Debate Topic: Homework

The kids recently read and debated the homework amount issue. We read in our Time for Kids magazines about the effects of too much homework and at the same time, the potential concern for less student achievement as a result of cutting back homework.

The kids were asked:

Should K-12 teachers give less homework to their students?

YES: 72%

NO: 28%

Yes Comments:

"School is the place for work. Students need to relax and spend time with families when they get home."

"Kids need down time and extra time for activities they do after school like basketball and piano."

"Harris Cooper, the homework expert says that adding homework does not effect achievement in school."

"At some point, adding homework doesn't mean kids are learning-it just gets to be the same old things over and over."

No Comments:

"Kids do not get a lot as it is."

"We need to practice the skills outside of school because we can forget them during the lesson. It's good practice."

"It's possible that we may not do as well in school with less homework because we don't get as much practice."

"It's like our job. We go to school and we get homework. It will help make us smarter and compete with others and be the best."

Curricular Update (Week of 12/19-12/22 and important reminders

Happy Holidays 5V Families! I hope all is well. Here is what the 5Vers are up to this week!

Reading:

1. We are going to continue to study strategies for determining meaning of vocabulary words, even with out context. We will use prefix/root/suffix strategies too.
2. The kids will also get a nice dose of reading comprehension fix up strategies to use while they read. We're almost done with our read aloud book and that will also be used to help strategize.
3. The kids are going to get a good dose of reading time so that they can apply the strategies they are learning in class.
4. We'll also learn a new word or too and make a reading/writing connection.

Writing:

1. On Monday and Wednesday we have some fun writing activities-small ones but very meaningful. On Monday we are going to practice writing college admission essays. Yes you heard right! Did you know some college admissions are requiring essays completed in 25 words or less?
2. Tuesday and Thursday we will be in the lab practicing word processing skills on MS Word and typing up some of our work.
3. The kids will get a chance to share their written work-this includes published self architected writing, reflection journals, drafts, picture books, and more.
4. We'll also have a tech lesson in the lab on arranging our files and folders.
5. We publish our picture books Wednesday or Thursday and give them to our buddies!

Math:

1. Students in regular math will work through the second half of unit 6 which is data analysis, probability, computation, fractions, and reading/writing graphs/tables.
2. Students in accelerated math will finish up chapter 5 and will study angle relationships, sectors of a circle, computation strategies, congruency, and line segments.

Science:

1. We are having a great time inquiring about magnets.
2. We are going to study what a magnetic field is and how you can prove it exists.
3. We will also study magnetic properties such as attraction and repulsion as well as the alignment of north and south particles.
4. The kids will also get to test out their inquiries but that is more likely AFTER break!

Citizenship:

1. The 5th graders are going to review expectations for hallway transitions between classes and while walking in the hallway.

Important Reminders:

Monday:

1. Vaid Helpers @ 8:25am

2. Small group work

Tuesday:

1. Vaid Helpers @ 8:25am

2. Small group work

3. Picture books for buddies due! (This includes the final copy with colored pictures)

4. Last day enrichment for 21st Century Club

Wednesday:

1. Late start Wednesday

2. Mystery Project is due

3. Vaid Helpers @ 8:25am

4. Movie and hot chocolate day: Kids and parents should discuss movie selection to see on Wednesday. They include:

1. Christmas Story, 2. Alvin and the Chipmunks, 3. Elf, 4. The Lion King

Thursday:

1. Holiday Party :)

2. No after school Vaid Helpers

3. Have a safe, healthy, and enjoyable holiday break. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate Christmas. Happy Hannukah and Kwanza to those who celebrate as well. Happy New Year to all!

Curricular Update (Week of 12/5-12/9 and important reminders

Hi 5V Families! How are you? Here is what the 5th graders will be up to this week!

Reading:

1. The kids will be having a discussion about their opinions on Iditarod racing and whether it's cruel to the dogs who race. We'll also discuss our characterizations about Dusty, the musher. The kids have become real good at understanding what you have to think about when you characterize or describe someone. These were the ideas we thought about while we read.
2. As always, we'll be studying a ton of vocabulary through word choice lessons in writing, word part lessons in spelling, and higher level challenges in reading. Some of our recent words include: rant, coax, malevolent, and the prefix ped.
3. I think our most enjoyable lesson will be studying what makes a metaphor and how to write a metaphor and then really understanding what metaphors are in our effort to write them.
4. We also have some reading and writing connections and we'll debate on whether schools should cut down on handing out homework to K-12 students after we read an article about it in our Time for Kids magazine. We'll also write a proper extended response essay and practice writing inferences.
5. We'll also be reading our mystery stories for a very particular purpose and having book conversations on Blackboard.

Writing:

1. This week's writing has a few focuses-One of them includes making first final draft revisions on the picture books the kids are writing for their reading buddies. They will have online video lessons posted on Blackboard and the editing paperwork I've done.
2. Another focus is grammar. Based on what I've seen in the writing, the kids need practice with commas and using conjunctions in their writing so that they are not putting periods all over the paragraph!
3. Finally, we will have our craft lessons in word choice which the kids are loving and personification so that we can SHOW and not tell in our writing!
4. Stay tuned for a writing volunteer opportunity at the end of this week or the beginning of next week.

Math:

1. Students in regular math are either in the middle of unit 5 fractions or are wrapping up the unit. In 5V we have a test scheduled for this Wednesday. This unit has been interesting because there have been no whole group lessons. I've met with kids in groups or individually and I want to see if this format works out or not.
2. Students in accelerated math in 5V math are in the middle of unit 5 studying angles, angle relationships, measuring angles, percentages of wholes, line segments, and bisection. Students in 5B math will be doing the same thing very shortly!
3. The students in accel math will also be practicing their problem solving skills and the students in regular math will practice real life math skills in a lesson and both groups will play games this week!

Science:

1. We are having a lot of fun using clay to make models of atoms! We've made carbon and on Monday and Tuesday we plan to make iron and oxygen and then we'll make a molecule called iron oxide aka rust!
2. So we'll study how a molecule is formed and continue to understand the construction of an atom and why neutrons have the number they do and same with the protons and electrons.
3. We have a clay quiz on Wednesday and the kids will be expected to construct an atom with their clay. I will test them to see if they know how many protons, electrons and neutrons to place in the atom based on the information provided by the periodic table.
4. At the end of the week we will study how atoms relates to magnets and take a magnet pre-test!

Citizenship:

1. Last week we had a good discussion on being a good role models for each other. We talked about how some students in our class take things the wrong way and when we act silly, others will act silly thinking it's okay.
2. We also talked about helping each other out and being there for one another.

Important Reminders:

Monday, December 5th:

• NO before school store
• NO before or after school Vaid helpers
• NO before or after school small group help
• There IS band/orchestra

Tuesday, December 6th:

• NO before school Vaid Helpers
• Enrichment 21st Century Learning

Wednesday, December 7th:

• Science Quiz on atoms
• 5th grade musical in school @ 930am.
• Blackboard conversation posts are due.
• Late start Wednesday @ 9:05am.
• Math Test in 5V regular math (unit 5)
• 5th grade musical @ 7pm! Kids should be in class at 630pm.

Thursday, December 8th:

• See side bar for general school reminders.
• As of right now, picture book first draft revisions are due!

Friday, December 9th:

• Reading quiz on the selection Iditarod Dream.
• Possible parent volunteer opportunity to edit first draft revisions-more info to come later.