Solving Equations

In Reading this morning we talked about how we can learn about the "character" of a narrative nonfiction book like we would a character in a narrative fiction book. We can look at the "character"'s  struggles and roles and compare the "character" to others and our self.

In Math we worked on solving equations. We learned that an equation is nothing more than a balanced scale. The golden rule is that whatever I do to one side I must do it to the other side. The goal is to have the variable on one side and a simplified number on the other. We will keep practicing so that we can be ready for our test next Thursday.

Have a lovely weekend!

Problem of the Day 49

Lena has 80 stickers. She gives 5m stickers to her friends and shares the remaining stickers equally with her 2 brothers. How many stickers does she give each brother in terms of m? If m=4, how many stickers does each brother get?

Negative Numbers

In Math today we had a bonus lesson today on negative numbers. We talked about how to add, subtract, multiply and divide them. Though this is part of the Grade 6 program a lot of students were asking questions and it fit well in our theme of simplifying algebraic expressions. Tomorrow we will work on solving equations.

Here is a video for some extra help:

Problem of the Day 48

A printing company charges a fixed fee of €30 for printing wedding cards and an extra €2 for printing each card. Mr. Johnson wants to print x wedding cards. How much money will Mr. Johnson pay in terms of x? If Mr. Johnson wants to print 200 cards, how much will he have to pay?

Simplifying Algebraic Expressions

In Reading we continued to work on our research projects by collecting information for our 50 note cards.  We talked specifically how to make the cards today.

In Math we took the next step in Algebra by simplifying expressions with like terms.
Here is a video with more information:

Combining like terms: In simple addition we learned to add all the numbers together to get a sum. In algebra, numbers are sometimes attached to variables and we need to make sure that the variables are alike before we add the numbers.

In Band we wroked on Feliz Navidad while in Technology we finished our photography unit.

Problem of the Day 47

A box of crackers has a mass of p kg. When empty, the box has a mass of 200 grams. What is the total mass of the crackers in 5 such boxes? Express you answer in kg. (Answer will have a variable)

Algebra and a Research Project

These past two days in Math we are introducing a new chapter on Algebra. We have learned that letters can represent unknown values in expressions. We can plug in a value to evaluate the algebraic expression. We also worked on converting real-world problems with unknowns into algebraic expressions.

In Reading we are starting to collect information for our research projects. We need to collect 50 facts, quotes, summaries from our research and put them on "cards" or "notes".
Here are the project details:

Grade 5 Research Project

Due December 18th, 2014

Name: ________________________________________

Big Idea: Write a 5 paragraph research project on the topic of your choice.

Deadlines:

1. Choose Topic:  __________________________ November 28
2. Choose 3 subtopics (December 2)
1. _________________________
2. __________________________
3. __________________________
3. Read articles and books about topic collecting 50 cards from at least 3 sources (quotes and summaries) (December 9)
1. At least 10 for each subtopic
2. At least 10 quotes
4. Make Outline (Dec 11) for 5 paragraphs
5. Rough Draft with bibliography (Dec 15)
6. Final Draft (Dec 18)

Grade:

1. Deadlines met (_________/ 30  )
2. Organization (_________ / 30)
3. Grammar/Spelling ( _______/ 30)
4. Creativity (_____/ 10)

Final grade:   ________   /  100

In Science today we shared our projects that we have been working on. We will have a photography lab next week!

Compiti per mercoledì

Completare le fotocopie sul quaderno.

Ripetere bene aggettivi e pronomi perché lunedì ci sarà un test di morfologia!

Problem of the Day 46

A tiger is 7/8 meter tall. A koala bear is 4/7 as tall as the tiger. A penguin is 7/8 as tall as the koala bear. What is the height of the penguin? Write your answer as a fraction.

Review

In Reading we discussed how to use different strategies to build on our learning. We can grow in our knowledge of a subject by reading new information step by step.

Lines by Sofy

In Math we reviewed chapters 3 and 4. Tomorrow we have a Benchmark Test to see how we are doing from chapters 1 to 4. We will also have another Fractions test for those who still need to get their 7 out of 8.

In Technology, we worked on a project with the upper school.

In Band we practiced the songs we have been working on thus far.

Photo Contest Results

 Well the results are in...

We had a professional photographer judge our photo contest. Though the results were very close....

The winner was: Anna and Sarah
The Runner-ups were:

• Sofy
• Dario
• Pietro
• Lorenzo

Great job to all! Here are some highlights:

A&S - Lines

A&S Lost

A&S - Wonder

Sofy - Unexpected

Sofy - Hope

Sofy- At the Shore

Sofy- Heading Home

Sofy - Now and then

A&S- A New Day

Dario- A closer look

Lorenzo - Secret

Dario- Beyond Reach

Pietro -  A closer Look

Pietro- Secret

Pietro - At the Crossroads

A&S - Left Behind

Dario - My Name

SPELLING for Nov 17

Our spelling this week is "More Antonmyms". Some of the word partners are complementary antonmys 

dead/alive, identical/different, 

Some of them are made by using a prefix.    accurate/inaccurate   polite/impolite  legal/illegal  regular/irregular  legible/illegible   probable/improbable   connect/disconnect  

We also have antonmys made with suffixes.  harmful/harmless

Problem of the Day 45

Find the fraction that is exactly between 1/6 and 1 1/3.

