Fractions

Below you will find several games to help with your fraction knowledge!  Play a few and let me know if they help you! :)

Fractions Lesson
Simplest Form
Equivalent Fractions
Mixed Fractions
Click Here for More Fraction Games!
Click Here for Even More Fraction Games!

To Declare Independence or not...

Below you will find a list of activities all related to the Declaration of Independence.  Please explore and leave a comment as to which is your favorite! :)

Jigsaw Puzzles
Magical Maze
Word Searches
Thomas Jefferson
Drum Corps Tryouts

Computer Lab Day!

Good Morning!

Here are some new educational games I'd like you to try today.  Which one is your favorite?

iSpy
Greek To Me
Grammar Clean Up
Word Fishing
Cafeteria Caper
Sports Store
Save Dude the Dog
Sports Math
Human Body Math

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

Good Morning!

Today in the lab, I'd like you to practice your PEMDAS (order of operations)!  Below you will find several links to several different games to help you practice your skills!  Remember, anything in parenthesis MUST be done first!  Then, just move left to right. 

Good Luck!

Millionaire

Order of Ops

Mystery Pictures

Math Frog

Bingo

Fun Brain

PEMDAS Blaster

Order Ops

Math Playground

Colony/State Report Project

Today and tomorrow in the computer lab you will complete a colony and state report. The purpose of this assignment is for you to examine the past (colony) and compare it to the present day (state).  During this project you will research the impacts geography, religion, weather, and other people played when establishing a colony or a state. 

During this project, I want you to remember our new classroom expectations.  I expect this work to be appropriate for an end-of-the-year fifth grader.  Please take your time, write in complete sentences, use correct grammar and punctuation and do your very best work. 

Use these sites to help with the colony report:
Colony Map
New England Colonies
Southern Colonies
Middle Colonies

Use these sites to help with your state report:
50 States
State Facts
The Fifty States

Computer Lab Assignment

Good Morning Fifth Graders,

Conferences finished last night and I really enjoyed talking to your parents!  I told them they all have a lot to be proud of and that we are making great gains as a class!  They all hope you continue to do your very best in class.  Today in computer lab I would like you to:

1. Complete at least 2 typing lessons.
2. Play 2 math NWEA games.
3. Play 2 reading NWEA games.
4. When I say it's appropriate, you may play other games that are linked to the blog.

Enjoy!

Phases of the Moon

Today we got to watch Bill Nye the Science Guy.  He showed us how to compare the phases of the moon to a baseball diamond.  Then we drew our own version to help us study for the upcoming test.  Here's a copy of mine in case you lost yours. 

Camp Survey

Today in the computer lab you have 3 jobs.  First is to complete the camp survey below.  Second, I'd like you to complete one typing lesson.  Finally, please work on your NWEA games. 

Below you will find a survey about fifth grade camp.  Please answer the questions honestly and thoughtfully.  We'll take a look at all of the data we collected and talk about the best way to organize the data later in math class.  (Sounds a lot like chapter 6, doesn't it?) 

Part 2

(Video #2)

As promised....

Here's the video from the last day - a collection of all of the songs/skits from the best week at camp!  (This is the first video. There are 2.)

Camp Michindoh - Last Day

Well by now you are all home, clean, and probably close to falling asleep!  We had a great last half day today at Camp Michindoh.  Breakfast was yummy breakfast burritos but we did have some piggy waste. :( 


Today, I stopped at all of the classes!  I started at the OLS (outdoor living skills) to see Spankee teaching the kids about building shelters.  They did a fantastic job - I think I would even sleep in some of those shelters!  Then I went to the rock wall where I saw Collin, Marisa, Eli, and Mando (and I'm sure others) climb past their personal goal!  Way to go guys!  Then I headed over to Mission Possible and watched some kids practicing their communication skills building different shapes.  Then I stopped by the reptile house - ew!  I saw some very brave girls wrapping snakes around their necks like Cleopatra. You're all so brave! 


