"Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers." ~ Isaac Asimov

Welcome, everyone!

This week has us doing a wide variety of activities--finishing up projects, starting new ones. . . Sorry to say, some students are already coming in without assignments completed.  Please, please, please check your child's planner --and this blog--to see what (if anything) needs to be done, and direct him/her as needed to a quiet place to finish it.  So much class work is collaborative, and contingent on each child's completed work from the day before.  (Late work also affects grades. . .)

I have something I'd like to give you a "heads up" about.   I'm oh so well aware that, as our wonderful children plow headlong into early adolescence, attitudes and behaviors develop the capacity to change from moment to moment.  I'm also aware that our sixth graders, being the school elders, regard themselves differently--and they should; they've earned a particular distinction in our school family.  

--THAT BEING SAID--

Kids this age like to banter--a communication skill that unquestionably improves with practice.  It takes a bit of fine-tuning to banter effectively, and it carries the unfortunate potential to come across as back-talk (timing is everything, as they say). Such may be the case with some of our elders who (playfully or otherwise) have chosen, of late, to challenge adults and rules. Please remind your child that everyone's perception/tolerance of "banter aka back-talk" is different, and that this form of word play requires a person's ability to determine the appropriate time, place, and circumstance in which to engage in it. 

I love these kids and celebrate each wonderful, often zany step they take toward maturity, but I also recognize that missteps are a natural part of the process. Respecting others, be it adults or peers, must remain the bottom line. 

I hope your week is wonderful!
Teri 

NECAP SCHEDULE 5/6

October 9, 10, 11, and 12:  

• Grade 5 -- 9:50-11:30 AM
• Grade 6 -- 12:30-2:00 PM

October 15 and 16:  

• Grade 6 -- 12:30-2:00 PM

October 15, 16, 17 and 18:  

• Grade 5 -- 9:50-11:30 AM
  

WORK FOR THE WEEK 

(Unless otherwise stated, all assignments are due the next class day.)

Reading:  INDEPENDENT BOOK PROJECTS due FRIDAY!! 

Language Arts 6:  

• Monday:  Complete Learning Modalities assessment
• Tuesday:  Writing for a Purpose -- Write an Ad for the Beagle Bugle (specific directions on worksheet)
• Wednesday:  Complete Mission Statement activity.  2 STICKS REQUIRED!! (about 10 inches each) Complete Basset Hound Ad from yesterday.
  
• Thursday:  Compose "How I Learn" essay based on information from Learning Styles assessments
• Friday: Complete Mission Statement activity and continue "How I Learn." Turn in "WRITER'S NOTEBOOKS" with September's work completed

  
Language Arts 5:

• Monday:  "Fragment Frustration" (avoiding sentence fragments and enhancing writing through elaboration)
• Tuesday: Writing for a Purpose -- Write an Ad for the Beagle Bugle (specific directions on worksheet)
• Wednesday:   "Complete Thoughts" activity and worksheet.  Complete Basset Hound Ad from yesterday.
• Thursday:  "No Jamming" and "No Jumbling" packet-- (avoiding run-on sentences)
• Friday:  "Complete Thoughts" and "Starting and Stopping" activity.Turn in "WRITER'S NOTEBOOKS" with September's work completed.

Social Studies:

•  Monday (Mrs. Maynard's class):  Turn in "9 Questions" activity about your wonder and complete RUBRIC to determine what you believe makes a wonder a wonder.
• Tuesday (Mrs. DaBica's class):  Same as above.
• Wednesday (Mrs. Maynard's class):  Class discussion to determine consensus about what makes a wonder a wonder (based on individual/group information).  Using handout, review Forgotten Wonders, Natural Wonders, and Modern Wonders," choose a wonder to learn more about and begin creation of a travel brochure. (Information will be provided.)
• Thursday (Mrs. DaBica's class):  Same as above.  

ILLUSTRATION FROM:  https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxYqwVgVJjKTPJd3u3rATIbXP-W0aZ1WB4nLxM5eopHVM3HvikroaS0DikfZPukyNDXNYFQFaxngb09s19Wt54Rxurh01QD3uAcRx3aJV0zBkLsVBpMIFTIdLyKS2CNigw4BMO5ZUj7p3/s1600/Student_Writing.jpg

“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.” ~Walt Streightiff

http://www.morrishs.org/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/4e3ae93c14a7a/1_1312483813875.jpg

Happy Monday, everyone!

