And the good times continue to roll in Mr. Johnson and Ms. Casaan's class! Here is what we will be exploring this week:
Math-We will be rounding decimals in real life situations this week. Your child should be able to tell you what Standard of Mathematical Practice they used to solve a given problem./ ELA-Last week's MAP Testing has given us another week with Sarah, Plain and Tall. In Writing, we have started on the first draft of our personal narrative. Your student should be able to answer the questions, "What's a turning point?" Science-We have some cool experiments that involve celery and food coloring! Your students should be able to tell you the difference between a vascular and non-vascular plant. Social Studies-We have started our study on the Civil War. Your students should be able to tell you how the Civil War began. Room Moms We would like to welcome our room moms for this school year. Thank you Vicki Welborn and Christy Brock for volunteering for this task. Parents be on the look out for emails from these two with important information. Curriculum Night I am excited about Curriculum Night on August 31st at 6:00 pm. I look forward to speaking with you more about what we will be learning to prepare students for middle school! As always if you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]. Cheers!
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The way math is taught has changed since back in my day. Around 1989ish, you were the man if you got all of your multiplication tables correct on a timed test. Do you remember having to complete the entire page of math facts with the word problems as a bonus?
Though these times are fun to think about, the reality is our children learn math differently than we did. Some of the algorithms are different, real world problems are the flavor of the day and the emphasis of the Common Core Curriculum is not on the final answer but on the process and thinking that had to happen to get to that final answer. So with this new approach to math, what's a parent to do? How can we give our students the help that they need on homework if we ourselves have never been exposed to these new methods of completing various math activities? The answer---when a student gets stuck on a problem, walk them through the Standards of Mathematical Practice. SOMP-What are they? GeorgiaStandards.org states the following: “The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe varieties of expertise that mathematics educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students. These practices rest on important ‘processes and proficiencies’ with longstanding importance in mathematics education.” (CCSS, 2010) The SOMP gives students a framework in which to approach any math problem. The following is a kid-friendly version of the SOMP's:
How Can They Be Used? We go through these in class at least once or twice a week, I want the students to see how these standards are connected to their ability to solve math problems (especially word problems). When I introduce a skill, I introduce it through real-world math word problem. I post the word problem, put students in teams of 2 or 3 and let them wrestle with the problem on paper. I walk around the classroom and give guidance by sparking conversations about the problem and encouraging them to use certain SOMP's in their work. Usually, when I point out certain one's of the SOMP's, students say, "OH! I get it!" I encourage you to do the same thing at home. If your student says, "I don't get it!", run them through the SOMP's as your first option. Instead of you trying to figure out the exact algorithm used to show your student, read through the SOMP's, see which one or two apply to the problem and have THEM explain their thinking to YOU. Try this strategy this week. Let me know your thoughts below. What an amazing time we had looking at the solar eclipse! Thanks to Ms. Casaan for teaching awesome lessons in preparation for our experience yesterday. MAP Testing Tuesday starts MAP Testing. These test give us an idea of the students overall strengths and weaknesses. This enables us to create lessons that fill academic gaps and challenge students in their areas of strength. We will be taking these tests Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. Graded Work In the Monday folder, you should have received a couple of graded papers. One paper was the spelling test and the other the math homework. You may keep these papers at home. We have copies of this work. Expect to see graded work in the Monday Folders. Our Work Math-This week we will begin to explore the rounding decimals and writing decimals in expanded form. Science-We will continue to our study on animal classification. We will also be studying vascular and non-vascular plants. There are some cool experiments planned! ELA-In reading, we will finish reading Sarah, Plain and Tall. We are also working on writing our own personal narratives. We have been thinking deeply about turning points in our lives that have caused strong emotion. We are looking forward to writing about these moments. Social Studies-We will be taking a summative assessment on the Bill of Rights on Thursday, August 24th. A study guide will be sent home on Tuesday. I will also upload a digital copy here on the blog. As always, if you have any questions or concerns email us at [email protected] or [email protected]. Have a great week! What learning and discovery has taken place in Mr. Johnson's class? Take a look below and check it out!
Math We are continuing our study on how numbers are organized in the base-ten system. We have even begun to explore and use exponents! ELA Writing-We are walking through the process of writing personal narratives. We are thinking deeply about turning points in our lives and using them as springboards for our narratives. Reading-We are inferencing as we read Sarah, Plain and Tall. Grammar-We have started reviewing subjects and predicates. Science We have been busy learning about the taxon system used by scientists to organize living things. We are taking a break from the 5th grade standards for a couple of days to prepare for the solar eclipse on August 21. Ask your child a fact they learned today as we began seeking answers to the many questions we have about eclipses. Social Studies We have been learning about the Bill of Rights. We have used current events to spark discussion about rights and responsibilities. Spelling Students have received their spelling list. They are to study these words nightly. Ms. Casaan and I have agreed that our students' time will be better spent studying the patterns in the words rather than writing them for homework. Give students a practice test on their list every Thursday. Homework Students will have math homework 3-4 times a week. Students are also to read 20-30 minutes nightly. I do not typically give homework on the weekend. Let me know if you have any questions. Email us [email protected] or [email protected] What a great 1st week of school we had! Now it is time to get into the good stuff---Math, ELA, Science and Social Studies. With this in mind, let's see what cool things we'll be learning this week: Math Students will be exploring powers of 10 as it relates to decimals and place value. ELA It is important to quote a given text accurately in order to make inferences about the text. We will be exploring this concept this week. Science We will become scientific thinkers by studying the scientific method. We will also continue our study on using dichotomous keys. Social Studies What's the difference between Rights and Responsibilities? We will be exploring this as we prepare to study the Bill of Rights. Upcoming Events August 10th-F.Ave PTO Meeting-6:00 pm-7:00 pm August 18th-F.Ave Back to School Picnic-TBA August 31st-F.Ave 5th Grade Curriculum Night-6:00 pm-7:00 pm As always, if you have any questions email me at [email protected]. What an amazing time we had in Mr, Johnson's and Ms. Casaan's class this week! Students are settling into the routines and expectations. We have been working to getting to know each other and get organized.
Below are a couple of important things to remember:
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Eddie Johnson
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