December 2017

December 2017

Important Dates

Thursday, Dec. 6, 2017: Hashtag expository paragraph is due. (Final due Date)

Friday, Dec. 8, 2017: Quiz for Social Studies Unit 2, Three worlds Meet part 1/ chapter 3, Native American Regions

Thursday, December 21, 2017: Chapter 3, EDM assessment

Thursday, December 21, 2017: Informational writing piece is due. 

Forget Me Not dates

Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017: Pattengill Book Fair Night 5-8 PM/ Tech Night 6- 7:30 PM

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017: Science Parent permission sheet is due. (Keep the remaining sheets)
Friday, Dec. 22, 2017: Tentative Winter Break celebration 2-3

Friday, Dec. 22, 2017: Winter Break begins @3:59 PM

Monday, Dec. 25- Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018: Winter Break Vacation, Enjoy

Monday, Jan. 8, 2018: School resumes

Subjects at a Glance

Math: We are currently studying factions in Unit 3, Fraction Concepts: Addition and Subtraction. Students will be expected to add and subtract with like and unlike denominators as well as order and compare fractions, convert fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa. Students will write a number story with a fractional answer.

English Language Arts

       Writing: Students will write an informational piece on a self selected topic. Students will research clarifying questions to aid in writing an elaborate piece. Also, students will use 3 structures within the pieces in order to tailor the information to the audience. 

        Reading: Students will be able to identify Nonfiction text structures and the author's rationale for selecting the structure. Students will review different text structures and analyze the features and its structure using signal words and the article's summary. Many Guided reading groups are using nonfiction stories. Another good resource for families is msjordansreads Don't forget that I have placed a link at the top of this blog for questions to ask your child while reading.
Our class is listing to an audible copy of Wonder via my Kindle tablet.

        Poetry: Through poetry, students will identify and explain the meaning of similes and metaphors.
Social Studies: We are concluding our study of Native American Environments and Regions. Students reviewed the geography theme of Human Environment/ Interactions: Humans will adapt to an area or an area must modify in order to accommodate its new habitants. We reviewed landforms. Students also compared and contrasted 2 Native American Regions. Our next study will cover how 3 World met and changed the course of History: Europe, Americas and Africa.
Science: Students will cover Matter as well as review what the scientific method for the Science Fair.

• 5-PS1-1 Develop a model to demonstrate that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.
• 5-PS1-2 Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that, regardless of the type of change that occurs, when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.(January 2018)
• 5-PS1-3 Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.
• 5-PS1-4 Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances. (January 2018)

EDM4, Unit 3 Outcomes, Fraction Concepts: Addition and Subtraction

• Unit 3: Fraction Concepts, Addition, and Subtraction
• Use visual models to solve division number stories with fractional answers.
• Report the remainder to a division problem a fraction.
• Place a fraction on a number line.
• Rename fractions and mixed numbers using the same denominators.
• Estimate answers to fraction addition and subtraction problems.
• Use visual models to add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers.
• Solve fraction of fraction problems

Guided Math Groups

This year marks our 5th year doing Guided Math groups with all 4 Teachers including Mrs. Kimmey. We will be teaching Fractions to small groups. Students took a pretest last week which determined one's placement. These groups will enhance comprehension of fractions.

Cold Weather and Brain Breaks

Students will need to bring a hat, gloves and a colder weather coat daily. The temperatures are dropping and soon there will be snow with rigid temperatures. Our class has at least 1 brain break outdoors daily.

Wishlist

Electric pencil sharpener
basketball
Clorox Wipes
hand wipes
Small trinkets for special bin (erasers, stickers, magnets, lip glosses, mechanical pencils, refillable lead, etc.)

Thank you to all the parents who have donated Clorox Wipes and dry erase markers

Science Fair Projects

Science Fair 2017-2018

Important Dates

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017: Science Fair Sheet must be signed with a basic idea
Thursday, February 22, 2018: Science Fair Night (Students are not required to attend but it is nice to present your project to our community.)

Science fair is required for all Puma Thinkers; it will be scored using a rubric. PTO donates the boards to all students. Students will receive his or her board upon completing a written draft of all the required parts in January. Each week a draft of the title, investigation question, list of materials, procedural steps, and background research on the topic will be due. A draft shows a student is beginning to plan one's thinking and project. Students should save the draft via in google docs or in a special folder.

Below are the state of Michigan's Science and Engineering Practices for the Science Framework. A science fair project should address and allow students to apply these skills. MI K-12 Standards:

1. Asking questions and defining problems
2. Developing and using models
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations and designing solutions
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Parents are to sign the first sheet of the packet and to begin to plan the project with your child. There will be no partners this year. Students must learn how to execute the Science Framework independently. The signed copy is due Dec. 20, 2017. Our class will have a topic sheet due upon break reexplaining how to do the project in early January.  The project does not need to be completed until February; however, students must begin thinking about it now. Procrastination is never an option.


Below are sample projects.
Sample projects
science buddies

Begin with a question

This layout is important.

Required Parts

Coding

Hour of Coding

This week, on  November 28, 2017, our class participated in an hour of coding sponsored by Thomson Reuters. Our Volunteer was Marsha Skoman, a software designer from the University of Michigan. Ironically, she was an alumna of Pattengill Elementary School having had her fifth grade class in our current computer lab. How remarkable!

From a code crash course, students learned basic coding vocabulary culminating into playing Code Combat. Code Combat allowed players to plan their navigation route via simple functions using simple syntax and strings. Here is the link to CodeCombat, CodeCombat Students will have access to level 1 and more levels of the game with advanced skills.

Our class code will be sent via email.

3-5-ETS1-1 Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost. 3-5-ETS1-2 Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. 3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

We're moving levels.

I'm a future engineer: I make this look easy.

"Does my function have the correct syntax?"

Marsha, computer software designer, and Pattengill Alumna

Girls can code too. 

I need to navigate this level.