Welcome to Mr. Smith's 5th Grade Website 
About the teacher:
My name is Brian Smith and this is my first year as a 5th Grade teacher. I am married to my wife Stephanie Smith who is also a 4th grade teacher. This makes my 8th year as a teacher at Douglas. I am a graduate of Wake Technical Community College and UNCW. I am a family man and love my friends. I have been blessed to have both a great family and group of friends. As a teacher, I have only two rules and that is to "Have common sense!" and "Be Responsible." If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. I expect hard work all the time but want education to be fun and school to be a place where you grow in knowledge but also as a person. PS...I have noticed that unfortunately we have quite a few NC State fans in our class this year. Hopefully by the end of the year we have changed over to UNC or at least we can hope for the best. :)
Best way to contact me:
Email: bsmith5@wcpss.net
Please feel free at any time to email me to schedule a conference regarding your child. :)
Homework: I will not be posting homework on this website nightly but please know that homework will be assigned everyday Monday-Thursday. Children should be reading for 20-30 minutes per night and respond to a question off of their reading log worksheet.I will have math homework as well. Students will be notified of additional assignments.
Schedule:
8:45-9:15 Morning Work
9:15-9:35 Morning Meeting
9:35-10:45 Math
10:50-11:45 Science/SS
11:55-12:20 Recess
12:30-1:10 Specials
1:20-1:45 Lunch
1:45-3:45 Literacy (Reading and Writing)
3:45 Dismissal
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Case 21 Testing- Oct 21, 22, 23
McTeacher Night- 6-7:30 October 24 (Information should be coming home)
AWESOME WEBSITES: (if the site is not highlighted, just copy/paste the address in the web address bar at the top of your screen)
amathsdictionaryforkids.com
http://www.kidsnumbers.com/long-division.php (for practice with long division!)
http://www.visualmathlearning.com/Exercises/mult_table.php
http://www.misterteacher.com/virtual_manipulatives/symmetry_tool.html
http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/symmetry-rotational.html
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listcompreheta.html
http://primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/revision/Science/electricity.htm
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/theme_poems/
http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/vocabulary/pdf/prefixes_suffixes.pdf
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/factfrenzy/opening.html
http://mrnussbaum.com/
http://www.factmonster.com/math/flashcards.html
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/producersconsumersgame.swf
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.swf
http://animal.discovery.com/wild-animals
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/
Multiplication HELP!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD3YsWbOeA8 (helpful video clip!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkUUNo90eSE (helpful video 2)
http://mrnussbaum.com/multiplication/ (click on drag and drop multiplication)
http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/english/kidz/mult5.shtml (good two digit practice)
Grade 5 Rubric for Narrative Writing
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Exceeding Standard (4) |
At Standard (3) |
Approaching Standard (2) |
Below Standard (1) |
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Familiarize the reader W5.3.a
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Describes a situation skillfully, real or imagined that engages the reader by introducing the characters and or narrator through an engaging technique with an audience in mind. |
Describes a situation, real or imagined that engages the reader by introducing the characters and or narrator. |
Attempts to describe a situation, real or imagined that engages the reader. |
Describes a situation, real or imagined, that does not engage the reader. |
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Structure W5.3.a; W5.3.c
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The pace of events is told in a skillful way that creates a natural progression through the use of transitional words, phrases, and clauses that clearly signals a shift in time or setting. |
The pace of events is told in a way that creates a natural progression through the use of transitional words, phrases, and clauses. |
Attempts to pace events in a way that is somewhat logical and uses some transitional words and or phrases. |
The pace of events was told in no particular order and did not use transitional words, phrases, and clauses. |
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Idea Development W5.3.b; W5.3.d
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Used vivid dialogue to develop experiences/events or show how characters respond to events. |
Used dialogue to develop experiences/events or show how characters respond to events. |
Attempted to use dialogue that may have helped develop experiences or show character motivation and response. |
