Science Test

Science Test (chapter 3) Test=Tuesday!!!!

Food webs!

Stache of the week

Lake Stairwalt!!

Risner's Reading Party!!

FRIDAY!!!
-comfy clothes
-healthy snack
-small blanket/pillow
-lots of books

We had an anti-bullying assembly today and the speaker will be at Middle School @ 7 tonight (9/19) open to the public.
I thought he was amazing!! And has some really good advice!
Try to go if you can!

Science Food Web Poster Project

Food Web Poster Project:

Create a food web by printing/cutting out/drawing pictures of producers, consumers, & decomposers.

Producers: Plants                     Consumers: Animals that eat plants or other animals

Decomposers: Organisms that break down dead things to put nutrients back into the soil

Requirements:

1.      Must be on a poster.

2.      Must include the sun and at least 3 food chains connected into a food web.

3.      Must be colorful & original (do not just print out an already created food web).

4.      Must include a list of all the food chains in the web. (Either on back/side of poster or on separate piece of paper)

Example:             1. Grass, rabbit, fox, maggots               2. Weeds, mouse, owl 

3. Hay, horse, vulture                              4. Nuts, squirrel, hawk

5. Must include a list categorizing organisms you used as producers, consumers, or                       decomposers. (Either on back/side of poster or on separate piece of paper)

Example:           Producers= grass, weeds, hay, nuts 

Consumers= rabbit, fox, mouse, owl, horse, squirrel, hawk

Decomposers= maggots, vulture

We will have 1 work day in class=Fri., Sept. 20^th                         Project Due=Mon., Sept. 23^rd

Rubric:
	Poster Creativity & Effort	Components (all 3) -Poster, list of food chains, categorized organisms	Work Day
5	Showed above & beyond effort, showed great creativity, very colorful & well organized, pictures large & labeled w/organism name	All required items are neatly completed and turned in on time, all information is correct	On task entire time, used resources: teacher, computers, magazines, coloring supplies, paper
4	Showed much effort, showed a lot of creativity, colorful & organized, pictures large & labeled w/names	All required items are neatly completed and turned in on time, but 1 or 2 mistakes were made	On task most of time, used resources
3	Showed some effort, some creativity, lacking some color or organization, pictures either large but not labeled or too small	Most required items are neatly completed and turned in on time, but 3-5 mistakes were made	On task some of the time, used resources
2	Showed little effort & creativity, barely any color or not well organized, pictures too small & few are or none are labeled	Missing one of the components all together, or 5-10 mistakes in the information	Barely on time entire time, did not use resources to full advantage/for project
1	Showed very little effort, not creative, no color & not well organized, pictures too small & none are labeled	Missing 2 of the components, or more than 10 mistakes in the information	Barely on time entire time, distracted others, off task online
0	Not on poster at all, or just printed an already-made food web	No components turned in	Not on task at all

Rubric Score: ______/15 points       x2=            Total Score: ______/30 points

Comments:

New pencil sharpener

Order finally came in, yay!!!

Conferences

It is already time to start planning Parent-Teacher Conferences!!
They will be on Thursday September 26...but I will work with your schedules for other days and times.
Look for a paper to come home soon about days and times.

Upcoming assembly

I'm just full of blogs today...
We are having a speaker come in next week, Thursday, September 19, to talk about bullying. The assembly will start at 1 and last atleast an hour.

Science

Right now in science we are talking about energy in ecosystems.
Photosynthesis, food chains & webs, consumers, producers, & decomposes.
Ask your student about the photosynthesis chant :)
We're looking at a quiz maybe next week on lesson one.
Also, we just ordered more science books so hopefully they come in quickly and your student can bring one home!

Reading at home

I sent this red paper home with the last reading log.  I love the graphic visual this illustrates. Reading at home is sooo important...not to mention it is practically their only homework this year.
Make 25 min of reading at home each night a priority!

Earn-a-Fish

Finally brought in all our emergency forms and earned a fish!! Time to set a new goal.

Stache of the week

Congrats Skylar Robinson!

So Far This Year

We are rockin' and rollin' this year!  Moving right along, progressing out of the procedural phase of the beginning of the year and diving into new content.

We are getting ready to take some newly developed (by the 5th grade teachers here at Graham) annual diagnostic (pre)-assessments for each OAA tested subject.  This includes Reading, Math, and Science in 5th grade.  

The students will take these assessments at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the year so we can collect data on their progress.  The assessments will NOT be recorded as a grade at the beginning of the year...not sure about the end of the year yet.  The assessments will challenge the students to think critically.  They focus around 5th grade standards, but also review/build upon 3th & 4th grade standards as well.

Nothing to sweat this time around!We are just asking the students to take them seriously and try their best.

We are going to begin the Math and Science assessments tomorrow (Thursday, September 6th).  We do not want to overwhelm the students so we are going to do half of each assessment Thursday and finish the second half on Friday.  Make-ups will be next week.  

The Math is only 36 problems long and the Science is only 20...NOTHING compared to the OAA!

The Reading assessment will be administered next week.  Half on Thursday, September 12th and half on Friday, September 13th.  The Reading has 4 stories and only 12 questions!