Friday September 4, 2015

This morning kicked off with a pod wide first week recap.  As a whole, the teachers in 5th grade are really happy with the things we are seeing throughout 5th grade.  We also gave some pointers on things that need to be "tuned up" heading into next week.  The positives are heavily outweighing the negatives.

In science, we completed our first pendulum experiment.  We gathered our "control data" that we will compare next week's controlled experiments against to see which variable is changing our experiment's results.

Math continued to look at moving along the place value chart.  Please see yesterday's videos in math for homework help and deepening understanding.

We recieved our first vocabulary words of the year in RELA.  Students in RELA plus will have to memorize 20 words (2 roots) per week.  Here is a useful study tool to use when working with vocabulary root words:
PED QUIZ
MAN/MANU QUIZ

Writing focused on brainstorming "firsts" in our lives.  A fire drill cut the lesson short, but we will flash draft our best brainstormed idea tomorrow.  Here is my example of a snapshot that I shared about the first time I went backpacking on the Appalachian Trail.

            In the distance, I could hear the cackling howls of coyotes cutting through the nearly freezing midnight air.  I was awakened by the snarling snores of my friend Dave, who lay only inches to my right.  At the bottom of my sleeping bag, my toes were numb and resembled tiny frozen hotdogs even though they were protected by two thick layers of woolen socks.  As I lay chattering in my mummy bag, the thought of a pack of coyotes overtaking the three of us danced through my partially dreaming mind.  What would I do?  What else could be out in the towering forest around us?  Would we make it to morning?  Could they smell our food that sat in the maroon painted bear box that lay no more than 50 yards from our makeshift campsite?  The howls scampered across the ridge, ever so slowly, until the final bark faded off into the void.  More thoughts and questions stabbed through my consciousness, yet I faded back into the land of infinity.

Laying on the deflated pad, my eyes slowly cracked open as light slipped into the tent through the trees and blue nylon dome above me.  Left, right, left right, my head snapped back and forth scanning the small indoor area we had created only 9 hours ago.  Hovering in the air around me floated the icy form of the moisture that once lived in my sleeping mouth.  With each quick breath, more and more tiny ice particles filled the frigid morning air.  The taste of fear still lingered in my mouth as a slow warmth of morning, sunlight, and calmness overtook my body.  We had survived the first night in Worthington State Forest and with the emergence of the sun, my confidence grew.

In reading we previewed our first marking period shared reading, Wonder.  Students related to some of the big topics within the book, responded to some deep thinking statements that will be discusses throughout the marking period, and looked at vocabulary.

Homework

Garger Math- finish 5.1

Wilson Math- CCP Lesson 1 Additional Practice

Garger RELA- Read 30; Wonder vocab due 9/15; root words due next Friday

Wilson RELA- Read 30; Pinballs Ch.3

Other- planner signed; Fall Fitness Fundraisers due next Friday (sorry, some of you did not get them today, you will Tuesday!)