A New Student Created Rubric and Upcoming Assessment

Last week students developed their own rubric for scoring a vocabulary "foldable". This week students have developed another rubric, this one is for scoring a new assignment, "Make a Map of the World."

You can access the rubric by clicking on this link, Make a Map of the World. You may print out the pdf file from the Scribd site if you lose the rubric we handed out in class. Remember that for this assignment you chose to add an optional extra credit activity! Good for you!! I'm eager to see what you chose to do for extra credit. Our classroom will look very productive when we put your work on display.

Don't forget to keep studying for the assessment by using the online tools we've discussed in class and which are accessible from this blog. For students without internet access, remember that you can take home your book and journal and practice with an adult. You can also use your vocabulary foldable as a study aid.

You are all working really hard and are engaged in your own learning! Keep up the great effort!!!

Social Studies Online Practice

We are nearing completion of our first unit in social studies. We have been studying Chapter 1 in our textbook, Geography of the United States. First we spent some time learning how to read expository text and how to use chapter headings, subheadings, the glossary, index, etc. Students have created a series of annotated maps in their "interactive" student journals and have practiced several geography skills such as determining location with lines of latitude and longitude and identifying physical features of the United States.

As we prepare for our unit test, I want to introduce you to some wonderful free websites students can access to help them review the unit and study for the test.

First, I would like to introduce you to Social Studies Alive! America's Past Internet Tutorial. This is a wonderful website that allows students to virtually take the test for each unit, corrects misunderstandings as they go through the tutorial, and finally allows students to print out their results upon completion. Students have found these activities to be educational and entertaining, often reviewing the information over and over "just for fun"! How great is that? Simply go to the website, enter a name (which is not saved but simply used when printing out results), and press submit. Then students select the chapter they wish to study and enjoy! I generally ask students to print out their results and bring them to school as an indication that they have practiced for the test. If you do not have a printer, students can simply write a sentence telling me what their score is, ask an adult to sign it, and return it to school.

The second useful website is Quizlet. I have prepared vocabulary definitions for all words

students need to understand to master the first social studies unit. Going to Quizlet via this link takes you directly to the words, flashcards, and activities for the geography unit. From this site students can study the words in several ways. They can either read or listen to the definitions of each vocabulary term, they can print out flashcards, they can work on activities such as Scatter and Space Race to practice their words and they can test themselves on the words.

Geography Vocabulary Foldable Assignment and Rubric

What are "foldables"? "Foldables" are interactive graphic organizers. I have been using them with my students for years because they are colorful, help students manipulate new information, and provide a very useful tool for learning. They can be used in many different ways and students always enjoy making and using these learning tools. One website that explains "foldables" in more detail is Dinah Zike's site, Dina-Might Adventures. Students will be making foldables in math and social studies throughout their fifth grade year.

Today students were given a vocabulary foldable assignment to work on over the next few days. Earlier this week they worked to develop a rubric for scoring their work when it is completed, and today we prepared the paper and went over the expectations for completing the assignment. I was VERY proud of the rubric the students developed. You will notice that it is in "kid friendly" language. This should help them better understand the expectation for each category of the rubric. Here is a link to a copy of the scoring rubric, Geography Foldable Rubric.

In case students lose the required vocabulary, the words are: geography, globe, latitude, longitude, geographic terms, physical features.

Multiplication Process

Some of you asked me to post a video of the multiplication process. I know that sometimes, over the summer, you can forget the process of multiplying by several digits. Sometimes, too, students have misunderstood the process, or simply "mis-remember" it. So, for your assistance while doing homework, here it is! I hope that you find it helpful.

BTW: I used the calligraphy pen!

Spelling City

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite websites, Spelling City! Why do I love this site so much? Here are just some of the things I like about this web 2.0 app.

First, I have entered every spelling list that we study this year. If you click on the link above, or the link on the sidebar of this blog, you will be taken to my "home page" on Spelling City. Here are each of the spelling lists we use in the fifth grade. You will need to scroll down toward the bottom half of the list as I have also included a modified list used by some of my students. All students this year are using the regular list. Just look for the lesson of the week we are using. For example, this week you will look for "Lesson 2".

Once you have selected the appropriate list you have tons of options. You can print out the list, you can print out handwriting models (cursive practice!), or you can choose to have it teach you the spelling word by word. You can take a vocab test and learn the tricky words, and you can print out flash cards or view flash cards online.

As if this weren't enough we have a "Play a Game" option which provides activities that will be an engaging way to practice your words each week. Students really enjoy Hang Mouse, Unscramble, Word-O-Rama, and Letter Fall among others!

In class students are each given a username and password to use when signing on to this site. Students can use the site without signing in, but more options are available if they do sign in. Not only that, but I am able to see what activities students are using and their success rate. I can follow how much (or how little) time students have spent using this wonderful resource to help improve their spelling.

Please visit this site and let me know what you like best!

First Week of School!

Wow! What a wonderful and exhausting first

"week" of school! Most students were able to get to school for the first day, even some students who live in places rendered inaccessible by all of the flooding and devastation. We collected emergency supplies, food, and water and these items were collected by the Chittenden Fire Department to be delivered to those who live on the other side of all the road breaks on the mountain.

On Thursday evening the NPR national news program, All Things Considered, broadcast an uplifting story about some of our students, the "hikers" who have been hiking out to get to school each day. If you missed the story it is archived here, Amid Flooding, Vermont Kids Hike to School. As my daughter said, "Real Vermonters hike to school!".

Last week we were only in session for three days, but we put our time to good use. We learned a bit more about each other. We learned many new routines and procedures that will help make our class run smoothly. We began setting up our notebooks, planners, and journals. We all took turns using the SmartBoard. We made windsocks that will decorate our room but also helped us learn a few new things about our classmates. We spent some time reviewing place value and its importance in our number system. Our "Magic Digit" activity was fun, and we also learned how a decahedron got its name. We began discussing maps, globes, and geography. We spent a bit of time looking at Google Earth and Google Maps.

We're looking forward to a new week when the rest of our friends will be able to join us and we will finally feel like a complete class.

New School Year!!!

First I must apologize if you visited the blog a few days ago and this post wasn't up yet. There was a glitch with signing in to work on it and today was the first day I have been able to work that out. Things should work smoothly from now on, however, so I hope that you come back often. I try to post information about what we are doing in class or post helpful links associated with our various studies.

I have chosen this image so that you can see one way I like to spend summer vacation. This is the water garden where the goldfish live during the summer. I like to go out and sit on the big rock that you see at the right side of the picture. I find it soothing to watch the fish and listen to the water as it trickles over the little waterfall. Mr. Dub and I feed the fish each afternoon around four o'clock and the fish become frantic when they see us coming. They quickly learned to associate our presence with dinner!

Summer vacation is gently drawing to a close, however, and we are nearly ready to begin a new school year. It's very exciting to welcome all of our new fifth grade students. Some of you are "old" friends and I've been eagerly watching you progress through the grades. Some of you are new to Barstow School and I am eager to get to know you too.

I hope that by now you've received your letter with some information about what to expect during the new school year. Don't forget to write me a letter introducing yourself! I always look forward to receiving your letters and getting to know you a bit better before school starts.