Bactrian Camels

Dear Grade Fives!

Today, you will once again read and take notes. Please take short brief notes that answer the specific inquiry question. 

 
Remember:

- use bullets to mark your notes
- avoid using words in the question
- use digits rather than number words
- leave out unnecessary little words out e.g. ‘a’, ‘is’, ‘the’, ‘and’ etc.
- start your notes with a lowercase letter unless it needs a capital

Tomorrow you will edit your notes.

Today:

1) Go to http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/ 
2) Choose “Mammals” > “Bactrian Camels
3) Inquiry Question: How are the camel humps used and how do they work?

Wednesday:
1) reread your notes 
2) remove all notes that do not to provide answers to the inquiry question
3) check that you use keywords only (not full copied sentences)

Assessment:
       Content (clarity, accuracy, quantity)
       Conventions (spelling, keywords)

I am really looking forward to reading your notes!

Love, Mrs. French

African Elephants

Dear Grade Fives!

Today, you will be doing something a bit different. You will go to a specific website and take short brief notes that answer a specific inquiry question. These notes will be recorded on your Blog Response word document. Tomorrow, you will edit your notes.

Today:

1. Go to http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/ 
2. Choose “Mammals” > “African Elephants”
3. Inquiry Question: How do African Elephants use their trunks?
4. record brief, keyword notes that answer the question

Wednesday:

1. reread your notes to ensure they provide answers to the inquiry question
2. check that you use keywords only (not full copied sentences)

Assessment:

• Content (clarity, accuracy, quantity)
• Conventions (spelling, keywords)

I am really looking forward to reading your notes!

Love, Mrs. French

Human Body: The Learning Highlights

Dear Grade Fives! 

Today: In Science, you are wrapping up your science unit on the human body. In a single and complete paragraph, please tell me at least three of the most interesting things that you have learned.

Tomorrow, you will edit your response, listen to it, and then have a peer edit it as well. Please note that the checklist is a bit longer. You will also be checking that you have used proper paragraph conventions. When you have made all of your corrections, you will copy your blog and post it as usual. You may want to have two windows open side-by-side, one with the blog letter and one being your word document.

Just a reminder that a paragraph contains:

a)  topic (promise) sentence: what you promise to tell the reader about

b) at least three support sentences (at least): specific examples or details about your topic

c)  concluding sentence: where you remind the reader what you promised to tell the reader

Love, Mrs. French

Christmas Holidays

Dear Grade Fives! 

Christmas is just around the corner. I would love to hear some of the special things you like to do over the holiday season. Today, in a complete paragraph, please share some of the celebrations, activities, or visits you are looking forward to doing. 

Tomorrow, you will edit your response and have a peer check the editing as well. Please note that the checklist is a bit longer. You will also be checking that you have used proper paragraph conventions. When you have made all of your corrections, you will copy your blog and post it as usual. You may want to have two windows open side-by-side, one with the blog letter and one being your word document.

As always, I look forward to reading your responses!
Love, Mrs. French

Your Favourite Activity, Game or Sport

Dear Grade Fives!

Before we begin, I want to remind you about opening and saving your blog comments. First, open your documents using the file folder along the bottom of your desktop. Keep all of your blog responses on one page. After saving and closing your word document, reopen and check that it is still there.

Today: In a complete paragraph, please tell me about your favourite activity, game or sport. Be sure to respond using a complete paragraph (topic sentence, at least three support sentences, concluding sentence).

Note: you must listen to your paragraph before you have someone else edit your response.

Tomorrow, you will edit your response, listen to it, and have a peer edit it as well. When you have made all of your corrections, your will post it. When it is ready, you will copy your blog and post it as usual. You may want to have two windows open side-by-side, one with the blog letter and one being your word document.

As always, I look forward to reading your responses!
Love, Mrs. French

The Human Body

Dear Grade Fives!  

Just as you did last week, you will take two days to complete your response.

Today: In Science, you have been learning about how the human body works. In a complete paragraph, please tell me what you have learned so far.

