Fifth Grade Discovery Advanced
Fifth grade Discovery Advanced will meet two days a week for about 50 minutes. Students will be pulled out of class during a time that is least disruptive. Discovery on Monday is reading/writing, and Wednesday is math (first semester) / science (second semester). The concepts taught and homework assigned will be on Ren Web. Please check weekly to find out what we are learning and what homework was assigned. Homework assigned is due the following week on the day that the subject re-occurs.
Every month a menu of projects and activities will be given. This will be given out at the beginning of the month and due at the end of the month (unless otherwise posted in Ren Web.) There are nine projects/activities to choose from and students have to complete 7 for an A+, 6 for an A, 5 for a B, and 4 or less will not be accepted. (Students will need to keep working until completed.) The projects should each be completed on full sheets of separate paper or construction paper either hand written or typed and stapled as a booklet. A cover page with the student's name and title should be included. Work should be completed to the best of the student’s capabilities, and as creative as possible! (Another option is that students may complete their projects as a power point presentation or a word document and submit them via e-mail to be presented in class using video technology!)
Here are some of the concepts your child will be discovering:
READING: Bella at Midnight – The Thimble: realistic fiction, plot analysis, vocabulary, context clues, character analysis, conflicts,
discussion, voracious reading
Bella at Midnight – The Ring: realistic fiction, literary response, summary, vocabulary, cause / effect, character traits
and motivations, discussion, voracious reading
Bella at Midnight – The Slipper: realistic fiction, compare/ contrast, parallels to other text, evaluation, author’s purpose,
discussion, voracious reading
WRITING: Poetry – repeated verse, what’s in my box
EITHER *Deep conflict character story - character development, extenstive conflict, deep plot structure, multiple scenes,
twists, and impacting resolution
OR *Enigma Project - unsolved mystery, non-fiction, informational, research, main idea, supporting details, conclusion
MATH: circumference, radius, diameter, pi, hands on equations, variables, algebraic equations, distributive property, slope,
y-intercept, x-intercept, function, x and y variables, CBR attached to a TI-89+ creating real graphs of motion,
relationship and difference between a line, parabola, sine wave and asymptotic wave, linear inequalities
SCIENCE: *Open and closed circuits, light bulbs, excessive power blows a circuit, electric motors
Batteries need a load or it causes a short, Conductors and insulators, Switches, Buzzers and Morse Code,
*Circuit board knowledge and vocabulary, components, circuit, current, conductor, insulator, terminals, capacitors,
resistors, transistors, light emitting diodes (LED), photo cell, transformers, peizotransducer, *Circuit board assembly
and testing
*Circuit board designs: engine sound, siren, flashing lights, oscillating sound, light fader,
traffic light, burglar alarm, musical organ, touch activated switch, sound activated switch, light activated switch, strength
detector, Morse code generator, metronome
*Build a solar powered propeller, *Build a solar powered, battery powered, and capacitor powered car
*Build a battery powered airplane launcher
Please view the WEBSITES tab for links to online math / reading concepts and games.