Hi 5th grade families! We began learning about 4C paragraph structure at school this week. This is a new writing format that students will use to write their reading responses this year. Please note that we are at the beginning of the learning process when it comes to this strategy. Students are not expected to be experts in this process right now. This week, students are asked to attempt making a claim related to the book that they are reading and then attempt a 4C paragraph. On Monday, I sent home a double-sided graphic organizer for students to keep in their binders. On one side, each C is defined so that students know what to do at each step. On the other side is a blank outline for students to use when drafting their 4C paragraphs.
What I love about this paragraph structure is that it can be used for a variety of prompts. Students can make any claim about a book and successfully support it with this structure. Monday in class, we practiced using the 4C paragraph structure to respond to this prompt: "What character trait does the main character in your book demonstrate? Support your claim with a citation from the text that will serve as evidence." Below are two examples that could work with this prompt. Please reach out if you or your child have questions after reviewing the guide that went home today.
Example prompt and responses:
Name a character and identify a character trait that they possess. Use evidence from the text to support your idea.
Claim
Dillon Samreen is conceited and thinks that he’s better than everyone else!
Context
In the book Save Me a Seat, a 5th grade teacher assigns a personal reflection project. Dillon’s project shows exactly what he thinks of himself!Citation
“It’s a big plastic yellow star with a picture of- what else? Dillon’s face glued to the center… He sets it on his desk, pushes the ON button, and the whole thing lights up and starts playing ‘Ghetto Superstar’” (p.178)
Commentary
This citation proves that Dillon is conceited because he chose a big shining star as a symbol for himself. Many other students in the class chose more grounded and realistic symbols to represent themselves. For example, Joe chose a blue M&M to show that he is unique and Ravi chose leeches to show that he never gives up. Dillon chose a star because he thinks he’s the coolest kid EVER!
Claim
Kek is very hopeful even in hopeless situations.
Context
In one scene, Kek talks to his cousin Ganwar about his missing mother. Ganwar encourages Kek to give up hope that he will ever see his mother again, but Kek keeps believing.
Citation
“Hoping isn’t foolish, I say. If I can make it all the way here, then anything can happen” (p.45).
CommentaryThis citation proves that Kek is hopeful in hopeless situations because he refuses to give up on the idea that his mother may have survived. He knows all of the dangers she faced and how hard it was to stay alive in Sudan, but he believes she has survived. Ganwar has given up hope and dislikes his American life. I think Kek has a brighter future than Ganwar because he keeps hoping!
Walker Creek Final Payments and Paperwork
Keyboarding Without Tears
Mustang Stampede Barrel Donations Desired- A Letter from Principal Kostelnik and Assistant Principal O'Connor
The annual PTA sponsored Mustang Stampede will take place on Sunday, October 14th from 12-3pm. We are all looking forward to this community building, family fun event!
This year’s classroom contribution will be a themed grade level “rodeo barrel” that will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. All proceeds go to the Edna Maguire PTA to fund school programs!
We are asking grade level families to donate theme related items to their grade level’s barrel. For instance, if the grade level’s theme is Movie Night, the barrel could contain fun items such as caramel popcorn, movie tickets/ice cream vouchers, free eye exam coupons from your local optometrist, etc.
Grade level themes and Sign Up Genius links are listed below. Barrels will be assembled at school and auctioned off at the Mustang Stampede!
TK/Kindergarten:Garden Theme https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-mustang
1st Grade:Parent’s Night Out Theme https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-1stgrade
2nd Grade:Lovin’ Local Theme https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-mustang1
3rd Grade:Ice Cream Theme https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-mustang2
4th Grade:Family Game Night Theme https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-mustang3
5th Grade:Cooking Theme
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-mustang4
Thank you so much in advance for your generous support! We look forward to seeing all Edna families at the Stampede!
Yee-haw!!
Leo Kostelnik and Aubrey O’Connor
Curriculum updates:
Writing
Mathematics
Thank you for reading and have a great week!
Bethany
What I love about this paragraph structure is that it can be used for a variety of prompts. Students can make any claim about a book and successfully support it with this structure. Monday in class, we practiced using the 4C paragraph structure to respond to this prompt: "What character trait does the main character in your book demonstrate? Support your claim with a citation from the text that will serve as evidence." Below are two examples that could work with this prompt. Please reach out if you or your child have questions after reviewing the guide that went home today.
Example prompt and responses:
Name a character and identify a character trait that they possess. Use evidence from the text to support your idea.
Claim
Dillon Samreen is conceited and thinks that he’s better than everyone else!
Context
In the book Save Me a Seat, a 5th grade teacher assigns a personal reflection project. Dillon’s project shows exactly what he thinks of himself!Citation
“It’s a big plastic yellow star with a picture of- what else? Dillon’s face glued to the center… He sets it on his desk, pushes the ON button, and the whole thing lights up and starts playing ‘Ghetto Superstar’” (p.178)
Commentary
This citation proves that Dillon is conceited because he chose a big shining star as a symbol for himself. Many other students in the class chose more grounded and realistic symbols to represent themselves. For example, Joe chose a blue M&M to show that he is unique and Ravi chose leeches to show that he never gives up. Dillon chose a star because he thinks he’s the coolest kid EVER!
