Wednesday 12/31

Today, please hang around the kitchen.  That is where you will find your answers.  This is a writing assignment.  First, find a type of food that is commonly made in your own kitchen.  Talk to the person who prepares the food and find out the following:

What are the ingredients?
What tools are needed to prepare the food?
How much time does it take to make?

With this information, create your own recipe page in your blog notebook.  The page will have the title of the food, and who prepares it.

List the ingredients and how much of each is used
List the steps to prepare
Describe how the food is prepared.

Example:

Flat Bread

Ingredients:  2 cups whole wheat flour, water, 1 cup spinach leaves, 1 tablespoon canola oil, 1/2 sweet potato, 1/2 serrano pepper, pinch of salt.

Tools:  big bowl, grater, knife, spoons, flat pan.

Preparation steps:  knead the flour and water together to make dough, wash and chop the spinach, grate the sweet potato.

Cook the sweet potato in the canola oil and add the pepper.  Roll parts of the dough, and place spinach and potato mix inside, roll to flatten, then cook on both sides.  Add salt.  Enjoy!

Tuesday 12/30

This is a writing exercise that will help you practice the use of the homophones: their, they're and there.

Directions: Rewrite the sentences with the right word:  their, they're, and there.

1) ____________ were no more mountains in view after we passed the city.

2) They held onto ___________ hats so the wind would not blow them off of ______ heads.

3) "Papa is going _________ because someone said the horses escaped," said Trudy.

4)  _____________ are way too many shoppers at the mall, so let's just stay home and enjoy the warmth.

5)  The fifth graders took _____________ backpacks down from ________ shoulders, and placed them on the back of ______________ chairs.

Monday 12/29

Please complete this assignment in your notebook.

Today you will write a letter to a friend or loved one.  This person may also be fictional.  Remember the main parts of a letter: Date, Greeting, Body, Closing, and Signature.  Be sure to place these different parts of the letter in the correct areas on the page.

Your letter will start with a positive comment, or compliment to the reader.  You will describe how you are spending your time, and you will use complex sentences to help the reader stay interested.  No illustrations please.

Then, proofread for errors.  Have fun writing your letter!

Sunday 12/28

Review how much exercise you have been doing this past week.  Use your notebook to keep track.  Include your family and friends when you exercise.  Write down what type of exercise you did, and for how long.

Here's an example of my exercise journal:

Deep breathing for 20 seconds
Slow stretch - toe touch for 15 seconds (twice)
Shoulder rolls - two forward and two back
Windmills - small - three forward and three back
Windmills - large - slowly - three forward and three back
Side stretch hold - 20 seconds on each side
knee to chest, and ankle hold - as long as possible

jumping jacks - 20
toe touches - 20
jumps - 10
running in place - 10
going upstairs - 5 up/ 5 down

cool down, slow breaths, and stretch


Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise!

Sophie being the P.E. monitor with Ms. Bhopla.  Nice job!

Saturday 12/27

In school, we learned about copyright and the symbol that stands for copyright.  Here is a clear definition of what the copyright symbol means.

Copyright means that you have the authority and right over your own work.  This can be a book, poem, art, or any other produced item.  If you made it, you have copyright of the item.  No one has the right to copy it, or claim it without your permission.  The way we note copyright is with the following symbol:

©

In this blog assignment, please find ten items that have the copyright symbol.  Write the title or item with its copyright symbol and the date it received copyright.  Draw a picture of one of your items (it may be a book cover, or a character).

Remember to include all of your Blog Assignments in your Blog Notebook to bring to school when we meet on February 2nd!

Here is a link for you to explore.  It that has some cool facts on copyright!  
Click on the symbol.     ©

Friday 12/26

Take out all of your school photos from years past, and line them up next to one another in chronological order.  Chronological means, in time order from earliest to most recent.

Then, write a description for each photo. Writing descriptions of what we see is an important part of being descriptive.  Here is an example of my last year's photo when I taught 2nd grade.  Below is a short description of what I see.

     I have my hair braided and to the right side.  My arm is placed on my side, and I'm wearing a watch that was given to me.  The photographer had asked me to pose in this manner.  The blouse is royal blue in color, and has buttons down the front, and a Nehru collar.  I'm wearing classic black slacks.  The photo looks like I don't have any legs!  It appears that I'm almost floating in a sea of turquoise clouds!  I'm happy in the photo, because all of my students are there taking pictures too.  I remember it was March of 2014.  That day was very interesting.  I remember that my left arm was in a sling, because I had injured it while exercising.  For the photo, I had taken off the sling.  Luckily it is much better!

