Our Topics for Term One
Remember Organisational skills and Time Management. When is it due? How can I best do this? What do I need to do and what is expected of me? Reflect: Did I do a great job? Have I done what I need to have done? What could I do to make it even better? What changes would I make?
Science
To go to our Science page, click on the word Science.
This term finds 5B looking at Adaptations for the first five weeks, before we turn towards Our Place in Space as our Science focus. We will discuss how scientists use observations and evidence to prove or disprove an idea. Along with this, we will also look at how scientist work when they have an idea, think up a test or experiment, make observations, record evidence, make conclusions from evidence, and share what they found out. Click on one the pictures to the right, to have a sneak peak at what Mr Blair believes one of the planets is made from.
Kids can go on to Brainpop as well as other websites and find interesting information from many of the Scientific videos on display.
Writing
This year from Week 2 onward, we will be focusing upon narratives. (Fantasy Narratives) Click on narrative to the left to have a look at some examples.
Here is a Kiwi website that shows different examples of kids' writing across all levels from grade 1 and up. It is always good to look at other kids’ examples to get ideas of what makes a story good, along with seeing the things they could improve upon.
Click on the links to show the examples: They are leveled from 1 - 5. One being a simple story and five being at the higher end of the scale with more detail. Last year we focused upon, Procedures and Exposition (Persuasive writing)
Another super Genre website the kids can access is by clicking on this link: Writing is fun.
Remember Organisational skills and Time Management. When is it due? How can I best do
this? What do I need to do and
what is expected of me? Reflect:
Did I do a great job? Have I
done what I need to have done? What could I do
to make it even better? What changes would I make?
Health
Term One's Health unit finds kids continuing to gain a a solid understanding about healthy eating along with varying this with getting enough exercise. They will create a personal profile detailing health and the promotion of activities they participate in. They will also identify benefits to well-being which arise whilst participating in these activities and how they benefit in relation to these activities. We will also look at sleep patterns and many other things that make us who we are.
History
Our kids will research and write a Historical Narrative about Christopher Columbus and how his journey led to the colonisation of the Americas. They will develop logical and interrelated questions about the past, locate and identify information in a range of sources to answer inquiry questions. Our super intelligent kids will also identify varying points of views in sources and compare past and present information.
Home Readers
Each Sunday, Mr Blair's literacy class will be given new home readers to bring home and continue to read. It is the children's responsibility to make sure the books are returned in to the folder, ready to be exchanged for new ones. Please return all your library books Monday, plus home readers put in the folder on Sunday before 8:00.
Maths
Mathletics is always encouraged in Mr Blair's class. Tasks will be set every now and then to help the children consolidate with what they are learning at school. Basic Facts is an integral part of Maths and one that must be learnt to help children move on more confidently. Please practise doubles, compliments, times tables and telling of time with your children. Below at the bottom of this page are some examples of what we mean by doubles and compliments. In Mr Blair's home class and Math class, we will do a weekly basic facts test to help speed up the instant recall of smaller Mathematical numbers. You can view the basic facts sheets at the bottom of this page.
Spelling
Spelling words are given to the children each week by their literacy teacher. In grade 5, we use the website spellingcity that has your child's spelling words for that week. If kids are away on the day their spelling words are given out, you can easily access their words via this website along with other fun activities to practise their words. Just as, if not more important for the kids to be learning their words, is the understanding of what these words mean. Please test your kid's understanding of their words they are given each week. Later on in the term, our Literacy class will have a Spelling Bee using the words from Term 2. The kids will have a couple of weeks to recap the spelling words that we have covered this term to help them for the Spelling Bee. Kids can also access Spellodrome through their Mathletics username and password. To view this website, please click here. Another friendly spelling competition we have in our Literacy class can be found by clicking here at BiqIQKids.
Brainpop movie and quiz - Comparing prices |
Maths Term 1
In order to be better prepared for your future Maths tests, make sure you reflect upon your classwork each night. This will help consolidate your understanding of what we learn in class. There are no short cuts in life. You have to put the effort in yourself, to gain the best results, you possibly can. There is also a focus on being able to attempt to answer Maths questions mentally (this means by working it out in your head and not with pencil and paper). The only way to get good at this is by practising your basic facts. Click on this link to see the pages we are working on in class over the next 2 weeks. |
Mr Blair's Maths class homework
Please remember to practise on all levels of Mathletics. First become confident on levels 2 and 3 and then have a go on levels 4 and 5. Our top kid in our Maths class have a high score of 87 on level 2. Well done to Mohammed (AK47). Start off focusing on being accurate, use the key pad and eventually the speed will come.
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Spelling lists for Term One
100% Spelling Club this week
Well done to our Top Spellers this week. These cool kids scored 16 out of 16 in their spelling test this week. Rock on with your bad selves. Bianca, Chloe, Mariam, Leona, Yousif and Hyunjun Spelling Lists for Term TwoPortugal T2W1*5-1-13
Portugal T2W2*12-1-13 Portugal T2W3*19-1-13 Portugal T2W4*26-1-13 Portugal T2W5*2-2-13 Portugal T2W6*9-2-13 Portugal T2W7*16-2-13 Portugal T2W8*23-2-13 Portugal T2W9*2-3-13 Portugal T2W10*9-3-13 Spelling lists for Term ThreePortugal T3W1*13-4-13
Portugal T3W2*20-4-13 Portugal T3W3*27-4-13 Portugal T3W4*4-5-13 Portugal T3W5*11-5-13 Portugal T3W6*18-5-13 Portugal T3W7*25-5-13 Portugal T3W8*1-6-13 Portugal T3W9*8-6-13 Portugal T3W10*15-6-13 |
Mr Blair's Literacy Class Homework and Spelling words.
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Below we have our star of the week Melvin who back in May 2012, proved Mr Blair wrong, by gaining his first ever 100% in his spelling test. This cost Mr Blair 28 iceblocks for the class, and he also had to do the worm dance.
Our Spelling Bee finale..and the winner is...
Below we have Hannah teaching us how to do compliments to 10
Compliments to 10 |
Mr Blair's world famous Basic Facts Tests
You get a maximum 2 minutes only per column (if you want to play by our rules) to complete it before moving on to the next column and so on. If you realised you made a mistake on a previous column...tough...you can't go back and change it if you are already on a different column. Yes I am mean. I have jumped Basic Facts 1 and left you with 2, 3, Bronze, Silver and the all elusive Gold. Basic Facts 1, 2 and 3 are mainly focusing upon knowledge. Bronze, Silver and Gold bring in more strategic thinking aligned with the knowledge gained from conquering Basic Facts 1, 2 and 3. How many can you get? Will you join our amazing kids who have already joined the 100 club? To find out the answers, I could have posted them up here......but I think I will put them in a different area of the website, just in case you feel the urge to peek?:) Hmmmmmm, where should I put them?