5B Classroom News: Week of Nov. 18th

A note from Mrs. Burke:

Students spent time this week participating in investigations during our properties of matter science unit. Their focus has been on density. They have also been interpreting metaphors found in the book Esperanza Rising in language arts. We have had rich discussions about the connection of metaphors and proverbs found in Esperanza Rising, and precepts that are in the book Wonder that we are using with our Second Step lessons.

Many students have asked if I can make the Spanish songs they are learning with Mrs. Bristow more accessible to them. In response to their request, I have created a Spanish Songs link under the Useful Links on the right hand side of this blog. Enjoy!

There will not be a blog post next week due to the short school week. I hope you have a relaxing break with family and friends.

Keep reading to see what our classroom reporters posted this week.

Science:  Properties of Matter: 
Structures of Molecules and Density of Liquids

How did the Cheerio Lab help you to understand the properties of molecules in solids, liquids, and gasses?

The Cheerio lab helped me see what the molecules might look like in solids, liquids, and gases. It showed me that with a solid molecules they do not have much room to move around.

-Aaron

How the Cheerio Lab help me to understand the properties of molecules in solids, liquids, and gasses was the it made me understand that the molecules in solids are close together and the molecules in liquids are a little farther away and the molecules in gases just go crazy.

-Emmariah

The cheerio lab helped me because when I placed down the cheerio on the paper
it helped me see solids, liquids and gases and how they are formed.  

-Alisha

It helped me understand by the solids are close together and the liquids are a little spaced out and the gas is spread out a lot so that helped me with the matters.

-Kayd

How they are different and how they are spaced out and size difference of spacing.

-Liam

The investigation with cheerios helped me by showing me what the atoms inside
a solid, liquid, and gas.

-Maxwell

It helped me understand what molecules look like in a solid, liquid, and gas.

-Peyton

What did you learn about how density affects liquids during our Layering of Liquids investigations this week?

It helped me learn the different densities of liquids.

-Andre

Density is not all the same, less density the littler it is and if it is more density the heavier it is.

-Liam

What I  learned about how density affects liquids during our Layering of Liquids investigations this week is that the most dense goes to the bottom and least the dense goes to the top.

-Triv-Ann

Language Arts:  Esperanza Rising

How did the author of Esperanza Rising use the river as a metaphor in the book?  Give at least one example.  

I loved the Esperanza Rising book it was so so so so so so good it was the best. 

-Ben

The author of Esperanza Rising use the river as a metaphor in the book to say that they could be together because she was rich and he was poor. At that time, rich people where to be with rich people and poor people to be with poor people.

-Charleigh

The author of Esperanza Rising used the river as a metaphor by saying that Miguel and Esperanza stand on different sides of the river. This metaphor implies that at the time Miguel and Esperanza were in different classes, one was the ranch owners daughter and the other was the housekeeper's son.

-Cody 

How they used the river is one is poor and one is rich and now they are both peasants, now they're on the same side of the river.

-Liam

The author of Esperanza Rising (Pam Manoz Ryan) used the river metaphor in the book when Esperanza said, “Are you on the other side of the river? No! You are still a peasant." 
-Maxwell

In Esperanza Rising, what the river means is that Esperanza and Miguel are not equal because Miguel is the son of a peasant and Esperanza is the daughter of the land owner. 
-Peyton

An example that the author of Esperanza Rising use the river as a metaphor in the book is she used it to decide how they thought different and when she wanted to marry the peasant's son and she was a ranch owners daughter.

-Riley

5B Classroom Blog: Week of Nov. 11th

A note from Mrs. Burke:

This week on our classroom blog, students reflected about science, language arts, and Science. They have enjoyed learning more about states of matter in science, anticipating the end of the book we have been reading in language arts, and expanding their Spanish vocabulary through song and dance.

Just a reminder that the 5th grade is currently having a fundraiser to raise money for our end of the school year activities. Please click here to participate in our fundraiser, and make sure you include our group # 990006902 with your order. Thank you for your consideration.

Please keep reading to see what our classroom reporters wrote about this week.

Science:  Properties of Matter:  Chemical or Physical Change Investigation


In the chemical or physical change investigation, what was your favorite station?  Why?

In the chemical or physical change investigation, my favorite station was the one with the tablet that dissolved and fizzed in the water because it looked cool and the water turned a cool blue color. I also liked the baking soda and vinegar because it was like a volcano. I also liked the one where the paper turned blue because it was cool and unexpected.
-Andre 

My favorite investigation was the tablet one because it was cool when it dissolve in the water and the water turned blue I thought it would be clear!

-Alisha

My favorite investigation was the baking soda and the vinegar it was so cool! And it felt weird and the clay one it felt cool and the paper ones I thought they were going to turn white not purple

-Kayd

My favorite station in was the baking soda and vinegar when it was foamy.

-Liam

My favorite was the baking soda and vinegar because it felt cool and it was cool watching it grow.

-Peyton

My favorite station of the physical change investigation was the ammonia and starch because it was so surprising.
-Riley

What did you find most surprising in the chemical or physical change investigation?  Why?
I found out that ammonia was the same color as the starch they both turned purple.
-Liam

The most surprising was the tablet and water because the water turned blue.

-Peyton

What I found most surprising was yellow paper tuning to purple paper when you dipped it into the starch and ammonia.
-Riley

Language Arts:  Esperanza Rising

Which human rights have been threatened the “Los Duraznos” chapter of Esperanza Rising? 
How does it make you feel when these human  rights have been threatened? Why?

One human right that was threatened was on page 233 because Esperanza works super hard to get all the money and someone stole it all. That is human right number 2 because number 2 is workers right and someone just took all her hard work. It makes me feel sad because she works hard to work for it.

-Peyton 

One of the human rights that has been threatened in “Los Duraznos” is #2 (no

discrimination) because the Oklahoma people get new cabins and new toilets inside with hot water and swimming pool they can use all week but the Mexicans swim on Fridays before they clean it on Saturdays.

-Riley

Spanish Class:  

What is your favorite part of Spanish class with Mrs. Bristow?  Why?
My favorite part of Spanish is all the new ways to say words in Spanish. My favorite word is hola!
-Adios Aaron!

My favorite part of Spanish class with Mrs. Bristow is the songs because they are fun.
-Andre

I loved Spanish this week because it is the best thing ever and we get to watch funny Spanish videos and they are the best and I really like all of the Spanish. 
-Ben

My  favorite part of Spanish class with Mrs. Bristow is when we dance do the cha cha because it’s just fun and I like the song we do it to. I like it when the singer says sugar, she says it in all her songs. 
-Charleigh

My favorite part of Spanish with Mrs. Bristow is learning about the countries and capitals of the Spanish speaking world. I like learning about the countries and capitals of the Spanish speaking world because my favorite subject is geography and studying maps and the world.

-Cody

My favorite part of Spanish class with Mrs. Bristow is when she teaches us a dance step (“cha, cha, cha”) because she puts on a famous song and while the music is playing we all start dancing and she’s up front showing us the new step.  It’s all very fun!

-Colin

My favorite part of Spanish class with Mrs. Bristow is when we listen to Spanish songs. I like it because we do dances with it.

-Emmariah  

My favorite part of Spanish with Mrs.Bristow is the music and dancing because they are fun to do and you can get a lot of energy out!

-Alisha

My favorite part is listening to the music because you got to dance to the music.

-Peyton

My favorite part of Spanish class with Mrs. Bristow is when we do the dances because I love to dance.

-Triv-Ann