To help us learn about invertebrates during science, we wrote poems about several types: sponges, sea stars, jellyfish, anemones, arthropods, insects, worms, octopuses, and jellyfish. Following the Kagan format for "A Poem for Two Voices," we got in pairs and used what we learned to write our own poems.
After we learned a couple new figurative language devices like onamonapea (words with sounds that make you think of their meanings like "gasp" or "buzz") and alliteration (two or more words together that have the same beginning sounds), we revised our poems to include some examples of our own.
Check out the video below and see if you can identify where we've used onamonapea and alliteration. (You may even discover a couple other forms of figurative language such as simile or metaphor!)
This blog is intended to share what we are learning in 5th grade through reflections, pictures, videos, and more! Comments are encouraged and welcome! If you have a positive comment about anything you see, please feel free to share, and we will respond as soon as we can. Thanks for looking!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Making Artistic Salads with Chef Rob
Normally on Thursdays, we have the privilege of either learning from Farmer Curtis (in our very own greenhouse and garden behind our school) or cooking with Chef Rob, (in the tech lab/kitchen in the middle school wing).
During Tech Club today, Lydia, Kamren, and Jaclyn worked on the following video that documents our most recent kitchen venture. In the video, you'll share our experience with Chef Rob (founder of All Things Epicurean) in which he gives our class the freedom to artistically express ourselves through designing our own salads (from vegetables harvested in our own greenhouse).
After we finished designing our salads, the other 5th grade class joined us and chose whichever salad they wanted for themselves. It was a wonderful experience for us all!
During Tech Club today, Lydia, Kamren, and Jaclyn worked on the following video that documents our most recent kitchen venture. In the video, you'll share our experience with Chef Rob (founder of All Things Epicurean) in which he gives our class the freedom to artistically express ourselves through designing our own salads (from vegetables harvested in our own greenhouse).
After we finished designing our salads, the other 5th grade class joined us and chose whichever salad they wanted for themselves. It was a wonderful experience for us all!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Order of Operations: the FUN way to learn!
While we normally do math workshop, today we began learning about the order of operations several different ways as a whole class.
First, we used the Whole Brain Teaching techniques "Teach-Okay" and gestures to learn and teach each other.
Then, since it was such a beautiful morning, we went outside and played Order of Operations Hopscotch, an idea I (Mrs.Allen) got from here.
Later, we applied what we learned by playing Order of Operations Bingo.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Our 1st Mystery Skype Experience! (3/2/2012)
In Tech Club today, Raven and Shana made this video about our first experience, on March 2, Mystery Skyping with another class in the United States.
Check it out!
For more information about Mystery Skype and to get your class involved, click here!
Check it out!
For more information about Mystery Skype and to get your class involved, click here!
World Read Aloud Day
For World Read Aloud Day on March 7, 2012, we had the privilege of Skyping with Dee Garretson, author of middle grade and young adult fiction books. During the visit, Dee read aloud the first chapter of one of her books: Wildfire Run. While she read, we followed along, so we could make the most out of the reading. When she was through, we took turns asking her questions about what life as an author is like, what inspired her to become an author, her favorite books, etc. It was an amazing experience for us! For more information about how we connected with an author for World Read Aloud Day, click here. 
Angry Verbs!
**For the new school year, 2012-2013, students in Room 121 created an updated version of Angry Verbs. CLICK HERE to check out the newest post--featuring tons of pictures and writing!
After being inspired by this Angry Verb bulletin board using the Angry Birds, I had my students review verbs as well by writing a sentence on an angry bird and underlining the verb/verbs.
During class project time on Monday (when some students were in Orchestra), a few students covered the door with butcher paper while several others began working on coloring the birds. Later on during Daily 5, students who were doing Word Work practiced finding verbs by creating their own Angry Verbs.
After being inspired by this Angry Verb bulletin board using the Angry Birds, I had my students review verbs as well by writing a sentence on an angry bird and underlining the verb/verbs.
During class project time on Monday (when some students were in Orchestra), a few students covered the door with butcher paper while several others began working on coloring the birds. Later on during Daily 5, students who were doing Word Work practiced finding verbs by creating their own Angry Verbs.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Common Fractions/Decimals/Percents "Hidden" Pictures
For the past couple weeks, one of the math task options during math workshop has been to create a picture and "hide" common equivalent fractions, decimals, and percents throughout the picture.
Check out these amazing examples:
by Brooke
by Raven
by Emily
by Landon