Grade 5 Archives - Page 19 of 39 - Berkshire Country Day School

Grade Five Update

Our week in Fifth Grade seemed to be inspired by contrasting characteristics of the rulers we are studying in Mesopotamia. We began the week by considering the contributions of Hammurabi, who is credited with the first set of written laws in ancient world. Students crafted their own sets of laws (see pix); many of them just and fair, while others were harsh and punitive in nature. The duality of Hammurabi’s Code (fair in that everyone had to follow them, yet violent and narrow in scope) was reflected in many of the students’ projects. We continued to explore the duality of the ancient world by learning about Ashurbanipal, a ruthless Assyrian dictator, who in addition to murdering people, also was the first to set up a library. Nebuchadnezzar II also falls in to this paradigm–The architect of the Hanging Gardens forced a selfish marriage on a Persian princess for political reasons—and yields an equally provocative discussion. Students have also written their first drafts of their Civilization Creation geography piece, and are learning to follow a rubric closely for both content and presentation.

In English, in Where the Red Fern Grows, the students are observing the unique nature of each of Billy’s pups, Old Dan and Little Ann. We are highlighting and using sticky notes to mark places in the book where this is illustrated. This week, two students, Gevi and Max A. presented their PTR projects to the class. What a treat!

In Writer’s Workshop, most of the students have moved onto to a second draft of their personal narrative stories. They are adding in details and “zooming” in in order to create drama and excitement to the pieces. On Grandparents’ Day, we plan to share the “Secret Rules of Grown-ups: 2015 version”. It’s going to be full of surprises!

Important Dates:

Tuesday–we leave for Nature’s Classroom at 7:30 sharp. Please be sure to bring an appropriate snack in a disposable bag, and a water bottle.
October 21: PTR presentations are due.

Helpful Hints for Packing:

Label everything!
Warm clothes, waterproof rainboots for wading into the water, and extra socks are a must!
The mattresses are not as clean as the ones in your house… I recommend a fitted sheet to cover the mattress and then a sleeping bag to sleep in. Don’t forget a pillow!
Please pack a few plastic bags (like Price Chopper or Stop and Shop). These are helpful for when shoes get soggy to keep feet dry, and to put in wet clothes.
Towel. (We will make the kids shower at least once.)
Please do not send makeup, facepaint, any food (other than snack for the bus) or jewelry that will be missed if lost.
The kids need a daypack–if you have a string bag that will work just fine.
Waterbottle!

Have a wonderful week!

Jilly

By BCD Blog|2016-10-25T15:02:31-04:00October 8th, 2015|

K-6 ART NEWS!

The Art Studio has been filling up with all kinds of extraordinary artworks this fall! Our Kindergarten through Sixth Grade students have been exploring a variety of materials including papier-mâché, plaster, cardboard, and wood. Take a look at our young artists in action!

KINDERGARTEN
We have completed our “Not A Stick” project inspired by Antoinette Portis’ book of the same title and now we are moving on to full-body mixed media portraits. Yesterday, we got started with our faces by placing wet plaster strips over aluminum pie pans.

1st & 2nd GRADE
First and Second grade students have been making Action Figures using aluminum foil, wire, and plaster gauze. Now that the sculptures are frozen in their action poses, they are being embellished with fabric, decorative papers, yarn, wood findings, and colored tape.

3rd GRADE
Squares become a cube in our latest project exploring the mechanics of a three-dimensional form. Beginning with a flattened cardboard box, students created small wood assemblages on each of the panels. When folded together and painted, we will have a series of six-sided sculptures that will hang from the ceiling.

4th GRADE
Inspired by the Donald Baechler sculptures we saw on our recent field trip to Omi International Arts Center, students are working on their own playful forms based on Baechler’s bronzed Flower series from 2007-2008. The class traced objects from nature onto cardboard which were then cut out and covered in a plaster ‘skin’ before being propped upright on a base and painted.

5th GRADE
Andy Warhol’s Brillo Box sculptures from the early-mid 1960s prompted discussion and this project about the definition of the art object. Students selected a common plastic container which was then converted into an ‘object d’art’ by coating with plaster gauze. Then, an imaginary product was created complete with a design concept, logo, and product details. The class is in the painting phase of the project, adding color and details to the final pieces.

