Measuring, Elf Style

We used Snowflake to review mapping skills this past week.

Since my handwriting is quite noticeable, I had Mr. R write instead.

Ms. P made this map of our classroom:

She also bought candy canes, which we hid in the treasure chest:

We used the opportunity to review legends, scales, measuring accurately, following directions, and how to use meter sticks.

 

It Returns

As I previously blogged about, my giant map from my previous blog, Project Postcard NV, will be returning to my classroom this year.

I'm really excited to use it to teach the 50 states and to use with geography, land forms, US regions, and so forth.  I'm excited to use some post cards to make literary connections to our read alouds.  One of the first post cards we'll put up is the Saint Louis arch since we're reading The Lightning Thief. 

This evening, after the arduous task of finding the map and post cards, I organized by region:

I decided this year, I want to add a little more.  I want to focus on colleges from each state to promote options to my students.  I want them to start thinking about their futures and making goals.  I want them to think outside of the box and that they have options besides UNLV.

If you are willing to send a post card from your college, it would be very much appreciated!

Ms. Vice
Iverson Elementary
1575 S. Hollywood Blvd
Las Vegas, NV  89142

What? You've Never Seen This?

Now that it's summer break, I have time to reflect upon yet another year in the classroom.  This year was my most challenging yet and for that, I am grateful. 

I have some definite face-palm moments in my classroom.

Sometimes I forget that things I assume are common knowledge just...aren't.

The first of many, many moments was when I had to clarify that kings and queens do actually exist.  We were reading informational text on the American Revolution, which naturally included a discussion on King George III.  This was our mentor text:

They really enjoyed reading and analyzing this passage, although the language and vocabulary did provide some stumbling blocks.  However, through discussion, I realized that many of them were confused.  They knew the passage we were reading was true and based on facts because it's informational text (hallelujah they've got that down), but were "clunking" on the king label.  They didn't realize that kings and queens were real.  So after a quick discussion that included yes, kings are real and no, dragons aren't, they seemed to be more okay with the topic.  

Apparently they then all went out to recess and informed the other fifth graders, thus ending their confusion as well.  Kings did (and do) exist.  Glad that's cleared up.

Second, some didn't realize World War Two actually occurred at all, much less (potentially) within their grandparents' lifetime.  We were reading Number the Stars and I set the necessary historical background.  We looked at some maps (okay Google Earth...it's much more interactive) and took a virtual field trip of Copenhagen.

Then some of my higher students, who have read Number the Stars earlier in the year made the connection that wait, this was based on true events.  Another made the connection to some video game, which sparked a class-wide discussion.  Next time, I think I'll start with the video game reference since that made a lot more sense to many of them.

Live, learn, and teach on!

Expository Writing

We started using the expository nonfiction writing unit in Being a Writer, but it simply wasn't meeting our needs.

This week is reading week and we are doing a travel theme.  

Our grade level was assigned Europe, so we are having our students research different European countries.  Instead of writing a paper, they're making travel brochures and loving it!

We reviewed text structures:

Then brainstormed research questions for each:

We went over a very simple organizer for note taking:

For this project, my students are required to use one print and one digital source.  My librarian shared Culture Grams with us.  I taught my students how to access this from our school's library site.  I like that we have access to different data bases and they're kid friendly!

We went over the outline of the brochure:

I modeled a thinking map about Ireland:

From my thinking map, I modeled writing research questions and then determining which text structure I'd use for my written response:

From there, I set up our hallway decoration using the map my awesome neighbor drew:

Norway, by the way, has a very difficult coast line!

We split Europe into four parts and I got Northern Europe.

Tomorrow we're finalizing our brochures and then our hallway display will be up to date!  I love how excited they are to research and learn about different places.

Snap Shots

As stated in a few prior posts, I don't have anything in my TpT store that I wouldn't and haven't used in my own classroom.  Everything I make is for my students, then shared.

I guess I'm taking advantage of this magical "free time" before I start a family to create these timeless, rigorous activities for and with my students.  

I'm only in 2 college classes and my boyfriend has an odd work schedule, so it works out in my students' favor.  I'm not very good at relaxing.  I'm great at watching Netflix, don't get me wrong, but I feel like I need to be doing something else too.  Good thing I can type without looking at the keys!

My students used 2 of our centers this week.

The first is our new Tiger Rising center:

They were quizzing each other on the characters in the novel based on descriptions from the text.  It's a great way to compare and contrast characters!

The second is our map sort center:

We used this as a small group review before we took our science test today on types of maps.  Technically, this is a science & social studies hybrid assessment (geography) but students had to create topographic maps, so it ties in with landforms as well! 

(Yes, it's pink.  That's normal for my classroom :)  )

Just some snap shots of our collaborative learning this week!

Aerial maps

We've been working on aerial maps in science:

We learned about political and physical maps.  We looked at keys and clarified crucial vocabulary (aerial, legend, etc).  Collaboratively we created a map of the classroom and their homework was to make a map of their bedrooms to share :)

Land Forms

We've been studying land forms for a few weeks now in science.  We've learned all about different types of maps, made several different versions and observed how elevation can change a stream table.  