Claim
Kek is very hopeful even in hopeless situations.
Context
In one scene, Kek talks to his cousin Ganwar about his missing mother. Ganwar encourages Kek to give up hope that he will ever see his mother again, but Kek keeps believing.
Citation
“Hoping isn’t foolish, I say. If I can make it all the way here, then anything can happen” (p.45).
CommentaryThis citation proves that Kek is hopeful in hopeless situations because he refuses to give up on the idea that his mother may have survived. He knows all of the dangers she faced and how hard it was to stay alive in Sudan, but he believes she has survived. Ganwar has given up hope and dislikes his American life. I think Kek has a brighter future than Ganwar because he keeps hoping!
Walker Creek Final Payments and Paperwork
- Payments are due on Friday, September 28th. If you elected to pay in full and have not yet done so, the payment is due by Friday. If you elected to pay in installments, the final payment is due on Friday.
- All forms are due no later than Friday, September 28th. We need to collect all forms and submit them to Walker Creek Friday afternoon. If you have any forms that still need to be completed and returned, please do so as soon as possible.
Keyboarding Without Tears
- You should have received an e-mail about Keyboarding Without Tears. This e-mail should have all of the necessary information for your child to log into KWT at home. We have not yet launched the program in class, so it's not necessary to start practicing at home at this time.
Mustang Stampede Barrel Donations Desired- A Letter from Principal Kostelnik and Assistant Principal O'Connor
The annual PTA sponsored Mustang Stampede will take place on Sunday, October 14th from 12-3pm. We are all looking forward to this community building, family fun event!
This year’s classroom contribution will be a themed grade level “rodeo barrel” that will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. All proceeds go to the Edna Maguire PTA to fund school programs!
We are asking grade level families to donate theme related items to their grade level’s barrel. For instance, if the grade level’s theme is Movie Night, the barrel could contain fun items such as caramel popcorn, movie tickets/ice cream vouchers, free eye exam coupons from your local optometrist, etc.
Grade level themes and Sign Up Genius links are listed below. Barrels will be assembled at school and auctioned off at the Mustang Stampede!
TK/Kindergarten:Garden Theme https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-mustang
1st Grade:Parent’s Night Out Theme https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-1stgrade
2nd Grade:Lovin’ Local Theme https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-mustang1
3rd Grade:Ice Cream Theme https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-mustang2
4th Grade:Family Game Night Theme https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-mustang3
5th Grade:Cooking Theme
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4AF29AB9-mustang4
Thank you so much in advance for your generous support! We look forward to seeing all Edna families at the Stampede!
Yee-haw!!
Leo Kostelnik and Aubrey O’Connor
Curriculum updates:
Writing
- Early next week, we will be wrapping up our growth mindset essays - be sure to check your child's essay out in Google Classroom or in Google Drive.
- Our next area of study will be narrative writing. In this unit, students will be crafting a personal narrative, paying special attention to elaboration through detail and description, traveling slowly over the ideas of their topic, grounding the writing in a wealth of specificity, and returning to important sections to tell them in a bit-by-bit way.
- In reading next week, we'll be launching our first fiction unit called "Interpretation Book Clubs." In the first part of the unit, students will be learning strategies to lift the level of their writing about reading. They will practice drawing on a repertoire of strategies for reading closely, alert to how story elements interact and details that seem to represent big ideas. Students read through the lens of tentative ideas and questions to help them develop evidenced-based theories. In the coming weeks, we will be starting book clubs where will extend this learning.
- Weekly Write about Reading assignments will soon be focusing on using something called a 4-C paragraph to craft responses. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post that will explain this format in detail so you can support your child with their responses at home.
Mathematics
- We are fully immersed in our first unit of study. From the unit: Students will be using the study of volume to review and extend a host of skills and concepts related to multiplication. They will use expressions with parentheses to represent different rectangular prisms, find the surface area of boxes, develop multi-digit multiplication strategies to solve real-world and mathematical problems, and revisit multiplication and division through the lens of the area model.
- We have delved into the world of ecosystems. Students are learning about connectivity among organisms and how they depend on each other for survival. We learned, played and graphed the results of a game "Oh Deer!" examining the rise and fall of deer populations due to resource availability. We also had a lively discussion about invasive and native species.
- Our first social studies unit will familiarize students with basic geography concepts (latitude, longitude, landforms, etc.) and offer opportunities to practice reading physical, political, and thematic maps. These skills will be essential throughout the year, as a large part of the fifth grade social studies curriculum focuses on examining early American history through the lens of geography.
- We just kicked off our long-term project, Road Trip, that will aid students in learning the 50 states and capitals in addition to United States landforms, bodies of water, and regions.
Thank you for reading and have a great week!
Bethany