This past two weeks with the fifth graders has been amazing! We have been working on three large units full time and one unit off and on as time permits. Over the past two weeks I have taught a unit on persuasive writing, a unit on simple machines and industrial engineering, and a math unit that has ranged from PEMDAS to negative numbers. Each of these units has taught me how to be flexible in my own planning and teaching. By the end of my first placement we were all a little strapped for time. There never seemed like there was enough time in a day, so we had to make due with the little time we had.
The biggest unit, or most prioritized I should say, was my persuasive writing unit. This unit consisted of a read aloud everyday which allowed the students to see persuasion in mentor texts. We also looked at several television commercials so students could see that we are being persuaded to buy or do something everyday whether we realize the intention behind it or not. By the end of the unit the students had brainstormed topics and wrote a persuasive letter to whoever they chose to write to. This unit taught me how much writing skills range in the fifth grade and that for some students they need support every step of the way.
The second unit I was teaching at the same time was "Engineering is Elementary" put out by the Museum of Science in Boston was all about technology and engineers. Most people do not realize it, but technology is any item that was created to solve a problem. We learned that there are many misconceptions around us about technology and I was able to debunk many of those misconceptions. We also learned that an engineer is someone who uses math, science, and/or technology to create something that solves a particular problem. Students quickly realized that they could all be engineers in a elementary setting. Throughout the unit students were able to work with simple machines (lever, single/double pulleys, short and long inclined planes, and wheels and axles) to create a factory subsystem right in the classroom. The last day of the unit definitely did not go as planned, but it led to great discussion about how things do not always work on the first try.
The last unit I was teaching was all about positive and negative numbers. Students in fifth grade have had a tremendous amount of experience with positive numbers, but this was the first time that students really had to deal with negative numbers. I am not sure what was harder for the students, whether it was subtracting negative numbers or putting parentheses around the right numbers to make a number sentence true. Either way I learned how something so simple to me can be a great struggle for many students. There were many students that took the rules and ran with them and others that needed help and support through ever lesson.
Flexibility was key throughout all three of these lessons. On top of teaching three units at one time I also got the chance to go cross-country skiing with my fifth graders and participate in a Winter Wellness day. Cross-country skiing was great success and I even got to topple over once at the end of the ski trip, which many of my students thoroughly enjoyed even though they fell a dozen times or more. All of us were able to just laugh it off and have a great time. Winter Wellness day allowed us to take a walk to the YMCA to participate in one hour of physical activity. Students were able to use the gymnastics equipment, a foam pit, and the track and field. These two days allowed me to see the students in a non-academic setting! So much can be learned in such a little time outside of the classroom, as well as in the classroom.
This week I move onto a new adventure in the first grade classroom. I was able to learn all about the Daily 5, as well as reading groups in my classroom. I even worked with a small group during math time, which consisted of adding and subtracting single digit numbers. The transition is definitely bittersweet, because I miss my fifth graders already, but I also love the challenge of something new!
