Surprise!

Thank you for your wonderful messages for 'Teacher Appreciation' Day. It seems that all of you really have learned a great deal this year after all. I think I am going to really miss you all...well the truth is...I'm not going to miss you at all, not for one single second...AND ...none of you will  be welcome back in this 5th grade classroom next year to visit me!!! Do you want to know why?  Well remember that little 'surprise' I've been promising  you all year long??? Well the surprise is.....I'm not going to be in 5th grade next year...I am coming WITH you!!! - Yes I am moving to Middle School with you. I will be teaching 7th grade next year. So... you will get a break from me for one year... but after that... you have a VERY LARGE possibility that I will be teaching you AGAIN... Told you that you had to work hard because Middle School would be tough. Now you know why !!! The adventure is just beginning :-)

No H/W tonight - Enjoy your literacy lock-in

What is the message that connects across all the events portrayed in  the videos?

Battle of the Books: Literature Lock-in: Click here for information on what to bring and the evening schedule. Remember the color shirt that our class needs to wear  (BLUE) + $5 for food


Verbs Test is TOMORROW... Make sure you have looked at most of the review exercises. Do you know the verb - To be in the past, present, and future?

Supporting Sentences

Plan ahead - Week at a Glance


Starting on next Thursday, you will write your INDEPENDENT literacy essay about your historical fiction novel. Be thinking of possible thesis statements form your own H.F. book!

Advance warning: On Friday May 10th, we will be participating in a Service Learning activity. Our role will be to do some 'arts and crafts' with senior citizens from the Christalite Methodist Home. Most of these people are over 60 and even 70 or 80 years old.  You will decide on  craft

Student of the Week: Ryan

The Friday Message: Why was this song the 'voice of the people'?

Social Studies

Friday's class

Bring any photos or notes that you have taken for your S.S. project. You will be given a block of class time to work on your project.

'Verbs' test is postponed until next Tuesday!

Freedom Summer Reading Responses

'How to' Literacy Essay Resources

Eleven by Sandra Cisneros

Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting  and Marble Champ by G. Soto

Your Name in Gold and Eleven (another copy)

H/W - make sure you have captured screen shots for at least 6-8 of your 'steps' for the How to Essay.

Set up an 'educreations.com account and make a brief experiment video. Mojos for anybody who posts the video link to the blog.

How to...Essay

Study link 11.4

Math Game Volume Practice

Watch this video and then do the exercise


Transitive and Intransitive Verb Practice

6th Grade Digital Citizen Agreements MUST be turned in by Friday. Use this link to print out the forms from SAS is you need to do so.

Continue working on your planning of your Literacy Essay: How to Video.  Watch this video again to recap. Remember: the key elements of an 'how to...video'



Write the x5 first steps of how to write a Literacy Essay in your google doc.

Digital links to stories for image capture: Use this link to capture your screen shots for your 'how to' essay

Social Studies Singapore Project will now be MAY 7th. You will be given a class on Friday and a class next Tuesday to work on this project. You will also have Monday's Tech class to work on your tech. component. Make sure you bring any resources, images, other materials to use  in these sessions.

Make sure you turn your work in to turnitin.com before 8pm tonight
Class ID: 6382623 Pass: mrbuxton
You will need to copy your final draft into word then upload it.

Watch this video tutorial for submitting your work:




Begin the online verbs practice for Friday's verb test. Click highlighted link.

Check to see if you have your work below. I am missing some files



Study link 10.3

Literacy Essay

Literacy essay. Create a 'working final draft' - This means that the paper does not have to be perfect, but you should have completed writing your intro, conclusions, and supporting paragraphs with evidence and interpretations. We will use tomorrow's class to edit before publishing. I have not seen enough evidence of synergistic working as teams.  - Improve this tonight!

Study link 11.2

Will you be prepared for your book club session? - You will also have morning work time to finish this!

Follow the 5 steps to writing your conclusion

Aren't you pleased I'm back!

Did you miss me?

Week at a Glance

Take a screen shot of your latest social studies post - Email the post to my Picasa account. Win mojo if you get it to me before Monday


Student of the Week: Lydia +23 mojo points

Be 'well' prepared for your book clubs tomorrow

Make sure you have written your two supporting sentences and have a decent intro. What TWO parts should appear in your supporting sentences?

I can see when you last updated your lit. essay file...if it was in class today, it means you did not do your H/W..ouch....

Make sure you have finished your S.S. 2nd station write up

No math

Lit. Essays

Using a shared google doc titled Literacy Essay, copy up your introduction from today's lesson. Remember, the steps on writing a great intro...
See below

Book club work - for Friday

Math unit 11- review concepts. Look at back of study links for topics.
Make sure you check out IXL B31


Use the links below to practice for the dialogue test. Test will now be on Friday

Dialogue - This exercises is good practice. 
Complete this online worksheet to help you practice the punctuation of different dialogue sentences.