Lunch today was yummy chicken patty sandwiches and guess what.... WE GOT A ZERO, WE GOT A ZERO WE GOT A ZZZZEEEERRRRO HUH!  This was also the time we earned our piggy with a big "2" on it to go on the Piggy Waste board and stay there until next year!  Woo Hoo! While at lunch they put on a great skit putting together all of the songs and skits we'd seen all week!  (I will try to load that video in a separate post.)  Those camp leaders sure are energetic! 


After loading the buses with luggage you heard Bear talk about the bird and about making choices.  He talked about what great campers you all were this week and how you really made this the best week it could possibly be!  I have to say I agree with Bear.  I had a great week with each and every one of you.  I've never seen you smile or laugh as much I did this week.  I've never seen you all work so well together on tasks, games, or just making sure everyone was included.  I am so very proud of what mature young adults you all were this week.  Thank you all so much for a great week of camp!  

Marisa climbing the wall (sorry it's sideways)

Liz and the snake! 

Oh goodness, Spankee!

"Bunnies!" Way to go Mando!

Our flying piggy waste pig! 

Camp Michindoh - Day 3

I'm so sad to say it's the end of day 3 here at Camp Michindoh.  We had a fantastic day!  The weather has been very cooperative for us! 

This morning we had a yummy breakfast, complete with breakfast pizzas!  We had a fun weather skit about Mr. Pechaitis being the best principal in the world (bologna, bologna, bologna!).  Then we headed off to our morning classes!  Today I watched a group work on Mission Possible and they used some great team work skills and used great communication!  Then I headed back on the muddy, muddy path to the low challenge course.  I loved watching the boys complete an "Encouragement Circle" and saw them improve their communication skills as well.  It's such a great feeling to see smiling faces on every single student!  You would all be so proud if you could see what I am seeing. For the next morning class, I went to the reptile house - my least favorite place.  We were introduced to several snakes, turtles, lizards, and frogs.  Then the kids got to hold and touch the animals - they are so very brave!  Spankee (a fantastic camp leader) even helped me hold the GIANT python snake. (Which, if you know anything about Ms. Metevia whatsoever, you know that's a hard task!)  

For lunch we had a cook-in which is like a cook out, but in February.  We ate yummy hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and coleslaw!  Yummy.  I am also SO VERY happy to say.... WE GOT A ZERO! WE GOT A ZERO! WE GOT A Z-Z-Z-Z-E-E-E-E-R-R-R-R-O! Way to go fifth graders! 

This afternoon we went to my favorite class of all time!  The Pioneer Craft Fair!  We all went to the same class together and moved through several different stations/activities while pretending to be in the year 1835.  We met several characters along the way including a trapper, a fisherman, a young girl, a wife, and a blacksmith.  We learned a lot about their lifestyles and challenges they faced back when Michigan was first established.  Then we got to have some "free time" and explore different pastimes from 1835.  Students made candles, used old tools, threw tomahawks, cooked around a fire, and played a very strange but fun tugging circle game.  (I can't remember if it actually had a name...)  The kids, teachers, and cabin leaders all had an amazing afternoon!  For dinner we had chicken nuggets - but we had 2 ounces of piggy waste.  Boo!  

Our evening activity was the one and only square dance!  We've got some pretty fancy dancers in our class of fifth graders!  We learned the Virginia Reel dance tonight and had an amazing time!  That was up until the King Walla Walla skit... They lined all of us teachers (and principal) up in chairs with our backs to the students.  Then we had to follow whatever Josie was doing.  At one point, we stood up, then had to sit back down, only the students put soaking wet paper towel all over chairs!  We all sat in water!! Not cool fifth graders!  (It was pretty funny, though.) 

The students all left the gym in complete silence (a challenge given to them) and walked back to their cabins to begin packing up their belongings and go to sleep.  Tomorrow is only a half day - we'll have breakfast, 2 classes, and lunch.  After a short wrap up meeting we'll load the buses and head back to Madison.  We are hoping to be leaving here at 2pm putting us back at Madison around 3pm.  Can't wait to see you all tomorrow! 

Jalen and his group trying to beat their time throwing the ball. 

