Solar Energy with Mr. Lobovits

By the end of our three hour science marathon the class had looked into the resources required to make paper, cola, and yes, even gummy bears!  The thinking shifted into high gear when we began to ask if any technology can truly be green.  One student had a green engineer moment when she said (roughly), "If something makes more money that it costs to build and saves more resources than it takes to make it, I think that is a green technology."  We will continue to think like green engineers by analyzing the resources it takes to make technology and the impacts it has on environment in the coming weeks.

Slater Mill

On Wednesday we bravely embarked on our first field trip since the accident.  While waiting for the bus to come, we began reading the Jewish prayer for travellers.  The bus came so quickly, we did not get to finish it, so I paraphrased.  And we were indeed kept safe on this trip!
The trip itself was truly worthwhile from an educational viewpoint.  The students' background knowledge on Samuel Slater, Lyddie, and energy enabled them to make so many important connections from the mill to our classroom studies.  Mr. Lobovits and I continually interjected to help them make those connections.  He asked them why the bed pan was made of metal, and one student said, "Because it is a good thermal conductor."   While I think this is one of the best field trips of the year, it was also reaffirming to hear one student say to another, "This is totally the coolest field trip we've ever done!"  Please ask your child about the water wheel and the machines.

Lyddie and the Industrial Revolution

On Monday, in Reading, we read about Lyddie who is just beginning to question her own freedom.  Readers have been talking about how she's "enslaved" because she's indentured.  Students are amazed to learn that during the Industrial Revolution child labor was the norm, and the paychecks went directly to the parents.  They are becoming very grateful for the freedoms they have as children in 2012.

Upcoming Due Dates

Field Trip Permission: Due Monday 4/30
Factory to Home Assignment: Due Tuesday 5/1
Math Quiz Chapter 10, Section A: Tuesday 5/1
Reader's Letter: Monday 5/7

Poetry in our Souls

Fifth graders have been drinking poetry this week.  We've talked about what it means for a poem to "speak to you."  Each night poets are required to read poetry aloud for at least five minutes.  Each day poets are invited to recite a poem that particular spoke to him/her.  We are keeping track of qualities we notice in poems.
Here's what we've got so far on our list:
Poems we like-
flow, sometimes rhyme, create mental pictures, evoke strong feelings, are sometimes funny or clever, sound pleasant to our ears, might make us think about something in a new way, and might have a strong ending.
Poets are writing different types of poetry and will continue to write poems all through May.

Solar Energy Unit with Mr. Lobovits

This week the students began to explore life in Botswana as part of an integrated unit on solar energy.  They met Lerato, a young child who has to travel daily to collect firewood, and began to think about what it means to have no electricity.  They also encountered the concepts of the engineering design process and life cycle assessment for materials and technologies. 

As part of the integrated science unit students tried to get their minds around the concepts of thermal insulators and thermal conductors.  There were clear signs of progress in students thinking as they started with the suggestion that a "microwave" was a thermal conductor and worked their way to the realization that a frying pan is a good thermal conductor because it "transfers heat quickly."  Several students were even able to explain why an igloo, a glove, and the fur of a bear were all good thermal insulators. 

Lyddie

Our final novel of the year is Lyddie by Katherine Paterson.  This historical fiction book tells the story of Lyddie, a thirteen-year-old girl who is forced to leave her life on the farm to work in a factory in Lowell.  We will be talking about freedom, our theme for the year, throughout the novel.  Today in class we read about Lyddie being forced to work as a maid to pay off a family debt.  Students decided she is "like a slave" and does not have freedom because she does "not get to choose."
We have plenty of extra copies for parents who have the time and/or desire to read along with us- just ask!

Yom HaZikaron

In honor of Yom HaZikaron, Israeli Memorial Day, we will be watching two videos about soldiers who have given their lives while fighting for the state of Israel. The first was created by Noa Prawer (the Israeli shlicha)'s sister and tells the story of her uncle. The second is about a friend of mine, Mike Levin, an American from Philadelphia who made aliyah and was killed in the war in Lebanon. Check out the clip that we will be watching in class, and let's all remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbEBUBJ4AbY

Metric Measurement on Monday

Today we began a new math unit on measurement.  Students recorded definitions for centimeter, decimeter, meter, and kilometer.  Everyone chose several objects to measure, first estimating, then measuring, then checking a classmate's accuracy.

