What do cell phone holders, soda, catapults, and rockets have in common? They are just a selection of the myriad of the inventions that our students are creating in our Inventions unit.
Students have finished their inventions that have been created in order to solve a problem. Now, they are planning their persuasive essays to defend the importance and significance of their invention. We are studying in great detail the elements of an effective persuasive essay.
The students discussed how the introductory paragraph is like a funnel, starting in a larger general shape and focusing down to the thin focused tip. Students are coming up with ways to grab the reader's attention, introduce the topic and present their thesis statement. I want this to be an opportunity for the 5th/6th graders to blow everyone out of the water with their writing skills and critical thinking.
Next week (by Friday April 29th), the Inventions, Inventor bios and essays will be displayed outside our room. Be sure to come look at them when you are in the building!
Structures in our Neighborhood!
A shelter built by 2010-2011 Hoover 6th graders. This year, all 6th graders will go to School of the Wild the week of April 9th!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
What's been happening in our class?
Some highlights from the past week:
Language Arts
~For our word work lessons, students have been using our new Time for Kids magazines to make meaningful vocabulary connections and use our critical thinking with pertinent information to our lives. The students have been reading about how natural disasters have affected Japan, National Conferences about Bullying held at the White house and Civil War history.
-In Language Arts, the students have built on their knowledge of inventors and inventions from the past week and started to create their own inventions. Students have been brainstorming ways to tweak and refine an invention to improve the lives of others or to solve a problem. They will continue to build, conference, refine and challenge themselves this week and the week following the "School of the Wild" week. Then, they will write persuasive essays to defend the importance of their creation. I have seen the students motivate each other and themselves so well this week and it is incredible what students can do when they invest in a project that they find interesting. Please ask your child about their invention, what they are doing to challenge themselves, and what they are enjoying about the project!
~Science: We are wrapping up our Microworlds unit. Students have presented their projects and I will soon post a sideshow of the work that went into preparing for the presentations and the finished products as well. In one week, we will begin our "Mysterious Powders" unit.
~5th grade math: Students are working with fractions. Here are some important skills we are expecting them to learn and eventually master:
-Convert among fractions, decimals and percents
-Find common denominators
-Order and compare fractions
-Use an algorithm to subtract mixed numbers with like denominators
-Use an algorithm to multiply fractions with mixed numbers
Tonight, students did not have homework, but most nights they should continue to come home with a study link, or their math journal.
The chapter 8 test will be next week, either on Tuesday or Wednesday.
**Students were outstanding performers at the music performance this Thursday. Well done Hoover hawks!
NEXT WEEK: School of the Wild at McBride.
Students will relieve their group rotation schedule and journal on FRIDAY APRIL 8th.
They will keep these at school to use each day from April 11-15th.
Please read the informational packet that was sent home and if you have any other questions, please feel free to email me!
Go Hoover Hawks!
~Ms. Dobyns
Language Arts
~For our word work lessons, students have been using our new Time for Kids magazines to make meaningful vocabulary connections and use our critical thinking with pertinent information to our lives. The students have been reading about how natural disasters have affected Japan, National Conferences about Bullying held at the White house and Civil War history.
-In Language Arts, the students have built on their knowledge of inventors and inventions from the past week and started to create their own inventions. Students have been brainstorming ways to tweak and refine an invention to improve the lives of others or to solve a problem. They will continue to build, conference, refine and challenge themselves this week and the week following the "School of the Wild" week. Then, they will write persuasive essays to defend the importance of their creation. I have seen the students motivate each other and themselves so well this week and it is incredible what students can do when they invest in a project that they find interesting. Please ask your child about their invention, what they are doing to challenge themselves, and what they are enjoying about the project!
~Science: We are wrapping up our Microworlds unit. Students have presented their projects and I will soon post a sideshow of the work that went into preparing for the presentations and the finished products as well. In one week, we will begin our "Mysterious Powders" unit.
~5th grade math: Students are working with fractions. Here are some important skills we are expecting them to learn and eventually master:
-Convert among fractions, decimals and percents
-Find common denominators
-Order and compare fractions
-Use an algorithm to subtract mixed numbers with like denominators
-Use an algorithm to multiply fractions with mixed numbers
Tonight, students did not have homework, but most nights they should continue to come home with a study link, or their math journal.
The chapter 8 test will be next week, either on Tuesday or Wednesday.
**Students were outstanding performers at the music performance this Thursday. Well done Hoover hawks!
NEXT WEEK: School of the Wild at McBride.
Students will relieve their group rotation schedule and journal on FRIDAY APRIL 8th.
They will keep these at school to use each day from April 11-15th.
Please read the informational packet that was sent home and if you have any other questions, please feel free to email me!
Go Hoover Hawks!
~Ms. Dobyns
Sunday, April 3, 2011
April Reminders
School of the Wild is quickly approaching! Fifth grade field trips are also happening the week of April 11 - 15.
*All 6th grade students should have come home with an Informational Packet about School of the wild with a list of WHAT TO BRING and WHAT NOT TO BRING, as well as some details about the week.
Thank you to the many parent volunteers who will spend the week with us at McBride!
*If you have not send back to school a signed permission form for you child, please send it back by Wednesday April 6th. Thank you!
*This Wednesday and Thursday (April 6th and 7th), students will need to bring their sack lunches or choose from a school sack lunch. Because hot lunch will not be prepared in the cafeteria these days, students have notified teachers if they will be eating the school sack lunch. This is just a reminder that hot lunch will NOT be prepared for these two days.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE COMING UP!
Share the Music Day!
Grades 3-6 will perform in the gym at 9 AM-9:30AM Thursday, April 7
PICTURE DAY WEDNESDAY!
Spring Pictures will be taken the afternoon of this Wednesday, April 6th! No need to send money until photos are taken and packaged at a later date. Thanks.
*All 6th grade students should have come home with an Informational Packet about School of the wild with a list of WHAT TO BRING and WHAT NOT TO BRING, as well as some details about the week.
Thank you to the many parent volunteers who will spend the week with us at McBride!
*If you have not send back to school a signed permission form for you child, please send it back by Wednesday April 6th. Thank you!
*This Wednesday and Thursday (April 6th and 7th), students will need to bring their sack lunches or choose from a school sack lunch. Because hot lunch will not be prepared in the cafeteria these days, students have notified teachers if they will be eating the school sack lunch. This is just a reminder that hot lunch will NOT be prepared for these two days.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE COMING UP!
Share the Music Day!
Grades 3-6 will perform in the gym at 9 AM-9:30AM Thursday, April 7
PICTURE DAY WEDNESDAY!
Spring Pictures will be taken the afternoon of this Wednesday, April 6th! No need to send money until photos are taken and packaged at a later date. Thanks.
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