Poems, more poems! Someone stop me before I share some more.

The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson
Sea Fever by John Masefield
Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
Wynken, Blynken and Nod by Eugene Field
Helen Keller by Langston Hughes
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
The Say Hey Kid by Sue Mason

Share your favorite poem with me and I will include it below:
Lauren likes Warning by Shel Silverstein
Kavya likes The Genie in the Flask by Shel Silverstein
Dharshan likes The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt
Owen likes Homework! Oh, Homework!

Adding and Subtracting Fractions

Santa Drawing Contest 2016

Vote for your favorite Santa drawings.

Happy Holidays!

Subtracting Mixed Numbers

Math is Fun also has a good lesson and some practice on subtracting mixed numbers.

Adding Fractions

Simplifying Fractions

Now try out Khan Academy's practice and lessons.

Check out Math Playground's page on simplifying fractions.

Equivalent Fractions

Learn more about equivalent fractions on Khan Academy's website.
Try out some practice.

Read Aloud -- Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

Fraction Introduction

Review these basic concepts, from previous grades, before we start our fractions unit after the break.



Watch and learn more on Khan Academy's website.

Division with Decimals Instead of Remainders

LLooooonnnngggg Division

Review long division by watching this video.


Watch more videos and try out some practice.

Bill of Rights -- Homework

Read the Bill of Rights.

Read a simplified version of the Bill of Rights.

How does this relate to the UDHR?

November 8 is election day.  Here are a few amendments that are relevant to voting.
The 15th amendment
The 19th amendment

You can read about all of the amendments to the US Constitution below:
Amendments 1-27
Amendments 1-27 summarized

Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences -- Part 2

Read a lesson with examples here.
Read this short lesson on using the word "because."
Complex sentences made easy.
FANBOYS explained -- coordinating conjunctions

Quiz time!

Run-Ons, Fragments and Sentences ... Oh My!

Sentence Fragments Practice
Spot the Sentence Game
Repairing Run-Ons Quiz

Converting Units of Measurement

Check out this reference page for fun videos and resources.
Khan Academy's page has useful videos and practice.

Check out these useful games:
Which is more? customary
Which is more? metric

Skeletons, Muscles and Nerves = Awesome!

Learn more about bones.
Learn more about muscles.
Learn more about nerves & the brain.

Multiplying Decimals

Try out some basic practice.
Try some more difficult problems.

The Decimal Cruncher from Cool Math.

The Digestive System

Read more about the digestive system on National Geographic Kids.
Biology for Kids also has good information.
One final website to read about the digestive system on is Science Kids.

Quiz Time:
Free Science Quiz
Digestive System Quiz

If you finish everything above, the song below is just for fun.

Fragments and Run-On Sentences

Please try out 4 of the exercises on run-on sentences or fragments on internet4classrooms.

Order of Operations Song

Order of Operations

Check out a short tutoring video.

Try out this self check quiz.

Check out more videos and practice on Khan Academy's website.

Prime Factorization

Check out Khan Academy's page for practice and more videos on this topic.

Circulatory and Respiratory Systems Review

Watch the two songs below for a fun review of these systems.  Then please read the the information on the links before you write your Kidblog post about how the circulatory and respiratory systems work together.

Circulatory System:



Read these two links of information about the circulatory system:
Biology 4 Kids
Discovery Kids

Respiratory System:


Read these two links of information about the respiratory system:
Kids Biology
Discovery Kids

Intro to Factors

Watch this video to get a head start on math lessons that we will get to later this week.

Subjects and Predicates

Knowledge of subjects and predicates is important.  Every complete sentence needs to have a subject and a predicate.  If you don't have both, then you wrote a sentence fragment.  :(

Practice subjects and predicates using this link.  What was your score?

Quia quiz -- Subj & Pred

Dividing Decimals by Whole Numbers Intro

Now try out this example page.

Writing with Dialogue

Read about the basic rules for writing with dialogue.
How to use proper punctuation when writing with dialogue.

Adding dialogue to a personal narrative. -- Learnzillion

Multiplying Decimals

This is a good review video.  Once you have watched it, try out this example page.

Don't neglect practicing your multiplication and division facts.

Avoid Sentence Fragments!

Always use complete sentences.

Complete the slideshow and watch this video:

Once you are finished, quiz yourself:
Quia Quiz
Softschools Quiz

Subtracting Decimals

Watch the video above and try the following link.  Lesson 7 adding and subtracting decimals.
Check out the Khan Academy page and try a few word problems.

Quiz yourself.

Adding Decimals

Adding decimals word problem: Here's a simple word problem asking us to put our adding decimals skill to work. We sound like a broken record, but be sure and ALIGN DECIMALS.

Check out a few more more example videos and practice on Khan Academy's website.
Once you've mastered this concept, quiz yourself! :)
Quiz #1
Quiz #2

Rounding Numbers and Decimal Numbers

We are working on rounding decimals as a class.  This video is a good review of rounding.
Check out Khan Academy for different videos and to practice rounding.
Are you good at this?  Great!  Now quiz yourself.

