Spelling
Spelling This year's Spelling focus will be learning words with Greek and Latin roots. In addition to learning to spell them, students will be required to learn the meanings of each of the week's ten words. All weekly tests will be given on Wednesdays unless there is a holiday or other scheduling change. Parents: please check your child's Reminder Binder for any changes.
To help practice their words:
Independent Spelling:
To help practice their words:
- * students are to complete three activities from a long list of choices which are listed here: Fun Spelling Practice.doc
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- to discourage paper waste, students are encouraged to complete as many activities as possible on one sheet of paper. There is no need to start a new page for each activity.
- activities are to be competed and turned in on Wednesdays, when the students will be tested on their words, unless there is a scheduling change.
- it is also recommended that they make "flash cards" from index cards to help with learning the words' meanings. Additional practice with the words' meanings will take place during class, as well as a quiz on Wednesday to culminate the week's work.
Independent Spelling:
- some students will "pass" the pre-test for a week's words on Thursday (90% or better). Their score will be entered in the grade book that day.
- these students will work in partnerships to develop their own lists of ten words from our content areas (Science or Social Studies) that they would like to learn.
- students will learn to spell and the meanings of their ten words.
- students can raise their scores to 100% by spelling all of their independent list words correctly. Their scores from Thursday will never be lowered.
- students are not responsible for the "activities". They can choose to practice and learn their words in whatever way works best for them; however, no work is required to be turned in.
- Independent Spellers are still responsible for learning the meanings of the week's 10 words and will be tested with the rest of the class.
Writing
Guided Writing
Each trimester, our curriculum guides us toward writing one specific type of writing: Persuasive, Responsive, or Informational. Mini lessons are given with practice intended to guide students toward their best writing. Emphasis this year will be endurance (multi-paragraph essays), thesis statements, organization, and transitions to keep the essay fluid.
Very little will come home in the way of guided writing for "homework" unless a student falls behind in the writing process. Parents can best help their children with their writing skills by encouraging journaling and reading. The best writers are good readers as they have more experience with how the English language works.
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All About "Me"
We are going to embark on a year-long writing project which will integrate Writing, Science, Social Studies, and Visual Arts. I am so excited to see the fruits of all of our labor in the spring. We will keep a large on-going portfolio of this work until the end of the year when it will be brought home in its completed glory! My vision is for it to be a wonderful culmination of the students' years in elementary school.
Each trimester, our curriculum guides us toward writing one specific type of writing: Persuasive, Responsive, or Informational. Mini lessons are given with practice intended to guide students toward their best writing. Emphasis this year will be endurance (multi-paragraph essays), thesis statements, organization, and transitions to keep the essay fluid.
Very little will come home in the way of guided writing for "homework" unless a student falls behind in the writing process. Parents can best help their children with their writing skills by encouraging journaling and reading. The best writers are good readers as they have more experience with how the English language works.
___________________________________________________________________________
All About "Me"
We are going to embark on a year-long writing project which will integrate Writing, Science, Social Studies, and Visual Arts. I am so excited to see the fruits of all of our labor in the spring. We will keep a large on-going portfolio of this work until the end of the year when it will be brought home in its completed glory! My vision is for it to be a wonderful culmination of the students' years in elementary school.
Social Studies
This year, you will be immersed in United States history, from Pre-Columbian North America (that means *before* Columbus arrived) until the new United States started to move west. The California State Standards that we will address can be read here: hssstandards.doc
Early United States history is my passion, and I hope to pass on my love for the STORY of history to you. If you love US History as much as I do (and Arielle! :-)) you can go here and read and read and play and play and play.... Awesome History Site
Each student will have been given a "syllabus" which outlines all of the class procedures, expectations, and much of the format for what we will be studying. A link to these instructions is here: SS Class Policies.doc
ISN
The Interactive Study Notebook is an integral part of our learning and an awesome study tool. There are two "sides" to the notebook. The Left side is for Learning. This is where students will take notes or glue in any number of hand-outs or vocabulary building exercises. Some our note-taking strategies are noted here: ISN note taking strategies.doc
Great American
One section of the 5th grade History/Social Science Curriculum Standards states: 5.9 Students know the location of the current 50 states and the names of their capitals.
With this goal in mind, as well as encouraging civic and cultural knowledge in our students, we promote a special award called "Great American" to be given at the 5th Grade Completion Ceremony in June to those students who are able to complete the following tasks:
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Early United States history is my passion, and I hope to pass on my love for the STORY of history to you. If you love US History as much as I do (and Arielle! :-)) you can go here and read and read and play and play and play.... Awesome History Site
Each student will have been given a "syllabus" which outlines all of the class procedures, expectations, and much of the format for what we will be studying. A link to these instructions is here: SS Class Policies.doc
- Details
- Download
- 52 KB
ISN
The Interactive Study Notebook is an integral part of our learning and an awesome study tool. There are two "sides" to the notebook. The Left side is for Learning. This is where students will take notes or glue in any number of hand-outs or vocabulary building exercises. Some our note-taking strategies are noted here: ISN note taking strategies.doc
- Details
- Download
- 43 KB
Great American
One section of the 5th grade History/Social Science Curriculum Standards states: 5.9 Students know the location of the current 50 states and the names of their capitals.
With this goal in mind, as well as encouraging civic and cultural knowledge in our students, we promote a special award called "Great American" to be given at the 5th Grade Completion Ceremony in June to those students who are able to complete the following tasks:
- Place the names of the 50 United States on a map. (List of states' proper abbreviations)
- Place the names of the 50 US Capitals on a map. List of states' capital cities.
- Memorize and recite the Preamble to the Constitution.
- Memorize and list the names of the past and present United States Presidents, in order.
- Memorize and recite the basic principles behind the Bill of Rights (ex. First Amendment: Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Cause; freedom of speech, of the press, and of assembly; right to petition. Second Amendment: Militia, Sovereign state, Right to keep and bear arms. Third Amendment: Protection from Quartering of troops., etc.).
- Memorize and recite the Gettysburg Address.
