What We're Learning this Week! (January 26-30, 2015)

Standards of focus: Math: 5.G.3; Science 5-PS3-1

Last Week's MobyMax Math High Scorers!: Kayla (142) and Elzy (81)

On Monday in Math, we continued working with attributes, or characteristics, of shapes. We discussed how shapes can actually fall into more than one category, based upon its properties. 

We are also getting into the groove of our new Math rotations and teams. On Monday, we worked with Mrs. Elliott in small groups where we reviewed and then played a review board game to get us ready for our 5.G.3 post-test. We also worked on the KindleFires and classroom computers to complete our assigned MobyMax lessons (this week we are responsible for the Exponents lesson; a review), and at the Skill Work station, we played a Classifying Geometric Shapes board game with small groups within our teams. We are also becoming pros out making sure we follow our team's "CAN Do" and "MUST Do" activities, we are all a little different, based on our team's needs. 

One activity that we ALL complete in our rotations is the MobyMath/Choice Activity station. Mrs. Elliott assigns various lessons that either go along with our current learning or are review skills, that we have to complete by the end of the week for a grade. After we complete those assignments, each Team has different "Choice Activities" that they may complete. 

Here, members of Team 3 have chosen to play a Math board game, "Head full of Numbers" as one of their Choice Activities. 

Here, we are completing our Skill Work rotation. On Monday, we played board games in our Teams to review geometric shapes. 

In Science, we discussed the last Physical Science standard, 5-PS3-1. This standard had us talking about the 4 purposes of animals' food, which are to maintain body warmth, growth, movement, and body repair. We also discussed that all of the energy our food give us for these 4 purposes comes from "the big yellow guy in the sky", the SUN!

In Social Studies, we continued working on our American Revolution projects. They are coming along quite nicely and Mrs. Elliott CANNOT wait to see and display the final products!

What We're Learning this Week! (January 12-15, 2015)

Standards of focus: Math: 5.G.2; Science 5-PS2-1

Last Week's MobyMax Math High Scorers!: Joe Mullins (235) and Oceonna Hernandez (90)

In Math on Monday, we took our pre-test for standard 5.G.2, which the majority of us did an AWESOME job on, the best pre-test scores so far this year! After taking our pre-test, we discussed our new "I Can..." statements, which include graphing points in the first quadrant of a coordinate grid to answer real-world and mathematical problems. We are basically rock stars at it, no joke! :)

In Science, we continued our focus on gravity and its downward pulling force. We discussed how when we say gravity pulls objects "down", that we really mean to the center of Earth, or its core. To test our engineering skills at trying to "defeat" gravity, Mrs. Elliott posed a challenge for us in an activity called "Helicopter Drop". Working in small groups, we have to design a helicopter out of a standard design, including using two paperclips to symbolize the pilot and a passenger, that stays in the air the longest period of time. We created data tables to test each design we created with 3 trials, so that on Friday, we have the best choice, with evidence to back up our decision, to give to Mrs. Elliott for our class-wide competition. The winner from our class will compete against the winner from Mrs. Neace's class. We brainstormed ideas with our groups and began planning our designs to test!

In Social Studies, we began our study of Chapter 10, which focuses on events that led up to the American Revolution. Specifically, we discussed the French and Indian War, with its misleading name, and analyzed the key players and their motives or desires for getting involved: Britain wanted land west of the Appalachian Mountains to settle, the French wanted the same land, but to further their fur trading economy, and the Native Americans wanted to trade with the Europeans, yet still hold onto their way of life, along with the land on which they had lived for centuries. We practiced "close" reading and citing evidence from texts and passages we read in an effort to answer questions. 

2nd Semester, Here We Go!!!!

Only a few days left until we return for our second half of the school year! Let's make it the best one yet! Lot's of good stuff coming up and in the works! Stay tuned!