Walker Creek Outdoor Ed
Our Walker Creek Adventure is fast approaching. Here are a few reminders:
- Make sure you get your child’s Outdoor Ed packet and check to the office by Monday, December 5.
- If you are interested in being a cabin leader, please let your child’s teacher know. 5th grade teachers will be confirming with interested parent volunteers this week.
- A packing list will come home this week. Check it out and let your child’s teacher know if you have any questions.
Math
We are continuing with Module 3, addition and subtraction of fractions, and then we will move to Module 4, which focuses on multiplying and dividing fractions and decimal fractions. We will explore the following concepts:
- Line plots
- Fractions as division using models and equations
- Multiplying whole numbers and fractions by fractions (in fraction and decimal form)
- Dividing fractions and decimal fractions
- Numerical expressions and word problems
Writing
- National Novel Writing Month has come to a close. Rough draft novel writing has ended, and now the students begin the processes of revising and editing their work.
- Students will work in writing groups, work with partners, work alone, and receive lessons on revision, grammar and punctuation, all in an effort to improve their rough drafts.
- Parents will sit with their children over the winter break to do a final edit of their novels so that they will be ready to begin the publishing process in January. This final edit will consist of checking for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting issues.
Social Studies
This month in Social Studies we'll begin studying the Age of Exploration by answering the following Big Questions:
Why did Europeans sail to new places?
Who were the explorers and what did they find?
What explorations were made by land?
Where in the Americas did European countries claimed land?
The unit will be followed-up by The Fight for a Continent.
Teaching alongside our nonfiction studies, students have been reading our second literary book of the school year, called The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. It is an historical - fiction novel about a young girl in 1687 who moves to the Connecticut Colony. Readers are given a realistic and vivid portrait of colonial New England and sketch the larger transatlantic issues that defined the colonies’ political landscape.
Science - with Ms. Kesten
The students have been working on a series of projects in the new and improved Purcell Design Lab. During this science rotation they will complete the Air Rocket project and the 3D Coding project. In Air rockets students learn about physics and aerodynamics to build an air rocket. They used a plastic mold to build the body and then designed the fins, length and nose cone for optimal flight. Once built, the students recorded the flight times of their rockets to determine the best design. For 3D coding students learn how to program in 3D using a Scratch based programming language called Beetle Blocks. After going through a series of challenges, their final project is to design and program a 3D object that could be printed on the MakerBot. Click the links to watch the videos that go with each lesson.
Upcoming Events
Dec. 5 - 9th - Hour of Code week
Dec. 5th - Play cast/schedule reveal
Dec. 7th - Green Transportation Day
Dec. 15th - Holiday Concert
Dec. 21st - 40% of AR goal
Dec. 23 - Jan 9 - Winter Recess
Our Walker Creek Adventure is fast approaching. Here are a few reminders:
- Make sure you get your child’s Outdoor Ed packet and check to the office by Monday, December 5.
- If you are interested in being a cabin leader, please let your child’s teacher know. 5th grade teachers will be confirming with interested parent volunteers this week.
- A packing list will come home this week. Check it out and let your child’s teacher know if you have any questions.
Math
We are continuing with Module 3, addition and subtraction of fractions, and then we will move to Module 4, which focuses on multiplying and dividing fractions and decimal fractions. We will explore the following concepts:
- Line plots
- Fractions as division using models and equations
- Multiplying whole numbers and fractions by fractions (in fraction and decimal form)
- Dividing fractions and decimal fractions
- Numerical expressions and word problems
Writing
- National Novel Writing Month has come to a close. Rough draft novel writing has ended, and now the students begin the processes of revising and editing their work.
- Students will work in writing groups, work with partners, work alone, and receive lessons on revision, grammar and punctuation, all in an effort to improve their rough drafts.
- Parents will sit with their children over the winter break to do a final edit of their novels so that they will be ready to begin the publishing process in January. This final edit will consist of checking for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting issues.
Social Studies
This month in Social Studies we'll begin studying the Age of Exploration by answering the following Big Questions:
Why did Europeans sail to new places?
Who were the explorers and what did they find?
What explorations were made by land?
Where in the Americas did European countries claimed land?
The unit will be followed-up by The Fight for a Continent.
Teaching alongside our nonfiction studies, students have been reading our second literary book of the school year, called The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. It is an historical - fiction novel about a young girl in 1687 who moves to the Connecticut Colony. Readers are given a realistic and vivid portrait of colonial New England and sketch the larger transatlantic issues that defined the colonies’ political landscape.
Science - with Ms. Kesten
The students have been working on a series of projects in the new and improved Purcell Design Lab. During this science rotation they will complete the Air Rocket project and the 3D Coding project. In Air rockets students learn about physics and aerodynamics to build an air rocket. They used a plastic mold to build the body and then designed the fins, length and nose cone for optimal flight. Once built, the students recorded the flight times of their rockets to determine the best design. For 3D coding students learn how to program in 3D using a Scratch based programming language called Beetle Blocks. After going through a series of challenges, their final project is to design and program a 3D object that could be printed on the MakerBot. Click the links to watch the videos that go with each lesson.
Upcoming Events
Dec. 5 - 9th - Hour of Code week
Dec. 5th - Play cast/schedule reveal
Dec. 7th - Green Transportation Day
Dec. 15th - Holiday Concert
Dec. 21st - 40% of AR goal
Dec. 23 - Jan 9 - Winter Recess