Montessori Monitor >>>
Fourth & Fifth Grades Ms. Christina Miller, Ms. Susan Salvatore & Ms. Erin Sorel It’s hard to believe Winter Break is almost here! Here’s a look at what the 4th and 5 grade students have been working on in some of their academic classes: Towards the end of the first quarter, fourth graders enjoyed a visit to Morningside Nature Center for their hands-on program about the Timucua tribe that once lived in our part of Florida. Students enjoyed exploring the model of a Timucuan village and participating in many activities such as grinding corn, scraping fur from animal pelts, or trying to make fire using a “fire bow” as the Native Americans would have done. Fourth graders also went to the Florida Museum of Natural History for a program on other Native American tribes that once lived throughout Florida. Students enjoyed touring the museum exhibits with a docent as well as participating in some activities and crafts in the museum classrooms. In the second quarter, Florida History students have studied the period of exploration. Students have been practicing a play about Juan Ponce de Leon’s discovery and naming of Florida for the Spanish and are excited about performing the play for some of their classmates. In the garden, fourth graders have been having a blast with Ms. Wendy, our gardening expert. Students have learned about and grown fall crops such as mustard greens, various types of lettuce, radishes, carrots, snow peas, cabbage, bok choi and broccoli. Ms. Wendy has also encouraged students to eat what we’ve grown. Food tastings have included cooked mustard greens with corn bread and a bok choi stir fry. They have also been proud to take their produce home to share with their families. This quarter 4th and 5th grade students are working on the Mixtures and Solutions Module in science. They are learning about how substances go together and how they can be taken apart. We started out learning how to separate mixtures with filters. Then they studied solutions and the students made their own salt crystals by evaporating a solution of salt and water. They have just started discussing saturated solutions and the students have been trying to find out how some substances are more soluble than others. In 5th grade history with Ms. Susan Hansen students learned about growing tensions between the colonies and Great Britain. Students participated in experiential exercises where they understood the frustration the colonists felt under British Rule. Our 4th/5th grade literature and composition classes are just wrapping up their second novel of the year. In 4th grade we were all transported back to World War II in Copenhagen, Denmark in the novel Number the Stars. We have learned a great deal about the Nazi occupation, the treatment of the Jewish people, and the brave efforts of the Danish Resistance. We are anxiously awaiting the outcome of our heroine, Annemarie and her friend Ellen. Our 5th grade class is in suspense as we reach the exciting, and creepy, conclusion to our novel, The Seer of Shadows. This book has taken us to the backstreets of early 20th century New York City, following apprentice photographer, Horace. Horace, and his new friend Pegg, are experiencing dangerous encounters with the appearance of Eleanora’s ghost, and she is bent on revenge! The 5th graders in composition class have been working on their letter writing technique as they write letters to Santa. They were required to write from the point of view of a fairy tale character asking Santa for items that will help them deal with their problems. These letters will be read to a preschool/kindergarten class. After the reading of each letter, the class will be asked to guess the character that wrote the letter. Our class would like to thank the parent volunteers who have worked with us and helped out with special activities and field trips. Happy holidays! th