The Randall Spelling Bee will be held on Friday, January 19th at 8:20 a.m. Next week we will be doing spelling bee rounds in our classrooms to determine who our representative and alternate will be. We will do five spelling bee rounds with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers earning points for each round. All students will have an opportunity to participate. Scoring will be as follows:
1st place = 5 points
2nd place = 3 points
3rd place = 1 point
After the five practice rounds the student with the most points will be our representative. The student with the second most points will be our alternate.
Have fun and good luck!
Friday, December 15, 2017
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Social Studies: Facing Slavery
Essential Question: What was the impact of slavery on Africans?
Description: In a Response Group activity, student groups analyze and respond to three dilemmas faced by Africans during enslavement: trading slaves for guns in West Africa, surviving the Middle Passage, and living as a slave in the colonies.
After the reading and responding to the text students did a flip book to show understanding of life in each stage of the slave trade, as well as the dilemmas faced by the Africans in all three stages, West Africa, the Middle Passage and the American Colonies. Here are some great examples of their work:
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Upcoming Writing Opportunities!
There are three writing contests coming up for third through fifth graders, which kids can work on over winter break.
Click here for the information in English!
Click here for the information in Spanish!Click here for the information in Hmong!
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| This is just a screenshot!!!! Please use link above to connect to the document! |
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Adding and Subtracting Fractions
This week we learned how to add and subtract fractions. This included finding equivalent fractions, comparing fractions and then adding/subtracting. Here are the fifth grade standards for fractions:
Games and practice pages:
Use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NF.A.1
Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (including mixed numbers) by replacing given fractions with equivalent fractions in such a way as to produce an equivalent sum or difference of fractions with like denominators. For example, 2/3 + 5/4 = 8/12 + 15/12 = 23/12. (In general, a/b + c/d = (ad + bc)/bd.)
Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators (including mixed numbers) by replacing given fractions with equivalent fractions in such a way as to produce an equivalent sum or difference of fractions with like denominators. For example, 2/3 + 5/4 = 8/12 + 15/12 = 23/12. (In general, a/b + c/d = (ad + bc)/bd.)
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NF.A.2
Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole, including cases of unlike denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem. Use benchmark fractions and number sense of fractions to estimate mentally and assess the reasonableness of answers. For example, recognize an incorrect result 2/5 + 1/2 = 3/7, by observing that 3/7 < 1/2.
Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions referring to the same whole, including cases of unlike denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models or equations to represent the problem. Use benchmark fractions and number sense of fractions to estimate mentally and assess the reasonableness of answers. For example, recognize an incorrect result 2/5 + 1/2 = 3/7, by observing that 3/7 < 1/2.
Here are the anchor charts we made in class for reference and practice.
Non-Fiction Writing
Our writing goal this quarter is to write Non-Fiction pieces. Our "I Can" statements include: I can write informative/explanatory tests to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
We will get to that goal by working on how to organize our writing, so our first lessons were on how to write complete and organized paragraphs. We learned about the three parts to a paragraph, the topic sentences, the detail sentences, and the concluding sentence. The following shows the process we went through to plan and draft our non-fiction writing.
We will get to that goal by working on how to organize our writing, so our first lessons were on how to write complete and organized paragraphs. We learned about the three parts to a paragraph, the topic sentences, the detail sentences, and the concluding sentence. The following shows the process we went through to plan and draft our non-fiction writing.
Monday, November 27, 2017
Math: Fractions
Last week we started some work with fractions! For many kids that word, "fractions" brings with it some scary and intimidating connotations. Many students just don't feel like they are "good at fractions". Most of our work during 2nd quarter revolves around fractions, comparing, ordering, converting, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing! Because having a solid base knowledge and building confidence are very important, we will spend a few days reviewing basic fraction concepts, including vocabulary of fractions, unit fractions and finding fractional parts of a whole. For some, this may have felt like a slow process, but we promise challenge to come! We just need to make sure everyone gets started in a good spot.
Social Studies: The New England, Middle and Southern Colonies
In Chapter 7 of Social Studies Alive we studied the three colonial regions, New England, Middle and Southern Colonies. Students worked on a Problem Solving Groupwork activity, students created a billboard for one of six British colonies and then tried to persuade other students to settle in their colony with a commercial.
They all worked hard on coming up with slogans, catch phrases, billboards and presentations. Here are pictures of their finished billboards.
