Additional Resources

We request that students stay up to date on their Xtramath and continue to do this every day. If you need help logging in, let me know and I will send your personalized instructions sheet.

Students can also work on Khan Academy. Students should know their username and everyone's password is "chargers".

Students can also work on Typing Master: https://online3.typingmaster.com/login?id=pp8gsu2q7
If your child forgot their login, please email me and I can get that to you.

A Wrinkle in Time Resources

Accessibility

If your family does not have a copy of A Wrinkle in Time, please use the PDF linked below. All students are welcome to read along with the audiobook if they find that helpful.

Complete PDF 

Audiobook (does not include Foreword)

The book is also available for purchase as an eBook from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Amazon

Audible Audiobook (does not include Foreword)

Barnes & Noble

If your family has a library card with any of the local public library systems, you have access to a large eLibrary! Digital versions of A Wrinkle in Time (text and/or audiobook) may be available for download (links below). 

Chandler Public Library

Greater Phoenix Digital Library

Maricopa County Public Library

Mesa Public Library

Phoenix Public Library

Tempe Public Library | Overdrive | CloudLibrary

Other Resources

Our Literature lessons in class rely heavily on discussions of the characters, events, themes, and virtues that appear in our books. We encourage you to read and discuss A Wrinkle in Time with your child to help support their learning and enjoyment! To that end, linked below is a Scholastic Reading Guide for A Wrinkle in Time. It includes discussion questions for each chapter as well as enrichment activities and general notes on the book’s plot, setting, themes, and characters.

A Wrinkle in Time BookFiles Reading Guide

Outside Reading Book Resources

One way to find reading levels of books is to use the website below. It allows you to put in the Lexile or reading score of a book and find books of similar difficulty in various subjects.

The Lexile score for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis is 970L.

This is the website where you can use that number to find books that your children would find interesting in that range: https://fab.lexile.com/

FAQ

FAQ

Q. Where and when should we turn in our child's packet?

A. In a few weeks, we will give directives for an online turn in or physical drop off. We are still working out that plan as a network.

Updates and announcements

Welcome to our first week of remote learning! In an effort to keep some normalcy, I will be posting my blog with similar updates at the same time every week. As promised, there are some cat pictures at the end of today’s post.

Expect a call from either Ms. Vaughn or I sometime this week. We will start calling tomorrow, Tuesday, in order to give families time to get acquainted with the packet.

Starting on Monday, all teachers will be available to answer your questions. You are welcome to reach out to any of the six teachers for help. We ask that if you reach out to your homeroom teacher, please email BOTH the lead and assistant. We will share the email thread and whichever teacher is “on duty”, they will get back to you quickly by replying to everyone in the thread. This will help us as teachers keep our ducks in a row. Ms. Vaughn and I will be available in shifts throughout the day between 7:30 and 4:00.

Please keep in mind that most of the packet can be completed on a separate sheet of paper. Examples of how to do this are on the answer keys in the pack of the packet. The packet contains all of the readings and worksheets, which is why it is lengthy. There are also many online resources for reading the history text (in the blurb below) and some PDF versions of “A Wrinkle in Time” (links in the packet).

Our week in learning

In Literature, students will start reading “Wrinkle in Time”. Students will read through chapters 1 and 2, identify vocabulary words, write summaries, and complete journal entry #1 on Friday.

In Grammar, students will answer questions about articles, persuasive text, and historical texts.

In science, we are beginning our unit on the human body and its major systems. Tuesday’s work will be focused on the major systems and a very brief overview of what each system does. Thursday’s work will be an introduction to the skeletal system and a deep look at the function of the bones.

This week in History, we will continue our unit on the American Civil War and learn how the War began with the battles of Fort Sumter and Bull Run. We will discuss the Union’s strategy, put forth by General Scott, and its attempted execution in the east by General McClellan. We will discuss figures such as General Robert E. Lee and the different goals of the Union and Confederacy that determined many of their actions early in the War. You and your child may access our textbook online at https://www.coreknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CKHG_G5_U11_CW_SR.pdf

In math, students will review dividing fractions in word problems. Students will also review line plots, which were covered in fourth grade. This will serve as a short introduction to our unit on Data Analysis.

Miss Priss helping with a conference call

Cosmo <3

Gustav enjoying some belly rubs

Cosmo cuddling with his tail

Miss Priss and Gustav getting along (and judging me for the picture)

Please RSVP for our volunteer appreciation breakfast!

http://evite.me/PQQPHKMPDu

Updates and announcements

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! We got a head start on pulling weeds from our yard-which will be our exciting ongoing spring break plans.

With the upcoming standardized tests our class will be taking, it is incredibly helpful to know about planned absences in advance. This is especially true if your child will be absent on the day of a test or for multiple days surrounding a test.

We have our Secret Garden party on Friday!

Our week in learning

Students will learn about the idiom “Well begun is half done.”

The roots test over #51-75 will be on 3/4. 

Students learned about the poem “Jabberwocky” last week. Students may learn the poem and recite it for extra credit before the end of the quarter.

In Literature, students will finish the Secret Garden! There are periodic journal entries which are numbered, but do not happen after every chapter. Students will do journal entry 18 this week. We will begin the fourth quarter with “A Wrinkle in Time”.

In Grammar, students have a writing workshop all day Monday, then we will evaluate their essays as a class using an AZMerit style rubric on Tuesday. Students will be led through guided lessons on reading comprehension regarding poetry, drama, and finish by analyzing fiction.

