Grade 5 Newsletter - May 2016
Courtesy of our Fifth Grade Writers!
Science
Language Arts
This marking period, we are using microscopes to
observe cells and create models of them. We
learned how to use a microscope, what it does, and
what the different parts of it are called. Some of
these parts include the objectives (the
microscope’s different lenses), the arm (the
support that holds up the eyepiece), and the
adjustment knobs (two knobs, one fine, which
slightly moves the stage up and down, and coarse, a
knob that quickly moves the stage up and down).
Group 2 is reading a book called
Hatchet. The story is about a boy
named Brian Robeson. Brian’s parents
are divorced. Brian is on a small plane
to see his dad in Canada. But on the way
the pilot has a heart attack, and they
crash. Brian is the only survivor. He
tries to stay alive so someone can
rescue him.
We also observed a multitude of different cells,
and learned about the differences between plant
and animal cells. One example is that the plant cell
has a special component called the chloroplast that
collects energy from sunlight, while the animal cell
has cytoskeleton that make its shape round and
give it strength for movement inside an animal.
We will continue to work on our understanding of
cells in the future, and we learn more about cells
every day.
~ Thomas Greer
Math
Mrs. Cumberland taught us about a
writing strategy called (CER). It stands
for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. We
make a claim about the story, then we
find evidence from the text to prove it
and finally we explain our reasoning. We
put it all together and create a
paragraph. We also wrote a summary
for a book jacket, and we made book
covers. Now we are writing about ways
Brian is surviving and based on the
evidence, we have to decide if he will
make it to the end of the story.
~ Shayla Lui
This marking period, we’re focusing on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals. We’ve also
been learning about multiplying fractions by a whole number. Quite recently, we learned about mode and
median. When calculating median and mode, your objective is to find the middle number and the most
commonly used number. You do this is by taking the numbers and putting them in order from least to
greatest, then crossing out a number of each side until you get to the middle. To get mode, you look for
the number that is used the most. Sometimes there is more than one mode and sometimes there is no
mode at all. On top of that, we are studying graphing and line plots, too. A line plot is basically a graph
where you put an “X” on top of the number on what looks to be a number line. Overall, we have learned a lot
in 5th grade math, and we’re very excited to learn more in Middle School!
~Brady St. Louis
Writing
Opinion writing was an important part of this marking period. We learned about Colony
Collapse Disorder and formed an opinion about the cause of disappearing bees. We gave three
reasons for our opinion and supported our ideas with scientific research. Each paper had an
introduction, body, and conclusion. The goal was to persuade others about our argument.
~JoJo Okrah
Reading
Group 3 read up to Chapter 13 in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe We learned
about symbolism and the significance of a red robin. We compared the story to other texts
including The Secret Garden, “Adventures of Isabel” and Alice in Wonderland. We talked
about point of view and why the author changes perspectives. In guided group we also talked
about how we have to use text evidence to support our ideas. We discussed theme a lot and we
used context clues to figure out the meaning of words like vermin and gluttony. We also
dissected the emotions of all the characters and their motivations.
~Giana Filoia
Social Studies
In social studies this quarter, we are receiving life learning lessons. For example, we are
learning about saving money and helpful ways to handle credit, checks, and banks. We saw how
giving small information away on social media like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, can lead
to dangerous situations. We learned about fraud and identity theft. Our quarter has been a
great learning experience!
~ Joe Gruner
In the fourth quarter
We learned about colony collapse disorder
We wrote about CCD
If You Ask Me ……
And honey bees
Dogs Are Better Than Cats
We learned about workers, drones, and the queen
I think dogs are better than cats for
Maybe if you understood them more
more playful and full of energy, while
numerous reasons. Dogs are usually
You'd know they ain't that mean
cats are often grumpy and mean. Dogs
So next time you see a bee
cuddling while cats want to run away or
scratch you.
Don't go to war
also love to make you laugh and love
Know how much they deserve to live
Most dogs are very active: they love to
Don't show them to the door
aren’t very active: they just lie at home
Understand how much they give
And what bees stand for
run, walk, and jog. Unlike dogs, cats
and do nothing. They also sleep a lot.
Another reason I think dogs are better
than cats is that dogs are heroes. They
They give beekeepers honey
are able to sniff out bombs, track down
criminals, and find missing people with
So they can earn money
their amazing sense of smell.
They keep your lips from being dry
Dogs also sense when you are sad or
They give us half the food we eat
better by lying down by your side and
stressed. They will make you feel
Without them we may die
comforting you, while cats won’t even
We wrote about identity theft and fraud
bathroom, they do their business in the
care. When cats need to use the
If you had heard
litter box. After a while, a stinky odor
You'd be sure to applaud
However, dogs do not need litter boxes.
comes from the cat’s litter box.
You should be careful what you post
If your name, number, birth date, or address gets out
They will let you know they need to use
the bathroom and will do their business
on the grass. All you have to is pick it
up in a bag and throw out.
Your toast
Yes, dogs are definitely much better
Be careful what you share
pets than cats!
And really I swear
~JoJo Okrah
If you get hacked you will rethink the internet
But don't let it happen
If you're smart you won't fret
Poetry this quarter was a lot of fun
We tried our best and got the job done.
~Emma Rosenhaft