With school in full swing and games, practices, and other after-school activities filling up many evenings, kids seem busier than ever! It's good for children to have a variety of organized activities available to them outside of school.  Aside from providing healthful, constructive ways to occupy their unstructured after-school time, extra-curricular activities help them build friendships and develop collaborative skills, responsibility, time management skills, independence, and overall physical and emotional health.  After all, it's good to feel like you belong to something.  Click here for a short article about the value in involving children in organized extracurricular activities. 

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday, September 19th's  Open House! 

Take care--
Teri

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF  SEPTEMBER 17--21

Language Arts 6:

• Alpha-List due Wednesday, September 18
• Writer's Notebook--5 (illustrated) writing shorts from September Bingo card, due September 28 (1/2 to 1 page in length)
• Begin work on Personal Mission Statements
• Wednesday--Create list of Personal Characteristics
• Thursday--Use list to create Mission Statement, 1st draft
• Friday--Conference with teacher, begin final draft

Language Arts 5:

• Alpha-List due Wednesday, September 18
• Writer's Notebook--5 (illustrated) writing shorts from September Bingo card, due September 28 (1/2 to 1 page in length)
• Descriptive Writing:
• Monday -- write (detailed sensory) list of ten things that you like about Autumn (i.e.: Taking long walks along leaf-strewn paths; the pungent smell of woodsmoke rising from chimneys)
• Tuesday -- share lists and type them, following format I provide (parallel structure)
• Wednesday through Friday -- Conference with teacher / Type final drafts / Illustrate poem using "tear art."

Independent Reading:

Grade 5: Book Report (T-Shirt) due September 28

Grade 6: Book Report (T-Shirt) and Story Map due September 28

Social Studies:

Grade 6: The following activity to be completed by Monday, September 24 

Grade 5: The following activity to be completed by Tuesday, September 25

http://dogfoose.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Wonders1.jpg

WHAT MAKES A WONDER A WONDER? 

Use the following websites to help you find answers to questions 1-9 in your packet. (Even though you won't need to use them all, check them all out to see which ones offer the best information in the easiest format for you to follow.) You will need to have this information before you can proceed with the collaborative activity that follows.  Some interesting stuff here!!

Virtual tour of the Seven Wonders of the World  

The Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World For Kids

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Clickable Map of the Ancient Wonders

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Tour

“Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will.” ~Vernon Howard

Clip Art Credit: Phillip Martin

Welcome Parents and Students to NEXUS! 

We're moving through our first full week of school and seem to be adjusting well to our new schedule.  Lots of changes, but I have to say, they seem to be good ones.  An immediate benefit I've noticed has been the nucleus of students (our superb 6th graders who are already trained in the details of classroom organization, procedures, and expectations) who have kept the momentum going and mentored our newcomers, helping them to settle in.  Multi-age classrooms provide a broader social and intellectual experience, which will undoubtedly enrich us all as the year progresses and provide increased opportunities for leadership, collaboration, and flexibility in learning.  I like viewing the entire class (fifth and sixth graders together) as one community of learners. What a dynamic environment--I'm so lucky!

Blogger has a "new look," which I'm having a hard time figuring out, so I'm a little slow getting started (Any bloggers out there willing to give me a few pointers??) I hope to get the bugs worked out soon; please bear with me.

That being said, please bookmark NEXUS and visit often. Our blog will be the place to go for information about assignments, assessments, upcoming events, and 5/6 happenings.  It's also a place to look regularly for online resources to support your child's learning and to showcase their hard work.  (Don't forget to also check out Mrs. DaBica's web page. Both can be found on the school website--click on homerooms and scroll down.)

I'm looking forward to working with each and every one of you this year. A strong student-parent-teacher relationship can go a long way toward helping all our children achieve the success they deserve.

My best to you--
Teri

~ 

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 10--14

Grade 5 Language Arts:  

• Complete "I Am" project 

Grade 6 Language Arts: 

• Complete "The Important Thing About Me" project  

Both Language Arts Classes: 

• Complete "Mr. Stick" activity

• Continue work on Writer's Notebook "Alpha-Genres for Writing" 2-page writing/art activity--to be completed no later than Wednesday, September 19th.