Dialogue was not used, or did not show development of character experiences or responses. |
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Used concrete words/phrases (precise language) and sensory details to develop the thoughts and feelings around the experiences/events or bring to life the events that characters respond to. |
Used concrete word/phrases (precise language) and sensory details to develop experiences/events or show how characters respond to events. |
Attempted to describe experiences or show how characters responded to events by using language that did not include concrete words/phrases. |
Character experiences or reactions are not vague and there is no evidence of concrete word/phrases. |
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Conclusion W5.3.e |
Concludes the narrative by providing a compelling ending that clearly follows experiences/events. |
Concludes the narrative by providing a purposeful ending. |
Concludes the narrative without providing a purposeful ending. |
No conclusion or purposeful ending. |
NARRATIVE CHECKLIST
Do I have a situation or event that is taking place ______
Do I introduce the narrator or the character(s)? ______
Did I organize the events of my story in a natural order? ______
Did I use DIALOGUE with "quotation" marks to share my characters thoughts and feelings about what is happening? ______
Did I add enough DETAIL to engage my readers in the story? ______
Does my story move along nicely and have transition words like NEXT, AFTER THAT, SOON AFTER, ONCE WE....? ______
Did I use strong vocabulary words and phrases and my 5 sense details to explain the experience and events nicely? ______
Did I write a conclusion that flows from the events and details of the story and that explains my feelings and thoughts? ______
PARAPHRASING
http://www.wisc-online.com/Objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=WCN4802
Two Articles:
http://www.timeforkids.com/news/polar-bears-peril/86701
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How is the information organized? |
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What does the author want the reader to understand about the topic? |
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How is the information presented in each article similar and or different? |
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Quiz 1 Test Structure
http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/text-structure-worksheets/text-structure-practice-1.htm
Multiplying Decimals
http://learnzillion.com/lessons/557-multiply-decimals-by-decimals-using-an-area-model
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/math/decimals-percents/mult-of-decimals.htm
*Test yourself after the activities
*Make you you let me know the score
Persuasive Articles:
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/boys-and-girls-together
http://lives.clas.asu.edu/acces/faq_schoolachievement.html#c
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-case-against-single-sex-schooling/2012/06/03/gJQA75DNCV_blog.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02sex3-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/09/opinion/kimmel-single-sex-classes/ (against)
CELL PHONES
http://www.pbs.org/parents/childrenandmedia/article-when-should-you-get-kid-cell-phone.html
http://www.timeforkids.com/news/debate/47056
MAIN IDEA
http://www.brainpopjr.com/readingandwriting/comprehension/mainidea/preview.weml
PESUASIVE
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/persuasion_map/
Social Media
GET UPDATES FROM Kim Garst
Social Media: A Serious Threat to Your Child's Professional Future
I want to tell you a little story about the dumbest, most embarrassing thing I ever did. You see, I was a young, impressionable teenager and I thought it would be "cool" if........
Whoa! Hold on a second. Why would I do that? There are like three people on the planet who even know that story (all sworn to secrecy!) and there is no remaining "evidence." Lucky me!
You know who is not so lucky? Your child. Why? Because they live in the age of social media.
Social media has changed the virtual and physical landscape in many ways. It has given today's consumers a collective "voice" in the marketplace and connected vast quantities and different types of people around the globe in remarkable ways. It has facilitated tyrannical government overthrows and been used as a teaching tool in forward-thinking schools in Singapore. However, there are also more than a few stories about social media negatively affecting people's lives.
You need to know one thing, though. Content distributed on the Internet lives forever and social media has dramatically increased the amount of "personal" content being created and shared, sometimes virally.
What do I mean when I say it "lives forever"? I mean that once you hit the "send", "enter", "post" or "update" button on a social media site, you can no longer control who sees that picture, post, editorial comment or crazy video. It belongs to the free world, even if you instantly have remorse and try to recall, delete or otherwise eliminate it. Here are a couple of "did you knows" to make my point.
