It's a new year! What's happening in room 12?

5th grade Math: Students are discovering the equivalencies and conversions among fractions, decimals and percents. There are certainly some practical difficulties in converting from one notations system to another, since many fractions written as decimals go on forever (boy did we find that to be true for fractions like 1/3!) While we address the difficulties and challenges (often fun to find these challenges!) the main purpose of our math unit 5 is to review the many meanings of fraction, decimal and percent notations for rational numbers. Then, we will soon turn these fractions and decimals and percents into bar and circle graphs for meaningful and practical data we collect as a class.

Students also were given a logic challenge puzzle packet before break. They have the freedom to challenge themselves with as many problems as they like and soon they will receive new logic puzzles.

SCIENCE: We are finishing up our Structures unit this week and the following week.

The past weeks, students have had firsthand experience with tension and compression. Next, students build on this knowledge and investigate more closely where tension and compression exist within triangular trusses, a very powerful component of structural frameworks. Coming up soon, the students will take part in a BRIDGE CHALLENGE in which they will have to plan, construct and exhibit a bridge that spans more than 20 inches long with no vertical supports and can hold a live load of 60 pennies - quite a challenge! We will start this challenge on Wednesday, so be sure to ask your student how their group's bridge is coming along.

***WE WELCOME PENNY DONATIONS TO OUR SCIENCE CLASS. Please place the pennies in a bag with the # and your name. We will return all pennies after our bridge challenge. Thank you!

After structures, the last two units for 2012 are Magnets and Motors and then Measuring Time.

Reading - Our focus in on PREDICTING this week - using our prior knowledge along with textual clues to make meaning from text. Students will be reading the following 4 novels, below, in class soon as they journal with a buddy. These novels all share themes of how life changing moments can come in all forms and between all people. These books are all very different, however..with some taking a more serious tone and others capitalizing on the humor of life.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankeiler
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin


LAST BUT certainly not LEAST: NOVEL WRITING!!!

I am so proud of all students who have dedicated their time, energy and creative spirit to the writing of their novels. This week, we begin to peer edit, work on revisions and making the novels the best they can be. We will take considerable time to revise and edit and make meaningful connections with the best possible texts - their own! Then, they will have the opportunity to type and illustrate their novels. Eventually, they will also write a submission letter.

Keep up the great effort, Hoover Hawks!

~Ms. Dobyns

Happy New Year!

Wishing all Hoover families a very happy new year! I look forward to many learning adventures in 2012!