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September 27, 2009

Sunwatch Indian Village Field Trip on October 1st

News Briefs

• Field Trip. On October 1st we are going to Sunwatch Indian Village and Archaeological Park. The field trip is almost entirely outside, and students will need to dress for the weather. Interestingly, I took this field trip at this same time of year in 2006, and it snowed! Students will also need to bring their lunch and drink in a throw-away bag.

• We have been busy practicing our facts! We have been practicing our Math Facts in the computer lab, and the results have been paying off. We took another math facts test on Thursday, and the results show much progress. Students should not put off memorizing their facts! If your child is not getting 95%-100% on ALL math facts tests, you really need to make this a priority. Students really must know their facts in order to be successful in 5th grade math.

• September Reading and Math Calendars. We will turn in our first monthly reading and math calendars this week. It looks as though students are doing a great job. Thanks, parents, for your support in helping your child memorize their math facts! For more information on what is expected for independent reading at home, click here...

• Midterms. This Friday, October 2nd, will be our first interim reports this year. Because the first few weeks of school are spent getting used to a new routine, getting used to a new teacher, and doing a lot of pre-tests we don't yet have many grades except in math. Students still have ample time to get more scores and bring up their averages, if needed, in all subject areas.

• Book Fair. Thanks to our PTO who will be putting on our Book Fair this week! We are going to the Book Fair on Wednesday. PTO rocks!

• News Crew's Daily News. See what we are doing in class directly from the viewpoint of students! It is REALLY helpful when students fulfill the assignment by typing their article and sending it by e-mail. Thank you, parents, for supporting this activity and sending the article to me! Daily News..

Math Class. This week we jumped into Data Analysis and Statistics. We reviewed maximum, minimum, range, mode, median, and mean. We had a lot of fun learning a song that tells how to get the mean. We wore hats and danced to the singing of "Hillbilly Math". Yee-Haw! We also focused on multiplication and making magnitude estimates. Estimates are important to help you check to see if your answers make sense, or, if you are using a calculator, to see if you may have pushed a wrong button! We will be taking a test over Unit 2 on Tuesday this week, so students should be studying their Unit 2 Study Guide which they received early last week.

Science. We finished reading our book Top Secret, and will be taking a quiz over plants and photosynthesis next week as we continue to look at the big picture: food webs and energy transfer.

Robotics News. We are going to begin our extension unit on LEGO Robotics this week in class to give everyone some time with this wonderful STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) experience. In a few days the application to be selected for the actual Carlisle Hotshots Robotics team will be available. We have many class members interested in joining the after-school competitive team, but there are only ten team slots open. For that reason the application and selection process is challenging and somewhat competitive. It is likely that not all students who are interested in the team will actually be selected, so our time in class will be even more valuable in its place. For an interesting video on why "Robotics" belongs in schools, click here..  More information on Carlisle Hotshots Robotics is available on my Robotics page. Go there..

Graphic from WorldAtlas.com at http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/imageg.htm

Social Studies. In Daily Geography this week we worked on grid lines on a map and learned about latitude and longitude. We also continued to work on memorizing the 50 states and their location on the map.

Reading. We are reading the novel Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry. As we read, we write responses, answer questions, and think about what we read. Late this week, we will take a test over the novel, focusing on elements of the story: characters, setting, plot (events), problem/solution, theme, and author's point-of-view.

Math Facts. Here are some great resources for thinking about facts memorization and helping your child:

• Math Magician Game - Fun Facts Coverage! Interactive, graphic, and friendly, this site will provide painless opportunities for your child to practice multiplication facts.
• More Games and Links for Students - This is my complete list of fun links and interactive games.
• Education World - Although this site is developed for classroom teachers, parents are teachers, too!
• Ask Dr. Math FAQs - Dr. Math answers letters from parents and students about memorizing multiplication facts, addressing some of the challenges that go with it, and providing some tips, too.
• Hoagie's Gifted Education Page - Aimee Yermish, Educational Consultant, writes about Gifted students, their boredom with the tedious task of memorizing facts, and why it is important that they stay on the task to completion.
• About.com - This article, "Math Tricks to Learn the Facts" has a paragraph connecting parents with the importance of making home the place for students to learn their facts, then goes on with tips and tricks.
• Multiplication.com - Who says memorizing multiplication facts has to be boring? See these Interactive Video games that will make learning their facts exciting for kids! Some have free versions, some you must purchase.
• Homeschool Math - Every student has their own special way to learn. This article provides one or two of simple ways in which parents can become the math facts teacher.

Thanks for all you do to support learning in our classroom!

Mrs. Nettling