June 6-10, 2016

Writing: Persuasive Writing – Graphic Organizers, Drafting, introductions, organization
Media Literacy: Creating TV commercial – music and jingles, creating storyboards
Math: Measurement – volume (displacement & V=l x w x h), quiz/test this week
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Properties of liquids
Social Studies: First Nations & European Explorers – Motivations for Exploration; Benefits and Consequences of their relationship
French (Ms. Bordonaro): Writing
Music/Drama (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Tesselations
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): Soccer

May 24-27, 2016

Reading: Perspectives & Points of View
Writing: Persuasive Writing – Introduction, examining mentor texts
Media Literacy: Creating TV commercial – music and jingles, creating storyboards
Math: Probability – unit review, test on Friday
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Properties of Matter
Social Studies: First Nations & European Explorers – First Nations Inquiry –Stage 4 – creating Glogs to demonstrate learning
French (Ms. Bordonaro): Writing
Music/Drama (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Portraits – final pieces
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): Soccer

May 2-13, 2016

Reading: Perspectives & Points of View
Writing: Narrative (Stories) – publishing final pieces inspired by The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Media Literacy: Text Features of a poster, techniques used in advertisements
Math: Fractions, Decimals & Percentages – comparing fractions, decimals and percentages, adding and subtracting decimals, relating division and fraction, test
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Properties of Matter & taking accurate measurements
Social Studies: First Nations & European Explorers – First Nations Inquiry –Stage 4 – creating Glogs to demonstrate learning
French (Ms. Bordonaro): Writing
Music/Drama (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Portraits – final pieces
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): Track & Field

April 4-8, 2016

Reading: Historical Fiction – Shared Reading, inferring
Writing: Narrative (Stories) – final pieces inspired by The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Math: Fractions – review of vocabulary, different ways to model fraction (area, set, linear), equivalent fraction
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Forces on Structures
Social Studies: First Nations & European Explorers – First Nations Inquiry –Stage 2 & 3 – sorting and organizing information
French (Ms. Bordonaro): Writing
Music/Drama (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Portraits – Picasso & Cubism
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): Track & Field

March 21 - April 1, 2016

Reading: Historical Fiction – Read alouds, Shared Reading, looking at the characteristics of historical fiction & making inferences
Writing: Narrative (Stories) – “Showing not Telling”, using graphic organizers to plan stories, starting “Mystery of Harris Burdick” piece
Math: Division – reviewing facts & related fact families, strategies for 3 digit by 1 digit division, word problems, quiz this week
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Forces on Structures
Social Studies: First Nations & European Explorers – First Nations Inquiry –Stage 2 – Searching (Jot Notes, different sources of information)
French (Ms. Bordonaro): Writing
Music/Drama (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Portraits – Lichtenstein (pop art)
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): Track & Field

March 7-11, 2016

Reading: Non Fiction – Independent Practice (Stating the Main Idea and Supporting Details, Cause & Effect), quiz this week
Writing: Narrative (Stories) – Publishing Mid-Unit Piece
Math: Patterning – unit review, test this week (extending patterns, writing pattern rules, tables of value, problem solving involving patterns)
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Forces, Science Centre trip this week
Social Studies: First Nations & European Explorers – First Nations Inquiry – stages of research/inquiry; Stage 1 – Exploring the topic, Stage 2 – Searching (Jot Notes)
French (Ms. Bordonaro): Reading
Music/Drama (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Portraits – Modigliani con’t
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): Health – Substance Abuse, quiz this week

February 22-26, 2016

Reading: Non Fiction - Shared Reading (Stating the Main Idea and Supporting Details, Cause & Effect)
Writing: Narrative (Stories) – Launch, planning with a graphic organizer, matching solutions to problems
Math: Patterning – extending patterns, writing pattern rules, tables of value
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Forces
Social Studies: First Nations & European Explorers –Geographic Context & working with Atlases, Historical Context & Timelines
French (Ms. Bordonaro): Reading
Music/Drama/Dance (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Portraits – van Gogh con’t
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): TBA

Read-a-thon Follow-up Activity

As part of our Reading Marathon, students practiced using their reading strategies. The follow-up activity is due on Monday. Here is a reminder of the tasks required for each strategy/block:

New Cover (Visualization) - good readers create mental pictures/videos of what they read - create a new cover for the novel (remember all the different text features of a cover: title, author's name, illustration, optional tagline/additional information), making sure it would appeal to the target audience of the book	Prediction - make predictions (at least 2) about what will happen next in the book	Questions - ask 3 “juicy” questions from the book - remember “juicy” questions are ones that require more thinking and inferring (e.g., not ones where the answers that are “right there” in the book)
Character Analysis - draw a picture of the main character from your book - identify 4 character traits that describes him/her - support each character trait with evidence from the book	Connection - make 2 different connections (TTS, TTT, TTW) - remember to explain your connection using evidence from the text	Summary - once you have finished your book, write a summary of the book - remember to include the main idea and important details (it should be about a paragraph long, so choose only the important details)

Welcome Ms. Raja!

