5th Grade Reading
This year we'll be doing a variety of topics and activities. Stay tuned for more specifics once we start, but here are some of the things your child will be participating in:
Current Event Mondays (scroll to bottom to find info)
Writing & Grammar Tuesdays
Various critical thinking activities
The Giver novel study
Jacob's Ladder (click for more info)
Independent research projects
Investigations into history
The Watsons Go to Birmingham + historical background
Picture Perfect Science lessons (click for more info)
September
October/November
December
Socratic Seminars (higher level thinking based discussions): Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and The Lady, or the Tiger? by Frank Stockton
January
Research projects (including writing reports) on student selected topics
February
Wrap up research project presentations
Jacob's Ladder activities (see link above)
March
Inventions: Use problem solving, creativity, and imagination within reading and science.
Communication Skills
April
The Giver novel study:
-Looking at what culture is, how it is shaped, what cultural norms are, and how we perceive and react to different cultures.
-Exploring the idea of utopias (includes writing an essay on the students' idea of an utopia).
As we're going through the book, students will have written response opportunities and class discussions that focus on higher and deeper thinking.
Book Lists
[Do not choose The Giver or The Watsons Go to Birmingham because we will do those in class!!]
Newbery Award Winners
Recommended lists from Wake County Public Libraries:
Historical Fiction
Mysteries
Science Fiction
Fantasy
"Great Reads"
Current Events:
Every Monday 2 students will share a current event. It should work out that students will do about one a quarter. We'll make a calendar in class and students will write their assigned date in their agenda. They can switch with other students if they know they will be absent. Students will be given a week's reminder when their turn is next.
What is it? A current event is a summary of a recent article taken from a newspaper, magazine, internet site, etc. A recent article has to have been written within the past 30 days.
What are students expected to do? Students will need to write out what they want to say on a sheet of paper to summarize their article for the class. They will NOT just read the article to the class, but will be expected to share their summary (speak loudly and clearly so all can hear) without reading directly from the paper. They will be expected to answer questions from their classmates about the article after the presentation. The article and the written summary must be turned in together.
What kind of current events can students choose?
The main thing is to be able to answer YES to at least one of the questions:
Is this important; does this event make a difference in the lives of a group of people or for the world?
OR, if not the first, then
Is this something really interesting AND educational?
The topics for current events can be related to:
social studies (related to cultures, events in other countries, politics, new historical discoveries)
science (such as new discoveries and studies)
technology (such as new inventions, improvements, studies)
literature (a little bit harder to do)
math (new findings)
or other important areas
Do NOT include entertainment news or sports news!
Where can I find good, kid-friendly articles?
www.dogonews.com/
www.sciencenewsforkids.org
www.timeforkids.com/news
kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/kidsnews/
www.factmonster.com/fmnews.html
Feel free to use from other credible sites, newspapers, or magazines.
Current Event Mondays (scroll to bottom to find info)
Writing & Grammar Tuesdays
Various critical thinking activities
The Giver novel study
Jacob's Ladder (click for more info)
Independent research projects
Investigations into history
The Watsons Go to Birmingham + historical background
Picture Perfect Science lessons (click for more info)
September
- Jacob's Ladder pre-assessment to determine needs
- Writing assessment to determine needs
- Weekly writing/grammar activities
- Point of view & persuasion: pairs of students were given two opposing sides and had to create an argument to support their case and persuade others to side with them. Class evaluated (judged) based on strength of arguments.
- Solving mysteries using deductive thinking and logic. Discuss ideas and use details to support answers.
October/November
- Jacob's Ladder activities (click on link above to learn more) with "The Systems of the Human Body"
- Writing essays - organization and structure
December
Socratic Seminars (higher level thinking based discussions): Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and The Lady, or the Tiger? by Frank Stockton
January
Research projects (including writing reports) on student selected topics
February
Wrap up research project presentations
Jacob's Ladder activities (see link above)
March
Inventions: Use problem solving, creativity, and imagination within reading and science.
Communication Skills
April
The Giver novel study:
-Looking at what culture is, how it is shaped, what cultural norms are, and how we perceive and react to different cultures.
-Exploring the idea of utopias (includes writing an essay on the students' idea of an utopia).
As we're going through the book, students will have written response opportunities and class discussions that focus on higher and deeper thinking.
Book Lists
[Do not choose The Giver or The Watsons Go to Birmingham because we will do those in class!!]
Newbery Award Winners
Recommended lists from Wake County Public Libraries:
Historical Fiction
Mysteries
Science Fiction
Fantasy
"Great Reads"
Current Events:
Every Monday 2 students will share a current event. It should work out that students will do about one a quarter. We'll make a calendar in class and students will write their assigned date in their agenda. They can switch with other students if they know they will be absent. Students will be given a week's reminder when their turn is next.
What is it? A current event is a summary of a recent article taken from a newspaper, magazine, internet site, etc. A recent article has to have been written within the past 30 days.
What are students expected to do? Students will need to write out what they want to say on a sheet of paper to summarize their article for the class. They will NOT just read the article to the class, but will be expected to share their summary (speak loudly and clearly so all can hear) without reading directly from the paper. They will be expected to answer questions from their classmates about the article after the presentation. The article and the written summary must be turned in together.
What kind of current events can students choose?
The main thing is to be able to answer YES to at least one of the questions:
Is this important; does this event make a difference in the lives of a group of people or for the world?
OR, if not the first, then
Is this something really interesting AND educational?
The topics for current events can be related to:
social studies (related to cultures, events in other countries, politics, new historical discoveries)
science (such as new discoveries and studies)
technology (such as new inventions, improvements, studies)
literature (a little bit harder to do)
math (new findings)
or other important areas
Do NOT include entertainment news or sports news!
Where can I find good, kid-friendly articles?
www.dogonews.com/
www.sciencenewsforkids.org
www.timeforkids.com/news
kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/kidsnews/
www.factmonster.com/fmnews.html
Feel free to use from other credible sites, newspapers, or magazines.