• Writer's Notebook independent writing activities for September:  Using the "Bingo" sheet attached to the notebook, choose 5 short writing/art activities to complete by the 30th. (These are fun and creative ways to enhance writing skills and are to be completed during free times and for homework.) 

 5/6 Social Studies (Studying Prehistoric Cultures Through Archeological and Anthropological Evidence)  

• Calculating Clues from Bones--collaborative activity
• Cave Art Project

 

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. ~ Benjamin Franklin

 http://sharetv.org/images/libertys_kids-show.jpg

NOTE:  Students, if you did not take the exit survey for Digital Wish, please do so by Friday, May 18th. Here is the link again:  Student Post-deployment Survey 

Dear Families--

What follows is an animated series titled Liberty's Kids, which offers a fresh, kid-friendly (and historically accurate) perspective on events happening in Revolutionary War-era colonial America.  Told from the viewpoint of three young people and a former slave named Moses from the years 1773 to 1789, this series helps children to understand about how/why issues with Britain reached the breaking point in the years following the French and Indian War, leading to the promise of freedom from Britain.  Students will "witness" the chaos and confusion in the colonies as the Revolution unfolded, first dividing, then uniting a nation.

I have provided to each of your children an annotated list of episodes, which includes the historical context for each episode.  The amount of classwork is minimal; but the degree of participation is more necessary than ever as we explore "the rest of the story," which requires everyone to be active thinkers and problem-solvers.  

As always, please consider checking out the links and other activities I've taken the time to provide.  What a great opportunity to spend some additional quality time with your children!

#101 THE BOSTON TEA PARTY, PART 1 & PART 2

#102 THE INTOLERABLE ACTS, PART 1 & PART 2

#103 UNITED WE STAND, PART 1 & PART 2  

#104 “LIBERTY OR DEATH,” PART 1 & PART 2

#105 MIDNIGHT RIDE, PART 1 & PART 2

#106 THE SHOT HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD, PART 1 & PART 2

#107 GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS, PART 1 & PART 2

#108 THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, PART 1 & PART 2

#109 BUNKER HILL, PART 1 & PART 2 
#110 POSTMASTER GENERAL FRANKLIN, PART 1 & PART 2

#111 WASHINGTON TAKES COMMAND, PART 1 & PART 2

#112 COMMON SENSE, PART 1 & PART 2

#113 THE FIRST FOURTH OF JULY, PART 1 & PART 2

#114 NEW YORK, NEW YORK, PART 1 & PART 2

#115 THE TURTLE, PART 1 & PART 2

#116 ONE LIFE TO LOSE, PART 1 & PART 2 

#117 CAPTAIN MOLLY, PART 1 & PART 2 

#118 AMERICAN CRISIS, PART 1 & PART 2 

#119 ACROSS THE DELEWARE, PART 1 & PART 2 
#120 AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, PART 1 & PART 2 
#121 SYBIL LUDINGTON, PART 1 & PART 2 
#122 LAFAYETTE ARRIVES, PART 1 & PART 2 
#123 THE HESSIANS ARE COMING, PART 1 & PART 2 
#124 VALLEY FORGE, PART 1 & PART 2 
#125 ALLIES AT LAST, PART 1 & PART 2 
#126 HONOR AND COMPROMISE, PART 1 & PART 2 
#127 THE NEW FRONTIER, PART 1 & PART 2 
#128 NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT, PART 1 & PART 2 
#129 THE GREAT GALVEZ, PART 1 & PART 2 
#130 IN PRAISE OF BEN, PART 1 & PART 2 
#131 BOSTONIANS, PART 1 & PART 2 
#132 BENEDICT ARNOLD, PART 1 & PART 2 
#133 CONFLICT IN THE SOUTH, PART 1 & PART 2 
#134 DEBORAH SAMPSON: SOLDIER OF THE REVOLUTION, PART 1 & PART 2 
#135 JAMES ARMISTEAD, PART 1 & PART 2 
#136 YORKTOWN, PART 1 & PART 2 
#137 BORN FREE AND EQUAL, PART 1 & PART 2 
#138 THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, PART 1 & PART 2 
#139 GOING HOME, PART 1 & PART 2 
#140 WE THE PEOPLE, PART 1 & PART 2

 

Check out these additional sites:

Chronicles of the Revolution

Read all about it! These newspaper Chronicles let you experience first-hand the excitement and uncertainty of the American Revolution as it happened. Click on a city to read about the riveting historical headlines that shaped the war and America.

