We don't have a standardized SBA test for social studies (or music or art). In fifth grade we have a social studies CBA, an independent research project. 

Students chose a topic at the beginning of January, and they have been taking notes during their library and lab time all month, starting with print sources before moving to any online sources. (I really appreciate how Mrs. Upton works with me on projects!)

They should be finishing up the hunt for notes by now.

Starting next week we will have time in the lab each day so the children can organize and write several well-developed and well-organized paragraphs about what they learned:

• introduction
• before--the causes
• the conflict--who, what, when, and where
• after--the consequences, the effects
• conclusion

All the paragraphs for the body--there should be two to three typed pages on the before, the conflict, and the after--are due February 6.

The rest of the written work for the CBA--the introduction and conclusion paragraphs as well as the List of Works Consulted--are due February 13.

Our next Decade Day is February 14. Students who do not have their CBA written work turned in will spend the 14th working on their CBA instead of participating in the Decade Day.

If you want lots more information about the CBA, how it is organized, and how it will be graded, please go to the social studies section of the Elementary Stuff page.

I just finished a series of lessons on World War II. The class was highly interested! You might find them asking to see movies about the Navajo code-talkers or how the Enigma code was broken. Or they might want to watch specific films like Midway (in theaters now) or Tora, Tora, Tora (1970).

Meanwhile, the students are writing their autobiographies. They aren't writing a series of events. Instead, they have each picked a theme to focus on:

• Pets
  
• Sports
  
• Friends and Family
  
• Exciting Events
• Scary Experiences

Then they are writing about multiples examples that fall under their theme.They are all the writing for this at school, in the lab, but they should be talking to you at home to get ideas. Our goal is to have at least two full pages (double-spaced typed, TNR 12) by noon next Wednesday.

We will have Market Day from 1-2 on Dec. 18.

We will have our Decade Day for the 30s and 40s on Dec. 19.

The school's holiday assembly will be on Dec. 20.

If I didn't show you the letter about the Human Growth and Development classes in the spring, all the information is here.

Here are some common notes:

• Check your planner and the online calendar every day. Start long-term assignments when they are assigned and do a little each day instead of waiting until they are due. 
  
• To improve on MLA formatting, print out the format guidelines and put them in the writing section of your 3-ring binder. Ask for help.
  
• Have your parents look over your open-book science tests before you hand them in. They might tell you to write more complete answers, for example.
  

If you have trouble focusing while you are reading, there are a few things you can try:

• Read the book out loud to your parents while they are doing something like cooking or washing dishes or doing laundry. Talk about it while you read.
  
• Get multiple copies and read aloud together. Act out as you go.
  
• Get an audio copy that you can listen as you read along.
  

If you struggle with getting your ideas down when you are writing, I suggest talking into a recording device. Then play it back to take dictation.
 
Finally, if you already know the career you want,

• Google the Top Ten Schools for your career. Parents can plan summer vacations to nearby locations so you can tour the school while you are there.
  
• You can also start to interview people who have the career you want to get into. The last question in an interview should always be, "Who should I talk to next?" By the time you get to the fifth or sixth person, you might learn about jobs you've never heard of before!
  
• You can ask if you can job shadow someone too. I had a student who got to do field studies on the beach for a week or more with a marine biologist the summer after she finished fifth grade! 

Don't forget, students DO come to conferences!

Here's the schedule for our first Decade Day:

We will start the day with art. Our docent will take small groups next door to E-2 to do a project based on early century art. Meanwhile, back in our room, students will share their immigrant art!

See past examples in the file here:

Then we will play games that people played in the early part of the 20th century while we listen to period music. If you have a copy you don't mind sending in, we would love to have:
Parcheesi
Pit
Mah Jongg (or Chinese checkers as a substitute)
cribbage
crossword puzzles
jacks

I will also let kids play games I have in the room:
checkers
chess
Solitaire

After lunch we will have math.

At 2:15 we will watch a movie and have our treats. 

Don't forget the final draft, typed questions and answers (or a sets of paragraphs) from the interview is due Monday, October 14.

We do poetry readings each trimester. Our first time will be during October. Each child has signed up for his or her day on the class calendar. 

I asked each child to 

1. Pick out a book of poetry to read. I hope they read the whole book! I hope they pick a book they like!
2. Choose poems to read aloud. 
3. I didn't give a set number of poems to read. I said, "Plan on reading for about five minutes. That could be one really long poem or several short ones."
4. PRACTICE reading the poems aloud. Find out how to pronounce all the words. Think about your facial expression and gestures.
5. Come in and read aloud!

​
​And here's the rubric.

I also asked students to interview someone who is older than them--their parents' age or older. It can be a family member or a family friend. The questions have to do with how things have changed over that person's lifetime.

The final draft, typed questions and answers (or a sets of paragraphs) is due Monday, October 14.

​You can see the directions here:

We had a great talk today about how hard this class is and about how it's easier to "hit the wall" in elementary school instead of high school or college.

I told the kids if they feel like they are in the deep end of the pool, that makes sense. My job is to teach them how to swim. To encourage them--to "put courage in."

We ran into a few technical difficulties in the computer labs this week, so I told the kids I would give them more time next week to work on their job applications and the writing prompt about their place or adventure (or both). No homework over the weekend!

The image shows the notes from our first grammar lesson. We talked about how writing might be important for a variety of reasons. One boy said you might need to be able to write to do your job. I told about a class I took on computer programming for gaming. I asked the instructor what classes students should take to get into the filed. He said (wait for it) grammar and creative writing! Wow, were my students surprised! See if your child can tell you why those classes would be important for that kind of job.

FIRST
Tuesday, Sept 3, 12-1:30, is the Suquamish Elementary Back to School Round-up. Bring the kids to see the classroom--and me! In case you can't make it, here is the main information I've already posted on the board: