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Grade 5 Newsletter
Unit Four: PEACE ON EARTH Exhibition Next week, we begin our fourth unit of the year, Peace on Earth. The central idea for this unit is: Throughout history people have been challenged to maintain peace. Our guiding concepts during this investigation will be causation and change. We will ask Why is it like it is? Our big understandings will develop from the idea that things do not just happen—there are causal relationships at work and that actions have consequences. We will also ask How it is changing? Students will build on their understanding that we live in a world that is in a constant process of movement and change, which is universal and inevitable. In addition to our new unit, Grade 5 students will begin the foundation thinking for our Unit Six inquiry—the Exhibition. The Exhibition is the culmination project in the Primary Years Program. It is an in-depth research project in which students will work independently on a topic of their choice. In addition, the inquiry has an important collaborative element, for which students will be in groups, or “collaborative teams” to support each other and discuss the process. This year the Exhibition takes a different form than you may be seen in the past. We will invite you to a parent information meeting some time in the coming weeks to explain how it will work.
Danish A The students finished their Danish Juleposters and presented for class. You will find photos of them in their portfolios. Next we will look into the Danish King Chr. 4th and his time. He was a king through war and peace in Denmark. Next book report is due Feb. 9th.
Mathematics Over the course of this unit, students will investigate angles, volume and capacity. Angle can be seen as and thought of in at least three ways.These are as the spread between two rays; the corner of a 2-dimensional figure; and an amount of turning. The concept of angle is something that we see students developing gradually over several years. As their concept matures, they will be able to apply it in a range of situations including giving instructions for directions and finding heights. Outside school and university, angle is something that is used regularly by surveyors and engineers both as an immediate practical tool and as a means to solve mathematics that arises from practical situations. So angle is important in many applications in the ‘real’ world as well as an ‘abstract’ tool. This all means that angles have a fundamental role to play in mathematics and its application.
January 20, 2012
Parent Teacher Conferences February 7 and 9 Please refer to the email from Mette regarding electronic signup for booking a time. Conferences are 20 minutes and will take place between 1:00 and 5:00. You may also book separate conferences with your child’s PE and Danish teachers. We recommend that you do not book conferences back to back so you can allow for travel time between classrooms. Please note that these conferences are for parents and teachers only. Arrangements for childcare for younger siblings can be made through Mette at a cost to the parents.
–Taken from an explanation of simple angles—NZMaths.co.nz.
ACER Testing
Language Narrative writing has been the focus of the language program over the past few weeks. Using our knowledge and experience with Snapshot Writing, the students have been practicing expanding the plot, character and setting and creating original stories with a clear beginning, middle and end. We have used a plot-line diagram to map the flow of a story and have engaged in the writing process to revise and refine our ideas.
Danish B2
Danish B1
We read about different Danish superstition characters Nisse, Engel , Heks and Trold. Focus was on how these figures look like, what their role is and who believe in them. Students are now writing a skit introducing one of the characters.
The students are in full swing writing about Nissen Niels and his family. They are inquiring into the real beliefs of Scandinavian nisser then and now and incorporating this into their writings.
PE We have just started a basketball unit in PE and have
The Arts and ICT
been looking at drills and warm-up activities that help improve our ball handling and movement skills. We are working our way through the different elements of basketball playing modified games and taking on related ball challenges. Ultimately we should be able to reflect on those skills that are transferable from one sport to another and those that are specific in nature.
Beginning on Monday, January 23 (Unit Four) students in Grade 5 will resume Art and ICT lessons. In Unit Five students will have Drama and Music.
See our dramatic display of cathedral inspired art work in the grade 5 hallway.
LeaChristiansen@cis.dk, MoiraChristensen@cis.dk, KarenSerritslev@cis.dk Copenhagen International School 22-26 Hellerupvej 2900 Hellerup Denmark T +45 39463300
February 7,8,9 Students in grade 5 will take the ACER International School test over three mornings. ACER measures academic performance through a series of tests across math, reading and writing. The main purpose of the test is to compare CIS to other International schools. Parents will be informed (by mail) of their child’s individual results. You will receive more information about the ACER before the testing days.
French & German Language Classes For the second half of the year, students will switch language classes and have the opportunity to listen and learn in the other language offered in the middle school. Later in the spring, parents and students will be asked to select the language that the student wishes to study in Grade 6.
Cultures Day Thank you to our room parents for organizing the Cultures Day lunch on January 30. Please be sure to check the email and sign-up to bring a dish to share. Cultures Day activites and the lunch will take place in the Grade 5 classrooms.