Timeline of the Revolution

Explore the chronology of Revolutionary events

The Road to Revolution Game
Test your knowledge about the American Revolution, and see if you can navigate your way to independence. Every correct answer gets you closer to liberty!

Perspectives on Liberty

Get to know the people and times of the American Revolution by clicking on the activities below.

Liberty! The Series

Episode Descriptions

Famous People of the Revolution

Related PBS resources and websites (1 & 2):

What is Liberty?

"Poetry is all that is worth remembering in life." ~William Hazlitt

http://thewritesisters.blogspot.com/2012/04/mentor-monday-its-tax-time.html

Creating Poems Interactive

• Spine Poem
• Lantern (Shape) Poem
• “I Can’t Write a Poem” Poem
• Name Poem
• “Yes, That’s Me” Poem
• “5 W” Poem
• “Color My World” Poem
• “What If?” Poem
• “Once I Was…But Now I Am…” Poem
• “Once I Knew’ Poem
• “Love That” Poem
• Septet Poem
• “I Don’t Understand” Poem
• List Poem
• “Rhetorical Question” Poem
• “Wishes and Fears” Poem
• “Me & You Swithcheroo” Poem
• “If You Were One Inch Tall” Poem
• “Nature Personified” Poem
• “Louder Than” Poem
• “If [Emotion] Were A …” Poem
• “Hold On” Poem
• “I Am” Poem
• “I Like Animals Because” Poem
• I’m in Charge of the World” Poem
• “I Remember” Poem
• “This is the Poem That…” Poem
• “I Asked…” Poem

"True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else." ~ Clarence Darrow.

 http://www.totallypimpedout.net/Graphics/Cinco_de_Mayo/images/Have_A_Great_Cinco_De_Mayo.gif

Cinco de Mayo -- or the 5th of May --  is a special cultural holiday for the Mexican people.  Like American colonists' fight for independence against the British, Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's unlikely victory over 8,000 highly skilled French forces in 1862.  It symbolizes love of country and the common man's triumph over foreign dominance.  

Hello everyone--

A short week is upon us.  Both classes are pushing forward with our study of the French and Indian War and it's aftermath.  Any work we do in Social Studies will be directly related to the information and links located here.

Grade 5: I'll continue to support your  work with PPPs.  Otherwise, we're exploring lots of cool sites on the blog and "doubling up" on Social Studies and its related Reading/Writing assignments.  It makes an engaging way to end the year!

Grade 6:  You and I know both how much we have to do to prepare for the end of the 2011-2012 school year. In addition to all of that, we are working on our Poetry Exhibition projects and, of course, our study of American History.  

Parents, ask to see your child's Poetry Project syllabus.  All work must (MUST!) be turned in by May 21 so that I can get projects assessed and back the students. They will make wonderful keepsakes when all is said and done. . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please check out this wonderful site--maps and videos help to explain the war.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  

http://www.independencetrail.org/images/stories-abercrombie-vs-fort.jpg

 Battle of Fort Carillon, also known as the Battle of Ticonderoga
 

On July 8, 1758, the Battle of Carillon, also known as the Battle of Ticonderoga was fought near Fort Carillon on the shore of Lake Champlain. In the battle, which took place primarily on a rise about three-quarters of a mile from the fort itself, a French army of about 4,000 men under General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm and the Chevalier de Levis decisively defeated an overwhelmingly numerically superior force of British troops under General James Abercrombie, which frontally assaulted an entrenched French position without using field artillery. The battle was the bloodiest of the war, with over 2,500 casualties suffered, of which over 2,000 were British soldiers.  

Another interesting video about Fort Ticonderoga from havefunwithhistory.com.

 http://www.britishbattles.com/images/louisburg/battle-map-l.jpg

Battle of Louisbourg, July 26, 1758

The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the French and Indian War in 1758 and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year. The British government realized that with the Fortress of Louisbourg under French control, there was no way that the Royal Navy could sail down the St. Lawrence River for an attack on Quebec. An Expedition against Louisbourg in 1757 led by Lord Loudon failed due to a strong French naval deployment.

