Grade 5

As October draws to a close, another busy and productive month has flown by in Fifth Grade. After returning from Nature’s Classroom invigorated and feeling quite connected as a group, our class has been engaged in both short-term and long-term goals for the first trimester.

Our first round of PTR projects brought mysterious puzzles, clever commericals, thoughfully crafted postcards and creative endings to stories. Students have already begun to dig into to their next book project which is due November 24. 

In Writer’s Workshop, we began to explore the Organization Trait.  We examined models of the compare and contrast essay and then, as a group, prepared one on Cats and Dogs. For their assessment piece, students were given a choice of essay topics to select from. Learning to craft innovative topic sentences, employ transitions thoughtfully and include specific details are all important skills we are practicing with this trait. Currently, we are examining the organization of non-fiction paragraphs. Finally, today in the spirit of Halloween, students tried to create their own spooky stories, evoking the senses.

In English, we have almost concluded our reading of Where the Red Fern Grows.  Students have been practicing some active reading strategies such as highlighting, circling vocabulary and using mini-post-its to mark pages where the author contrasts the dogs, Little Ann and Old Dan. We are also preparing for the upcoming poetry assembly which you won’t want to miss on November 14 at 2:10.

In History, we moved out of Mesopotamia and into Egypt. Next week, we will begin our first research paper of the year–on Egyptian gods and goddesses. We will be scaffolding the research process in class using color coded index cards and using only text sources (non Internet). After Thanksgiving, students will have the opportunity to present their gods and goddesses to parents and the class in costume. (Date to be announced soon). In the next two weeks, we will also put our mummification skills to the test by beginning the year-long process of mummifying chickens. If we do this skillfully, you shall not be able to detect the scent of decaying hens which will live in the room (the afterlife) for the next 6 months. (Fingers crossed!).

And…of course, now on to the important stuff…Today was the world premiere of Grade 5’s video: Eye of the Tiger.  Filming the glowstick dance at Nature’s Classroom was certainly a highlight!

Though our last final day at Nature’s Classroom has been rainy, students are having a blast. As promised, Grade Five savored their bacon breakfast, along with eggs, fruit, bagels and cereal. This morning while we only entertained the threat of rain, field groups traveled to the shore to spot hermit crabs and jellyfish.

After a tasty lunch of burgers, curly fries and for some reason, even more bacon (this group has endeared itself somehow to Derek, the chef and BaconMaster), we had an intense round of musical chairs–mazel tov to winners Halle and Chase! Students had a choice of two electives: bottle rockets or learning about the Salem witch trials.  They also prepared their skits for this evening’s signature event–Thursday Night Live–a Nature’s Classroom tradition. Currently, students are engaged in a full-group science lesson exploring the properties of matter. From where I am typing this, I see a single burner heating up some cans of Mountain Dew, along with a tray of ice–no worries–Kids are neither drinking the Mountain Dew, nor playing with the burner…).

It has been a fantastic trip with this group! #besttripever #baconcrazy #NCRules

The fifth grade spent a class on the beach exploring the topic of  volcanoes or erosion.  Next, a number of students participated in a squid dissection.   We have been lucky with the weather thus far and can’t believe we head back tomorrow!