Awesome Grammar Article

I loved reading this!

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/fanfare-for-the-comma-man/?ref=opinion

Work Returned

Graded Math Tests were returned this weekGraded DOL Quizzes will be returned on Thursday
Graded Reader's Letters (for students who remembered to hand in their reader's letter folder and rubric) were returned

Creative Stories

Writers handed in their creative stories on Tuesday.  They worked so hard on these!  Each writer was given an audience and read his/her story to the class.  Students listened with rapture.   Kol Hakavod to the fifth graders!  I look forward to reading these over the break.

Mystery Solved! Wrapping Up Chasing Vermeer

Fifth grade readers completed reading Chasing Vermeer last week.  In the final chapters there were groans when we halted reading, as the suspense was intense!  All the pieces of the puzzle came together.  This week students were given choices for an end of the book assignment.  Everyone chose to create a piece of artwork as an homage to the novel.  This is the first year that has ever happened!  Artists were focused on creating something meaningful from the text.  From paintings of frogs to a Vermeer sketch to a collage, the array is vast.  Readers then chose a piece of text from the novel to accompany the artwork.  All Chasing Vermeer art is currently on display in our classroom.  

Math on Monday

In math,  students had a go at preparing themselves bite-size peanut butter sandwich snacks.  Starting with two slices of bread and working their way down to sixteen pieces, the students used visual images and mathematical equations to represent their real life snack making.  First they divided their two slices of bread into halves and then their resulting pieces into quarters, ending up with lots of yummy peanut butter sandwiches (eight sandwiches in theory).  Of course some students opted to eat straight peanut butter, but seeing things from different perspectives is what math is all about.-Ethan

Pesach Pillows

In Lashon, we are continuing to prepare for the model seder on April 5- we hope parents and families can join us!
Students are making pillows so that they will be able to fulfill the obligation to recline. They are all Pesach themed, but each is unique, and highlights our students' creativity.

By Naming Something, We Define It

In Humash, we have been studying Moshe's questions to God, right after he has discovered that he is supposed to be the savior of Bnei Yisrael. In his second question, Moshe asks God, "What is your name" and God responds that God's name is אהיה אשר אהיה- I am what I am (whatever that means!). We started talking about how naming something defines that thing and helps us understand what that thing is, and I posed the question- can we ever truly understand or know God?

MLA Heading for Creative Story

Student's Name

Mrs. Woods

ELA: Creative Story

April 3, 2012

Title

Summer Parshah Teaching Assignment

Students were assigned the following, and will be responsible for TEACHING one parashah to the rest of the class. I can't wait to hear their Torah!

Leah: Shlach Lecha (due on April 4)
Josh B: Korach (due April 18)
Emma: Chukat (due April 25)
Maya: Balak (due May 2)
Yoni: Pinchas (due May 9)
Alec: Dvarim (due May 16)
Josh P: VaEtchanan (due May 23)

Summer Parshiyot- Long Term Assignment

In order to complete our Torah, we need to do some extra work to learn about the summer parshiyot. For this assignment, YOU will be the teacher and YOU will share your knowledge about your parashah.

Instructions:

Each student will be assigned one parashah.

For your parashah, you must:

1. Look up the ספר, פרק, פסוק and write out this information, the פרשה and the 1st פסוק.

2. Read the summary of your parashah- using either www.g-dcast.com, Sedra Scenes, or the Brick Testament.

3. Summarize the main points in 3-4 sentences. (This will be the summary that your classmates will write on their template)

4. Come up with a commentary question about your parashah that your classmates will answer for their own commentaries.

**This information must be handed in ONE WEEK before your parashah

and this assignment will be GRADED**

-You will be writing your information on the Torah Project Summer Parshiyot- Fill-In Sheet. Please write legibly and clearly, since this will be shared with all of your classmates. You may type this assignment.