The Wizard of Oz

Here are some pictures of Sofy during the Wizard of Oz.

Non-fiction

In Math today we started to do a cumulative review of chapters 1 to 4.  We will spend the rest of the week reviewing and finish the week with a test on what we are still struggling on.

In Reading we started our new unit on non-fiction books. Today we discussed what we should be doing before we even start reading our texts: looking at the title, the blurb, the author, the pictures, the table of contents. These will all give us an idea of what we will be reading.

In Art, we finished our symmetry/fraction projects.

Math, Math, Math

In Reading today we finished our unit on Characters! We finished by comparing our characters to our own lives. How do we struggle like our character? How do we hope like our character? How are our obstacles similar to those of our character? We begin our Non-Fiction unit until the end of the year.

In Math we took a couple of tests. Our first test was loaded full of fractions, mixed numbers and story problems. Almost all the questions were story problems.

The second test was the four operations with fractions and mixed numbers. We will keep taking this until we can get 7 of the 8 questions correct. Four already passed today. Many of the others scored 6 so we will take another test on Monday. Work on those over the weekend.

We also had a visit this afternoon my a counselor that will be working at our school twice a month this year. We made introductions of each other to her.

Finally, don't forget that tonight many of us are going to see Sofy in the Wizard of Oz. We will meet at the theater at 8:45. See you all there! Break a leg Sofy!

Compiti per mercoledì

Completare e nel caso incollare le 4 fotocopie sul quaderno.

Problem of the Day 44

Pails A, B, and C contain some water. These steps are taken:

Step 1: 1/4 of the water in pail A is poured into pail B.
Step 2: 1/4 of the water in pail B is poured into pail C.
Step 3: 1/4 of the water in pail C is poured into pail A.

In the end, all the pails contain 18 gallons of water each. Find the amount of water in each pail at first.

Math Test(s) Tomorrow!

In Math we reviewed our story problems for the test. Since 76% of the test are word problems, we worked through 7 problems in class looking for key words to find clues about what to do. of = multiply, each = division, equally usually means division, remaining means we need to subtract for the whole. When confused draw a bar model. I gave dozens of practice problems to prepare for the test tomorrow. Good luck to all!

In Reading we talked about great questions to share with a friend to understand character:

• What does your character really want?
• What is your character’s biggest struggle?
• Why do you think that? Can you say more?
• Is there something in the text that makes you think that?
• I think our/these two characters might be similar because. ...
• I think our/these two characters might be different because....
• Have you found the same thing with the character in your story?

Math Video by Leo M.

In Reading we talked about the importance of communication with a friend about a character. this gives better understanding for both the "sharer" and the "listener".

In Math we worked hard on problem solving. 76% of our test on Friday are story problems. We will be working all lesson tomorrow on these as well!

In Band we practiced the songs that we have been practicing. We are trying to be ready for our winter show!

GRADE 5 MUSCIANS

Problem of the Day 43

Samuel and Pat had a total of 720 stamps at first. Samuel gave 1/4 of his stamps to Pat. In return, Pat gave 1/3 of her total number of stamps to Samuel. They then had an equal number of stamps each. How many stamps did Samuel have at first?

Science Test next Tuesday!!

In Reading we compared characters in our books with other characters that have similar roles. For example: moms or villains or brothers or friends. What do they have in common? How are they different? Finding answers to these questions can help us understand our characters.

In Math we added our final skill about fractions: division. We should be able now to add, subtract, multiply and divide all fractions and mixed numbers. We will practice these skills in story problems the next few days. We will also have 2 Math tests on Friday. One will be our normal chapter 4 test on multiplying and dividing fractions and mixed numbers. The second will be a skill test that verifies that all grade 5 students can use the 4 basic operations with fractions and mixed numbers. They must take this test until they pass it with a score of 7 out of 8. Good luck! They have a practice test to prepare for this. For those who don't pass the next makeup test will be on Monday.

In Science we studied our last topic of the trimester: Light. We answered some difficult questions using these links:

Light Links

1. Use http://www.optics4kids.org/home/content/what-is-optics/reflection/the-reflection-of-light/ for question 1.
2. Use http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/mirror2.htm for question 2.
3. Use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13khOzl4roc for question 3
4. USe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exm0gyxTrL8 for question4.
5. Use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX5xDRJvnxc for question 5.
6. Use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtgBHsSzCPE for question 6.
7. Use http://learn.leighcotnoir.com/artspeak/elements-color/primary-colors/ for questions 7 and 8

We will have a test next Tuesday. This test will cover all the topics of the first trimester and all need to prepare for this! Half the test will be 25 matching questions about the terms we have studied and their definitions. The other half will be long answers. I will give them 10 questions and they have to answer with essays 5 of them. Good luck and study hard!!

