Welcome back to school, one and all. As teachers, we arrived this morning with the wind beneath our wings. We have all kinds of ambition for our remaining weeks of school. Check out all we plan to do:
- Create an eBook with partners on an iPad app called Book Creator as the culmination of our fiction and storytelling unit.
- Write a four-page paper and create a presentation on a chosen topic related to California.
- Write a script and write original music for Chasing Secrets to perform for parents.
- Open a classroom store to practice decimals, percents, and personal finance. More to come on this, but we are going to have students try to scrounge together ten dollars–start thinking of jobs around the house so they can earn it!–to put into a kitty for purchasing our inventory. They’ll earn “Gold Nuggets,” our classroom currency through homework, classroom jobs, good behavior, and be fined for their follies.
- Go on a bike trip on the Bay Trail, take a ferry to Angel Island (date looks like 5/4 instead of 5/6, so stay tuned), sail on the Pegasus, and visit Gold Country (now 6/3, and that’s for sure).
Why all this in the last two months? Because this is performance time. Group development has been described as forming, norming, storming, and performing. We have gotten through the superficial forming stage, created norms, worked our way through the hard times, and now it’s time to put our stamp on the year. Of course, Fort Ross won’t be forgotten, but let’s make these last few weeks memorable ones. And don’t forget to sign up to join us for some of the fun. Many volunteers are still needed for all the events I sent out on the Google doc before break.
Homework
Monday
Math
- 4th: decimal +/- worksheet
- 5th: watch Khan Academy video called “What it means to buy a company’s stock” and take notes in your math notebook. Let the stock market project begin!
Cultural Studies: read Gold Rush article and complete questions. Download here.
Tuesday
Math: none
Writing: go on to Google Classroom and continue planning your story! Between your partner and you, you should get two pages (paragraphs) done tonight.
Reading: 20+ minutes
Wednesday
Math: 4th graders have a measurement activity; 5th graders should finish one appetizer for the stock market project and ask for 3 pieces of investment advice from a trusted adult!
Write: Get on Google Classroom and add another page to your story.
Read, as always
Thursday
Math: 4th grade has a measurement worksheet, 5th grade should finish their second appetizer
Writing: continue writing your story on Google Classroom
Reading: those of you reading Chasing Secrets should put the pedal to the metal and try to finish so you can hand your books off to the next crew!
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