Name: ____________________________________________

פרשה: ____________________________________________

GRADING RUBRIC: TP SUMMER PARSHIYOT

	4	3	2	0-1
ספר, פרק, , פרשה, פסוק and the 1st פסוק	All of the information you provided was correct	One piece of information was incorrect	Two pieces of information were incorrect	Three or more pieces of information were incorrect
Summary	Your summary was clear, concise, correct and complete	Your summary met 3 of the 4 requirements	Your summary met 2 of the 4 requirements	Your summary met 0 or 1 of the 4 requirements
Commentary Question	Your question was open-ended, thoughtful, connected to the parashah, and allowed for a personal example	Your commentary met 3 of the 4 requirements	Your commentary met 2 of the 4 requirements	Your commentary met 0 or 1 of the 4 requirements
Legible	Your work was legible and was easy for your classmates to read			Your work was not legible and was difficult for your classmates to read
Handed in on Time	Your work was handed in on time			Your work was NOT handed in on time

TOTAL= ____________________/ 20

Summer Parshiyot for Torah project

Students should be working on copying these 4 summer parshiyot on to templates. Their work is due on Friday, March 30.

פרשה: עֵקֶב ספר: דברים פרק: ז פסוק: יב

וְהָיָה ׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְשָׁמַר֩ ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לְךָ֗ אֶֽת־הַבְּרִית֙ וְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַֽאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ:

Summary: Moshe tells Bnei Yisrael (BN”Y) that if they obey God’s laws, they will be rewarded and if they disobey the laws, they will be punished. Moshe reminds BN”Y about the times when they have missed the mark, for example, with the Golden Calf, and warns them not to do it again. This parashah contains the 2nd paragraph of the Shma.

Commentary: God and Moshe have to keep reminding BN”Y not to do wrong. I think it is so easy to do the wrong thing because... One thing that I do to remind myself to do the right thing is...

פרשה: ראה ספר: דברים פרק: יא פסוק: כו רְאֵ֗ה אָֽנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה:

Summary: Moshe tells BN”Y that they should choose to follow God’s laws and they will be rewarded. Moshe tells BN”Y that they should not follow other gods, he reviews which animals are kosher and which are unkosher, and he tells them about the laws of Hebrew slaves. Moshe also tells BN”Y about the three pilgrimage holidays, Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot

Commentary: Moshe tells that people that they should be “seen” by God three times a year, at the three holidays. I think that I am “seen” by God at this time: This moment is meaningful to me because...

רשה: שופטים ספר:דברים פרק: טז פסוק: יח שֹֽׁפְטִ֣ים וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים תִּֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ לִשְׁבָטֶ֑יךָ וְשָֽׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִשְׁפַּט־צֶֽדֶק:

Summary: Moshe tells BN”Y that they should have fair laws and judges, and that they should “pursue justice.” God tells Moshe the laws about when BN”Y will want a king and how to choose one (in the future). The laws of the city of refuge are explained: if someone kills another by accident, they can run away to the city of refuge and they will not punished. When going in to battle, anyone who just got married, built a house or is scared does not have to go.

Commentary: A midrash teaches that we have to work for justice, and we have do to that in a just way- this means that the ends do NOT justify the means. I think it is important to work for justice in a just way because... The lesson I learn from this is...

פרשה: כי תצא ספר: דברים פרק: כא פסוק: י כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֥א לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־אֹֽיְבֶ֑יךָ וּנְתָנ֞וֹ ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ בְּיָדֶ֖ךָ וְשָׁבִ֥יתָ שִׁבְיֽוֹ:

Summary: Moshe tells BN”Y more laws: a child who disobeys his parents is put to death, you have to take care of your friend’s lost property, and when taking the eggs from a nest, you have to shoo the mother bird away first. The laws of divorce are explained. Moshe tells BN”Y to remember what Amalek did to them as they left Egypt and never to forget.

Commentary: The command to remember Amalek is that we must always remember the evil that was done to us. I think it is important to remember what has been done to our people because... The lesson I learn from this is...