Wednesday, October 30th

Students had their weekly in-class Compass time today.  They worked on reinforcing their understanding of verbs and some students finished writing their reading responses.   We began our close readings of The Giver with an analysis of the setting.  We started discussing the characteristics of and differences between utopias and dystopias.  Each class came up with slightly different definitions and used  from the book so tomorrow, I'll share the notes from each group.  

Morning Notes

Afternoon Notes

Tuesday, October 29th

The morning class had Music, PE, Library time, and Spanish today so with the remaining time we did our second inquiry for this term.  Students analyzed various photographs and made inferences about what type of migration was taking place.  With the morning class, we looked at several Irish Potato Famine paintings and in the afternoon class, they thoughtfully analyzed a picture of people getting onto a cargo train.  After we discussed one picture together, each student group analyzed two pictures and wrote their inferences on an index card.  

In the afternoon class we reviewed various genres and we discussed the features of narrative writing.  Students will begin the first stage of writing personal memoirs this Friday.  The morning class will take the notes and have the discussion tomorrow.

Monday, October 28th

ELA - We went over last week's Literary assessment.  I felt that students needed some clarification on theme, inferencing, and summarizing.  Lastly, I let students rewrite their answer to the "what is the theme of The Giver so far..." question based on what we discussed.  Lastly, I began with this term's grammar standards about subject and verb agreement.

Social Studies -- We kicked off this term's Unit of Inquiry, Where We Are in Place and Time by addressing the question, "what motivates people to move?"  I put students into unequal groups based on size, personality, and resources and then after five minutes, I asked, "who would like to move?"  Some students wanted to escape their group mates and others wanted the opportunity to use the resources one table had access to.  Overall, it was an excellent introduction to the motivations behind migration. 

Morning Group

The large group did their best... but it took them more than half of the allotted time for them to even get the first part of the task done.

Fewer Opinions + More Resources = Harmony & Success!

Afternoon Group

One group of students noticed that a smaller group had access to better materials...they were not pleased.

Wednesday, October 23rd

ELA - Ms. Smith read more of The Giver and students practiced analyzing text and making inferences.  She also had the students review their verbs and commas grammar notes.  

Social Studies - Students continued working on their Reconstruction projects. 

We could use some more glue sticks.  Thank you!

The BlackFaddin Safety Squad! 

Tuesday, October 22nd

ELA - Students read several more pages of The Giver and took notes on theme and mood. During the reading, Ms. Smith discussed the text and how it gave us clues as to what the theme of The Giver could be.

Social Studies - Students continued to work on their Reconstruction projects.  I also sent home a study guide and students can use the Reconstruction Quizlet cards.  I also made copies of the Social Studies text that relates directly to the content so students also had the option of taking that home.

Note to Parents:

The following site, Remembering Jim Crow, is an excellent resource presented by American RadioWorks.  If I had another week in this term I would have students examine select excerpts from this site.  This site will help students understand, in more detail, how things were in certain parts of America.  I highly recommend that students NOT be allowed to explore this site alone.  The content isn't explicit; however, it provides an uncensored account of different contemporary perspectives.

This week's assessments & projects

Project
-Reconstruction Era project -- Due Friday, October 25th

Assessments 
-Grammar Assessment -- Friday, October 25th 
-----Commas, Verb Tenses & Sentence Types (starting Tuesday students can bring home their ELA journals to study)

-Literary Assessment -- Friday, October 25th
-----Determining theme, Analyzing quotes, Making inferences

-Reconstruction Assessment -- Thursday, October 24th
-----The project research notes will help students prepare for this assessment.

-IB Summative Assessment -- Wednesday-Thursday
-----Opinion Writing -- Students will have two, 1-hour writing segments to write an opinion essay. 

Ms. Smith will lead review sessions for the Grammar and Literary assessments.  I will make   quizlet cards for the Reconstruction assessment and I'll post them on Tuesday's blog.  Please contact me if you have any questions.  

