Today the students went outside to learn how their shadow changes throughout the day. In the morning students traced their shadow and four hours later they returned to the identical spot to make another tracing. Students then explained how their shadow changed based on the orientation of the sun.
We finished our first week of school and managed to get a lot done. Aside from securing important routines and procedures, we completed our first Number Talk, our first Close Read, our first Writers Workshop, our first art project, our first Kahoot, and our first reading of a 9th grade reading passage. (Although, until this post, no one knew it at the time.)
We have been receiving donations all summer from companies interested in helping with our classroom economy and our auctions. Lots of great stuff has been shared and we are fortunate to be getting these things. Look through what has been donated and consider saving for those things that interest you most.
Welcome families! Use the links below to retrieve documents from the 2017-2018 Parent Welcome Package. Each item was mailed to you but if you lose track of something or need additional copies, this page can help. Moreover, feel free to share this link with other caregivers who might be curious or need need to what was included. Thank you!
Welcome Letter and Overview of Classroom 2017-2018 version
5th Grade Supply List for 2017-2018
Blog Permission Form
Volunteer Form
Students got to finally spend down all of their earnings with our last auction of the school year. Thanks to dozens of donations from local, national and multinational companies, students had plenty to bid on. Moreover, students who demonstrated a willingness to save money over the year were awarded with items like a Camelbak backpack, a Kindle Fire, and Virtual Reality Goggles.
Our last field trip for the year was to the Nevada Capitol. We started with a tour of the capitol and quickly moved through 150 years of history including a look at the first Supreme Court, the first legislative chamber and a visit to the museum. This was followed by a tour of the Legislature and a chance to see first-hand the passage of several bills. Moreover, Assemblywoman Jill Tolles was able to visit with the students and share some of her experiences.
Thank you to those who shared what you took with your cameras.
We finished our first week working with Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Our initial discussions focused on understanding the historical context in which Shakespeare worked and who Shakespeare was. We unpacked the language of Shakespeare and practiced reading key pieces of dialogue with a focus on iambic pentameter.
This initial work has allowed us to read through the first two scenes in Act I. The students have been doggedly persistent and things have gone as well as we could have hoped.
Today we did our first Pro Se Court. This was the culmination of reading through four different sources on zoos and identifying evidence to support claims about the value of zoos. All of the source material (here) is written at the 7th grade level and this required students to navigate complex text and work with challenging vocabulary.
The term pro se is Latin and means “for oneself” or “on one’s own behalf.” Students became defendants, prosecutors, or justices before creating triads to allow for rich discussions.
Ultimately the justices ruled 6 to 3 in favor of the defendants; that is, zoos were causing greater harm than good.
Today students worked with https://quizizz.com/ to assist with our preparation for Nevada’s state test. Quizzizz unlocks gamification and opportunities to increase engagement with traditionally dry material.
With Quizizz, students answer questions and receive points for correct and quickly entered responses. Students can see the top performers but not the scores or names of anyone who might have struggled. (Admittedly, we did sneak in a quiz on Disney after some rigorous work with our 5th grade standards.)
Room 360 