We've got Worms!!!

No no, don't call the doctor, we are studying dirt and soil in science! Students have been learning about the importance of worms on the Earth. As good scientists practice observing, we have been observing a worms behavior in the habitat we built in class. So far, we have studied their appearance, seen them create burrows in the dirt, nest under the leaves and dig far into the soil. We have used our Science Notebook to record our hypothesis and findings.

Today in class we visited an amazing worm website that taught us more about the worm. Did you know that worms have 5 hearts? Who knew they were so loving! We learned new science vocabulary words and heard an interview from a worm himself! Pretty neat! Take a peek..... Worm Website

Here is another great informative site .. Worm Facts From a Worm

Maybe next time it rains go out searching for this amazing creature and ask your child some facts they have learned. :)

The Power of the Red Pen: Editing-Revising

As my wonderful skilled Writers finish up their narratives, we discussed the power of editing and revising. This step in the Writing Process is so important as they polish off their stories.

During this process, the students were taught basic editing marks. Then, they were reminded of the types of errors to look for: punctuation, spelling, and selecting the most precise word choice. They were also reminded to look for ways to improve the story by adding adjectives and similes. Students were put in pairs to practice fixing a pretend story with many errors! Here are a few samples of the mistakes they were able to find and correct.

They knew the beginning of
sentences and titles start with capital letters, 'i' should ALWAYS be capitalized, sentences don't start with 'and, but, or so', use different transition words, you begin a new paragraph when the setting changes or a new speaker talks, and also added adjectives and similes. What a difference editing and revising makes! Great job Writers! Now, we begin the final step: Publishing our hard work. :)

Unpack your adjectives!

BEEP BEEP BEEP...excuse this interruption, but Orientation tonight had a fabulous turn out! Thank you parents for your continued support and dedication to your precious children and our school. We truly are blessed to have such a kind and hard-working bunch of superheroes. We had a blast seeing all of you again and are amazed at how well the students are progressing.

NOW BACK TO OUR SCHEDULED PROGRAM ON ADJECTIVES!
This week the students have learned what an adjective is. They are words that describe a noun and tell more about the noun. They make our writings more interesting and descriptive. Adjectives also tell us how much and what kind.

For example: You can have a furry, fluffy, stinky, black, crazy dog. Or, you can have a brown, loving, fast, sneaky dog!

Here, learn a little! Adjective Lesson
Match the adjective to the noun
Make me a millionaire game!
Find the adjective

Unpack your Adjectives Song

Keep on adding those adjectives to your writings boys and girls! Let's create some style!

Superb Similes

Have no fear boring sentences! Super similes are here! Writers are learning this week how to add a nice kick to their narrative. They learned how to use a simile.
A simile is a comparison between two things using the words 'like' or 'as'. Similes are used to emphasize a point. They take two objects and compare them together.

For example: She runs as fast as a cheetah.
Meaning: Cheetahs run very fast. Therefore, the girl must be a quick runner!

Here is a great poem filled with similes. Ask your child what the similes are and what each one means. :)

Here’s the poem:

Predictable

Poor as a church mouse.
strong as an ox,
cute as a button,
smart as a fox.
thin as a toothpick,
white as a ghost,
fit as a fiddle,
dumb as a post.
bald as an eagle,
neat as a pin,
proud as a peacock,
ugly as tin.
When people are talking
you know what they'll say
as soon as they start to use a cliché.
- Bruce Lansky

Matching Common Similes

Quiz yourself on the meaning of similes

Vegas style simile practice

Rituals and Routines

As the second week of learning winds down, Mrs. Tsengas and I are continued to believe we MUST have 5th graders in our room. The students have done a fantastic job of learning the routines of the room. Expectations are essential for students to learn the first week and we wanted to set the right tone for the year. Students have learned how to transition between subjects smoothly, quickly and quietly. Many students earn tickets daily to reward their on task, respectful, and cooperative attitudes.

Most of our tools for workshops have been set up as well. Students are equipt with a reading/writing journal, writing folder, homework folder, book in a bag, and science notebook. Students began writing reading responses to books read to them and have started writing their first Narrative. On the math side, students have learned how to read graphs and charts and understand the importance of reading a key/legend. They have practiced daily Calendar Math to learn place value, patterns, and expanded form.

Next week students will begin having both reading and math homework. Look for these sheets to come home Monday. They will be checked Wednesday and Friday. However, it is best to keep the folder with your child daily as we send home classwork often and the homework folder is as easy place to store these papers. We look forward to another great week!