HISTORY PROJECTS

The project on the decline and fall of the Roman Empire is due on November 28. The students may choose one of the nine major reasons that we discussed in class. If someone has a different idea that they would like to present, please show me your idea first.

The project is worth 100 pts and will be graded on.

Creativity, organization, neatness and presentation

 

Looking forward to the presentations.

SPELLING for the week of Nov 10

As we learn to compare characters to other characters and to ourselves we  will be using these words to help make our writing more interesting.

diary, journal, original, truth, gifted, imagination, meaningful, debut, creative, painter, musician, writer, dancer.

Problem of the Day 42

Noah bought a jigsaw puzzle. On the first day, he fit 2/5 of the pieces of the puzzle together. On the second day, he put another 300 pieces into the puzzle. As a result, the number of the pieces left to put in the puzzle is 7/13 of the number of pieces already in the puzzle. How many pieces does the jigsaw puzzle consist of?

Story Problems

In Math today we applied our knowledge of multiplying by mixed numbers and fractions to real world problems.

In Reading we started to compare our characters to other characters in other novels that are in similar situations. The question to ask is how the characters handle the similar situations differently? this will help us to understand the characters.

In Art we began a Geometry Art Project that combines fractions with symmetry.

Domanda della settimana

Cosa significa la parola incursore?

Frasi

Halloween è bellissimo di notte si danno caramelle.

Il bel mostro è su un baobab intelligente.

Problem of the Day 41

There were 5/8 as many apples as oranges at a fruit stand. After 1/2 of the apples and 3/8 of the oranges were sold, a total of 120 apples and oranges are left at the stand. How many apples and oranges were there at the stand at first.

Wizard of Oz

In Reading we started our new many unit on comparing characters. Next week we will be looking in detail about how to apply this comparison any many contexts.

In Math our topic was: Multiplying with mixed numbers. We discussed that we can simply turn them into proper fractions and then multiply. Sometimes we can use some mental math to do them quickly.

Multiplying mixed numbers: We've learned to multiplying two fractions and a fraction and a whole number. Let's move on to multiplying mixed numbers!


Don't forget that next Friday evening we are planning on supporting Sofy as she performs in The Wizard of Oz.

Problem of the Day 40

In a box, 2/5 of the counters were red and the rest were blue. After putting 48 counters in the box, 3/4 of the counters are blue. How many counters were in the box at first?

Multiplying Improper Fractions

In Math today we reviewed our fraction word problems and learned how to multiply improper fractions...just like multiplying proper fractions. Easy. Students should be bringing home their chapter 3 tests to make corrections and get signed.

In Reading we started to evaluate what kind of reader we are. What are our strengths? What are our weaknesses?

Problem of the Day 39

There were 3/5 as many adults as children on a bus. At the next stop, 6 adults and 6 children boarded the bus. As a result, there are 2/3 as many adults as children on the bus. How many people were on the bus at first?

Math Test Success!

We talked about importance of looking for repeated phrases, words, ideas and situations to understand a character. The author often uses repetition to highlight important parts of a character.

We worked on fraction story problems today after we finished our Chapter 3 Math test. As a class we did much better on this even improving our scored from chapter 2. Great job to all!

In Technology we did our second scavenger hunt, showing off our great skills. Here is photo of a winner.

In Band we started to work with our right hand as we tried new rhythms and even "pretty picking". We also reviewed our songs.

Problem of the Day 38

There were 120 students in the town library. 3/5 of them were girls. Some girls then left the library. The number of girls remaining in the library is 4/7 of all the remaining students. How many girls left the library?

Electromagnetic Spectrum

In Reading today we talked about the importance of going from the simple to the complex to understand a character. If we look at the simple facts, like a ladder, they will (rung by rung) help us to understand the more complex parts of a character.

In Math we worked on crossing out before we multiply fractions. We do this by dividing common factors found in the numerators and denominators. We also worked on story problems. Our make up Chapter 3 test is tomorrow. Are you ready!?

In Science we started to look at the electromagnetic spectrum. Here are the links for those who did not finish the worksheet:

Electromagnetic Spectrum Links

1. Use http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/ for questions 1 and 2.
2. Use http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/waves3.html for question 3.
3. Use http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/micro.html for question 4.
4. Use http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/infrared.html for question 5.
5. Use http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/visible.html for question 6.
6. Use http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/uv.html for question 7.
7. Use http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/xrays.html for question 8.
8. Use http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/gamma.html for question 9.
9. Use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfXzwh3KadE for question 10.

Second or last place?

My favorite moment: watching the boys (with a butter filled napkin )smearing the butter on the sides of the bowl then placing the napkin at the bottom of a batter filled bowel. Why? "Because it said to put some butter and spread it on the bottom and sides using a napkin"......right, but the middle of the sentence said " bottom and sides of the baking pan"

Brownie Bake off

The students were given a set of instructions and the supplies for making Brownies.Points were given for team work,following instructions,presentation, speaking in English and a blind taste test by Ms Pierson. The girls won by only one point.