Alexis holding a snake! 

Spankee and Ms. Metevia holding the python! 

Eli, Collin and Mando meeting the trapper in 1835. 

The "Pull in Circle" game (don't step on the mat!) 

Fifth Grade Camp 2012 

Camp Michindoh Day 2

It's about 10 o'clock and the lights are out at Camp Michindoh.  Today was a very busy day and we had so much fun.  We visited many classes, played many games, and ate some really great food.  Breakfast was some yummy eggs and bacon - we still had some Piggy Waste though. 


Some of the classes I got to visit this morning were Low Challenge Course (working on teamwork), Drama class, and rock climbing.  I was very proud of so many of our students today on the rock wall.  Even when they were ready to give up, they pushed on and reached the top!  


For lunch we had some yummy sandwiches and soup!  Still had piggy waste though... DOWN that's the way to get down!  After lunch I followed one of the tribes to the Outdoor Living Skills class.  They learned how to build a shelter and start a fire!  


Tonight was the best though.  We all (yes, even the teachers and Mr. Pechaitis) had to put on a skit to share with the rest of the group.  They were hysterical!  Way to go fifth graders.  I was very impressed.  Tomorrow night will be the famous square dance - Yee Haw! 

Low Challenge Course - getting from one platform to the next.

Abby climbing the rock wall. 

Liz climbing the rock wall. 

Shelter Building skills 

Taylor created fire! 

Jalen and Trey lowering the flag. 

Camp Michindoh - Day 1

Well, it's about quarter after nine and the kiddos just said goodnight.  They're off to their cabins to shower and go to sleep.  I don't think it will take long for some of them to fall asleep - I saw a lot of tired little faces! 


Today started with much excitement before we even loaded the bus!  We put the boys on one bus, the girls on another and piled our luggage on the third!  Thank you to all of the parents who helped load the bus.  After arrival the students were given their cabin assignments, met their cabin leaders and had a tour of the camp.  We ate BBQ chicken sandwiches for lunch.  We did have 2.5 lbs of piggy waste though... D-O-W-N, that's the way to get to down!  (We learned a fun dance!)  


Each cabin will be attending the same classes this week but in different orders/rotations.  Today I got a chance to check out the Michigan Settlers class where a lot of kids were fooled by teachers trying to sell them useless tools.  I think their second attempt was much better.  Then I watched some kids in "Mission Possible."  They had to construct a shape using pipes that only one person of their team could see the original picture.  They showed great team work! 


For dinner we ate pizza, salad and breadsticks!  Yum!  We dropped to only 1lb of piggy waste - woo hoo!  We still had to do the DOWN dance though.  We're hoping for a zero at breakfast tomorrow.  Our night activity was the famous campfire songs and wacky relays.  We have a lot of great singers in our group and a lot of wacky fifth graders!  (And our cabin leaders are AMAZING!  These high schoolers are truly phenomenal with the kids!)  We ended the night with my favorite part - teachers holding foam noodles and bopping all the kids and they try to race to the end of the gym.  What good sports they all are!  


We're looking forward to another great day tomorrow!

Girls waiting to hear who's in their cabins! 

And the boys.... 

Mission Possible! Great work guys. 

Dinner! No Piggy Waste here.

Wacky Relays.... 

 

It's almost time for....

Fifth Grade Camp! 


We leave Tuesday morning around 9 and we won't be back until Friday around 3pm.  We have so many fun things planned for you that the time will fly by!  We're going to have a square dance, sing camp fire songs, learn about Michigan Settlers, practice team building activities, hold weird slimy animals and so much more!  I hope you're all getting as excited as I am! 


As for those of you not lucky enough to join us - you can follow our daily activities here on the blog!  Each night when the fifth graders collapse into bed, I will write a brief entry about our day's activities.  I can promise these entries will include pictures and possibly videos too!  Feel free to leave comments and I will pass them on to your students!  


Thank you for sharing your children with me as we head to camp - I hope it's an experience they'll never forget!  


Ms. Metevia 

Fifth Grade Camp (Feb. 2011)