Next photo...

Thursday 12/25

Pick a family member, and create a narrative story with them as the main protagonist.  It can be short, or long.  It can be any type of fiction your can think of.  Have fun with it!

Here's an example of one using my cousin Dave:

     Cousin Dave was a very simple man.  He never worried too much about anything.  When we had that last huge deluge of rain, and everyone was scrambling to get flashlights and water, he just sat around and didn't really think any of it was important.  His prize possession was his television, and his treadmill.  When he used them together, he was extremely happy knowing that he was getting exercise and being entertained.  Then…the storm hit.

Wednesday 12/24

This is Quick Write.  Please have a pencil ready, as well as a timer or a clock nearby.  Make it fun by having another person time you.  When you are finished, proofread your writing, and give yourself a grade out of 5.

Please do not do this Quick Write if you are hungry!  Wait until you have eaten!

You are invited to a party.  You don't know anyone there, except your family.  When you enter the front door, a lady with a friendly smile gives you a raffle ticket.  During the party, before the dancing, the man with microphone announces that everyone should put their names on the tickets.  Like a responsible person, you follow directions.  The man comes around and collects the tickets.  While the dancing is happening, you go to the food area, and fill up your plate with food of amazing variety.

All of a sudden, the man is calling out your name.  You have won a year's worth of one of the following:

1) A free sandwich from Subway
2) A free platter of 2 items from Panda Express
3) A free ice cream serving from Baskin Robbins
4) A free pizza from Pizza Hut
5) A free burrito from El Pollo Loco
6) Daily donation to a homeless shelter

Which one of these would you pick?  Remember, it's for 365 days.  Explain why you made your decision.  Continue the story and write about what happens next.

Tuesday 12/23

Sorry for the delayed blog assignment!  You can catch up!

Some Blog Assignments will be super quick and easy.  Some will be easy, but time consuming.  Some will be challenging and time consuming.  So just relax, and read the assignments carefully.  Keep working in your BLOG Notebook.  Remember, if you don't have resources, be resourceful!

The purpose of this assignment is for you to review how sentences are put together in sequence.  Look for clues like dates, details that go in order, or events in life that must happen one after another.  Below is part of a biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Please read the below sentences.  Then decide in what order they must go. When you have the order, please write the sentences in a paragraph with lovely, neat handwriting.  Remember your rules for writing: indentation, capitals, punctuation, good grammar.  Yes, spelling does count.  However, you have all the words!  Also, you may add time order words such as: then, afterwards, following, finally, etc.

• After college he studied for three years in theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania.

• His theological study led him to be elected president of a predominantly white senior class.

• He and his wife, Coretta, had two sons and two daughters.

• He was awarded the B.D. in 1951.

• Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin.

• He then completed his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and received the degree in 1955. 

• Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen.

• In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of intellect and artistic abilities. 

• He received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College.

Monday 12/22

Any day is a great day to get some exercise in.  Our bodies are not meant to be static (stuck in one spot).  Think of all of the different stretches and exercises we did during P.E.

Do this daily, until we meet in February:

Find a spot inside or outside where you can concentrate.

• Take about 30 seconds to breathe in-and-out so that you can fill your lungs with good healthy air
• Start gently by stretching from the top of your head down to your feet (you can do this sitting on the floor too!) -- do not bounce, go slowly.
• After stretching, start warming up -- run in place, jumping jacks, toe touches.
• Then pick up the speed!  This is where your heart gets healthier!
• Cool down.  Slow down, but keep moving until you feel your heart rate go back down.

Don't forget to breathe, all the way through!  

Here's a sample of "toe touches."

 Toe touches.  Slow is the key to preventing injuries and pain.  Start in a neutral position.  Knees loose.

 Keep knees loose, touch on side, and move the other arm behind you.

Back to neutral.  Knees loose.  Don't forget to breathe.

Now, the other side.  To make it challenging, you can turn your head to face behind you.

In your Blog notebook, make a note of when you have done your exercises!  
Great job!

Sunday 12/21

Explain your idea for creating something with an empty tissue box of any size.  List the materials you'd need, and describe the steps.

