understanding that there is a relationship between force and energy of moving objects; and to develop an understanding that the conservation of energy resources is important.
HOME PRACTICES
- Look for real world examples of force, motion, and energy.
- Look for real world examples of conserving energy.