Dear Parents of
Gifted Students,
I would like to take this
time to express to you how much I have loved having the opportunity to teach your
creative and caring children! It has truly been an honor.
On the last day of gifted
class, we will have a fun day themed as the “Classroom Olympics”! Information
can be found below regarding donations that will be needed for this event.
To our lovely 5th graders-
Happy graduation! I’ll miss you and I wish you the best in middle school!
Last Days of Gifted
MONDAY, May
21st- K-2nd Grade
TUESDAY, May
22nd- 3rd Grade
WEDNESDAY, May
23rd- 4th Grade
THURSDAY, May
24th- 5th Grade
Classroom Olympics- Students
will compete in teams to participate in activities that mirror the Olympic
Games, such as cotton-ball shot put, straw-javelin throw, paper plate discus,
and more!
Items needed for Classroom
Olympics
- Cotton Balls
- Round paper
plates
- Straws that
do not bend
- Small
Plastic containers of all shapes (cylinder, square, rectangular) (holds
1-3 oz)
- Plastic
cups, plates, napkins, plastic-ware for party
- If your
child wants to bring sports gear (like headbands, team shirt, etc.)- cool!
Food for the Celebration!
Of course we’d appreciate any snacks, but here are
a few Olympic-themed ideas that might be fun!
- Gold Medals-
Golden Oreos for Medal, Fruit by the Foot as the Chain
- Torches-
Small Ice Cream Cones with Cheetos or Popcorn inside for the flame
- Pretzel
Javelins- pretzel sticks, maybe even chocolate dipped
- Ring-shaped
Treats- like donuts, bagels, or candy
- Veggie/Fruit
Tray- in the 5 colors- black (olives), green (celery, cucumbers), yellow
(pineapple), red (watermelon, strawberries), blue (blueberries) etc.
- Rehydration-
drinks like water, Gatorade, fruit juice
Of
course anything else from your imaginations would be great too! Please let me
know if you can bring in anything! Volunteers are also welcome to help out in
the classroom on the special day of festivities. A sign-up genius will be
sent home shortly!
THANK
YOU! J Have a great summer!!!!!!!!
Dear Parents of 5th Graders,
We are winding
down to the end of the year. Even though we are coming off a nice Spring Break
it is important to maintain our focus on the last weeks of school. I know we
have a lot planned so let’s bring our best game!
Project Based Learning- the 50 States- See the USA Simulation
Your children are about to embark on an exciting
cross-country expedition! This cooperative group unit integrates social
studies, economics, visual arts, and language arts as students research the
geography, government, history, people, and culture of selected states.
Throughout the unit, students practice and apply
math, reading, writing, and oral presentation skills. In Travel Teams, students
explore the unique characteristics of the United States. They visit many
diverse sites along their route and prepare projects to communicate interesting
facts they discover. As they drive through each state, Travel Teams produce
written and creative projects as a group, as well as an individual final
project.
Dear
Parents of 5th Graders,
Right
here in our very own classroom, we have a number of little “stars” who will be
performing this month in Oasis Arts’ production of “Madagascar Jr. – A Musical
Adventure”! We hope you will all be able to see this wild journey come to life
on stage! The dates are: Feb. 7, 8, & 9 at 6:30 PM at Ida Baker High.
Tickets will be sold at the door or they can be purchased online right now at
showtix4u.com. Just search “Oasis Arts” and you will find the event! We hope to
see you there!
Project
Based Learning- Westward Expansion- Lewis and Clark
In this unit, students form “corps” to follow the
route that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark charted on the Missouri and
Columbia Rivers to the Pacific Ocean. As a group they will embark upon a
journey where they will learn about the Northwest Passage and westward
exploration circa 1803-1806.
Students will play a variety of explorers’ jobs
within their teams, such as Captain, Interpreter, Journal Writer, and Private.
They will complete “daily dilemmas” and work on
tasks that mimic actual activities that explorers had to encounter, in order to
advance further on the map toward the Pacific.
Students will learn much about the significance of
certain individuals and events in history such as: Lewis & Clark,
Sacagawea, Thomas Jefferson, and the Louisiana Purchase.
Literature-
The Shakespeare Stealer by
Gary Blackwood
Unit 4: Jan.
Dear Parents of 5th Graders,
Welcome back from
winter break! I hope you all enjoyed your time off and made amazing memories
with your family and friends! Now that we are all well-rested and full of
positive hopes and aspirations for the future, let’s dive into the second half
of our school year!
