Week 2 Day 3

Kudos to Alex today for his application of an idea he had heard in our class read-a-loud. Great  writers often adapt ideas from their experiences or other stories and tweak them to make them their own. Well done!

Social Studies: (optional) - by Fri
Win +1 point if you can share with a parent anything you learned about reading non-fiction  and becoming a detextive. You must  use specific reference to at least 6  pieces of terminology we discussed in class. You should use the word ambigious in your talk. Parents sign H/W record book if  you think your child earned the + point.

Math

Study Links 1.4 and 1.5 (Due: Thur)

Use these links below to practice your divisibility rules. (You will need to scroll to the bottom of the page)

http://www.aaamath.com/div66_x3.htm

http://www.aaamath.com/div66_x4.htm

You can practice others by navigating further links on this site.

ONLY for those interested in going deeper into the topic... This is how you check to see if a number is divisible by 7
http://www.aaamath.com/fra72_x8.htm

http://www.vectorkids.com/vkdivisible.htm
RLA

Make a list of five places that are special to you that you would like to write about. Give two specific reasons  why each one is special.

Current Events

Spend 20 mins ONLY on your current Events presentation. DO NOT go overboard with this activity. This is just a practice. Be realistic with your expectations.  Remember, you will be assessed on how well you were able to function as a team. Also, team members will evaluate each other.

POPPLET H/W is postponed until next week. (This was written on your  Week at a Glance sheet) We will not get to that activity before next  week.

Week 2 Day 2

RLA
Write a brief paragraph in your Writers’ Notebook that describes your bedroom. (approx. 100 words)(Due: Wed) - you will need this for Wednesdy's class, so don't forget it

Based on what we studied in today's class. - You will always begin your sentence from now on with a variety of different parts of speech, won't you! - Think about this as you do your H/W.

Current Events
Spend 30mins working on your group prezi.


Watch this video to recap your underestanding of factors



Now play this cool game for 10 mins on factors.
http://hoodamath.com/games/factorfeeder.php

Week 2 Day 1 Recap

H/W
Current Events
Spend 30 minutes collecting information for your  Current Events group work activity. Remember, this is just a practice for the real smaller group presentations that will begin in a couple of weeks. Make sure your ideas are 'seeds not melons!' - Refer to guidelines on current events sheet to make sure you are collecting effective research. Use wallwisher to share  ideas if you need to.

Math
We learned how to identify factors and factor pairs for numbers. What is the first thing you need to write down when  you are writing the factors of any number?
Study Link  1.2 &1.3 Finish p.10 student journal

Reading and Writing Workshop
Decode the two sentences  on your  yellow sheet WITHOUT using a dictionary.

Win +1 for any 'wacky' sentences that you put  on the blog. It must be possible to work out the  meaning using our 'Parts of Speech' analysis tool

Recap - This is very important to remember  as you will need to use this all through the year.

How do we know when a word is a verb, noun, adjective, or adverb?

What are the most important characteristics of writing? - Promise me you will not forget these AGAIN!

Technology

Experiment with prezi.com if you get a chance. You all saw the power of this new software. The more you use it, the better you will get at it

This Week

It would be nice if those people who were not able to  finish their collages today were able to do so over the w/end. We will need these collages for our first writing assignment on Monday.  See  below for an example:

http://www.photovisi.com/




Quick recap on Rectangular Arrays  for those people who are interested.
Remember  the number x 1 is also an array e.g. 18x1




Current Events Presentations
Feel free to experiment with brainstorming on your teams 'wall' using the the links below: You may put your ideas, upload images, or even short videos that you make. Participation on the Wall over the w/end is purely optional. Click on your link below for your team. All team members can make contributions to the same screen from your own home! Your task next week as a team wil lbe to give a brief overview of  some of the major current events happening around the world. (More details will be given Monday)

Table 1 http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/pd39bey8NP
Table 2 http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/rBmVYxttJj
Table 3 http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/zlNTGeATzh
Table 4 http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/yylLc79SZd
Table 5 (mixed team)  http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/EP9K2WL9LW

Remember : Sometimes technologu doesn't work the way it should. Let me know via the blog if there are any problems.

The Student of the Week is....EMMA

Enjoy watching the video of our first class song.

Reviewing the Day

Science

Congratulations on  your performance in Science. Mrs. Clayton was so impressed by your class contributions and ideas. Keep it up!

