GRADE 5 CURRICULUM UPDATE

No ve m be r , 2 0 1 1 A me ri c a n In te rn at i o n a l S c ho o l of V i e n n a

Building our Reading and Writing Lives Reading Workshop The month of November brought a new unit in Readers Workshop. Students will be reading nonfiction text and using the strategies that accompany reading nonfiction. The students will use the parts of a nonfiction text to guide their reading and note taking. Students will focus on reading narrative nonfiction, specifically biographies. By the end of the unit each student will have chosen an individuals life to research. The students will share their research with their peers, giving them another chance to work on their speaking and listening skills. Writing Workshop In Writers Workshop, students will write realistic fiction stories. A strategy for growing an idea to write about is to take a personal memory/event and change it into a fictional event. Students will create strong characters that have a problem and eventually reach a solution to this problem. We will also try to create an internal struggle for their characters. Building story mountains will help their planning process.

Language Arts

Upcoming Events
Nov 16: Report
cards emailed to parents Parent/Teacher Conferences sign up online Museum

Nov 17-18:

Nov 22: Wax Nov 24-25:

Thanksgiving Break

Grade 5 Curriculum Update

Math: Geometry Unit 3

We are finishing our first geometry unit in Everyday Math. Students are identifying the various geometric shapes and measuring angles. Our next unit will be focused on division of whole and decimal numbers. The strategy from our text book is called partial quotients. Maybe your child can teach you a new method for long division? Students will also be interpreting the remainder of a division problem to understand its meaning in a situation. Dont forget to look for the Parent Letter for Unit 4.

Science: Our Rotating Units

Causes and Effects of Pollution This unit explores the impact that human beings have on their natural environment. Included in the unit is a focus on the different types of pollution, how they are created, as well as the adverse impacts they have on plants and animals, including human beings. Students will explore ways to minimize their impact on the environment through the decisions they make. To end the unit, each class will be displaying its understanding with an engaged learning activity with real-world applications; researching and presenting potential solutions to a simulated pollution problem in a city. structure and its role as the building blocks of all life. Students learn to differentiate between plant and animal cells as well gain an understanding of how cells combine to form tissues and complex systems within animal life. The second component is centered around gaining an understanding of scientific tools, namely the microscope. Students will learn how magnification works, the parts of a microscope and the preparation of slides for viewing.

Simple Machines In this physical science unit students learn about forces, motion, and work. After learning about these concepts, students will then complete hands-on activities to discover the 6 simple machines and Cells, Tissues and Systems how they work. They will gain insight into moving parts, making This unit has two distinct work easier, and how simple components-theory and practical machines are found in the world application. The first component around them. of the unit involves an inquiry based approach relating to cell