Learn2earn.org

I want to let you know about a change that we'll be making in 4th and 5th grade this quarter.  The 5th graders have been trying out a website that allows them to track their reading and answer questions about their books called Learn2earn.  While Accelerated Reader requires students to read certain books, Learn2earn allows them to read any book.  Also, the Learn2earn site has students answering questions that require higher order thinking, rather than multiple choice questions, and allows them to write about what they think and feel about the book that they're reading. The answers appear in a 'newsfeed' that only our class can access.  Parents are also invited to 'like' the student's comments and encourage their children on the newsfeed.  We've looked at the site as a school, and are likely to be moving to Learn2earn next year.  The newsfeed looks like this:

This quarter, I'm going to have the 4th graders use Learn2earn as an option, not a requirement.  I'd like both parents and students to have a chance to see what it's like, and give me feedback on it.  We'll still do AR as well.

The 5th graders, who've been trying out Learn2earn as a option, will now be required to log their reading and answer questions.  AR will no longer be used in 5th grade.  I'll be sending home the login information, requirements and grading rubric early next week to both 4th and 5th grade parents.

After you've had a chance to check out Learn2earn with your child, please let me know what you think!

Weekly Update 3/9/15

Ahhh...sunny days at last!  By the end of last week we were all tired of having indoor recess.  This is the time of year when it just feels good to have the sun shining on your face :)

I'm keeping an eye on the rain that's supposed to be here at the end of the week.  If it ends up raining on Thursday, we'll reschedule our field trip to Rural Hill as the activities are all outdoors.

Speaking of field trips, I hope that your kids will be able to join us for the biggest field trip ever...Camp Mariner!  Both Mrs. Hudson and I will be there (wouldn't miss it!) and are looking forward to all of the fun and learning.

Another date that's coming up fast is our Mariner 5K on Saturday, March 21st.  I hope that some of you will join us to run or walk...I'll be there walking!  FYI...there's a prize for the class with the most student participation, so get your kids out there!!!

This week in Literacy we're working on paying attention to the language that signals new learning when we read.  When we think things like, "I never knew that", or "that surprises me", as we read, we're learning something new.  We also are talking about misconceptions and how we sometimes think we know something and then find out its wrong.

In 4th grade Social Studies we're learning about the War of 1812, James Madison, and Andrew Jackson.  We'll wrap up our unit on Early American History next week, and will do the assessment on the 21st.

In 5th grade Social Studies we're spending most of our time this week preparing for our trip to JA Biztown.  Don't forget to send in permission slips!

Have a blessed week!

This Week's Update

Ok...it's March, and I'm ready for SPRING!!!  I'm impatiently waiting for sunshine and warm breezes :)

We've got lots going on this month, including two field trips.  On Thursday, March 12th, the 4th and 5th graders will be spending the day at Rural Hill in Huntersville.  In the morning we'll be making firecakes and learning what it was like to be a soldier during the Revolutionary War living in the field.  In the afternoon we'll learn about light and heat in the 18th century.  We'll be sending permission slips home early this week with the cost and other important information.

On Tuesday, March 17th, the 5th and 6th graders will attend JA Biztown.  This was a huge favorite with last years' 5th graders, and we're excited about going again!  To prepare for JA Biztown, the 5th graders are learning about economics, including financial literacy (understanding what services banks offer and how we use them), how the economy affects a community, work readiness, and business management.  While we're at JA Biztown, each student will work at their 'job' for the day, get paid in 'Biztown Bucks' and then decide how to spend their 'money'.  After last year's visit, the kids wrote about having a new understanding and respect for just how much their parents do taking care of a job, family, and home.  A permission slip and volunteer information (we'll need some parent volunteers!) will come home this week with costs, etc.

Our literacy focus this month is on nonfiction.  We've been talking about listening to the 'inner conversation' that goes on in our heads when we read, and working on leaving tracks of our thinking by writing our thoughts on post-it notes and in the margins of articles that we read. We're practicing 'stop, think, react' where we stop after each paragraph, think about what we read, and react by jotting down our thoughts.  Then we talk to a partner or small group to see if their understanding was any different than ours (hearing someone else's perspective can broaden our understanding).  This week we'll be focusing on nonfiction features like:  table of contents, photos and captions, headings, subheading, glossary, etc.  We'll do some nonfiction writing as well.

In 4th grade Social Studies we're learning about important events and people in early American history.  We'll be talking about the Monroe Doctrine, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Trail of Tears.  Later this month we'll focus on the Abolition Movement (ending slavery), and the Reform Movement (women's rights).

In 5th grade Social studies we'll spend the first two week of March on preparing for JA Biztown.  The second half of the month will focus on the Civil War.

Have a blessed week!