Tomorrow, you will edit your response and have a peer edit it as well. When you have made all of your corrections, you will post it. When it is ready, you will copy your blog and post it as usual. You may want to have two windows open side-by-side, one with the blog letter and one being your word document.

Just a reminder that a paragraph contains:

    a)  topic (promise) sentence: what you promise to tell the reader about

    b) at least three support sentences (at least): specific examples or details about your topic

    c)  concluding sentence: where you remind the reader what you promised to tell the reader

Love, Mrs. French

Novels You Enjoy

Dear Grade Fives!

Just as you did two weeks ago, you will take two days to complete your response to this blog.

Today: In a complete paragraph, please tell me what type of novels  you like to read (fiction books or story books). You can tell me about authors, titles, or book genres you really enjoy (adventure, mystery, science fiction etc.).

            Tomorrow: you will edit your response and have a peer edit it as well. When you have made all of your corrections, you will post it. When it is ready, you will copy your blog and post it as usual. You may want to have two windows open side-by-side, one with the blog and one being your word document.

As always, I look forward to reading your responses!
Love, Mrs. French

In Flanders Field

Hello Grade Fives!   

This week, at our Remembrance Day assembly, our class will recite the famous Canadian poem ‘In Flanders Field’. In preparation for our presentation, you will listen to the poem and read about when it was written. Please use the following links to become more familiar with when the poem was written, the author, and the poem itself. This week you will not be responding to the blog.

    

World War I the beginning in brief 

Snap shots of the war time

The Author

Why the poem was written

In Flanders Field      

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow  

In Flanders fields. 

John McCrae

Listen to the poem read aloud

Love, Mrs. French

Your Favourite Winter Activity!

Hello Grade Fives!  

  

This week, I would like you to write about an activity you enjoy doing in the winter. I would like you to choose one activity and give me at least three reasons why you enjoy it. You will respond by writing a complete paragraph that contains at least five sentences.

You will not post your response today, but you are required to complete it during this half hour.

Just a reminder that a paragraph contains:

a)  a topic (promise) sentence: what you promise to tell the reader about

b) at least three support sentences (at least): specific examples or details about your topic

c)  a concluding sentence: where you remind the reader what you promised to tell the reader

 

As always, I am looking forward to reading your responses!

Love, Mrs. French

Learning Behaviours

Dear Grade Fives! 

   I sent home your first term interims last week. This week in your blog response, I would like you to list five learning behaviours  (and the reasons why you chose them) that you will work on over the next few weeks.Learning behaviours are things you do to help you learn better. For example: listening carefully to lessons and instructions, completing work carefully and completely, checking your work over for errors, preparing for quizzes, bringing everything you need to class, and asking for help as needed. There are many more. Everything that makes your learning more successful.

I am very interested in what you are planning to do this term.

Love, Mrs. French  

Reflecting on Stellaquo!

Dear Grade Fives!       

Last week we went to Stellaquo. You learned many different things about nature and how everything is connected.   

In a full paragraph, please tell me what you learned. Remember that you were taught by a grade 6 or 7 student and then you went to learning centers. I look forward to your responses. 

                         Love, Mrs. French  

Salmon Life Cycle

Dear Grade Fives,

On Thursday Oct. 10th, we go to Stellaquo to see the salmon spawn. In preparation, I would like you to view the following video Life Cycle of Salmon and listen to the Salmon Life Cycle Song. 

I would then like you to write a short paragraph describing the salmon life cycle. Ensure that all sentences begin with a capital and end with a period. Please use your best guess spelling for unknown words.

I look forward to reading your paragraphs.

Love, Mrs. French  

Welcome!

Dear Grade Fives!

Today you will explore our class blog. Please look around, check out the pages links to the left and read them. This will help you get a feeling for what will be expected when doing these weekly blog assignments. You will begin responding to our blog starting next week.