We will finish up the quarter with students presenting their George Washington Carver paragraphs to their classmates. This will be a great chance for students to practice their public speaking skills, as well as for students to deepen their knowledge by hearing responses to the prompts they didn’t choose to write on.  They will be given a separate grade for presentation and for their writing.

This week in History, students will finish learning about the precursors to the American Civil War. Topics include the political differences that began separating the United States into North and South and the life of Abraham Lincoln before he was President. Students have a quiz on Friday covering the material for chapters 1-8. This quiz will cover items related to the American Civil War before the War began. You and your child may access our textbook online at https://www.coreknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CKHG_G5_U11_CW_SR.pdf

In math, students will finish our unit on percentages. We will catch up on our AZMerit packets as needed through the end of the week.

When a “test b” (multiplication test) is assigned for homework, it contains questions very similar to a quiz the following day. We take a lot of low-stakes math quizzes in fifth grade. All math workbook assignments are half of every type of problem. Please keep in mind that students may do test corrections on any math quiz for partial credit (fill in the blank sheets, not multiple choice homework sheets).

Updates and announcements

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We are really looking forward to our field trip to the Renaissance Fair tomorrow!

Our week in learning

Students will learn about the idiom “A watched pot never boils.”

Students turn in their roots study guide on 2/26 and the roots test will be on 3/4. 

Students learned about the poem “Battle Hymn of the Republic” on 2/12 and will recite it on 2/26.

In Literature, students will read through chapter 25. There are periodic journal entries which are numbered, but do not happen after every chapter. Students will do journal entry 17 this week. Please send in the book as soon as possible. 

In Grammar, students workshop their exercise essays on Monday, then we will evaluate their essays as a class using an AZMerit style rubric on Thursday. Starting on Friday, students will be led through guided lessons on reading comprehension during grammar and writing.

During this exciting week, students will continue working on their George Washington Carver writing project. On Monday, students will be given an outline and will use the information from the articles they read last week to create an outline of their paragraph. On Thursday and Friday, they will work in class to create a final draft in their best Spalding handwriting. Anything not finished in class will be finished for homework.

This week in History, students will begin studying the Civil War, including the causes that led up to war. We will begin this large unit with conversations of the state of slavery in the U.S. before the Civil War, growing abolitionist sentiment, and the Missouri Compromise. We will also discuss other differences between the North and South, such as their economic situations. Since this unit will take us well into the 4^th quarter, we will have a large quiz at the end of the third quarter discussing the causes of the Civil War. You and your child may access our textbook online at https://www.coreknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CKHG_G5_U11_CW_SR.pdf

In math, students will continue our unit on percentages. Students will complete word problems which use percent. There will be no math groups this week.

When a “test b” (multiplication test) is assigned for homework, it contains questions very similar to a quiz the following day. We take a lot of low-stakes math quizzes in fifth grade. All math workbook assignments are half of every type of problem. Please keep in mind that students may do test corrections on any math quiz for partial credit (fill in the blank sheets, not multiple choice homework sheets).

Updates and announcements

I hope everyone had a restful 3-day weekend! Unfortunately, I was out with a sinus infection that I let go a little too long. I am grateful for antibiotics and happy to be on the mend!

Our field trip to the Renaissance Faire is one week from today, February 25^th! I will send out a more detailed email this week.

You may see that there is a cap and gown picture day. This is only for Kindergarten and NOT for fifth grade. We do not take cap and gown pictures.

Our week in learning

Students will learn about the idiom “Vice Versa.”

Students will learn about the roots gradus, plus, akros, and kata. Students will be quizzed over these next week. Students should expect a similar quiz every week. 

Students learned about the poem “Battle Hymn of the Republic” on 2/12 and will recite it on 2/27.

In Literature, students will read through chapter 24. There are periodic journal entries which are numbered, but do not happen after every chapter. Students will do journal entry 15 this week. Please send in the book as soon as possible. 

In Grammar, students finish their essays on music and conference with teachers on their work. We will do the same activity again starting Thursday with a different article and students will get the opposite style prompt than last week.

This week in Science, we will start a writing project focusing on George Washington Carver. Students will dive into his life and scientific achievements, with the goal of producing a well crafted paragraph that is either persuasive or informative based on which prompt they pick. Students will have time in class to read the primary and secondary sources, and will begin writing in class next week.

This week in History, we will finish our unit on Westward Expansion Before the Civil War. Tuesday will be the last day of formal instruction, when students will discuss the Mormon Trail and the California Gold Rush. On Wednesday, students will discuss readings (read in class) on President Andrew Jackson’s message on Indian Removal in 1830. Study guides are due on Thursday, when we will review the unit, and our test will be administered on Friday. Students may access our textbook online here: https://www.coreknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CKHG_G5_U10_WestwardExpBefore_SR.pdf

In math, students will start our unit on percentages. We will work on a foldable with helps students convert between fractions, decimals, and percent. There will be no math groups this week.

When a “test b” (multiplication test) is assigned for homework, it contains questions very similar to a quiz the following day. We take a lot of low-stakes math quizzes in fifth grade. All math workbook assignments are half of every type of problem. Please keep in mind that students may do test corrections on any math quiz for partial credit (fill in the blank sheets, not multiple choice homework sheets).