Monday, October 21st

ELA/SS -- Ms. Smith introduced this week's project.  Students will research different perspectives of different groups of people who lived during the Reconstruction Era.  Students will have class time this week to work on their projects and I recommend that students also work on them at home if they fall behind the suggested schedule:

Monday-Tuesday --> Research, note-taking

Wednesday --> Write the reflection

Thursday-Friday --> Assemble project

Ms. Smith also led a Reconstruction Simulation where students learned about the sharecropping debt cycle.  After the simulation students compared sharecropping to slavery and reflected on the similarities and differences.

We also had our author visit today and it was FABULOUS!

Friday, October 18th

ELA -- Students took their vocabulary tests and finished writing their opinion essays.

Social Studies -- I corrected yesterday's assessments and some students did not perform as well as expected.  Consequently, I am sending the graded assessments home and I want all of them back with a parent signature.  Additionally, students can correct them for a higher grade.  Students who earned 3's are also eligible for a 4 if they correct their assessments and edit/rewrite their short answers.



All assessments must be returned on Monday.

Wednesday, October 16th

ELA -- Students continued working on their Opinion Essays.  The essays are due on Friday.

Social Studies -- We did a review for tomorrow's Civil War assessment.  After discussing the conditions in the North and South we went talked about the Emancipation Proclamation.   

Today was my birthday; thank you so much for the thoughtful gifts.  The students made my day very enjoyable.   

Tuesday, October 15th

ELA -- Ms. Smith reviewed verbs with the students and the afternoon class worked on their essays. The morning class will have additional time tomorrow to work on their essays.

Social Studies -- Ms. Smith lead a brief lesson on the Emancipation Proclamation.  Students analyzed 3 different sources and discussed the political and strategic goals of Lincoln's proclamation.   For homework students should read the text of the Emancipation Proclamation to highlight key phrases and write down any questions they have.

The Civil War assessment is on Thursday and students should continue using their study guides to prepare.  As I informed the students today; those who study will find the test easy.  

The following site has some useful information about the conditions in the South after the Civil War:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/carpetbagger/sf_building.html

Students will have to answer an essay question about the conditions in the South directly following the Civil War so they should use the above link as a resource to complete that section on their study guides if they have not already done so.  Some students may need help decoding the language and, as always, feel free to contact me if you or your child have any questions.  

Other Helpful Links:

http://www.ushistory.org/us/34a.asp

http://www.history.com/topics/emancipation-proclamation

http://quizlet.com/1094417/new

Monday, October 14th

ELA -- Students continued working on their Opinion Essays.  On Wednesday we will need some additional adult help in class when students are in the "conferring" stage of the writing process.  Please contact me via email or text if you can come help in the morning class (9:50am-10:50am) or afternoon class (1:00pm-2:00pm).  

Last week Ms. Smith introduced opinion writing and students began their research after they selected their topics.

Last week's opinion notes and pre-writing work

Social Studies -- Students continued to work on their Civil War study guides.  The Civil War assessment is this Thursday so they should study their guides each evening.  Last Friday students worked on their Underground Railroad maps.  Students who didn't finished should finish it as homework.

Thursday, October 10th

ELA - Ms. Smith concluded her introduction of opinion writing and students completed a topic brainstorming activity.  They received their rubrics and the essays are due on Friday, October 18th.

Social Studies - Ms. Barron taught a Social Studies lesson that linked our Civil War curriculum to yesterday's field trip.

Some students forced me to play line tag with them at recess.  It was exhausting.

This evening I will be posting a grade for the following standard:

• ELACC5RL10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

I assess this standard with AR tests and reading responses.  At this point in the school year, students should have read at least 3 books that are at or above their reading level.  Additionally, they must score an 80% or above on each AR test.  The grade I am posting today will not be their final grade as long as students take AND pass at least 4 on-level AR tests by the end of the term (Friday, October 25th).  At the end of the term, I will do one more check and THAT grade will be their final grade for the above mentioned standard.  As a rule, students need to finish a book AND take an AR test at least every two weeks.