6th GRADE
After studying masks from around the world, the Sixth Grade class embarked on a large-scale mask making project. Students used cardboard, newspaper, and tape to construct a three-dimensional form based on an animal, human, or imagined creature. The pieces are presently being covered in papier-mâché. In the upcoming weeks, students will bring their characters to life with paint and decorative media.

By BCD Blog|2016-10-25T15:02:31-04:00October 6th, 2015|

Physical Education Fall Activities

The perfect weather is allowing some terrific outdoor time in physical education. We have been playing may running games with the little ones like hide and go seek, toilet tag, and mosquito tag. Grades 1,2,and 3 love to use ropes for horse, jumping the brook, and snake. Grades 4, 5, and 6 keep begging for hunger games, kick the can, and capture the flag. These activities give the students a lot of movement and group interaction so we can all learn how to respect each others differences and have fun and exercise at the same time.

By BCD Blog|2015-10-05T07:56:17-04:00October 5th, 2015|

Grade 5 on the Project Parade!

The past two weeks in Grade Five have been full of new experiences and fun moments. Here’s an update on our adventures!

History: Delving into our study of the Sargon and the Akkadians, students explored the first written language, cuneiform. We practiced writing on paper, and then switched to clay. Students created small clay nameplate tablets which they painted last Friday. (pictures to follow). We also created a simple map of Mesopotamia and the surrounding Mediterranean region which allowed students to begin to place the wandering of the early peoples in a geographical context. And speaking of wandering, we began to explore the origins of Judaism, from the time of Abraham to the Exodus in Egypt. Our World Religions book provided the springboard for a provocative discussion about Jewish practices, including those surrounding a child’s birth. Students posed questions about the symbolism of head coverings in Judaism, as well as why some objects are considered sacred, while other seemingly identical objects are not. We ended the week on a light note by learning to play the Royal Game of Ur and holding a tournament during activities period.

English: Together we are reading Where the Red Fern Grows, continuing to note details in the text, and pausing frequently to ask how these details help to shape the story. Students completed their first vocabulary assignment, and will be learning to write a reading response paragraph next week. We examined the four types of sentences (declarative, exclamatory, imperative and interrogative) by hunting for them in the text, and by playing 2 different sentence-based games.

Writer’s Workshop: WW continues to be a highlight for this group! Students have been exploring different strategies to create story ideas, including picture maps and a graphic organizer that I call “the sun”. They currently developing personal narratives, and honing in on details to take a moment in the story and “stretch” it out using the five senses. The first draft of these stories will hopefully be completed by the end of this upcoming week. Students also had several opportunities to free write in their notebooks, as well as a session where they worked in groups to write a rap about the Agricultural Revolution, the shift from a nomadic lifestyle to an agricultural one, which tied into our history studies. We are cultivating many literary nuggets in our notebooks these days!

Advisory: Our focus was on saying thank you to the community helpers like the local Fire Department who keep us safe. Using oil pastels, markers and watercolors, we created a gorgeous piece of artwork entitled “Hope” for Wendy Adams to share in Lenox.

And now for some helpful hints:

Forms for Nature’s Classroom will be due this Friday: October 2.
Please check in with your student about PTR, and any supplies he/she needs for the project. The project is due October 21, but I would love to have students present early.
We have a Fifth Grade Fun Day coming up this Wednesday and we can’t wait!
Please remember if your child is absent, he/she is responsible for making up what is missed in class and for homework. Don’t forget to check in with the other subject teachers such as science, foreign language and math.
You should have received a BCD Directory that was sent home this week in the planner.

A huge THANK YOU to all of you and your students for being organized and having those planners signed. I am so proud of the kids and their efforts. Our new end-of-the-day homeroom has allowed us to end the day with clean cubbies, packed up bags and extra time for reading. When one student announced one day in class, “I LOVE my planner!”, I cheered! Thanks for all your support. It’s been a wonderful three weeks.

Happy Fall!

Jilly

By BCD Blog|2016-10-25T15:02:33-04:00September 27th, 2015|