Where the Wild Things Are
I read something somewhere in the great unknown of social media this week that said something to the tune of: “Be an elementary school teacher if you like structure, a high school teacher if you like your subject matter deeply, and middle school… middle school is where the wild things are. Go there if you, too, are a wild thing.” I don’t know how ‘wild’ I can claim to be (my bed time is a case against that) but I certainly resonate with the wild wonder that is middle school. It often feels like we are learning everything, everywhere, all at once. Their minds are moving through one of the most unique turns, they are discovering new things all the time (this week at TCS specifically: new clubs/interest groups, new social emotional concepts), and I watch them find new sides of themselves every day.
Many adults are fearful of the wild middle schooler and their unique ways of being, but I suggest viewing them through the lens of their learning. Their writing, readings, interactions with peers, projects, discussions… they all point to the purpose and beauty of this wild rumpus.
-MK
ELA- In 5th grade ELA this week, readers discussed what it looks like to read with “wide awakeness” to notice more about characters in order to infer more deeply about how they are developing. We also began cursive instruction in our workbooks to prepare for future writing! Students were diligent as they studied for their vocabulary / roots & stems test. Be sure to inquire about their test grades!
Next week, readers will continue explorations of themes in Hello, Universe and transition to our first grammar unit of the year. They will also be introduced to the Book Club Theatre project to be presented on 9/10.
Science- This week in science 5th grade continued their exploration of soils by discovering how rocks break down into smaller pieces. Students tumbled rocks and simulated acid rain to observe physical and chemical weathering in action. Next week we will explore landforms created by erosion and deposition using stream tables.
Social Studies- Fifth grade has been working hard on their class project of creating their own version of the map of the world! They are working hard on communication, team work and the ability to create something in a group. I am so proud of them and their effort on this and cannot wait for you to see the finished product on curriculum night!
Math- This week in math, students expanded their knowledge of volume and challenged their building skills to include complex prisms (i.e. two prisms put together, irregular prisms, etc). Students used unit cubes and blocks to explore volume and understand what is meant by volume. We’ll even connect this to a real-life scenario we see here at school – trash and how much our school produces!
Next week, students will be assessed on their volume mastery during their Unit 1 test. They will be assessed on their ability to not only use the formula, but also to understand how it’s derived. They will connect their volume knowledge to real-life scenarios and explorations like building garden boxes to specific dimensions.
