Ms. Dexter's Fifth Grade

Reminder: Tomorrow is late start.  Students report at 8:55AM.

FRIDAY: We will be making gingerbread houses in class.  I am providing the students with the graham crackers, frosting, and some candies for decorating.  Please feel free to send in candy items with your child that he or she can use to decorate their gingerbread house.  

Here is what is happening this week:

ELA

• Spelling words this week are: balloon, revise, crescent, edit, flooded, proofread, lagoon, draft, gibbous, assembly, rookie, snoozes, raccoon, sequence, waning, afternoon, waxing, doorknob, caboose, economic
• We are comparing and contrasting four different stories about the Gingerbread Man including characters, setting, problem, solution, and dialogue.
• We are writing an opinion paper on whether or not students should be given homework.
• We also wrote our own gingerbread man stories in class during work on writing.
• Later this week we will read Hansel and Gretel and make gingerbread houses.

Math

• We are comparing and ordering fractions.
• Using two rules to find equivalent fractions.
• Working on fractions that convert into decimals.
• We will continue fractions when we return from break and test on this unit after break.

Social Studies

• We wrapped up the African Empires (Ghana, Mali, and Songhay) and what led to their growth and rise and eventually their decline.
• We will begin discussing the European Explorers and the Columbian Exchange.
• We will wrap up this unit after break.

Science

• We will begin an experiment on why snow is white on Thursday.
• We will also continue to discuss the moon phases and the lunar cycle.
• We will wrap up this unit after break as well.

Tomorrow, Thursday, December 14th is a Snow Day ❄ ❄

Here is what we are working on this week:

ELA

• We will be working on prefixes and suffixes.
• Explaining inferences based on images and quotes.
• Spelling words for the week are: novel, pupil, pencil, civil, denominator, cruel, squirrel, simplest, until, label, graphic, utensil, tonsil, fossil, gutter, level, channel, splash, pretzel, frame
• We are beginning another opinion piece about whether or not we should have homework every night.

Math

• Mixed and improper fractions
• Comparing and ordering fractions
• Two rules for finding equivalent fractions
• Fractions with decimals

Science

• We finished up our constellations and universe in a box.
• We will begin mystery 4 about seasonal changes and sun’s path.

Social Studies

• We will be comparing and contrasting the West African Empires in Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
• We will be looking at cultural and economic development.
• Also discussing the growth and demise of each.

Book Fair starts next week!  Our class will be able to purchase books on Monday, December 4th during our library time!

Here is what is happening next week:

ELA

• We will be drafting, revising, and editing our narrative piece about going to the circus.
• Focusing on inferencing and comparing characters in a story.
• Our spelling words are: bicycle, whistle, percentile, meanwhile, hostile, improper, article, shuffle, eclipse, gravitational, triangular, fraction, vehicle, lexile, fragile, turtle, particle, numerator, lunar, hostile.

Math

• Unit 4 Test on Monday
• Unit 5 will begin on Tuesday
• Our focus will be on fractions and being able to add and subtract them.

Social Studies

• We are learning about the first people in the United States.
• Our focus will be on the Pacific Northwest American Indians, the Southwest American Indians, and the Eastern Woodland Indians
• We will be able to compare and contrast the different Indian cultures

Science

• We will be working on our third mystery of why there are seasons.
• Also focusing on Earth’s rotation to create the seasons.

Hope everything has a restful break!  Be sure to read every day!

Thursday and Friday are the last two days of Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30 to 6:30

Book Order forms will be going home this week!  Forms are due back on Monday, November 20th.  Please use the class code when ordering online at scholastic.com/newparent : RTK4H 

PBIS Celebration will be on Tuesday during school.

Honor Roll Assembly will be held tomorrow at 1:00PM in the auditorium.

Here is what we are learning this week:

ELA

• Working on compare and contrast of informational text.
• Coaching or Time during Daily 5
• Grammar and punctuation – commas
• Spelling words for this week: demonstrate, asteroid, unit, moment, negative, scale, agricultural, prevent, whole, believe, migration, define, bonus, legislature, trophy, plot, protest, primary, vanishing, and phase

Math

• Starting Unit 4 on division
• Division facts and extensions
• Partial quotients division algorithm
• Partial quotient algorithm strategies

Science

• We have begun our new unit on space.
• We are talking about why the sun rises and sets.
• Also we are determining whether or not the sun is moving or Earth

Social Studies

• The unit 1 test was given today on government.
• We will begin our new unit on Three Worlds Meet.
• We will be discussing the first people in America.

Reminders: Tomorrow is the first day of Parent Teacher Conferences.  A note went home today.  Please let me know what time you would like to meet with me to get your child’s report card.

Also the fourth and fifth grade classes are having a bake sale to fund field trips.  Please donate tomorrow morning to the office if you can.  Thank you!

Tomorrow Tuesday, November 7th there is NO SCHOOL!  It is Election Day!

Parent Teacher Conferences begin this week Thursday the 9th, and next week Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th.  If you would like to sign up for a specific time please, email me at dexterl@dearbornschools.org, comment below, or text me on ClassDojo.

Students have been informed about a Moby Max contest that is going on this week to work on Reading Literature.

Here is what is happening in our class this week:

ELA

• Spelling words for the week are: equivalent, contest, secondary, obvious, excess, indentured, subject, fantastic, disgusting, planet, progress, distance, minimum, Earth, argument, axis, intersection, slavery, servant, understanding
• We will be working on comparing and contrasting informational text.
• We will be working on punctuation, specifically the use of commas.
• Writing we will be starting an informational piece about the First Thanksgiving.

Math

• Using protractors and measuring angles.
• Knowing what an equilateral is and how to know the difference between shapes.
• We will be reviewing for a test next week.

Science

• WEDNESDAY is the science test!!
• Study guides went home last week and we reviewed the answers today.  All students were given the opportunity to write down all of the correct answers in class.
• Unit 2 will begin at the end of the week or early next week on Space.

Social Studies

• We are going to be reviewing our government, branches of government, separation of powers, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and how a bill becomes a law.
• Study guide will be going home on Wednesday.
• Test will be on Tuesday next week!

Reminder:  Town Hall Meeting is CANCELLED!

Please be sure that your child is reading every night for at least 20 to 30 minutes.  Here is what we are doing in class this week:

ELA

• Spelling words: their, opposite, hour, velocity, past, too, waste, through, threw, waist, there, passed, two, maximum, our, acceleration, they’re, distance, speed, to
• We were working on conjunctions.
• Daily Five – Our focus this week has been on Read to Someone, and reviewing Read to Self, Word Work, and Work on Writing
• In writing we are revising, editing, and publishing our opinion papers about serving chocolate milk in the school cafeteria.

Math

• Partial product and lattice method for multiplying whole numbers and decimals
• We will review for our test this week.
• Test will be on Friday!

Science

• We completed the third mystery for chemical reactions.
• We will be testing next week about the states of matter, physical and chemical reactions.

Social Studies

• We are comparing and contrasting the state and federal governments
• Bill of Rights and the Constitution

 

THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED!!!!!

Mayoral Forum Coming Up Next Week