For the next 4 weeks, we are hosting a number of teacher candidates from the Faculty of Education at Queen's University.  Ms. Snider, Ms. Vanaselja and Ms. Raja will be working with Ms. Bordonaro, Ms. Halliwell and myself.  We are very fortunate to have Ms. Raja join our class until March Break.  

Here is a message from Ms. Raja:

"Hi to all,

My name is Ms. Raja, I am a teacher candidate from Queen’s University. I will be joining Mrs. Kwong’s grade 5 class for the next four weeks!  I am looking forward to working with all the grade 5’s. The subjects that I will be helping with is Reading, Literacy and Math."

February 16-19, 2016

Reading: Non Fiction - Unit Launch, Shared Reading
Writing: Procedural Writing: final piece, creating a “How To” Mini Book
Math: Multiplication – quiz Wednesday, Patterning – Introduction, using rules to describe a pattern
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Energy, wind turbine project
Social Studies: First Nations & European Explorers – Introduction, Geographic Context & working with Atlases
French (Ms. Bordonaro): Reading
Music/Dance (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Portraits – van Gogh
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): TBA

February 1-5, 2016

Reading: Novel Study – City of Ember; Ch. 17-20 (aiming to finish the novel this week!)
Writing: Procedural Writing: writing with the reader in mind, components of a procedural piece
Math: Multiplication – review of facts, multiplying with multiples of 10 & 2 digits x 1 digit; using arrays to multiply 2 digits by 2 digits
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Energy, wind turbine project
Social Studies: Government & Citizenship – Syrian Refugee Crisis, action plans & fundraising campaign
French (Ms. Bordonaro): Reading
Music/Drama (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Movement
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): Hockey, trip this Thursday

Prodigy - online Math Game

Extra Math Practice

We recently signed up to use an exciting new educational game called Prodigy. The game is a fun way for your child to practice their math skills at home! Your child should have their login and passwords in their planners. Over the PA Day, they can log in at home and continue working on their math skills.

To play, students visit www.prodigygame.com/play with their login and passwords.  They can also add a new student, but please have them enter their class code so that I can track their progress.  When they first log in, their initial "battles" are a diagnostic of the student's strengths and areas of need.  They will be asked a series of questions in all strands to determine which area they will need more practice in.  The game then adjusts the difficulty of the questions to your child's level.

Prodigy provides you rich, real-time reports on what your child is learning. You can track what math skill they've mastered, and where they may need help.

To access reports:
1. Click on the blue 'Parent / Teacher Login' button in the top right of www.ProdigyGame.com to access your parent account
2. Click on the 'Reports' tab on the top

Please note that there is an option for parents to “upgrade” the accounts. Please do not feel obligated to do so, as both “members” and “non-members” have access to the same education content. Upgraded accounts have access to new pets, items and other game play options. If you child is very interested and motivated by the game, this may be an option for your family. However, please do not feel that you have to make any in-game purchases. This resource was marketed to teachers as a “free learning tool”, and I don’t want any families to feel they are pressured to purchase the in-game upgrades.

Geometry - triangle sorting game

Here is the link to the triangle sorting game we played in class today:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/geometry/shapeshoot/triangles_shoot.htm


Students will be expected to sort triangles by the lengths of their sides (equilateral, isosceles, scalene) and by their angles (right, acute, obtuse).

Enjoy!

January 18-21, 2016

Reading: Novel Study – City of Ember; Ch. 8-12
Media Literacy: Advertisements around us, identifying the overt & implied messages
Math: Geometry – measuring and constructing angles, quiz this week
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Energy, wind turbine project
Social Studies: Government & Citizenship – Syrian Refugee Crisis, analyzing and evaluating the government’s response
French (Ms. Bordonaro): TBA
Music/Drama (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Movement
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): Hockey

January 11-15, 2016

Reading: Novel Study – City of Ember; Ch. 8-12
Writing: Essay/Report (Non-fiction) Writing –Publishing
Media Literacy: Advertisements around us, identifying the target audience
Math: Geometry – identifying & sorting polygons, measuring and constructing angles
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Energy - potential & kinetic, please bring in material for the wind turbine project
Social Studies: Government & Citizenship – Syrian Refugee Crisis, mapping skills, trip to Queen’s Park on Thursday
French (Ms. Bordonaro): TBA
Music/Drama (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Movement
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): Hockey

January 4-9, 2016

Reading: Novel Study – City of Ember - Ch. 6-8; Figurative Language - Simile
Writing: Essay/Report (Non-fiction) Writing – Revising, Editing & Publishing
Math: Measurement – area & perimeter of a rectangle, unit review, test on Friday
Science (Ms. Halliwell): Energy, please bring in material for the wind turbine project
Social Studies: Government & Citizenship – Syrian Refugee Crisis
French (Ms. Bordonaro): Etre (to be), Adjectives & Numbers
Music/Drama (Mr. Kotyk): TBA
Visual Art: Movement
Phys. Ed (Mr. Mouratidis): Hockey