Explorer Resources

Hi Fifth Graders!

I'll be posting various resources for our explorer project as I find them. Today I have two great resources to start with.

For information about tools: http://ageofex.marinersmuseum.org/index.php?type=navigationtool&id=14

For an interactive navigation routes map: http://ageofex.marinersmuseum.org/index.php?page=voyages

Another resource that has information about specific explorers is: http://www.biography.com/people/groups/famous-explorers

More Sites:

Effects Paragraph
http://lvhistorykids.wordpress.com/section-6-conclusion-the-effects-of-the-age-of-exploration/

http://www.slideshare.net/changk/effects-of-exploration

http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/sat2/history/chapter5section2.rhtml


General info on Explorers:
http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/exploration-of-north-america

http://cybersleuth-kids.com/sleuth/History/Explorers/

http://www.42explore2.com/explorers2.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/ 

WESTWARD EXPANSION RESOURCES

Today you'll do a bit of research to help you prepare for writing.

Step 1: Pick one of the following topics: The Louisiana Purchase, The Pony Express, Lewis and Clark, The Oregon Trail, The Transcontinental Railroad, Native Americans, or the Erie Canal.

Step 2: Check out some websites for that topic. As you read look for what you think are the most important or most interesting facts.

Step 3: On a piece of notebook paper, write down the 3 most interesting facts. Be sure to also write down which website you got them from.

Step 4: Bring this information to school Friday. This will help you with your flash draft.


General Websites for Westward Expansion
http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/THE-AMERICAN-WILDERNESS-Go-West-U.S.-Westward-Expansion
http://www.history.com/
http://www.pbs.org/topics/history/
www.worldbookonline.com

Websites for Westward Expansion Subtopics:
Westward Expansion
 http://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion
 http://www.ducksters.com/history/westward_expansion/
 http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/W/WE021.html
 http://www.historynet.com/westward-expansion
 http://www.teachushistory.org/Westward/forteachers.htm
 http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-westwardexpansion.html

The Louisiana Purchase
 http://www.ushistory.org/us/20c.asp
 http://www.history.com/topics/louisiana-purchase
 http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/louisiana-purchase
 http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=18
 http://geography.about.com/od/historyofgeography/a/louisianapurcha.htm

The Pony Express
 http://www.stjomo.com/see-do/experience-history/the-pony-express/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Pony-Express&gclid=CLqbkZ29vsICFUGUfgodIWoAaw
 http://ponyexpress.org/history/
 http://www.nps.gov/poex/historyculture/index.htm

Lewis and Clark
 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/
 http://lewisclark.net/
 http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/
 http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/

The Oregon Trail
 http://www.america101.us/trail/Oregontrail.html
 http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail/history-basics.php
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Trail
 http://www.nps.gov/oreg/index.htm
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Trail
 http://www.oregontrailcenter.org/
 http://www.oregontrailcenter.org/HistoricalTrails/TheTrekWest.htm
 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-thousand-pioneers-head-west-on-the-oregon-trail
 http://www.historynet.com/oregon-trail

The California Gold Rush
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush
 http://www.library.ca.gov/goldrush/
 http://www.library.ca.gov/goldrush/
 http://americanhistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa090901a.htm

The Transcontinental Railroad
 http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/transcontinental-railroad
 http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/goldenspike.htm
 http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3147
 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/tcrr/
 http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/rail.html
 http://www.cprr.org/

Native Americans
 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/interview/tcrr-interview/
 http://www.historyandtheheadlines.abc-clio.com/ContentPages/ContentPage.aspx?entryId=1171626
 http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h46-am3.htm
 http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/indianremoval/Index.html

Pioneers
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_pioneer
 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-thousand-pioneers-head-west-on-the-oregon-trail
 http://gizmodo.com/15-tools-that-helped-pioneers-survive-on-the-american-f-577187190
The Trail of Tears
 http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/trail-of-tears
 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h1567.html
http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/History/TrailofTears/ABriefHistoryoftheTrailofTears.aspx
 http://www.nps.gov/trte/index.htm

Erie Canal
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Canal
 http://www.eriecanal.org/
 http://www.eriecanal.org/general-1.html
 http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDUQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.history.com%2Ftopics%2Fus-states%2Fnew-york%2Fvideos%2Fbuilding-the-erie-canal&ei=u-THVPn5I9i3oQSZ3IGIDQ&usg=AFQjCNH6LR-0wsYiFONf6clUjD3QiXBBVQ
 http://www.eriecanalway.org/
 http://www.eriecanalway.org/learn_history-culture.htm
 http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/eriecanal.htm

Primary sources
 http://www.teachushistory.org/Westward/ps-contents.htm

Native American Cultural Regions

We've learned about the 7 major cultural regions and how these environments affected Native Americans living there. Your task is to learn a little bit more about a specific tribe.

