fifth grade with mr. ericksen! all you need to know, (and probably more)
TRANSCRIPT
Fifth Grade with Mr. Ericksen!
All you need to know, (and probably more)
About me
• I am the father of four kids; ages 9, 7, 5, and 4 months.
• They have taught me much about being a parent of a child in school.
• I try to teach and run my classroom in such a way that I would be proud to have my own kids in my class. I strive for the kind of teaching quality that I would expect of my children’s teachers.
Things to discuss
• Contact information
• Expectations
• Schedule
• Curriculum Overview
• Special Activities
Contact Me
• School Number: (801) 402-2450
• Classroom Extension 2458
• Email is by far the best way to contact me…
Expectations
• Attitude: your child needs to want to learn. No attempts to derail the learning of others will be tolerated!
• Punctuality: get your child here on time.
• Follow rules
Classroom Rules / School Rules
• Keep hands, feet, and all objects to yourself.
• Know and use appropriate manners, wear appropriate clothing.
• Use an appropriate voice level and always use appropriate language.
• Respect the rights, property and privileges of others.
• Follow all directions the first time they are given.
• School Rules
• Be Responsible
• Be Respectful
• Be Safe
A few words about rules
• Your children have been in school for five whole years now. They generally know what is and is not appropriate. I expect them to use their brains when it comes to unwritten rules. They will not get away with finding loop-holes, back-talking, or feigning ignorance! No one could ever create a list of rules to cover every contingency (and no one should ever have to)!
• Occasionally conflicts happen that require many students to be given consequences. You can expect that I will be as fair as possible in such situations, but I may or may not be willing (or able) to share details of consequences given to other students with you or your child.
Homework dunh, dunh, dunnnnhhhh!
• I DO NOT assign homework for the sake of assigning homework.
• Your child will not be given an assignment with the expectation that it can only be completed on their time while at home.
• I do strongly suggest (read: expect) that each student read at least 30 minutes a night. I do not track this though.
• Caveat: That DOES NOT mean that your child will never have homework. There will be assignments that spill over (most commonly math).
• There may be times when I need the students to get something done, but run out of class time. Such times will be rare and consist of small assignments (like brainstorm and jot down a few ideas for an essay)
• Homework assignments should not take more than about 30 minutes (excluding reading), if assignments are taking an inordinate amount of time, write me a short note and I will accommodate.
Schedule
• 8:40 School Starts
• 10:10 Recess
• 10:40 Prep:
• Mon. Computers
• Tues. Music
• Wed. P.E.
• Thurs. Library
• 11:30 Lunch
• 1:25 Afternoon Recess
• 3:25 School Ends
• Don’t Forget that Friday is short day (1:25), so have fun.
Curriculum: Language Arts
• Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar/Usage.
• We have a new book this year that we are all getting to know, and it looks very exciting.
• We’ll build vocabulary, we’ll improve on reading and writing.
• DWA
Curriculum: Math
• +, -, X, and ÷
• Number Sense and Operations, Fractions, Decimals, Area, and Volume.
• Common Core• Should you worry, NO!
• Feel free to contact me if you are worried about the things that we are teaching or the style.
Science
• Scientific Method
• Matter
• Landforms / Earth Science
• Magnetism
• Electricity
• Heredity
Science Highlights
• M&M lab
• Building Flashlights
• Orienteering by compass
• Singing metal
• Virtual field trip to Mt. St. Helens
• Inventorying Hereditary Traits
• Reaction time program from Discovery Gateway
Social Studies
• We will learn and practice map skills.
• We will study American History from discovery of the continent until right now!
• Your kids have wound up in the classroom of history nut!
2 Truths and a lie
1. The war of 1812 lasted three years, the reasons for the war were resolved before the first shot was fired, and the most famous battle happened after the peace treaty was signed.
2. Pocahontas only knew John Smith in passing and she married a man who rescued America’s oldest colony by illegally growing tobacco.
3. Sacagawea spoke multiple languages of many tribes and successfully guided Lewis and Clark across the mountains of the Northwest.
2 Truths and a lie
1. Benito Mussolini was not only a fascist dictator during WW2, but also an accomplished opera singer who performed for Hitler himself.
2. The Pilgrims arrived in America on the Mayflower, but departed from England on a ship called the Speedwell.
3. After Wilmer McLean’s home was destroyed during the First Battle of Bull Run (the first major battle of the Civil War) he moved to a new home in Appomattox Virginia. Four years later his new home would be used by General Lee to surrender.
2 Truths and a lie
1. Two (1/3) of the so-called “dead presidents” on US currency were never actually president.
2. During WW2 the Japanese attached explosives to balloons and blindly let them float towards the United States. One of the balloons was actually successful when it exploded and killed a pregnant woman and 5 kids playing in a park in Oregon.
3. More than 50 years after the cease-fire North and South Korea finally signed an actual peace treaty in 2006. However, this treaty has been largely ignored by the North Koreans.
Special Activities
• DWA
• SAGE Testing
• State Reports
• Field Trips