 

http://www.military-art.com/mall/images/var606.jpg

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham

  Decisive battle that led to the fall of Quebec. The British, led by James Wolfe, had successfully crossed the St. Lawrence river above Quebec, where Louis de Montcalm, in charge of the French defenders of the city, had felt to be secure, protected by the Heights of Abraham, high cliffs that appeared to block any attack. However, Wolfe had scouted out a route up the cliffs, a narrow track that led to the top, where a weak French guard had been overwhelmed in their sleep. By dawn, Wolfe had 4,828 men on the cliff tops west of the city. When the British tents were seen, Montcalm himself went to scout out the situation, but even after seeing the British force in person, he refused to believe that anything more than a small raiding force had climbed the cliffs. Wolfe marched his force to within a mile of the city, and formed up ready for battle.

The French were divided. 3,000 of their best men were some way to the west under Bougainville, and although Montcalm had 10,000 men, over 7,000 of them were militia. Foolishly, Montcalm did not wait for Bougainville and his 3,000 men, and instead launched his attack at 10 in the morning. At this point the superior discipline of the British carried the day. The French advanced in some disorder, firing wildly and with little effect. In contrast, the first volley of British musket fire was devastating, and the French force fell back under the shock, at which point Wolfe ordered a bayonet charge, which he led himself. Within seconds, Wolfe took a bullet in the chest, which was eventually to kill him, but the charge itself was a success, turning the French retreat into a total rout. Montcalm also took a fatal wound while attempting to rally the troops. Wolfe survived long enough to know he had won the battle, and Montcalm only survived to the following day, while Quebec surrendered on 18 September.

Rickard, J (8 November 2000), Plains of Abraham, battle of, 13 September 1759, 
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_abraham.html

 http://thehistorynetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/910_-_Battle_of_Quebec-300x180.jpg

British Invasion of Quebec—1759

The conquest of Quebec is more than just a single battle; it is the result of a long siege that lasts from June 26th to the 18th of September, 1759. During this interminable confrontation, Montcalm adopts a purely defensive strategy and chooses to take no initiative against the enemy. Wolfe attempts twice to take the city before September, but his troops are defeated and repelled on both occasions. Despite these failures, the English surround the city with their boats and bombard it day and night for weeks, reducing the once proud capital of New France to a desolate pile of smoking ruins. We estimate that about 15,000 bombs were thrown on Quebec that summer, and the fate of the surrounding villages is also far from lenient. Farms are pillaged and burnt, villages are ravaged and the inhabitants who did not join the militia (women, children, the elderly, and priests for the most part) are incarcerated in prisoner camps. The inhabitants are the ones who suffer the most from the British invasion.

http://www.iboston.org/assets/photos/masacare.jpg

"BOSTON MASSACRE" 

Look at two videos about the Boston Massacre (  1 & 2 ) then answer the following questions:

1. What do you think?  Was the "Boston Massacre" really a massacre or was it a riot?  Explain your answer. 
2. Why do you suppose Paul Revere drew the above picture as he did?

Read more about the Boston Massacre – including fascinating primary documents  –  
 here and here. 

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/revolutionary_war/spirit.jpg

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

The Revolution: can you think of a more unlikely war? Whatever possessed the 13 colonies (with little organization, no trained army, and no navy to speak of) think they could defeat the most powerful nation in the known world?? (Were they not watching what happened to the French and their allies during the LAST war??) Was the war won as a result of determination, support, weather, terrain, timing, or sheer luck? (The answer here is probably "yes...") An entire year would not give us enough time to explore the stories behind the story. We'll continue the conversation as circumstances following the French and Indian War ignite unrest in a country already feeling it's connections dissolving...

The American Revolution: The Conflict Ignites Part 1
The American Revolution: The Conflict Ignites Part 2

The American Revolution: The Conflict Ignites Part 3

The American Revolution: The Conflict Ignites Part 4

The American Revolution: The Conflict Ignites Part 5

Lots to think about. . .

Be well, 

Teri

P.S.  TRY THIS REALLY COOL ROAD TO REVOLUTION INTERACTIVE GAME!

Looking for more American Revolution games?  Sure! Click here and explore a bunch of them!