Saturday's Blog Post

Keep a notebook or make one for your blog assignments.  Make sure your name is on it.

Make a list of what you see on a one dollar bill.

Sophie! What happened?!

I guess it's "the end" for this toy!

Spelling Test on Wednesday, December 16, 2014

Here is our list of words from our text, George Washington's Socks: 

1. reluctant
2. beckon
3. ongoing
4. instinct
5. overwhelming
6. divert
7. eerie
8. queer
9. ingenuity
10. colonel
11. riveting
12. floe
13. mercenaries
14. bayonet
15. quizzical
16. pigeon
17. vexed
18. lieutenant
19. extinguish
20. tyranical
21. beseech
22. phlegm
23. scholarship
24. plunder
25. coax

Spelling Test: Wednesday, December 10, 2014

TWO MORE WORDS have been added:  ominous and grimace for a total of 27 words.

Here are the spelling words for the next test, which'll be on Wednesday, December 10.
The spelling pattern we are studying here is the ar/er/or/ sound.

1. binocular
2. gentler
3. scissors
4. founder
5. director
6. remainder
7. semester
8. laborer
9. commander
10. clamor
11. charter
12. pillar
13. splendor
14. peddler
15. professor
16. stagger
17. governor
18. vaporize
19. equator
20. soldier
21. refrigerator
22. scholarship
23. nocturnal
24. royal
25. incidental

Tip:  when you study for your test, find words that are similar and put them in groups.

Example 1:  binocular, pillar

Example 2: gentler, founder, remainder, semester, laborer, commander, charter, peddler, stagger, soldier, refrigerator.

You create the other lists….

Spelling Test Thursday, December 4, 2014

This week's spelling test will be on Thursday.  

Notice the ending patterns:  le and al  These two spellings sound the same, but don't get confused.

1. unstable
2. saddle
3. nocturnal
4. noble
5. chronicle
6. stumble
7. maternal
8. beetle
9. kettle
10. eagle
11. royal
12. cripple
13. hospital
14. illegally
15. label
16. fundamental
17. journalists
18. monumental
19. several
20. castle
21. incident
22. environment
23. encounter
24. southern

Spelling Test Wednesday, 11/19/14

Double consonants/vowel blends/aw/ou/aug/oug.  The spelling patterns will help you remember how the words is spelled.

footprint

fairground

although

allowance

appoint

laughter

bleachers

laundromat

encounter

bountiful

entertainment

flawlessly

lawyer

applause

faucet

caution

boundary

doubting

southern

roughness

grouchiness

distraught

dialect

pioneers

ruined

Thursday, November 13, 2014 Spelling Test

relevant
separate
license
rehearse
recent
utensil
vinyl
profile
bayonets
comet
vacant
punished
caverns
stamen
decent
tirade
biceps
panic
smoky
tyrant
fatigue
fugitive
canyon
cinder
culture

 

Spelling Test Wednesday 11/5

Sorry, these words are being posted late on the blog.  Most of you should have them from class.

The spelling pattern double consonants, /er/, and consonant digraphs.  Remember, use all of the words in your spelling homework.

swerving jogger cinder flattery muttered flickered whimper hollow clammy suspend culture stallion summon whinnied kennel canyon fragment gallop vulture pigment

Challenge eclipse hammock

Review won’t shouldn’t we’re

Spelling Test 10/29/14

Here is the next set of spelling words:

The spelling pattern for this set of words is the use of the apostrophe showing the connection between two words.  Remember, the apostrophe takes the place of an absent letter.  So when you use the word, make sure the sentence is sensible.  The last few words are review.

you’ve she’d that’s what’s doesn’t there’s you’re wasn’t we’ll we’ve we’re couldn’t I’ve didn’t they’re shouldn’t wouldn’t he’d don’t isn’t won't aren't accepted recognizing fascinated

Spelling Test 10/22/14

accepted

shredding

skimmed

recognizing

amusing

easing

regretted

forbidding

referred

portrayed

dedicated

applied

unified

soothing

complicated

qualified

threatening

gnarled

envied

fascinated

adoring

exhibited

difficulties

notches

species

This will be last post on this blog for 5th grade.  There will be a new blog used for your lists.  You will be provided the information you need to get your spelling lists.  As always, the newest spelling list will be given to you in class.

Thank you.