Welcome!

I am looking forward to a great year with you!!

Today, we will review some class and network rules, work on organizing our passwords, then clean out our network folders from last year.

The password sheet looks like this:

This year, we will be using Cornerstone for grades, so you will be graded on filling out this form, and for cleaning out your network folder.

The rubrics are here:

Summer Learning Blog Treasure Hunt

Summer Learning Blog Treasure Hunt

Over the summer, I keep a summer learning blog, with links to some of my favorite websites, the Holy Trinity Summer Reading Lists, and your summer assignments.  The 6th grade assignment for next year has not yet been finalized, but I would like you to spend this class exploring the websites that were posted on my blog last summer, and answer a series of questions for me… to help me plan what I should focus on this summer…

http://htssummerlearningblog.blogspot.com/

Try to fill out as much as you can during class time.  I have given you a long list of questions, so you may not quite finish.  I will be traveling this week, but I would like you to copy and paste this document into an Email and send it to me at the end of class...

mbmorell@htsdc.org

Try a few of the new typing games from the most recent post.  Which is your favorite?  Why?
Go to the Read, Kiddo, Read website.  Read through possible book choices for your age level.  Name three new books that look interesting to you that you might want to try this summer.	1. 2. 3.
Tell me your favorite book you have read this year.  Is it on the HTS Summer Reading List for 5th and 6th graders? Should it be?  Why
Try a few of the creative tools on the NGA website for kids.  Tell me two of your favorites, and why?	1. 2.
Do you have an iPad at home  Do you think I should put recommendations for Apps on my blog this summer?
What are your favorite CoolMath4Kids games?  Which ones should I feature on the blog this summer?
What is your favorite book on the list “100 Picture Books Everyone Should know?”  And do you have a favorite that didn’t make the list
What is your favorite Edheads game?
Do you have a favorite Cyberchase math game?  What is it?
What is your favorite children’s book that has been made into a movie?
What is your favorite author website?

If you were the computer teacher, and designed a summer learning blog, what would be on it?

Country Project for International Night

Dear 5th Graders,

In preparation for International Night on May 10th, I would like each of you to select a country from the list at National Geographic Kids.  Each one of you must research a different country.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/


You will answer a series of questions about your country (which I have tucked in your network folder)

Once your research is complete, you select 8 to 10 pictures using the Lonely Planet website:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations

You will create a Glog or Comic Life celebrating your country.

You must include at least 10 facts and 8 pictures on the glog, including a map and a flag.

Happy globetrotting!

Mrs. Morell

Free Choice to Challenge your Brain

One of my favorite websites is Arkive - not only to read about the endangered animals, but because the games are so much fun.  I would like you to play at least 5 different games from this site... and report to me which ones you liked best :)

http://www.arkive.org/education/games

I think it's also great fun to explore the National Gallery of Art Website - try your hand at creating a masterpiece using at least three different creative tools, and let me know which ones you liked best in the comment section at the bottom of this page:

http://www.nga.gov/kids/

If you'd like to continue to try to name all the countries of the world, try this Sporcle game again.  You may play it more than once - I find it to be pretty addictive.

http://www.sporcle.com/games/g/world

Then, spend a bit of time working on Free Rice... the vocabulary and geography games would be great choices:

http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1373

I would prefer that you not play Cool Math 4 Kids today... I think you should mix it up a bit :)

Happy Brain Games,

Mrs. Morell 

Focus: Arkive

Today, we're going to have a bit of fun exploring one of my favorite websites: Arkive.

Some of you used this site to work on your Uganda projects, but I think it's well worth exploring a bit further.  Today, we will learn about the conservation status of animals and plants - such as extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable.  You will be given a selection of animals, and will explore the website to learn what their status is, and why.  If you finish this exercise, you will be welcome to try some of the many games and activities that can be found on the site.

Brain Candy for Easter...

Hi there 5th Graders,

This week, the 5F group meets, but the 5E group is on Spring Break, so I thought we'd have some fun with a couple of my favorite Brainy Games.

First, I would like to challenge you all to see how many countries of the world you can name in 15 minutes using Sporcle.  You may play it more than once - I find it to be pretty addictive.

http://www.sporcle.com/games/g/world

Then, spend a bit of time working on Free Rice... the vocabulary and geography games would be great choices:

http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1373
You may then have free choice - from the options on this blog - for the rest of the class period.

Enjoy!   Mrs. Morell

Uganda Glogs and Wordle

Hi there,

We'll finish and print our Uganda glogs today. 

For those of you who have finished, I would like you to create a word cloud about Uganda using Wordle.

http://www.wordle.net/

Use at least 20 words that you remember from your research.

Enjoy!

Mrs. Morell