They all worked hard on coming up with slogans, catch phrases, billboards and presentations. Here are pictures of their finished billboards.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Reading Literature and Information R.5.2
Our reading focus for second quarter is around Reading Standard 2: Use and identify details in a text in order to summarize and determine the theme or main idea of a text. We have been using the text "Eaglesmount: Silverhorn" to practice this work. Here is the process we are using to meet this standard.
While doing this work we have also done some work with vocabulary - recognizing important or unfamiliar words, using the context clues within the text to help us understand, and finding the definition in the dictionary (either online or in print).
We began this work by identifying important details in a text. We used a color code to help us easily see the character, setting, event, problem and solution information we identified.
Then we worked as groups to write a summary using the information we identified.
Next week we will be doing more work around theme, starting with a teacher model. We will go more indepth with Step 4 from our Process Anchor Chart, helping us more independent in our work of identifying the theme of a text.
We will be doing similar work during writing to help us with the informational side of this standard. More to come on that!
Monday, November 13, 2017
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Skeleton Symmetry
We had a little wacky fun in math this week using our knowledge of symmetry to make some spooky, goofy, fun-loving skeletons!
Book recommendations, all available on Overdrive
I had quite a few parents ask me for book recommendations at conferences. So I compiled a list of books that I've enjoyed that are available on the school's Overdrive library. This can be accessed by all students on the Randall Library Portal. Have fun reading!
Title
|
Author
|
 Moon Over Manifest |
Vanderpool
|
 Anne of Green Gables |
Montgomery
|
 When You Reach Me |
Stead (also other titles by this author)
|
 Frindle |
Clements (also other titles by this author)
|
 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler |
Koningsburg
|
 Three Times Lucky |
Turnage (has sequels)
|
 Because of Mr. Terupt |
Bugea (has sequels)
|
 The Candymakers |
Mass
|
 Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry |
Taylor (also other titles by this author) (has sequels)
|
 Brown Girl Dreaming |
Woodson (also other titles by this author)
|
 Dead End at Norvelt |
Gantos (has sequel)
|
 Fever 1793 |
Anderson
|
 The Mighty Miss Malone Bud, Not Buddy |
Curtis (also other titles by this author)
|
 Kira Kira |
Kadohata
|
 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz |
Baum
|
 The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Because of Winn-Dixie Tiger Rising |
DiCamillo
|
 Spy School |
Gibbs (also other titles by this author)
|
 Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library |
Grabenstein
|
 Liar, Liar Hatchet |
Paulsen (also other titles by this author)
|
 Fish in a Tree |
Hunt
|
 Who is or was….. |
This is a series that has many authors b/ it is a set of biographies.
|
 One Crazy Summer |
Williams-Garcia (also other titles by this author) (has sequels)
|
 Counting by 7s |
Sloan
|
 The Evolution of Culpernia Tate |
Kelly
|
 Bridge to Terabithia |
Paterson
|
 Tuck Everlasting |
Babbitt
|
 Lily’s Crossing |
Giff (also other titles by this author)
|
 Bloomability Ruby Holler |
Creech (also other titles by this author)
|
 Sarah, Plain and Tall |
MacLachlan (has sequels)
|
 Hoot |
Hiaasen (also other titles by this author)
|
 Where the Red Fern Grows |
Rawls
|
 Al Capone Does My Shirts |
Choldenko (has sequels)
|
 Becoming Naomi Leon |
Ryan (also other titles by this author)
|
 The City of Ember |
DuPrau (has sequels)
|
 On My Honor |
Bauer
|
 The Lemonade War |
Davies (has sequels)
|
 Alvin Ho, Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things |
Look (has sequels)
|
 The Name of This Book is Secret |
Bosch (has sequels)
|
 Small Steps |
Kehret
|
 Inside Out & Back Again |
Lai
|
 A Single Shard A Long Walk to Water |
Park
|
 Fair Weather The River Between Us A Long Way from Chicago On the Wings of Heroes |
Peck (also other titles by this author)
|
 Belle Prater’s Boy |
White
|
 A Dog’s Life |
Martin (also other titles by this author)
|
 The Scavengers |
Perry
|
 So Far from the Bamboo Grove |
Watkins
|
 A Night Divided |
Nielsen
|
 The Giver |
Lowry (has sequels)
|
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