Monday, April 28, 2014

Science Fair Display Info

Room 20 Classroom Notes April 28-May 2

Good Week! The birds are chirping and the sun is out! This week we mosey to Reed College for a fun science field trip. We will visit the Biology Building and their labs, the Chemistry Building, a campus tour, and their nuclear reactor. Science Fair projects are due Friday, May 9th, the Friday before camp. Speaking of camp, please make sure if your child takes any medication that not only the camp medication form is filled, but the PPS form that was sent with report cards. Send in ASAP. This week, we continue our review for our state math test beginning Monday, May 5th. Science testing starts Monday, May 19th. If your family will be on vacation or out during that week, students must take the test early because the testing cut-off/deadline is at the end of the week. In writing, students are creating a work sample of their choice due Friday. Each day we will go though another step of the writing process- today brainstorming, tomorrow first drafts, and so on. In health, we are discussing and learning about puberty and the reproductive system. In reading, we are working on a vertebrate/invertebrate research and art project. Please check the blog when you can. I document EVERYTHING we do on a daily basis on the "Homework/Assignments" page. If you have not done so already we REALLY need you to pay for science camp. Thanks in advance!

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Vertebrate and Invertebrate Link

On a doc, please title it "Vert/Invert" and:
1. List the 8 kinds of invertebrates and 5 vertebrates.
2. Give three examples of each kind.
3. Find an image of each animal.

http://www.saburchill.com/chapters/chap0002.html 

FINAL:
Choose 1 vertebrate and 1 invertebrate to sketch out. This will eventually become a scientific diagram. Put both animals on the same page and label them.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Room 20 Classroom Notes April 21-25

Good Week!
PLEASE BRING IN ALL NECESSARY PAPERWORK FOR CAMP IMMEDIATELY! We must send in all medical forms next week. I will be making calls this week to make sure we are on the same page. We will be sharing quite a bit of work throughout the week. We will be sharing poetry, book reviews and research projects. We will also be taking the OAKS (Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) Reading test. This will take two to three days. Students will have the opportunity to take breaks while testing whenever students feel they are needed. In math, we will be working with decimals and percentages. The next time you are at the market or store, please speak with your child about percentage and savings/spending. We will also be having a consistent Health unit time in the afternoons this week. The kids showed much maturity and interest in knowing about this important topic. Noah from Johnson Creek Watershed Council said he is available in early May. I thought about this and determined it was not a good fit with Art Night and camp in that timeframe. Therefore, I am advocating for doing our field study in late May. We will be going to our Reed College Science field trip on the morning of Wednesday, April 30th. I still need four volunteers. Please contact me if you are interested in seeing such wonders as a nuclear reactor, chemistry experiments, biological equipment, scientists, and Reedies galore! We also need volunteers for the Fifth Grade Promotion that will take place on the last day of school. Please contact me if this also interests you. Finally, all paperwork went home regarding science fair information. I have conferenced with just about everyone and am looking forward to seeing these wonderful scientific endeavors. Ciao.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Jobs

Jobs: April 21-25
Phone- Mariah
Write down homework (after specials)- Jacqueline
Technology Hook-up- Alex
Mail- Marcus
Room Assistance- Joey

Substitute- Nora

Monday, April 14, 2014

Room 20 Classroom Notes April 14-18

Good Week! We will be sending home two packets of information to you this week: one based on FLASH (Family Life and Sexual Health), and our spring science fair project. Also, PLEASE return camp packets and funds. Also also, many of our classmates from room 20 will be performing this Friday in, "We Open Tomorrow Night!" I'm going and hope you will, too. We visit Sellwood Middle School this Friday to see the real MaCoy- Middle School Life! Please check the classroom calendar on the classroom blog. We finish a poetry book project this week. The students have until Friday to finish the project. The poems are beautiful! In math, we finish decimals and will have an end of the unit test next week. We also do a mini unit on percentages. In reading, we read "Ghost Towns of the American West," and do associated vocabulary work and spelling. Essay of the week is a letter to ourselves as a thirty year-old. We are finishing up a video on the Mayflower journey and discuss the events about this harrowing venture. We begin our state reading assessment on Monday, April 21st. Be sure to get plenty of rest and good, clean food. I can't reiterate enough- Please remember to get your paperwork and money in for camp. I have not heard back from Noah (Johnson Creek Watershed Council), which means he is super busy or he is on a special project outside of Portland. I will let you know as soon as I hear back from him, but we may push our field study to May. We will be going to Reed College for a special Science Field Trip. I need at least four chaperones. Might you be one??? Let me know ASAP. It is all am, 8:40-11:30. Thanks in advance.

Decimals

Monday, April 7, 2014

Poets

With your partner, please find the following information about your poet and create in a doc titled "Poet":
1. 5 events from their life.
2. 5 events in history that happened during their lifetime.
3. An example of their work.
4. What you think of the poem and why.
5. A picture of them included in your doc.

http://www.poetry.org/famous.htm

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Room 20 Classroom Notes April 7-11

As we wind down our third quarter, we get closer to science camp (PAPERWORK AND FUNDS PLEASE) and the end of the year. This is a very exciting time for the fifth graders. Yet, these next ten weeks are arguably the most important of the year. It is the time the students finish up their fifth grade year and transition to middle school. I am very proud of our class and all we have accomplished this year so far. However, we still have a ways to go. This week, we will present our book reports. We will also be working on various poetry styles and literary terms like onomatopoeia, alliteration, metaphor and simile. We will be working on place value and decimals in math. In reading, as a whole class we will read an excerpt of "Journey to the Center of the Earth," along with words of the week associated with the story. We have begun a video called, "Desperate Crossing: the untold story of the Mayflower." We are moving into early American history and the development of the colonies and new government. Any books, videos, or information you find at home or at the library is a great supplement for your child to better understand the content. Note of Mistake: We will be starting the reading test first the week of April 19th. I stated in last week's notes that we would start math first. No Homework Club this week, as I will be at a professional development engagement. I would like to thank Alea for her excellent art project we worked on both last and this week. Also, thanks to volunteers Art, Julie and Monica for your weekly check-ins! Many thanks!

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Sensory Adaptation Experiment

We experimented with changing our senses via magnified goggles that shifted our vision to the left. We then tried an activity like this, then did activity without goggles, and eventually assessed whether our senses could adapt.