Did you know that the US Library of Congress has archived every "tweet" ever "tweeted" on Twitter (say that 3 times fast), all 170 billion, and that they are providing access to that information to researchers and other interested parties?
Did you know that there are companies that have created technology specifically designed to capture information supposedly "deleted" from the internet. One company, Undetweetable, made it possible to view deleted tweets from any Twitter user simply by putting in their user name. The site caused a tremendous uproar and was soon shut down (and probably sued multiple times). Another, Politwoops, does the same thing, but for politicians and is still active. Add sites like these to the multiple search engines sharing the same content, cache copies and downloaded content and you can see just how impossible it is to truly wipe something out.
So, let's bring this back to the potential negative impact on our children. When you are done reading this, go to YouTube and search for "teens doing stupid stuff", or any combination of words including "teens" and "stupid." Watch a few videos and get a flavor for the lunacy and shenanigans happening there. Some of it is really hilarious. Now, imagine for a second that the "stupid teen" you are watching is your child. Less funny, right? Now, imagine your child, the one you raised to be a fine and upstanding citizen, the one you spent $200,000 putting through college, is interviewing for their dream job and the person talking with them starts the interview by playing the video and asking your child to explain themselves. Now it's not funny at all, right?
An organization called On Device Research surveyed 6,000, 16- to 34-year-olds across 6 countries and found that more than 10 percent reported that they had been turned down for a job because of pictures or comments on their online/social media presence. At a recent speech, Google's Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, a guy whose opinion matters, said that "he believes that the online world has gone too far by forcing teens to never forget."
So, the question becomes what should you do to keep your child from having this problem in their future? You should educate them - now. You should explain that there are potentially serious consequences to sharing their entire lives on social media and discuss the value of privacy and acting appropriately, whether it is in the schoolyard or on the virtual playground. Hopefully, they get the message, internalize it and become self-regulating. If not, set rules and monitor them the same way you do many other things that are unsafe for your children. There are reasons why we do not let 11-year-olds drive. Most of them have to deal with safety and the potentially devastating long-term effects of a car crash. Social media has the potential to be a similarly devastating virtual car crash to your child's professional future.
THEME-DOMINANT IDEA
http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/Content%20Support/writing/Argument_Talk_Protocol.pdf (how to collaborate with your peers about persuasive topics)
http://app.discoveryeducation.com/standards/view/standardId/7fc72224-7440-11df-93fa-01fd9cff4b22#tab=model-lesson&genre=1442d698-2acb-460f-b976-48bf061e85d6§ion=deresources
RALEIGH
http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/about
FOR FANTASY
WEBQUEST FOR 2/4/14
http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/dinsmorek/502/Webquest/start.html
What to do:
1. Read through the "Start" page carefully and then click on Introduction
2. Read the "Introduction" page carefully and then click on task page
3. Read through the "task" page carefully and then click on the process page
4. Even though it says to click on one story, I want you to read all three examples of fantasy. It will say to work in groups but for today you will work alone.
5. After you read all three, pick your favorite and make a check list in your reading response journal with the following:
| Talking Animals | Magical Items | Time Travel | Unknown World(s) | Unknown Creatures | Mystical Events | Futuristic |
See if thestory you chose had any of these?????
6. STOP! and think about an idea for a Fantasy story you can write that includes the ideas in number 5.
7. Click on the story map and begin to type up your planning for your own story. Take your time and think about your ideas, see if they make sense, and type them into the boxes. At the end of computer time, print WHAT YOU HAVE. PRINT ONLY ONE copy and put it in a safe place for us to look at when I am back on Wednesday. Your goal is to finish all steps above and to complete the story map with DETAILS for class on Wednesday
WEATHER STUDY GUIDE WEBSITE:
http://zebetta.edu.glogster.com/weather-and-climate/
POETRY ACTIVITIES
http://www.funenglishgames.com/readinggames/poem.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/english/reading/poetry/play/ (make sure your headphones are on and you pay attention even though it is funny!)
