December Reading Project
During the month of December, students are going to be asked to do their 30 minutes of at-home reading with an adult, preferrably someone in their family. Here is the criteria for accomplishing this assignment:
1. The student is to choose an available (and willing) family member of at least 18 years of age.
2. The student and adult are to research and select an appropriate text that will appeal to both of their interests.
3. The book needs to be on the independent reading level of the 5th grader.
4. During the month of December, the adult and 5th grader are to read the book. This may happen at the same time or at individually determined and convenient times.
5. The adult and 5th grader should plan regularly (at least once a week) to discuss the book. This may include: summarizing the plot, discussing characters, talking about author's language and craft, discussing likes and dislikes, identifying the main problem in the story, talking about connections, asking questions, making predictions, etc.
6. At the beginning of January, each reader (adult and 5th grader) will independently submit a book review of the book. These reviews will be submitted on Mrs. Jensen's Wiki page. The link for this website is found on this blog page. Additional information will come home on how to complete the assignment.
I am hopeful that this will be a rewarding literacy experience for everyone involved. Additionally, I hope that students will look to these reviews as a source of information about choosing future reading material. As students (and adults, if interested) read reviewed books, we will invite each reader to add to the Wiki reviews throughout the year. It should become a rich commentary of the literacy of our classroom community.
**This will count as the student's reading calendar for the month of December.
1. The student is to choose an available (and willing) family member of at least 18 years of age.
2. The student and adult are to research and select an appropriate text that will appeal to both of their interests.
3. The book needs to be on the independent reading level of the 5th grader.
4. During the month of December, the adult and 5th grader are to read the book. This may happen at the same time or at individually determined and convenient times.
5. The adult and 5th grader should plan regularly (at least once a week) to discuss the book. This may include: summarizing the plot, discussing characters, talking about author's language and craft, discussing likes and dislikes, identifying the main problem in the story, talking about connections, asking questions, making predictions, etc.
6. At the beginning of January, each reader (adult and 5th grader) will independently submit a book review of the book. These reviews will be submitted on Mrs. Jensen's Wiki page. The link for this website is found on this blog page. Additional information will come home on how to complete the assignment.
I am hopeful that this will be a rewarding literacy experience for everyone involved. Additionally, I hope that students will look to these reviews as a source of information about choosing future reading material. As students (and adults, if interested) read reviewed books, we will invite each reader to add to the Wiki reviews throughout the year. It should become a rich commentary of the literacy of our classroom community.
**This will count as the student's reading calendar for the month of December.
Reading
Reading research shows that students not only increase their reading expression, accuracy, rate, and speed by reading more, but that they also exponentially increase their vocabulary. The average elementary school child will increase their vocabulary by 500-700 words in a year. Although direct teaching of some of these words is appropriate, most students will learn the bulk of these words by reading, reading, reading throughout the school year.
One way that you can show your students that you value reading as a means of learning is by showing interest in what they are reading. Ask about the books that they are reading, both at school and at home, and allow them to discuss the plot, characters, and author's craft that they notice in them. Have students briefly summarize for you the plot of the story...this helps to support their comprehension of the text.
Students will be immersed in reading, writing about, and discussing rich texts during the year. Please also encourage your student to read for 1/2 hour every evening from a book of their choice, on their reading level. Students will be given reading logs at the beginning of each month and will be expected to turn these in for credit at the end of the month. Please watch for these to come home as they will need to be signed by a parent at the end of each month.
One way that you can show your students that you value reading as a means of learning is by showing interest in what they are reading. Ask about the books that they are reading, both at school and at home, and allow them to discuss the plot, characters, and author's craft that they notice in them. Have students briefly summarize for you the plot of the story...this helps to support their comprehension of the text.
Students will be immersed in reading, writing about, and discussing rich texts during the year. Please also encourage your student to read for 1/2 hour every evening from a book of their choice, on their reading level. Students will be given reading logs at the beginning of each month and will be expected to turn these in for credit at the end of the month. Please watch for these to come home as they will need to be signed by a parent at the end of each month.
Homework
The main portion of the homework for fifth graders goes home on Mondays. This includes a handwriting page, their spelling words, and usually some type of writing assignment. These are to be completed during the week and returned to school on Fridays. Math homework may be assigned during the week. This homework is to be completed at home and returned the next day.
Divisibility Rules for Math
Divisibility by:
2
If the last digit is even, the number is divisible by 2.
3
If the sum of the digits is divisible by 3, the number is also.
4
If the last two digits form a number divisible by 4, the number is also.
5
If the last digit is a 5 or a 0, the number is divisible by 5.
6
If the number is divisible by both 3 and 2, it is also divisible by 6.
7
Take the last digit, double it, and subtract it from the rest of the number; if the answer is divisible by 7 (including 0), then the number is also.
8
If the last three digits form a number divisible by 8, then so is the whole number.
9
If the sum of the digits is divisible by 9, the number is also.
10
If the number ends in 0, it is divisible by 10.
11
Alternately add and subtract the digits from left to right. (You can think of the first digit as being 'added' to zero.)If the result (including 0) is divisible by 11, the number is also.Example: to see whether 365167484 is divisible by 11, start by subtracting: [0+]3-6+5-1+6-7+4-8+4 = 0; therefore 365167484 is divisible by 11.
12
If the number is divisible by both 3 and 4, it is also divisible by 12.
13
Delete the last digit from the number, then subtract 9 times the deleted digit from the remaining number. If what is left is divisible by 13, then so is the original number.
[You may also want to look at a more complex method that can be extended to formulas for divisibility for prime numbers. Also, the idea of deleting the last digit and adding or subtracting a multiple of the digit from the remaining number can be generalized to test for divisibility by prime numbers up to 50 and beyond.]
2
If the last digit is even, the number is divisible by 2.
3
If the sum of the digits is divisible by 3, the number is also.
4
If the last two digits form a number divisible by 4, the number is also.
5
If the last digit is a 5 or a 0, the number is divisible by 5.
6
If the number is divisible by both 3 and 2, it is also divisible by 6.
7
Take the last digit, double it, and subtract it from the rest of the number; if the answer is divisible by 7 (including 0), then the number is also.
8
If the last three digits form a number divisible by 8, then so is the whole number.
9
If the sum of the digits is divisible by 9, the number is also.
10
If the number ends in 0, it is divisible by 10.
11
Alternately add and subtract the digits from left to right. (You can think of the first digit as being 'added' to zero.)If the result (including 0) is divisible by 11, the number is also.Example: to see whether 365167484 is divisible by 11, start by subtracting: [0+]3-6+5-1+6-7+4-8+4 = 0; therefore 365167484 is divisible by 11.
12
If the number is divisible by both 3 and 4, it is also divisible by 12.
13
Delete the last digit from the number, then subtract 9 times the deleted digit from the remaining number. If what is left is divisible by 13, then so is the original number.
[You may also want to look at a more complex method that can be extended to formulas for divisibility for prime numbers. Also, the idea of deleting the last digit and adding or subtracting a multiple of the digit from the remaining number can be generalized to test for divisibility by prime numbers up to 50 and beyond.]
