5th Grade Math - we have been working with fractions in some fun ways. We've been comparing, adding & subtracting common fractions including 1/2s, 1/4s, 1/8s, 1/16s, 1/3s, 1/6s, 1/12s. We've explored fractions using area using geoboards & quilting block patterns. We'll be finishing the week with the unit assessment on Thursday or Friday.
Alder East Reading - We've been using different strategies to identify main ideas, and supporting details using passages from a book about ancient Egypt. The strategies for identifying and capturing key ideas and important details including creating concept maps, using prior knowledge, & asking questions.
Alder East Theme - This week we looked at the power of symbols used by the Ancient Egyptians. We began by thinking about symbols in our culture - ex. bald eagle, Statue of Liberty, stars and stripes, colored ribbons, etc. The Pharaohs in ancient Egypt wore a crown with the cobra and vulture to show the unification of upper and lower Egypt, wore a bulls tail to show his strength, carried a shepard's crook and a flail (whip) to show he was the shepherd of his people and the enforcer of obedience. Certain animals in ancient Egypt were thought to represent some of the many Gods they worshiped. Masks we important symbols as well, priest wore animal masks to help channel the gods during important rituals, and death masks helped their spirits, their Ba & Ka, return to their bodies during the eternal afterlife. Students made their own masks this week using either animals that the Egyptian revered like the jackal, hare & baboon, while others made death masks in the style of Egyptian pharaohs.