Exercise 1 Link
Exercise 2 Link  

Kudos to CASEY  Calininadrini - Unit 10 Math Race Universal Champion.. from the planet.....? :-)

Supporting Sentences

Area of a Circle: Recap


Study link 10.9

Write out support sentences for  these two thesis statements below: - You only have to write  x2 or x3 support sentences. DO NOT WRITE EVIDENCE - Remember - your support sentence will form beginnings of each of your paragraphs.

In Ch.5 of Lois Lowry's historical fiction novel Number the Stars, the author clearly showed that truly courageous people will put others' safety ahead of their own.

The story of the Greensboro sit-ins portrayed in  Freedom on the menu by Carole Weatherford's  teaches the message that when laws are immoral, disobedience is acceptable.

Remember: You are only writing the SUPPORT sentences! - Most essays will have three, you are OK with just two. DO NOT write the essay. You are just writing out your thesis statement with your support. Use the graphic organizer to help!

• Studylink 10.8 

Read the group's writing from today and vote.

Vote below on the piece you liked the most.


Read the rest of the story here: Leave your comment about the story by signing into voice thread. +1 mojo is you can


Going Forward
You should be thinking about your Social Studies Project and have already planned the date that you will go to your site

For Fun

Challenge
Take a screen shot of your historical fiction blog post h/w from last week and send the image in an email to my PICASA ACCOUNT - I sent you an email with this Picasa email address. Win +2 mojo if you do this before Monday. +1 mojo if you do it on Monday. See example

Bud not Buddy - You were first...pity you didn't have a name on your post! +2
Now... i  can see all your work in one place and you guys can see it too!
Mr. Buxton

Good Reads

Week at a Glance

Watch this video to learn how to set up your good reads account



Student of the Week : Owen Scoring +47 Improvement in M.A.P. scores across x3 tests!

Historical Time Periods

Congratulations on such strong 'improvement' scores as a class. Official results will go home within the next few weeks. Based on my unofficial look at your scores, your improvements were impressive and well above national averages.

Historical Fiction. Your H/W is to finish your historical fiction piece related to today's class. Use this link to do further reading about your  historical time periods.

You should have an image with your paragraph (similar to this post). Your work should be posted on your blog.  You can even try and interpret some of the facts about the historical time period using the Evidence - Verb - Interpretation model.

Test Prep.

Use these links to practice

http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/exercises/punctuation1.html

http://www.chompchomp.com/hotpotatoes/commas01.htm

H/W
Write a paragraph uses evidence from your historical fiction book that shows the time period of your novel

Dr. Michael Thompson: Teaching the Keys to Success

Dr. Thompson's speech today should remind you all of the importance being a good friend. 
Remember:

• Great friendships are still the keys to your success
• Those who are popular, it won't always last. What can you do to turn your popularity into leadership?
• Win mojo points if you write a comment on what you took away from today's talk

Reminders: 

• Wear black tomorrow!
• Bring some money to buy some products from the 6th graders for their Water Project

Historical Fiction: Pre-assessment Text: Pink and Say


You will use this site to help plan your research of your historical site.

Online resource link

No H/W tonight due to M.A.P. - Tests will be Tue, Wed, Thur beginning at 8am prompt!


You should still be reading your Historical Fiction book and recording your thinking.

M.A.P. Practice

Click for: Week at a Glance

Next week is a 'low' H/W week due to MAP. You will only have to read your non-fiction book and record your thinking in your booklet. 

MAP - Test Practice
Grammar Practice - Individual Areas of Weakness
Grammar Practice
Vocabulary

The Friday Message - This is a very a special one!


Show this video to your parents. Use it to explain how and why we are using class dojo.



Types of Behaviors we are Focusing on

The Student of the Week:

Book Club Final Presentations


M.A.P. Testing Practice #1
M.A.P. Testing Practice #2

MAP - Math 1
MAP - Math 2

Challenge Exercise

Finish the exercises above for H/W

H/W
Study link 10.3

Background Information: Singapore at Work - GATE students should watch this video

M.A.P. Practice

Analogy Practice

Remember - Always look for the relationship in the given pair - then find the word that completes the relationship in the question pair from the list possible answers

Verbal Analogies Practice Test

Verbal Analogies Practice Test

Congratulations on doing such a great job in the JUMPATHON today.  Bring in your pledge forms tomorrow. You have 2 weeks to collect your pledges.

MAP booklet  next x3 pages of exercises

Be ready to digitally produce your bookclub presentation tomorrow

No Math tonight

Review double balance

'Jumpathon' tomorrow - Wear your PE clothes to school!  - Pizza party goes to the class that collects the most money!

Study Link 10.1

M.A.P. H/W booklet - First 3 pages

Work on your section for your bookclub presentation - Due Thur

Don't forget to set up your HappyRambles.com account