Comparing Decimal Numerals

Try out some Khan Academy practice.

Check out a lesson from Math Goodies.

Theme Part 2

Watch the video above for more information on theme.  Try out the following quizzes for practice:
Quia -- Theme Practice
Learning Farm -- Theme

Multiply & Divide by Powers of 10

Decimal Place Value

Are you feeling that you would like a bit more review of decimal basics?  Check out this Math Antics video as a fun way to review.


Would you like the review the basics of place value with whole numbers?  Check out this video.

Finding a Theme in Literature

The first video shows you how to find a topic which should be used to find the theme of a story.  Watch the video below to show you how to apply this knowledge to make a statement about the theme of a story.



Now read through this slideshare presentation to learn more about finding the theme.

Multiplying and Dividing Decimals by Powers of 10

This was one of the most amusing ways I've ever seen to teach this.  It had to be posted.
Try out this lesson if you still need help.

Multiplication Review

Watch the video above and try out some online practice.

Geography Introduction

Basic geography terms from Laura Salvador

Fantasy vs. Realistic Fiction

We will be exploring fantasy vs. realistic fiction in class as an introduction to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.  Please read the following articles to help you understand the differences:

Fantasy vs. Realistic Fiction
Fantasy and Realistic Fiction Prezi
Children's Lit Fantasy
Children's Lit Realistic Fiction
What is the relationship between fantasy and fiction?

Practice Your Multiplication Facts Online

Practice your math facts until you have perfected them.  Try these out:

1.  Math Facts Pro
2.  Math Flashcards from Factmonster
3.  Math Playground
4.  Multiplication.com Games

Please spend at least 15 minutes practicing your math facts.

School Supplies 2016-2017

Here is a handy list of school supplies for the 2016-2017 school year:

1. 3 ring binder
2. Binder paper
3. 5 subject dividers
4. #2 pencils
5. One spiral notebook with at least 70 pages
6. Backpack
7. 2 book covers
8. Red pen

If you are looking to donate items to the class, we could use the following:

1. Graph paper
2. Colored copy paper
3. Kleenex
4. Pencils and binder paper

Welcome Back to School

Congratulations!  You found my teaching blog.  We will use this blog throughout the year for educational purposes.  Your first task is to leave me a comment so that I know you found me.

Check out ideas for books you should read during your free time.

Congratulations to all of my students who completed the Summer Reading Challenge!  I'll get you your certificates this week.  If you have left the school, you should email me your new address.

Summer Reading Challenge 2016 -- It's Not Too Late!

Hello to all of the fabulous readers that have been participating in the Summer Reading Challenge.  It's not too late to squeeze in a book or two before the end of the summer.  As always, leave a comment here with the title and author.

Books that I recommend:

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Honus and Me by Dan Gutman
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett
Harry Potter #1 by JK Rowling
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg
Baseball in April by Gary Soto

The BFG

I just took my daughter to see The BFG today.  It was a decent movie, but I prefer Roald Dahl's book.  If you are looking for something to read for the Summer Reading Challenge, then you should give The BFG a try.

Summertime Field Trips

Don't just participate in the Summer Reading Challenge this year.  You should also educate yourself by trying out a few field trips with your family over the summer.  Try these out:

San Jose:
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
The Tech Museum
San Jose Museum of Art
Discovery Museum

SF Bay Area:
CA Academy of Science
Exploratorium
Oakland Zoo
SF Zoo
Aquarium of the Bay
Lawrence Hall of Science

Summer Reading Challenge 2nd Post -- Library Style

You can double up on the Summer Reading Challenge by participating in the library's program as well.  They offer cool prizes, activities and drawings.

Check it out:
SJ Public Library Summer Reading Challenge
Try a few of their book suggestions.

Don't forget to check your status in my Summer Reading Challenge.  Leave a comment on this post with your name, book title, and author so I can track your progress.

Announcement: THE SUMMER READING CHALLENGE OF 2016 IS HERE!!!

Announcing the Summer Reading Challenge of 2016!!!

Who?  Anyone from our school who likes to read.

What?  Read books over the summer and leave a comment telling me what you read.  A participant will read at least 5 good chapter books this summer.  A champion reader will read at least 10 books this summer.  An elite reader will read 15 or more books.

When?  The Summer Reading Challenge starts June 8 and ends on the first day of school.

Where?  That's the beauty of it.  You can participate from anywhere in the world!  Just leave me a comment for each book you read.

How?  As you complete chapter books this summer, leave a comment with the author and title of the book.  I will update you on the official SUMMER READING CHALLENGE PAGE.  You can track your progress and the progress of your friends too.

Why?  Do you really need to ask this question?  You should participate because reading is awesome!  I will also be recognizing students who participate and read at least 5 books when we return in the fall with award certificates.