Next week, we are going to conduct more stream table experiments, this time with flash floods. (One time with no elevation, one time with elevation to see the difference).  From there, we'll discuss more vocabulary, look at Google Earth for land forms and learn about layers of the earth.  Then, after we co-construct our anchor charts, we'll learn about the ring of fire and tectonic plates.

I saw this idea on pinterest and I think it's a perfect Friday science activity:

I'm totally game for combining food and science, it's hands-on, edible learning at its finest!

It's Friday

We will celebrate the little things in life.

Here are our updated anchor charts for roots and affixes.

Here is our topographic map.

We talked about elevation and contour lines today in science.  We also made our key and shaded in our contour lines.

We also had some great discussions about the different covers of Hatchet:

My students really dug deep into what the illustrator's intentions were and how the covers set different tones.

Science notebooks

We've talked a lot about notebooks this year.

In science, we've been studying land forms, geography, earth and space. 

We started with maps and created this tree map of maps (I crack myself up):

We have been looking at physical & political maps.  We talked about aerial maps and tried to be surveyors, mapping out the primary playground by using different benchmarks.

Today we built foam mountains and traced the "layers".  Tomorrow we'll discuss how these "layers" are really contour lines and dig deep into topographic maps.

I'm in no way following the suggested pacing guide because well, my pacing guide made more sense :)

Here is another thinking map about land forms:

We also went over the 5 themes of geography (Mr. Help!) which is available for free at my TpT store :)

Here is one of my TpT sorts in action, ready to be analyzed by my ten year old geologists:

Yay science :)

Resources for maps

I love teaching about maps and science/social studies.  Here are some great resources I stumbled upon while researching this summer.

This gem from national geographic is interactive and very student friendly.

 I didn't complete the whole game but it definitely scaffolds instruction for the students.  It also nicely lends itself for a cross curricular lesson with coordinate planes and graphing in the first quadrant.

The second site is unfortunately loaded with ads, but still has a lot of good vocabulary for students.

I would use this with caution due to the ads, but this could definitely be adapted by taking the relevant information and putting it into a word document for student notes.  That way, you can practice highlighting skills and note taking in addition to the science content.

This anchor chart does a great job at providing picture examples to go along with the vocabulary words.

 This anchor chart goes great with the land forms kit I teach and is wonderful for ELL (English Language Learners) students.

Map-a-poluzza!

I might be the rare one here, but I love teaching geography, history, government and really anything to do with maps.  My grade level happily appointed that FOSS science kit to me (well, land forms) because for some weird reason, being a cartographer and making sand models only appeals to me and my inner five year old.

For fifth grade purposes, we go over physical, political and topographic maps.  We use post cards from around the world to examine different land forms, learn about the fifty states and regions of the US.  We use this map and the matching world version to go over political maps, focusing on state and international boundaries along with capital cities:

(Map is from FAO Schwartz, but the Discovery Channel makes a very similar one that is not only less expensive, but usually on sale at Kohls!)

We use our globe, atlases and old-school pull down maps to go over the physical features of the earth (land forms) and visit both using the different layers on Google Earth.

If you haven't played with the 3D buildings, I highly recommend it! We used it for looking at the monuments in Washington DC and for exploring the remains of the Titanic.  There are also premade tours on Google Earth, which you can access in the gallery or clicking the tour button under "my places"

The topographic maps are included in our FOSS science kit, but I extend the learning by printing out topographic maps of our area so the kids can make connections with our own mountains.  Mount Shasta, as nifty as it is, doesn't have the same connection as our own Mt. Charleston in Las Vegas. 

Besides exploring our surrounding neighborhood and US land forms, we also use Google Earth for virtual field trips.  A favorite is to visit the moon and Mars :)  

On the Google Tool Navigation Bar, select the planet and pull down to visit the moon, Mars or the sky.  The default setting is our own planet but you can go elsewhere.

Since I'm in charge of reviewing the solar system, it makes perfect sense for me to take my little astronauts on a virtual trip to Olympus Mons, Mars.  We talk about the name, make the connection to Mount Olympus (since they study Greek mythology in fourth grade) and they absolutely love it.  I often have to shoo them out of my room come recess time so I can eat.

When we talk about land forms, volcanoes inevitably come up.  While I'm not opposed to the traditional baking soda, red food coloring & vinegar "volcano explosion", that experiment is part of another science kit.  So instead, we visit the volcano builder website and play with virtual volcanoes.  

The students learn the vocabulary associated with volcanoes (viscosity, magma, etc) as well as the classification of types of volcanoes.  They make predictions about the types of explosions that will occur when the pressure and viscosity levels are changed.  We also watch volcanic eruptions and discuss the geological processes that are occurring   A tip I picked up from Discovery Education is to play the video clip on silent and have students narrate what is happening on the condition that they use the academic vocabulary.   We use Discovery Education and PBS video streaming, but teacher tube, you tube, National Geographic and other sites have similar footage.

To check their understanding of maps, I created a sort which is available on TpT.  Hopefully your students love earth science as much as mine :)  You've got to put the joy in teaching and if tech toys don't do it for you, find something that does.