Math

Key Concept - Remember, that your Math Reference Book and Student Journal (when used correctly and interchangeably) are smarter than your teacher!

Reading
Congratulations Emma on your use of  H.O.T.S. (Higher Order Thinking Skills) when talking about your reading in class today! Remember, anybody can talk about what they are reading, is is your ability to talk intellectually about your reading that will make you stand out!

Writing
We will continue the writing prompt in class tomorrow.

H/W

• Final Draft of  'Where I'm From' in tomorrow. Sammy Snakes are awarded for pieces of work that are unique.
• Bring in the USB full of photos.  Approx. 10-20 (Do not worry if you cannot do this by tomorrow)
• Math Study Link 1.1 (the package i gave  that you put inthe red folder. Do not work ahead!)

Reading Strategies

If you are reading this, you  have already accomplished  the first task - Check the blog every evening.
Don't forget your draft for your poem for class tomorrow.  Look at the sample in yesterday's post. Number of lines are a guideline. You should do at least 16, but you may do more. Avoid doing more than 30 lines. Do not worry about this poem. It is only a draft. If you are not 100% sure what you need to do, just do what  you think you need to do, and I'll help you tomorrow.

Tonight's H/W

Place your 'comfort zone' in a place near your desk. Add   comments, photos, ticket stubs etc. to it every time you step out of your comfort zone during the 1st Qtr. You will need to return this to school at the end of the Qtr.

Based on our discussions of 'just right books' - go to your family book collection (This could be  any magazines, newspapers etc. and select two books for ANY two people in your home.) In your Readers' Response notebook you should write 2 brief paragraphs  (approx 50-100 words) explaining why you chose the books  for each person. In both paragraphs, you should make specific reference to some of the strategies for choosing 'just right books' that we discussed in class today. (Paragraphs Due: Thur)

Watch the videos below for more links on choosing 'Just Right Books"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yiPYpHz8OA&feature=related

This one is a little infantile, but it reiterates the IPICK strategy at the beginning

http://youtu.be/noWW8yqewKA

Enjoy this one for fun!

http://youtu.be/1EuU_EuwE3U

Thinking Ahead...
You should start bringing a USB to school by next week.  You will need to use one by next Friday at the latest.

Open House

Welcome to 5th Grade:

Needed: Engaged, enthusiastic students to fill this classroom!

It was such a pleasure to meet so many of my new class this morning at Open House. The classroom is just an empty room without its students. Based on our first meeting, I'm even more excited about the year ahead!


Many of you may be reading this blog for the first time. If your parents were able to set you up over the weekend to make comments, feel free to write a brief comment introducing yourself. (Purely optional). Click on the comment button at the bottom of this post to introduce yourself to the class.


Remember P.E. uniforms for Monday.

See your classmates below:

Mr Buxton's Blog

Mr. Buxton's Class 2011/12. Watch this video. You should be able to hear me give you a brief introduction to the blog.

Welcome to 5th Grade

Instructions - How to set up comments for your child

Parents should print out this document using the icon on the right hand side of the window

What's it like to be in Mr Buxton's class..?

...hear some comments from my last amazing group of 5th graders from Charlotte, North Carolina. Many of them are hoping to become pen pals with the 5th Grade class of 2011/12.

Singapore - Sights and Sounds

Enjoy a brief glimpse of our first few weeks in Singapore.

http://animoto.com/play/j4CIU660PGRQSDKv9CRIdQ

Copy/paste to view

Final Farewell

The Buxton family head off to Singapore tomorrow. It truly was a blast teaching you guys this year. I will treasure the time  we spent together. 

 In 6th grade and beyond:

• Be Appropriate.
• Be Proud.
• Be Passionate.

Farewells - Lauren's Video

Enjoy Lauren's superb end of year video again. Thank  you so much for doing this Lauren...

Some great quotes from you all...

" Don't count the days, make the days count.."

Don't count your life by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breathe away"

Last Full Day

Few reminders for tomorrow:

Bring Year books for signing
No lunch needed (we will eat in the classroom)
Soar Day

Thursday - You must come to school in your graduation outfits.

Saying Goodbye...
I thought I'd share this beautiful message that I received from Mimi yesterday. I was so impressed by her use of quality quotes and her ability to reflect deeply on our journey and think of the bigger picture...