Click this Native American Cultures Link and scroll down to the list of Native American Cultures. From there, pick one tribe and read about them. In your blog response, in addition to stating your first name,  you need to: 1. Share information about how their climate/environment impacted their lives, 2. Share an artifact they made from one of their natural resources, and 3. Compare their daily lives with your own. What's similar, what's different? - Be sure to include the name of the tribe you've chosen in your blog post.

After you've written your blog post, you will need to make helpful comments on 1 of your classmate's responses. This might be where you ask them a question, or share a connection about your two tribes.

Happy Blogging!

Vascular vs. Nonvascular Plants

I found a really neat Prezi about the differences and similarities of vascular and non-vascular plants.

Check it out! Click the pic to go to the link!

Classroom Homework Thread (October)

Greetings Fifth Graders, 

One of your classmates made a great suggestion, and that was to have an "open" blog where you could post any questions or information related to homework and projects. Remember, sometimes you can get additional information from the Everyday Mathematics Family Letters that can help. The link for those is on our class website. 

Otherwise, if you have a question, it'd be OK to post it here. Remember, your classmates may not check our blog frequently, so if you're really stuck, do what you can and we'll have time to discuss it when we go over homework the next day. :)

As with any of our blogs, your comments and responses must follow our blog guidelines. 

Happy Blogging!!!

Analyzing Song Lyrics - "Ordinary Day"

Take a moment to read the lyrics to this song. Analyze what you've read. What do you think the message/main idea of the song is? What evidence from the lyrics help you to infer the message/main idea? Post your idea as a reply. Include your first name and remember to follow our blogging guidelines.

"Ordinary Day"

by Great Big Sea

I've got a smile on my face, I've got four walls around me
The sun in the sky, the water surrounds me
I'll win now but sometimes I'll lose
I've been battered, but I'll never bruise, it's not so bad

[Chorus:]
And I say way-hey-hey, it's just an ordinary day
and it's all your state of mind
At the end of the day, you've just got to say,
it's all right.

Janie sings on the corner, what keeps her from dying?
Let them say what they want, she won't stop trying
She might stumble, if they push her 'round
She might fall, but she'll never lie down

[Chorus]

In this beautiful life, but there's always some sorrow
It's a double-edged knife, but there's always tomorrow
It's up to you now if you sink or swim,
Keep the faith and your ship will come in.
It's not so bad

And I say way-hey-hey, it's just an ordinary day
And it's all your state of mind
At the end of the day, you've just got to say
I say way-hey-hey, it's just an ordinary day
And it's all your state of mind
At the end of the day, you've just got to say
it's alright

'Cause it's alright, it's alright
'Cause I've got a smile on my face and I've got four walls around me

Brassica Plants Time Lapse

Here's the link for the cool time lapse we watched in class.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JumEfAbjBjk

1 is the loneliest number...

Poor number 1. As we discussed in class... 1 isn't prime... and we also know that 2 likes to break all the rules. So, your questions got me wondering WHY 1 isn't prime... here's what I found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQofiPqhJ_s

Our First Week

Hey fifth graders,

I just wanted to say a quick Thank You for such an amazing first week. It can be so hard to get back into the groove of a new school year, but you guys and gals rocked it. Going forward we'll start to get into more of our regular routines and we will keep practicing things. I know that soon you won't need many reminders and will take care of a lot of your day independently. We're going to have an amazing year. Remember, please ask questions, take risks, don't be afraid to make mistakes. We're all learning new things every day. Even I am!

Have a great weekend... please rest... relax... get outside if you can... I'll see you all Tuesday.

Mrs. W

Blogging Guidelines 2015-2016

Blogging Guidelines

P-4 Blog!

This year we'll conduct conversations, not only in the classroom, but online as well. Our class website will list our blog posts, often we'll respond to our blog during computer lab time. I look forward to us using technology to facilitate in the sharing  of information and ideas.

When you comment you'll do so as an anonymous user. This way there is no need to set up an account. Before you post, remember, our classroom rules apply when we interact online as well. Our guidelines for blogging are:

 1. When blogging, always use your first name only and list your name before the response. 

2. Use complete sentences following traditional spelling and grammar.

3. Stay on topic.

4. Be respectful.

5. Comments that are disrespectful, off topic, inappropriate, violate the ISD disclaimer, or that contain your full name will be permanently removed. 

SO! Try it out! If you've checked our class blog already, please post a comment. Remember, use your First name only... and share with the class what your favorite animal is and why! 

Check out my comment, that's similar to how yours should look. :)