Grade 5 Illustrates the Importance of Primary Sources

In 5th grade, we've been talking about point of view and how it can influence the telling of a story. That led to a lesson about first-hand, or primary, sources, and the importance of eyewitness accounts and original documents in research.

The students saw how a message can be distorted as it passes through different interpretations by playing a game:

• Step 1: Write an adjective and a noun at the top of a piece of paper. Pass it to the left.
  
  
• Step 2: Draw an illustration of the adjective and noun that your neighbor just handed to you.
  
  
• Step 3: Fold down the paper so that only your drawing is showing. Pass it to the left.
  
  
• Step 4: Write an adjective and noun to describe the drawing that your neighbor just handed to you.
  
  
• Step 5: Fold down the paper so that only your words are showing. Pass it to the left.

And so on.

Here are some of the results:

The Day the Crayons Quit - Room 1

We read The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. In the book, the colors have left complaint letters for their owner, Duncan. They're tired of being overused ... or not used at all! And Orange and Yellow are fighting over which is the color of the sun. At the end, Duncan gets an A+ for creativity by making a huge drawing filled with alternatively colored items like a pink dinosaur, a green monkey, and a black rainbow.

First-graders came up with their own solutions to the crayons' dissatisfaction:

The Day the Crayons Quit - Room 4

We read The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. In the book, the colors have left complaint letters for their owner, Duncan. They're tired of being overused ... or not used at all! And Orange and Yellow are fighting over which is the color of the sun. At the end, Duncan gets an A+ for creativity by making a huge drawing filled with alternatively colored items like a pink dinosaur, a green monkey, and a black rainbow.

First-graders came up with their own solutions to the crayons' dissatisfaction ... lots and lots of fire trucks in Room 4!

Thank You, FEN!

Thanks to FEN for the new books from the spring book fair - and to Mrs. Martinez for squirreling away two copies of the Minecraft Handbook on our behalf! I haven't had time to process the books yet, but I guarantee they'll be checked out within hours of being placed on the shelf.

Kids, if you see a book you'd like to check out, just let Ms. Moore know, and I'll hold it for you once it's in the catalog.

Why 3rd Graders Love World Book Web

Thanks to the Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS), all RI residents have access to the World Book Web online encyclopedia through this link:

World Book Web

When polled, third graders agreed that it's easier to use than the print version. Here are some of their reasons why:

• it's faster 
• I can watch videos 
• it's easier to search for things 
• it's more fun 
• I know more about computers than writing 
• you don't have to flip through all the pages 
• it's so easy; all you do is type your word and boom there it is 
• I like computers and typing 
• it was easier to get to 
• it had bigger writing
• all you have to do is type the keyword in and scroll down, and you have it 

I have to say, though, that part of why I am so good at trivia is because of flipping through those pages back in the pre-Internet days! However, the online encyclopedia does have the huge advantage of being updated constantly, as well as allowing multiple users access to the same information.

To buy a new print set or not to buy a new print set? That is the question ...


Common Core standards addressed: RI.3.5 - Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently. / RI.3.7 - Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text. / W.3.1 - Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

Summarizing Rumpelstiltskin - Grade 5

In fifth grade, we practiced the Somebody / Wanted / But / So / Then method of summarizing a story. Here is what the students came up with for Rumplestiltskin after I read them Paul O. Zelinsky's retelling:

Source: http://www.paulozelinsky.com/rumpelstiltskin.html

• The king wanted gold, but the princess couldn't make gold. So R. helped her make the gold. Then the king wanted more gold. - AO
• The miller wanted his daughter to weave straw into gold for the king, but she didn't know how. So R. came in and said, "If I weave this for you, what will you give me?" Then she had to weave more and she got married to the king and R. would take her baby if she didn't guess his name. - CL
• The queen wanted to keep her baby, but she kept a promise to R. that she would give him her baby if she guessed his name wrong. So she sent out her servant to go find him. Then the queen guessed his name right. - RT
• The servant wanted to find out the little man's name, but she couldn't find him. So she went in the forest. Then the little man sang a song and she heard him say his name. - AL
• R. wanted the queen's son, but if the queen found out his name, she could keep the baby. So she went all over town to find his name. Then she sent a servant to find him, and she found him, and she got to [keep] the baby boy. - FM
• R. wanted the queen's son, but if the queen wanted her son she would have to figure out his name. So she guessed and guessed and guessed and finally found it out. Then she told him and he got mad and flew off on a spoon. - AR
• R. wanted a baby, but he said to the princess "Guess my name and you can keep it." So the princess guessed his name right. Then he said, "The devil told you that!" and he was never seen again. - RS
• R. wanted the miller's daughter's baby, but [she] got the little man's name right. So he flew away on his spoon. Then he was never seen again. - AY

Common Core standard addressed: SL.5.2 - Summarize a written text read aloud

More Grade 4 Country Research

Fourth-graders used the almanac to find basic information about their countries, including what their flags look like. Then they typed the population and area into an Excel spreadsheet; we'll practice sorting next time, and write a formula to figure out the most- and least-densely populated places on the list.

 

 

 

 

DLP Loves Pete the Cat!

Some days you just really need Pete the Cat to come in and remind you, "It's all good." We read two Pete the Cat books today - one about his four groovy buttons, and one about his white shoes. Readalong videos below; pictures of kindergartners and their Pete the Cat dot-to-dot coloring after that.

 

 

PM K Loves Pete the Cat!

Some days you just really need Pete the Cat to come in and remind you, "It's all good." We read two Pete the Cat books today - one about his four groovy buttons, and one about his white shoes. Readalong videos below; pictures of kindergartners and their Pete the Cat dot-to-dot coloring after that.

 

 

Pete the Cat stepped in mustard!

Pete the Cat stepped on grapes!