Hello Mr.Buxton! I have been thinking and have come to a conclusion that when I find a great technology thing I share it with u first. i was wondering if when u were at signapor, u could email me so if I come across and interesting website i could share it with u! Hope u count your life by not how many breaths u take but by how many movements that take your breath away. That is one of my favorite quotes. You always did have that special something. You acted as if nothing was impossible. You made others near you happy and high spirited. I always admired your passion for teaching.
I may not get there with you but I want you to know the day we get to the promised land.
-martin luther king jr.

He reminds me of  you, a strong passionate man. This is my favorite quote. Hope you inspire many more kids like me in Asia. If you do come back in 5 years my brother might have you. At first I was sad but I realized it is like u were prepareing us for this. U taught us how to be independent people. I stopped to think and i think of this as a test almost. Moving on is the hardest test we could take. It is like leaving someone but it is even harder knowing they r leaving too and it isn't just I feeling. We don't need to worry because we know that will get us no were. I hope u have a great time in Asia, and hope u can email me.


--
---This is Mimi signing off :)


P.S. i have to say you are the best teacher I have ever had! Thank you so much for such amazing experience this year.

Singapore

You were all very sweet the other today when I informed you that we were headed to Singapore. It was very touching! Watch this video to see a glimspe of the country.

Brown -v- Board of Education Field trip

If you feel that the website might contain a virus, then you do not need to access it.

Watch this as an alternative
http://www.schooltube.com/video/70ed5ce09fdf6e418b4a/AP11-Brown-vs-Board-of-Education

Now what about Plessy-v-Ferguson

Live Chat Console

LAST H/W sheet of the Year!

Civil Rights - Documentary Research

Aviary Passwords

log on : mrbuxton
password : sophiag1





Use these resources  for your research on your Civil Rights Movement Documentary

• http://www.factmonster.com/p/brainpop/civilrights.html
• http://www.qwiki.com/q/#!/Civil_rights_movement
• http://www.learner.org/courses/democracyinamerica/dia_5/dia_5_ct.html
• http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/05/brown_v_board_of_education_feature.html
• Social studies Textbook 
• Any other primary resources

You will mention in your documentary:

• Plessey -v- Ferguson 1896
• Brown -v- Board of Education
• At least 3 events of the Civil Rights Movement (Do not focus on MLK Jr or Rosa Parks) - Learn about new events!
• Two events in from contemporary times that address the second half of the question

Gettysburg Address

Watch this powerful version of the Gettysburg Address again


Gettysburg Address from Adam Gault on Vimeo.


Writing - Memories Paper

What will you do tonight to make sure your piece is the most powerful you have written so far this year? Make sure you are focusing on learning. Make sure you have strong verb, adjective, sentence fluency, and colorful descriptive ideas where possible.

Make me laugh...

Make me cry...
Make me smile ...
Make me sigh...
Show me what deeply moved you...
Show me how you truly grew...


How will you create a special theme? - AMAZE ME!!!.. please?


e.g. Survival Guide for Charlotte latin Lower School...
e.g. How to Impress your next teacher...

How will you make your paper 'unique'?

Treasures in a Box by Pamela Harazim

Come, look with me inside this drawer,
In this box I've often seen,
At the pictures, black and white,
Faces proud, still, serene.


I wish I knew the people;
These strangers in the box,
Their names and all their memories
Are lost among my socks.

I wonder what their lives were like.
How did they spend their days?
What about their special times?
I'll never know their ways.


If only someone had taken time
To tell who, what, where, when,
These faces of my heritage
Would come to life again.


Could this become the fate
Of the pictures we take today?
The faces and the memories
Someday to be tossed away?


Make time to save your pictures,
Seize the opportunity when it knocks,
Or someday you and yours could be
The strangers in the box.

What will your memories 'sound' like?

End of Year Grammar Review Test Practice

Use these links to practice for the Grammar Test


Subjects and Predicates
http://www.quia.com/rr/36764.html
http://www.quia.com/rr/36765.html

Fragments and run-ons

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/fragments_quiz.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/run-ons_add2.htm 

Just select the subtopics from this link that we have studied
e.g. Commas, Prepositions etc...
http://college.cengage.com/devenglish/resources/writing_ace/students/

Nouns
http://a4esl.org/q/j/ck/mc-plurals.html
http://www.azargrammar.com/assets/beginning/BEGVocabularyWorksheets/BEGVocab6/BEGvoc6-5.pdf
http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=WCN1601

To Be
http://a4esl.org/q/j/jb/mc-be.html

General
http://a4esl.org/q/j/jm/ci-e01.html
http://anthonyhalderman.com/english/gramqz.htm  

Commas
http://www.towson.edu/ows/exercisecomma4.htm
http://www.towson.edu/ows/exercisecommaINTRO3.htm
http://www.towson.edu/ows/exercisecs-fs5.htm

Adjectives - comapratives and superlatives
http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/comparisons.php
http://anthonyhalderman.com/english/compsup.htm

Check this website to reread some topics that we covered.

http://www.towson.edu/ows/index.htm

Changes to H/W sheet

Daily Editing - Booklets due in this Friday

Chains - Finish reading the whole book - By Next Monday.