Project
Based Learning- Newton’s Laws of Motion
During the month
of January fifth graders will be studying Newton ’s
Laws and force and motion. They will be
participating in a simulation in which they will have to perform experiments to
figure out why “Rollercoaster Land’s” roller coasters are malfunctioning.
Students will explore
inertia, motion, acceleration, centrifugal force, etc., by evaluating the laws
in the form of physics experiments.
Literature: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Donations
Needed
If you could be so kind,
the following items are in short supply in our classroom and would greatly be
appreciated:
pipe
cleaners, pom poms, feathers, straws, glitter, googly eyes (any general craft
supplies)
small
prizes for the treasure box
Thank you!
Unit 3: Nov-Dec.
Dear Parents of 5th
Graders,
Gifted
learners have varying levels of abilities and talents in different areas. Some
students are great readers and love music while others are good at math and
enjoy hands-on building projects. Most children will not excel in every aspect
of school either. If your child starts to waiver in a subject and needs extra
help, please remind them that gifted learners do not have to be “gifted” at
everything and we all have something to bring to the table. It is best to
appreciate ourselves and our children for what makes us special and help each
other in areas that need attention.
Have a great month!
Project Based Learning: Scientific
Explorations
Students will
explore scientific properties by conducting various experiments observing
physical characteristics of substances, as well as testing the quality of
certain products. We will also observe matter and its forms, as we change
solids to liquids. We will explore the scientific process and the proper way to
identify properties such as texture, color, hardness, etc.
The learner will
follow the scientific process and record lab reports with predictions,
observations, data, and conclusions.
Students will
apply specific descriptions of specimens he will observe during experiments.
Students will
observe and record scientific properties such as texture, color, size, mass,
shape, and reaction to other substances.
Literature:
Bartholomew and the Oobleck by
Dr. Seuss
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norm JusterUnit 2: Oct.-Nov.
Dear Parents of 5th
Graders,
We had a… rocky
beginning of the school year, to say the least. With all of the crazy weather
our area has experienced, unfortunately it has taken us a little while to get
in a groove. However, amongst all of the interruptions we did get to explore the
Mayan culture through the Chichen Itza, Mayapan, Tululm, and Uxmal civilizations.
Meanwhile… our next unit has much in store.
Project Based Learning: Renaissance
Students will take
a journey through the Renaissance. They are time travelers from NASA whom are
asked to retrieve important artifacts from the Renaissance that are stuck in a
weird time zone. They will research important people, inventions, and events of
the time in order to save the Renaissance.
Students will
develop an appreciation for the greatness of human achievement during the
Renaissance.
Students will
explain where and when the Renaissance flourished, who the people of the times
were, and what everyday life was like.
Students will
explore what artistic, scientific, and technological treasures we inherited,
and how the events of this period affect us today by linking the past and
present.
Literature:
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Unit 1: Aug.-Sept.
Dear Parents and
Guardians of 5th Graders,
It is thrilling to
begin a new year of investigation, enrichment, and exploration! We have begun
our Interactive Notebooks. I want to reiterate the importance of having the
3-subject notebooks and what we will be doing with them. We are going to be
completing Interactive Notebooks in class. The purpose of the interactive
notebook is to enable students to be creative, independent thinkers and
writers. Interactive notebooks are used for class notes as well as for other
activities where the student will be asked to express his/her own ideas and
process the information presented in class. We will glue in diagrams, pictures,
vocabulary, and much more! It will also serve as an ongoing portfolio of all
their gifted work. Ours will be divided up into three sections: Critical
Thinking, Project Based Learning, and Reflections.
Project Based Learning: Mayan Civilization Simulation
Students will become a part of an ancient culture
by partaking in trade with other simulated cities, studying the Mayan calendar
and number system, and determining appropriate valuables for the Great Chac.
They will create ceremonial headdresses, trade corn, turtle shells, obsidian,
etc., with the other nearby cities such as Tulum, Uxmal, Chichen Itza, and
Mayapan.
Students will research how the Mayans developed
communication and a technological system.
Students will construct an ancient Stela for their
city, utilizing creative art mediums.
Students will use deductive reasoning and critical
thinking strategies to complete Mayan Math for their cities. Students will
explore the importance of trade and ceremonies through role playing.
Literature: The
Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
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