Students should also have completed at least 4 reading responses by the end of the term and I am currently in the process of grading those.  Please contact me if you have any questions.

Wednesday, October 9th

We had a very exciting day today!  Paul Pope, author of the graphic novel Battling Boy, spent time with both of our homerooms to discuss his new book and talk about his book-writing process.  It was higly informative and students were truly appreciative. 

Then we went to the Atlanta History Center to learn about the Civil War from various perspectives.  I was pleased with how students behaved and I know they enjoyed the trip.

In the trenches

Comments about Civil War instruction

This term I'm teaching students about the Civil War and Reconstruction and we will be covering all aspects of these standards:  

Georgia Standards - 5th Grade American History

 SS5H1 The student will explain the causes, major events, and consequences of the Civil War. 

a. Identify Uncle Tom’s Cabin and John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry, and explain how each of these events was related to the Civil War. 

b. Discuss how the issues of states’ rights and slavery increased tensions between the North and South. 

c. Identify major battles and campaigns: Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s March to the Sea, and Appomattox Court House. 

d. Describe the roles of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. 

e. Describe the effects of war on the North and South. 

SS5H2 The student will analyze the effects of Reconstruction on American life. 

a. Describe the purpose of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. 

b. Explain the work of the Freedmen’s Bureau. 

c. Explain how slavery was replaced by sharecropping and how African-Americans were prevented from exercising their newly won rights; include a discussion of Jim Crow laws and customs. 

We have a specific pacing and it is a challenge to cover the last 213 years (1800-present) of American history in one school year.  Additionally, students have presented me with unique questions and I truly wish I could spend more time helping them to explore their inquiries a little further.  It is my goal to not just teach facts but to also equip students with the skills they need to discuss and analyze these events from multiple viewpoints.  

That being said, I've attached some document and website links for students and families to explore if they want to extend learning at home. 

Civil War

Sherman's March

Women in the Civil War

Civil War Fact Sheet (document)

Confederate States

Civil War Documents (Sewanee University)

Selected Civil War Photographs (Library of Congress)

Reconstruction
Reconstruction (University of Houston Digital History site)

Sharecropping & 40 Acres and a Mule

African American Leaders During Reconstruction

(please check this blog posting periodically... I will be adding new sites between now and the end of the term)

Monday, October 7th

ELA -- Ms. Smith started the lessons on opinion writing.  Students will practice making logical and effective arguments this week and on Thursday the will get the rubric and guidelines for this term's summative essay.

Social Studies -- We continued working on our Civil War people worksheet.  I let students vote on one for me to model so I could show what information is necessary to complete their study guides.  Some students were writing down the wrong information and others were writing too much so many of them needed clarification.

comments about class discussions

Students in both classes have been asking some interesting and sometimes provocative questions during our Social Studies lessons.  While students worked on their maps this past Friday I took the opportunity to answer the following questions with both classes:

I remind the students that History is not like Math... there's no right answer or perspective.  I try to address issues from multiple viewpoints and help students understand why people made certain decisions in the past.  I also encourage students to share their opinions and when I'm asked to share mine, I always present the evidence I encountered that led to me forming that opinion.  As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about what we have covered in class.

Headphones

Some students still don't have headphones.  They need these for completing various individual tasks on their iPads.  If you have not done so already, please purchase some headphones for your child at your earliest convenience.  Thank you.

Mid-Week Update

ELA -- This week we have focused on note-taking strategies with two texts that cover the Underground Railroad.  Students will also use the documents and the notes to write an evidence-filled response.  We have also been working on using commas within our writing and today Ms. Smith taught a lesson about strengthening sentences.

Social Studies -- This week we are analyzing two texts about the Underground Railroad and students began research to find details about important Civil War leaders.

ELA notes -- Commas & Sentences

Underground Railroad Notes