Enjoy,

Love, Mrs. French

Natural Resources Paragraphs

Good morning Grade Fives,

Today you will be posting your research to both this Blog and to our class wiki. 
1) using your edited paragraph, edit your copy in your files (if your most recent one is on the Q Drive, open it and save in your file folder)
2) reread your paragraph to be sure you are happy with it
3) post it to this Blog
4) post it to the class wiki

• use your first name and first letter of your last name (without a capital or a space) 
• use your spelling 'user' name as your password e.g. jillf, dragon. 
• if needed, re-watch the video ‘Wikis in Plain English’ 
• go to the 'Canadian Natural Resources' pages to post your information 

Canadian Natural Resources Inquiry

Good morning Grade Fives!

          

               Today you will be exploring a new assignment for Science, "Canadian Natural Resources" Inquiry. You will choose a Canadian natural resource to explore in depth. You will be posting your information formally on our class wiki. You will use your first name and first letter of your last name (without a capital or a space) and your spelling 'user' name as your password e.g. jillf, dragon. Please go to our class wiki now, log in, and watch the video ‘Wikis in Plain English’. When done, please go to the 'Canadian Natural Resources' pages to see where you will be posting your information. 

          Your response this week will not be a paragraph. Instead, I would like you to list any questions you have about the assignment and send it through the blog. Please spend time thinking about this part. I want to ensure that you understand the assignment thoroughly.

          Love, Mrs. French

Canada's Natural Resources

Dear Grade Fives!

Today, in your Blog response, I would like you to write a complete paragraph about natural resources in Canada. I would like you to respond to the question: What are natural resources and what are some examples of those found and used in Canada?

Remember to 1) read over your response to ensure that it makes sense; 2) use spell-check to help you with your spelling; 3) listen to your blog; and 4) use the checklist to help ensure that your paragraph uses the correct conventions. These tools are intended to make it easier for you to complete a writing assignment successfully. Take advantage of them.

As always, I look forward to reading your responses!

Love, Mrs. French

Your Christmas Holidays

 

Dear Grade Fives!    

Today, for your Blog, I would like you tell me about your Christmas holidays: what you did, where you went, what you enjoyed.

         Although this is a personal topic, I am expecting a well-crafted paragraph. To help ensure this, please 1) read over your response to ensure that it makes sense; 2) use spell-check to help you with your spelling; 3) listen to your blog; and 4) use the checklist to help ensure that your paragraph uses the correct conventions. These tools are intended to make it easier for you to complete a writing assignment successfully. Take advantage of them.

As usual, I look forward to reading your responses.

Love, Mrs. French

Christmas Holidays

Dear Grade Fives! 

Today, in your Blog response, I would like you to write a complete paragraph about what you would like to do over Christmas holidays. In a short time, you will have two weeks to enjoy some well-earned time off.

          Remember, I am expecting a well-crafted paragraph. To help ensure this, please 1) read over your response to ensure that it makes sense; 2) use spell-check to help you with your spelling; 3) listen to your blog; and 4) use the checklist to help ensure that your paragraph uses the correct conventions. These tools are intended to make it easier for you to complete a writing assignment successfully. Take advantage of them.

As usual, I look forward to reading your responses.
Love, Mrs. French

Meeting Your Needs

Dear Grade Fives!

          This blog is Part Two of Two. You completed Part One last week.

Today, I would like you to read over last week’s response. I would then like you to tell me what you can do about dealing with these behaviours that make your learning more difficult. (You will write these plans in a list and not in a paragraph.) During the week, you and I will talk about your ideas and how I can help you succeed.

Please set up your response in the following way. For each of your behaviours that interfere with your success, I would like you to make a plan to stop it.

 For example,

1.   When I do not understand something, I will ask for help right away.

2.   Each day, before coming to school, I will make sure I have my glasses.

3.   I will move things that I play with away from the front of my desk.

To help ensure that your response is ready to post, please

1) Read over your response to ensure that it makes sense.

2) Use spell-check to help you with your spelling.

3) Listen to your blog.

4) Use the checklist to help ensure that your paragraph uses the correct conventions.

These tools are intended to make it easier for you to complete a writing assignment successfully. Take advantage of them.

As always, I look forward to reading your responses!
Love, Mrs. French 

Challenge: Are you looking for a little extra challenge? Write an 'I wonder...' question after your blog response e.g. something that you wonder about after reflecting on our topic.