Book lists:
American Library Association
Goodreads
Education World 5th Grade
Education World 6th Grade
Imagination Soup 5th Grade

Math Games and Practice

Check out these great math resources!  Practice your skills constantly so you are ready for sixth grade.  Follow the links to cool websites and games.
Math Playground 5th
Math Playground 6th
Math-Play 5th
Fun Brain
Hooda Math
Internet4Classrooms
Mr. N

Bill of Rights

Once you have watched the video above, read the actual language in the Bill of Rights. (Please read this whole article carefully.)

Scholastic News -- Bill of Rights
History for Kids -- Bill of Rights

Once you have completed all of the reading, please write a paragraph on Kidblog explaining which right is the most important right, in your opinion.

Interpreting Line Graphs

Watch another video on misleading line graphs.

Read these lessons from Math Goodies and do the problems at the bottom of the page.

Electric Circuits

Science Games -- Electricity Circuits

How do electric circuits work?

The Constitution -- Schoolhouse Rock -- Civics PBL

These two videos serve as an amusing introduction to our Civics project.  Schoolhouse Rock is old, but a fun way to learn.

Thank you.

To my entire class,

Thank you very much for the birthday wishes, songs, and gifts.  You are a great class.

Sincerely,

TeacherP

Practice Your Coordinate Grid Skills

Coordinate Plane Basics

Locating Coordinates

Finding Ordered Pairs

Quiz yourself and let me know how you do.

General Washington -- American Revolution PBL

We will be watching several videos this week as part of our PBL unit on the American Revolution.

Biography.com -- George Washington

General Powell on General Washington

Freeschool -- George Washington

American Revolution Videos -- Mr. N

Geometry Review -- Points, Lines & Planes

This is a great review video of several concepts that we have already learned.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

While you are at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, your job will be to find one sea creature that you find fascinating.  Please research that creature and write a one paragraph summary of what you learned about that creature on Kidblog.  I will be looking for well-researched paragraphs.  (You can do this research at the aquarium or on the internet.)  You must pick a creature that is currently at the aquarium for this assignment.

You can visit the aquarium's website for more information.
Have fun!

American Revolution -- PBL Unit

How did the major battles and events of the American Revolution affect the outcome of the war?

This will be our driving question for this project.  All of your work should be based on this question.
As the culminating task of this unit, you will be creating a slideshow with your Google account.

Your slideshow should include:

1. A cover slide that includes the driving question.
2. Five to seven slides with information about the battle or event.
• What happened?  Why?
• Who won?  How?
• How did this victory or defeat affect the outcome of the war? or How did this event affect the outcome of the war?
• How did this battle/event change history?
• How did the war change because of this?
3. A bibliography slide with links to resources that you found useful.
4. Relevant pictures and images that support your information.

Your group for this project can be found on this page.  I have assigned battles on a preliminary basis.  Your group will be able to trade with another group prior to beginning this slideshow.

Useful resources:
Battles & Events of the Revolutionary War
Kid Info -- Revolutionary War
Land of the Brave -- Rev Battles
American Revolution -- Ducksters

Thomas Jefferson and The Declaration of Independence

We have been learning about Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence.  Learn more about this Founding Father:

Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence

Jefferson and Slavery

Brief Biography of Thomas Jefferson

You can read the complete text of the Declaration of Independence, one of our country's most important historical documents.

Coordinate Plane -- All Four Quadrants

Points on the coordinate plane examples: Let's get familiar with the x/y coordinate plane, both from the perspective of plotting points and interpreting the placement of points on a plane.
Please watch the video above and this one from Learnzillion.

Play a game on a coordinate plane.

Coordinate Plane

Coordinate plane: graphing points

Watch the video above for the basics of the coordinate plane.  Please practice with these three activities on Khan Academy's website.  Now try out these word problems and videos.

American Revolution Introduction -- Just for Fun!

This Schoolhouse Rock video will serve as a fun way to introduce the American Revolution that we will be studying this week.  Read about the Shot Heard Round the World and the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Practice Measuring Angles with a Virtual Protractor

Measuring angles using a protractor: Sal uses a virtual protractor to measure some angles.

Once you have watched the video above, use the Khan Academy virtual protractor.

Quadrilateral Overview

Quadrilateral properties: Sal discusses the properties of quadrilaterals, parallelograms, trapezoids, rhombuses, rectangles, and squares.
As you watch this video, think about how it relates to what we have been learning in class.  Watch more on the Khan Academy website.

Quadrilateral Introduction

Our class will be studying quadrilaterals this week. Please watch the video above as an introduction to this topic.

Area of a Rectangle -- Fractional Side Lengths

Science Fair Projects Are Due April 8

Your science fair project is due the week we get back from Spring Break (April 8).  We will be presenting our projects to the class that week.  If you are still working on your project, don't forget to follow the science fair directions for this class.  Don't forget that we will hold our science fair after school on April 11.

Are you still wondering how to display your project?  Try out these links for help:
Science Fair Extravaganza
Science Buddies
Science Fair Central