Week 10 Homework

Updates

• We will work on the 4th Civil War journal entry in class tomorrow. It does NOT need to be finished before tomorrow!
• Memories paper will be due Next Wednesday
• Don't forget that Lesson 8 vocabulary Test is tomorrow
• Make sure you tackle the inference practice exercises on the blog. (You will need to scroll down to find Monday's post)

H/W Changes

Popplet is now up and working - please complete your assignment using this software. If you have already used a different type of software, then you don't have to redo it. IF YOU STILL EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH POPPLET, then just do the inferences on a sheet of paper
(alternatively, you may use gliffy.com to create your mindmap - thanks Mimi)

PLEASE PRINT YOUR FINISHED WORK AD BRING IT TO CLASS

New
Remember to cut out a title from an age appropriate newspaper article. Try to make the title as big as possible.

H/W change

POPPLET WEBSITE IS DOWN - Popplet H/W cancelled for tonight.
Reading:         Use popplet.com to  create a mind map. In the center of the mind  map, insert a picture. Write 5 inferences about the picture in textboxes.  (Due: Wed)

S. Studies:      You need  3 entries in your Civil War diary by Wed. (Due: Wed)

Memories - Sharing Ideas

Enjoy a look at Lucy's 3rd B'Day party...

Homework - Week 9

Change to H/W sheet

The work on your Civil War journal is postponed.

Tonight begin your brainstorm for your end of year paper.

Don't  forget to do the last studying for the Adjectives Test.

Amazing Grace

Adjectives -Test Review

Click Voki for important update to H/W sheet!

Use these links below to practice for your adjectives test

General
http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/interactives/literacy/wordclasses/adjectives.asp

Adjectives - comapratives and superlatives

http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/comparisons.php
http://www.quia.com/quiz/1498694.html?AP_rand=459928495
http://anthonyhalderman.com/english/compsup.htm
http://www.quia.com/rr/577197.html

Order of Adjectives
 http://www.learn4good.com/languages/evrd_grammar/adjective_order.htm

Coordinate and Culminative Adjectivers
http://www.grammarlogues.com/home/quiz.php?do=display_quiz&id=4

Categories are a little different, but this recaps ourr work on QOSAS.com

Adjectives -Wall

Click - Add sticky - to communicate back and forth with your partner for tonight's H/W

Don't forget to log in to http://www.bighugelabs.com/  before starting your poster.
rbuxton@charlottelatin.org
sophiag1

Homework - Week 8

Adjectives Poster

Homework pages from Inference package are:
7A & 7B
Read page 8. Answer questions on 8B

Feel free to work on your LOST/Wanted posters if you choose. Use the link below:
http://www.bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php

You can use http://www.seenly.com/ to capture any images that you decide to draw

Bill of Rights Game

Addition to H/W sheet - (due :Thur)
Use these links below to practice what we discussed in class today.
For the Bill of Rights game - select 'secondary' level
http://www.texaslre.org/BOR/billofrights.html

Comparatives practice
http://www.go4english.com/qg/read.php?lang=en&unitid=694
http://english-zone.com/grammar/compare1.html

no need to  print out anything. Honor code that you did the exercises. Besides, they are great practice for the test next week on adjectives.

A New Nation

Use this link to look at the different powers of the three branches of government. Win a TQ if you place all the leaves correctly.

http://www.texaslre.org/branches_game/branches_game.html

This is a more advanced form of corkboard.me. Use it to ask questions about today's classes just by clicking anywhere.

Qwiki

Introducing a brand new search engine for your research
www.qwiki.com

This takes 'search' to a whole new level!

Answer Garden - Question

What have you enjoyed the most about 5th grade?... at AnswerGarden.ch.

The most popular answers will be the biggest! (More cloud computing!)It takes a 3-5mins for your answer to show.

