Probability Final Test

On Tuesday, June 16, students will write the final Probability test.  

Students should review the following concepts in preparation:

• probability vocabulary (certain, likely, unlikely, impossible)
• determining the likelihood of events
• using a table/ chart to find all possible outcomes
• analyzing games for fairness
• using tree diagrams to find all possible combinations

Growth and Development Health Unit

Dear Parents,

I sent home a letter today indicating that our Growth and Development Health unit would be commencing shortly.  Please read the letter.  Expectations are based on the 1998 document.

Students will:

• identify strategies to deal positively with stress and pressures that result from relationships with family and friends;
• identify factors (e.g. trust, honesty, caring) that enhance healthy relationships with friends, family, and peers;
• describe the secondary physical changes at puberty;
• describe the processes of menstruation and spermatogenesis;
• describe the increasing importance of personal hygiene following puberty.

Unit 11: Probability

On Friday, May 29th, students will begin a new unit on Probability as part of the Data Management and Probability strand in Mathematics.  In everyday life, probability is often used to estimate the likelihood of risks and predict future events.  

Students will:

• use the language of probability (likely, unlikely, impossible, certain).
• conduct experiments and predict results.
• use fractions to describe probability.
• use tree diagrams to find probabilities.
• use probability to pose and solve problems.

You can assist your child at home by following some of these suggestions:

• listen to weather forecasts and discuss weather outcomes using probability language.
• play board and card games together.  Compare games that depend on chance to games that depend on skill.
• talk to your child about superstitions. Ex:"Does blowing out a birthday candle and making a wish really change the outcome of an event in the future?"

Measurement Final Test

There will be a Measurement test on Tuesday, May 26.  Students will review lessons in class on Friday and on Monday.

Students should review/ study the following concepts:

• estimating and measuring linear dimensions
• relating units of linear measure
• using decimals to record linear measures
• using a measuring tape to find circumference
• estimating and measuring perimeter and area
• developing and using rules (formulas) for calculating perimeter and area of a rectangle
• solving problems related to length, perimeter, and area

A quiz is coming home today (Tuesday) to be signed.  Students should spend time on any tricky areas for the test.

Energy Project

Students have been learning about:

• forms of energy
• transformations
• renewable and non-renewable energy sources
• conservation

To tie these concepts together, students will be designing and creating an energy-efficient device for a clubhouse.  Most students will be partnered and will go through a design process using a graphic organizer.  Students will be encouraged to use recyclable materials found either at home or at school.  While the device may not function exactly as planned, students should be prepared to explain how it would function and be energy-efficient.

The project will begin either at the end of the week or early next week.  Sketches will be completed and analyzed in class.  A list of required materials will be created for collection at home.

Linear, Perimeter and Area - Measurement Quiz

On Friday, May 15, there will be a quiz for Unit 9.  The following concepts will be covered and should be reviewed:

• choosing appropriate unit of measure
• estimating approximate measures
• converting (mm, cm, dm, m, km)
• comparing  non-standard units of measure
• drawing figures on grid paper and finding area and perimeter

Review Lessons 1 - 5

Unit 8: Fractions and Decimals Final Test

There will be a final test for Unit 8 on Friday, April 24th.

Students should review the following concepts:

• converting fractions and mixed numbers into decimals
• converting decimals into fractions or mixed numbers
• comparing and ordering decimals and fractions
• estimating products and quotients for decimals by whole numbers
• multiplying and divide decimals to the hundredths by a whole number
• word problems for any of the above concepts

Science: Understanding Earth and Space Systems

As the First Nations and Early Europeans unit comes to a close, we begin to shift our focus back to science.  The unit revolves around the Understanding Earth and Space Systems strand and is titled "Conservation of Energy and Resources".  Students will be investigating the following big ideas:

• energy sources are either renewable or non-renewable.
• energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but it can be transformed.
• choices about using energy and resources have both immediate and long-term impacts.
• conservation is one way of reducing the impacts of using energy and resources.

Unit activities will range from research to hands-on investigations with the culminating task being to design and create a structure/ device with energy and environmental considerations.

Junior Math Contest

Many students in 5B will be participating in the Junior Math Contest this year!  The date is April 15th and it is held at school in the morning block.  Participants have been reminded that they registered back in the fall.  Unfortunately late registrants are not permitted.

