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