Tag Cloud

Follow the link below and copy your finished piece of writing into the box. See your word frequency usage. The biggest words are the ones used the most. What should NOT be big in your cloud?

http://tagcrowd.com/

Verbs Test & American Revolution Paper

Don't forget to use this link to help you find lots of perefect 'showing not telling' phrases for your magazine article
http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/2008/01/introducing-thesaurus-thursdays.html

Background reading  and further information on the American Revolution
http://www.harlingen.isd.tenet.edu/coakhist/amrev.html
(thanks to Adit for finding this link)

More questions and practice on Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
http://www.grammaruntied.com/verbs/Verbquiz1/Iquizv.html
http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/grammar/verbs/quiz231.html
http://www.llas.ac.uk/materialsbank/mb061/5.1/9.htm

Make notes on any questions that were wrong and ask me tomorrow if you don't know why.

Homework Week 7

Watch this video to learn about how to use Letterpop
http://www.letterpop.com/how_it_works.php
TQ  to Mimi for making a start on hers...
http://www.letterpop.com/builder.php?newsletter_id=188999

Feel free to access the site and begin selecting and designing your template
log on: rbuxton@charlottlelatin.org
password: sophiag1

Make sure you save your template under your first/last name. You will not have likely begin typing yet, but you may want to find and upload pictures. I will talk you through how to use this on Monday, so it is only for students who want to get a head start on their homework for next week.

Don't forget to practice the verb exercises for Tuesday's test.

Look at the post lower down to view the Magazine cover page software. Your final cover page will be decided as a team, so don't work  on it yet. You may want to just experiment wit hthe software.

H/W sheet is below. (For next two weeks). Don't forget to print.

Revolutionary War

Optional:

Begin investigating these sites below. You will use them next week to create your Magazine front page and article for the your writing activity.
http://bighugelabs.com/magazine.php
You will use this site to create the cover page for your magazine
http://letterpop.com/
use this site to create your article

Patrick Henry

Ddon't forget to use this site with to help with your Patrick Henry vocabulary
http://words.bighugelabs.com/

Homework Week 6

Typo - On Wednesday of the H/W sheet it says, Fakebook page due next Tuesday (that was from last week). Fakebook pages will be due THIS Tuesday.

Ubuntu Project Reflections

The two pieces of work below truly reflected on the KIPP experience. Can you tell why these were added to the blog? Win a TQ for adding your comments to the voicethread if you are able.

Charlotte Doyle - Test Practice 16-22

Print out this sheet to help you practice for Friday's test.

Remember study smart
e.g. Attach a color to the vocabulary and discuss with a family member
e.g. Attach a number (integer) or fraction or symbol to a vocabulary word and discuss with a family member

Fakebook - Examples

Voki updated: Tue - 5:45pm

Look in the yellow box below to see how this clever educational tool is used in schools to harness the power of social media in an educational setting.

http://www.classtools.net/fb/15/X238eB
The above is a link to today's example shared in class.





Use this link to practice creating your 'educational fakebook' page. Come to school tomorrow with ideas of how you will create your fakebook page for your 'Verbs Project'

http://www.classtools.net/fb/home/page

REMEMBER: Make sure you are very cautious when saving your work. Write down your password in multiple places and save the URL in multiple places. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RETRIVE YOUR PAGE IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS INFORMATION!

Homework - Week 5

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Changes to H/W sheet -

• Work on p.37.p.38. Verb Infinitives, p.48. and the last page with date at the bottom 3/3/2010 titled Transitives and Intransitives. (Due: Fri)
• KIPP reflection Writing Assignment is now due: Monday (This extension is given for you to have more time to perfect your piece. This still means to work on it a little tonight. It unfortuntaley means some work our the weekend for some of you!)
• Spelling test is tomorrow!

BELOW is further review of Transitive and Intransitive Verbs - Make sure you review this material to help you with your worksheet H/W

This is our last topic on verbs: Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Why bother learning this topic?

 

Knowing the difference?

If you can answer the 'what' of the sentence - it is transitive

If you can answer the 'where, why, when' of the sentence - it is intransitive

 

Transitive verbs must be followed by a noun or pronoun

 

For further help on transistive and intransitive verbs ...go to play games here...

http://www.quia.com/quiz/653869.html?AP_rand=36685089

http://www.dowlingcentral.com/MrsD/quizzes/grammar/DeltaExer/transandtransverbs.htm

http://www.kwiznet.com/p/takeQuiz.php?ChapterID=2320&CurriculumID=16