If students wish to look at sample questions in advance, they can click the following link and choose the Grade 5 Fibonacci test:
www.mathematicacentrum.ca

Regular class work will be provided for those students that will not be writing the Math Contest.

Thank you!

Fraction Quiz

Students have spent two weeks working on fractions in our Number Sense and Numeration unit.  We will have a quiz to assess fractions on Tuesday, March 31st.

Students should review the following concepts:

• finding and generating equivalent fractions
• comparing and ordering fractions by using number lines and common denominators
• mixed numbers and improper fractions

Unit 8: Fractions and Decimals

Our new unit on fractions and decimals begins on Monday, March 9.  This unit is part of the Number Sense and Numeration strand of mathematics.

Students will:

• model, compare, and order fractions, improper fractions and mixed numbers
• explore equivalent fractions and decimals
• relate fractions to division and to decimals
• estimate decimal products and quotients
• multiply decimals with tenths and with hundredths
• divide decimals with tenths and with hundredths
• pose and solve problems involving decimals and fractions

You can support your child outside of school by:

• examining grocery store prices and calculating rebate after sale reductions
• reading store flyers
• dividing food into equal pieces to be shared and discussing the fractions
• using estimation skills when shopping

Unit 7: Transformational Geometry Final Test

On Friday, March 6th, 5B students will have their transformational geometry final test.  Students should review the final concepts before the test:

• coordinate systems that describe a location - this can refer to a square or a point on a grid.
• translations (slides), reflections (flips) and rotations (turns) of a given figure as well as following three step instructions to move a figure.
• congruent and symmetrical figures and what makes them such.
• figures that tessellate and figures that do not tessellate and testing them out by tiling.

Measurement Final Assessment

Students should review the following concepts at home this evening.  They should reread their study guides and complete Show What You Know in the textbook.  If they had some difficulty on the quiz, students should practice their trouble spots.

• representing money amounts in bills and coins.
• making changes.
• converting metric systems and comparing and ordering them. (mL, L, t, kg, g, mg)
• measuring volume using centimeter cubes.
• time to the second, elapsed time, dates, SI notation.
• word problems requiring conversion.
• word problems for time and distance.

Unit 7 Transformational Geometry

5B students will be starting a new math unit on Tuesday.  The unit is called Transformational Geometry and it fits into the Geometry and Spatial Sense strand.

Big Ideas:

• coordinate systems can be used to describe the location of a figure.
• translations (slides), reflections (flips), and rotations (turns) are transformations.
• figures have attributes, such as parallel sides, right angles, and line symmetry, that allow us to sort and name them.

These concepts help students to develop spatial awareness.  Spatial visualization skills are important.  Many everyday activities, such as map reading, giving directions, and following assembly instructions, rely on these skills. 

Activities ideas to support this strand at home:

• draw a map of your neighbourhood on a grid and identify the coordinates of 3 different locations.
• play the game Battleship.
• search your home and yard for objects with symmetry.
• fold and cut paper to make paper snowflakes.  Look for symmetry and holes with the same size and shape.

Wonder by RJ Palacio

Have you heard?  We are reading Wonder by RJ Palacio!  

We are very engaged by the story of a 10 year old boy named August.  He was born with numerous facial deformities and he is attending school for the first time ever.  

The story is read aloud to us.  Some of us have our own copies of the book and we follow along.  We stop and discuss all the different themes within the book: kindness, bullying, grief, friendship, concept of normalcy, and perspective.

Sometimes we write about our thoughts and questions in our reading response notebooks.

First Nations and Europeans

Starting on Monday, February 9th, students will be embarking on a journey into the past.  Our new social studies unit is called First Nations and Europeans in New France and Early Canada.
The big ideas are:

• Application: analyse some key short- and long-term consequences of interactions among and between First Nations and European explorers and settlers in New France prior to 1713
• Inquiry: use the social studies inquiry process to investigate aspects of the interactions among and between First Nations and Europeans in Canada prior to 1713 from the perspectives of the various groups involved
• Understanding Context: describe significant features of and interactions between some of the main communities in Canada prior to 1713, with a particular focus on First Nations and New France 

Students will be involved in the inquiry process and a variety of different learning activities.  They will be covering this unit for approximately 7 weeks.

