Science Sparks!
2/28/2020
PNA’s project-based learning environment seeks to develop creativity and communication skills in our young learners, who are growing up in a technology and media-rich environment. Unlike previous generations, our students have instant access to an abundance of information; experience rapid changes in technology tools; and have the potential to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale. To be successful in the 21st century, they must be able to create, evaluate, and effectively use information, media, and technology. Some critical skills that they must develop include the ability to:
Access and Evaluate Information
Diving Deeper into Literature
2/15/2020
We read, read, read across the day in 5th grade. We read to prepare our Morning Announcements; we read to learn about our various units of study; we read novels and articles and short stories and directions and websites. We read to learn, laugh, cry, and wonder. Students work hard to comprehend the texts they read and to stretch themselves as readers. As we move into our next writing unit, the literary essay, students will challenge themselves to read more deeply and closely than ever, searching to develop deeper understanding of literary texts and express that thinking in an organized, thoughtful essay. Literary analysis asks learners to think critically about literature; to look beyond the words on the page; to analyze symbolism, theme, and literary devices. We’ve been doing this work regularly, in small doses, with small journal entries and class discussions, but our upcoming unit will push students to engage in this thinking process on their own as they carefully analyze a short story and write a literary essay about it. We started this work in small steps this week as we began reading some picture books and short stories that are rich with meaning. Our mentor text, Fox, by Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks, will serve as a model throughout the process. This book is deceptively simple: the story is brief, but the characters’ motivations and the rich symbolism develop several universal themes that will resonate with readers for a long time. Watching our students as they listened to the story in utter silence and fascination was a delight, and hearing the stunned words from one of them, "That was such a good story…” foreshadowed the rich conversations we will have as we analyze this story in depth. Over the next few weeks students will read many short stories, choose one to read more closely, and learn to dive deep. They will push beyond their initial understanding and question the text to find topics they want to analyze: characters, theme, literary devices, setting. They will look to answer a "why" question. Instead of simply describing the text, "why" pushes them to analyze and even synthesize to identify a relevant thesis related to modern-day issues and concepts. The goal is to think critically at higher levels and to express that thinking in an organized way. Students will stretch their abilities to push beyond mere description into ideas that are convincing, argumentative, and defend a position. They will explore how literature challenges us, delights us, empowers us. We are diving deep! The Light Returns....
2/10/2020
As the sun starts to appear earlier each day and stays later each afternoon, our school year feels like it is speeding up and hurtling down the road at light speed! We’ve been busy here at PNA, as students are growing and stretching themselves in so many ways! Here are just a few of their accomplishments these past few weeks:
-To honor and celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s contributions and vision, our class joined with the rest of PNA to show kindness to each other and to serve others. We worked with our 2nd grade buddies to learn to sew “bat wraps,” special soft pillow/blankets used to help orphan bats survive. Our bat wraps will be sent to areas in the world where extreme weather is causing loss of habitat and safety for animals. This activity held just the right amount of challenge for our learners, who now have the sewing machine skills needed to work on our upcoming Auction art project. Additionally, our students were able to see how they could be connected to something happening across the globe: an important concept as they study Earth’s systems and how they interact. - Brown Bag Week was a fun and important chance for students to practice living the PNA mission. It takes courage to stand up in front of the student body to share a skill or talent, and it takes integrity to be a good audience member: to listen patiently and politely; to clap and encourage classmates; to cheer for performers of all ages and skill. Our class chose to share a funny skit with the school, and we were gratified to get lots of laughs. Two of our fifth graders also participated in the city-wide battle of the Books, where they did a fabulous job representing PNA! - Last week the PNA's exceptional learners celebrated the 100th day of school! Fifth graders helped set up the many activities and then participated with gusto. They helped clean up afterwards as well. In fact, this group of young leaders can be counted on to lead the way and help cheerfully whenever they are needed! - Academically the class has been continuing to build an understanding of the text structures of non-fiction. We’ve embarked on some non-fiction reading about extreme weather events, moved into a study of our US Constitution, finalized our informational writing about the American Revolution, started learning about energy transfer in science, and continued our study of US geography. Our Morning Announcements Project continues to challenge each student to be a good writer and speaker, and students recently began taking even more ownership of this project as they made some of their own format changes to our daily program and began experimenting with GarageBand to change up our accompanying music. Yes, the light is returning, and it’s energizing us in wonderful ways! These next few months will fly by, and we are working to make every moment count! |
Elizabeth FerryMs. Ferry's experiences include teaching with the Peace Corps in Tanzania, teaching high school English in Maine, and this is her second year at PNA. She loves moose, outdoor activities, and being with her students. Archives
April 2021
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