Friday 3/7/14
https://www.flocabulary.com/figurative-language
For Wednesday March 12, 2014
Click on this website and go through the list. Read the descriptions and examples.
http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/virtualit/poetry/elements.html
NEXT....
1.Read the following poem:
2. Determine what the tone (how it makes you feel) of the poem is
3. Determine what the mood (how the author may feel) of the poem is
4. What is the overall theme of the poem? What is the major idea, moral or life lesson to learned?
5. Go back and summarize in 1-2 sentences each stanza. Also write a sentence that explains WHY you think this.
Friday
Now that you know a little more about tone, mood and theme...
Pick a theme you want to teach or write about, a tone that you want someone to feel and a mood you want to use as an author.
Type a 2 stanza poem (at least) that fits these decisions. You may type it in Word and it can rhyme or not. Either is fine.
Civil War Article for Wednesday
http://www.netplaces.com/american-civil-war/life-in-the-service/camp-life.htm
Harriet Tubman Articles:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/peopleplaces/harriettubman/
http://www.brainpopjr.com/socialstudies/biographies/harriettubman/preview.weml
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1535.html
Human Body Systems
http://kidshealth.org/kid/closet/movies/how_the_body_works_interim.html
"I Was Here"
You will notice me
I'll be leaving my mark like initials carved in an old oak tree
You wait and see
Maybe I'll write like Twain wrote
Maybe I'll paint like Van Gogh
Cure the common cold
I don't know but I'm ready start cause I know in my heart
I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better
With the time I've been given
And I wanna try
To touch a few hearts in this life
Leave nothing less
Than something that says "I was here"
I will prove you wrong
If you think I'm all talk, you're in for a shock
Cause this dream's too strong
And before too long
Maybe I'll compose symphonies,
Maybe I'll fight for world peace
Cause I know it's my destiny
To leave more than a trace of myself in this place
I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better
With the time I've been given
And I wanna try
To touch a few hearts in this life
Leave nothing less
Than something that says "I was here"
And I know that I will do more than just pass through this life
I'll leave nothing less than something that says "I was here"
"I was here"
(I was here)
"I was here"
(wanna do something that matters)
(Something that says I was here)
"wanna do something that matters"
(Something that says I was here)
"I was here"
Mean
You, with your words like knives
And swords and weapons that you use against me
You have knocked me off my feet again
Got me feeling like I'm nothing
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
Calling me out when I'm wounded
You picking on the weaker man
You can take me down with just one single blow
But you don't know, what you don't know...
Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?
You, with your switching sides
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You have pointed out my flaws again
As if I don't already see them
I walk with my head down
Trying to block you out 'cause I'll never impress you
I just wanna feel okay again
I bet you got pushed around
Somebody made you cold
But the cycle ends right now
'Cause you can't lead me down that road
And you don't know, what you don't know...
Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?
And I can see you years from now in a bar
Talking over a football game
With that same big loud opinion
But nobody's listening
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things
Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing
But all you are is mean
All you are is mean
And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life
And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean
But someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean, yeah
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so?..
Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city (Why you gotta be so?..)
And all you're ever gonna be is mean (Why you gotta be so?..)
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me (Why you gotta be so?..)
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?
"Brave"
You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love
Or you can start speaking up
Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do
When they settle ‘neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight
Sometimes a shadow wins
But I wonder what would happen if you
Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
I just want to see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave
Everybody’s been there,
Everybody’s been stared down by the enemy
Fallen for the fear
And done some disappearing,
Bow down to the mighty
Don’t run, just stop holding your tongue
Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is
Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
And since your history of silence
Won’t do you any good,
Did you think it would?
Let your words be anything but empty
Why don’t you tell them the truth?
Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
See you be brave
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
EOG PRACTICE
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/testing/releasedforms/g5scipp.pdf SCIENCE
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/testing/releasedforms/g5elapp.pdf READING
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/testing/releasedforms/g5mathpp.pdf MATH