Websites to support learning:

http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/

https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-minutes/jacques-cartier?media_type=41&media_category=31

Science Experiment

As a summative project for our Matter science unit, students will be researching and developing a science experiment.  Most students will be partnered.  They will be responsible for bringing in required materials from home and conducting the experiment and creating a write-up using the scientific method.  We will conduct a mini-science fair in which students can view their peers' experiments.

Experiments should be fairly simple and straightforward.  For safety reasons, we cannot use boiling water or electrical currents, etc.  I have encouraged students to keep the experiments kid-friendly with most materials to be found in a kitchen.  The experiment should demonstrate a change in the property or state of matter.

The research for this experiment can start today.  Students will be paired by the end of the week.  Materials are due at school early next week.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Unit 5 Data Management Test

On Tuesday, January 20 students will write the data management test.  Students are required to review and know:

• how to calculate mean and range
• find mode and median
• how to use intervals on a graph
• which graph to use with certain data
• how to analyze a graph and detect bias
• how to construct a labelled bar and line graph

Unit 6 Measurement

We are starting a new math unit on Wednesday, January 21.  We will be covering several different concepts under the measurement umbrella.

• telling time to the nearest second.
• exploring the relationship between time and distance.
• counting money and making change to $1000.
• estimating, measuring, and comparing masses (mg, g, kg, tonnes), volumes, and capacities.
• relating volume (cubic cm) and capacity (mL and L).

Activities to try at home to support your child:

• have your child estimate, then measure the seconds required to complete different activities.
• when travelling, have your child estimate how long it will take to get to your destination.
• when making a purchase, ask your child to count out the money given and count back the change received.
• talk about the measurements found on various packages.

(MMS Teacher Guide, 2005)

Health Assignment

Students have been asked to search the internet or popular magazines for a food or drink advertisement.  Students should be using a critical eye when choosing the ad and be able to identify how the ad is not telling us the whole truth about the product.  Once chosen, I have requested students to bring the ad to school.  They will be creating a "counter ad" exposing the hidden truths about the product to create awareness around food/ drink choices.

Due: Tuesday, January 13, 2015

What's the Matter?

We will be starting a new science unit on Monday.  Our new unit falls under the category of Understanding Matter and Energy and is titled Properties of and Changes in Matter.  Students will understand the different states of matter and how changes occur.  They will use the scientific method to investigate these changes.  Experiments and hands-on tasks will highlight the following big ideas: 

• There are three states of matter. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
• Matter that changes state is still the same matter. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
• Physical change refers to the fact that a substance can be changed from one form to another. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
• Chemical change implies the formation of a new substance. (Overall expectations 2 and 3)
• The properties of materials determine their use and may have an effect on society and the environment. (Overall expectation 1)

Human Body Oral Presentations - Jan 8/9

After several weeks of hard work before the holiday, we are finally ready to present our 3D models and hand in our science write ups for Human Body Systems.  During science class on Thursday and Friday of this week, students will be sharing their projects orally with their peers.  Some students worked alone and some students collaborated with a partner.  

Here is the rubric for the oral presentation:

Human Body System

Oral Presentation Rubric

Criteria	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Voice	Voice was very quiet, most words were difficult to understand	Voice could’ve been much louder, some words were hard to understand	Voice was usually loud and clear, most words were easily understood	Voice was loud and clear, all words were easily understood
Visual demonstration	Model was rarely referred to during the presentation.	Model was sometimes used as a visual aid during the presentation.	Model was used as a visual aid during the presentation. Students demonstrated how the model works	Model was used effectively as a visual aid during the presentation. Students demonstrated how the model works
Oral Explanation	With teacher support, students explained how their model represents a system and/or how the system connects to other systems, but very little detail was added.	Students explained, with some detail, how their model represents a system in the body how the system connects to other systems	Students explained, in detail, how their model represents a system in the body and how the system connects to other systems.	Students explained  accurately, and in detail, how their model represents a system in the body and how the system connects to other systems
Body Language/ Eye Contact	Students rarely use body language and eye contact to keep the attention of their audience.	Students sometimes use body language and eye contact to keep the attention of their audience.	Students use body language and eye contact to keep the attention of their audience.	Students use body language and eye contact effectively to keep the attention of their audience.

THANK YOU FOR 4 GOATS!

5B raised a total of $214.50.  Four goats will be purchased on behalf of our class and the additional $14.50 will be combined with another class's total.  Thank you so much for your generosity.  I am deeply touched and hope that the families benefit greatly from receiving a goat.