February Updates

February Updates

Dates to Remember

Friday, February 15, 2019, No school, midwinter break

Monday, February 18, 2019, No school, midwinter break, Presidents' Holiday

Wednesday, February 20, 2019: book orders are due.
Thursday, February 21, 2019: Vocal Music concert @7:00 PM, cancelled due to snow days
Friday, February 22, 2019: Vocal music in school assembly, cancelled due to Snow days

Friday, February 22, 2019, Winter Survival, all day outdoors field trip

Tuesday, February 26, 2019: Slauson counselor will visit Dicken. 

Tuesday, March 5, 2019: Incoming 6th grade parent meeting, Slauson's auditorium 6:00 PM

Important dates

Thursday, February 21, 2019, Biography letter is due (See sample post)

Incoming 6th grade 

When the Slauson counselor comes, she will show a short presentation for fifth grade students about the school and activities. Then she will explain the course selection sheet. Students will take the sheet home and complete it with his or her parent/ guardian. 

The Incoming 6th grade Parent Night will be held in Slauson Auditorium on March 5th at 6:00 PM. The orientation is for parents/ guardians and will share information about the 6th grade program, curriculum, and co-curricular opportunities. Teachers and students will be presenting and engaging parents and guardians. Please save the date!

The course selection sheet will not be due until after the parent orientation. 

Sample Biography Letter

Sample Biography letter

Letters are due by Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019

February 14, 2019 (date)

Dear Ms. Hubbard, (greetings)

            I just finished reading a memoir (M) on the life of Florence Griffith- Joyner in Great African Americans in The Olympics by Shaun Hunter. (author)  I know it is a memoir because it is not a full story of her life, only a portion of her life and there are other stories of other Olympians.

             One of the things that stood out to me was her perseverance. She did not make the Olympics the first time she tried. Another challenge was the financial struggles in college which forced her to drop out. Her perseverance in both situations made her continue running and to finish what she started. One of her character traits would be persistence, because she never gave up until she won a gold medal at the Olympics in 1988.

            One theme in her life is never give up and finish what you start. Another theme is set goals and keep the goals. Although the book was published before her death, I would have liked to learn in the book was how she died and the different theories circulating about her death.

             The text was organized (structure) by a series of events. This was the best way to showcase how she started and stopped her running career. It would have been uninteresting to read about all of her childhood and work at the bank. The author picked the best structure. 

                                                                                                       Sincerely,

                                                                                                       Avery 

Requirements

Friendly letter parts 

date, greetings, body, closing, and signature

Genre (abbreviation)

Title and author

Traits with evidence of the Main character of the biography, memoir or autobiography

structure of the text, what is the best organization

challenges faced

theme 

what the book should have included or did not have

30 seconds with ... Dicken fifth graders' trailblazers "wax museum"

Stereotypes of Native Americans

Stereotypes of Native Americans

Stereotypes of Native Americans

Due: Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Native Americans were the first inhabitants of North American; however, American history has been unpleasant to these indigenous people. From sports mascots to unrealistic portrayals, there is a picture painted of Native American with feathers, tepees and buffalo for food.  Associating these images with all Native Americans is stereotyping.

We have read a glimpse of the different cultural regions of Native Americans. Your are somewhat of an expert. Choose one of the choices below and discuss the inaccurate portrayal versus the accurate portrayal of all Native Americans.

Choice 1

Read the poem, Indian Blood by Mary Tall-Mountain. Write a description of your visualization while you read the poem. Then sketch your visualization. Next, write a paragraph describing the inaccurate region/ environment of the character in the poem and the possible accurate region/ environment of the character.

Choice 2: A movie clip on the internet showed a Native American with feathers in a mohawk running out of a tepee. Write a letter to the Director explaining the inaccurate depiction. Use evidence of cultural regions of Native Americans.

Choice 3 (challenging)

Watch the PBS video, Breaking Stereotypes of Native American Artist. Answer the following questions by writing paragraph(s).

Before the video:

• Describe what you view as Native American Art.
• Can an artifact be different from art?

After the video:

• How have your thoughts about Native American Art changed after the video?
• What advice would you give to a contemporary Native American Artist?
• Be sure to use your knowledge of Native American environments and cultural regions including information about food, climate, housing, traditions and artifacts.

Poem, Blood Indian

Indian Blood

By Mary Tall-Mountain (June 19, 1918 – September 2, 1994)

On the stage I stumbled,

My fur boot caught

On a slivered board.

Rustle of stealthy giggles.

Beendaaga’ made of velvet

Crusted with crystal beads

Hung form brilliant tassels of wool,

Wet with my sweat.

Children’s faces stared.

I felt their flowing force.

Did I crouch like goh

Children’s faces stared.

I felt their flowing force.

Did I crouch like goh

in the curious quiet?

They butted to the stage,

darting questions; pointing.

Do you live in an igloo?

Hah! You eat blubber!

Hemmed in by ringlets of brass,

grass-pale eyes,

the fur of daghooda-aak

trembled.

Late in the night

I bit my hand …

with moons of dark

Indian blood.

Translations:

beendaaga' = mittens          goh= rabbit    daghooda-aak= caribou parka

Cultural regions

1. Northwest Coast- cedar trees, rainy, salmon                       
2. Great Plains- large grasslands, camas                                  
3. Plateau- Rocky mountains, large rivers
4. California-Intermountain- Pacific coast, desert area, little rainfall            
5. Eastern Woodlands- Michigan, great lakes, four seasons, wigwams
6. Southwest-hot summers, freezing winters,                                
7. Southeast- near Atlantic coast but humid, alligators

Winter Survival

Winter Survival

Friday, Feb. 1, 2019
Tuesday, Mar. 5, 2019
Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, 9:30 - 2:00 PM, Freeman Building


Winter Survival is scheduled for Friday, February 22, 2019, 9:30- 2:00 PM. Two weeks away!

Before

Don't forget to revisit the food preparation list.
Remember your count in your group.
Strictly follow the food restrictions in your group. (I will be checking!)
Take your list to the grocery store.
Prepare all meat prior to the trip, using aluminum foil as wrappings.

Day of the Trip

Watch the weather.
Leave your backpack at home.
Bring an old backpack or grocery bags.
Dress in layers.
Layer your feet with warm socks and check boot insulation.
Put long hair in a ponytail.
Don't forget your gloves and hat.
Bring an extra snack for the morning/ afternoon.

February 2019

February 2019

Important Dates

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019: Unit 4 Test (Snow days moved it.)
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2019: Wax Museum written materials are due. (check-in.)

Forget-Me- Not Dates

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019: Chinese New Year begins
Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019: Winter Walk, Rescheduled Date, 6:30- 7:30 PM
Monday, Feb. 11, 2019: NAAPID/ Parent Involvement Day**
Monday, Feb. 11, 2019: Wax Museum, 1:30 - 2:30 PM, Multipurpose Room
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019: Valentine's Day, card exchange celebration, 1:45- 2:20 PM**
Monday, Feb. 18, 2019: No School, Mid-Winter Break
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019: Scholastic Book Orders are due.
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019: Vocal Music Concert, 7 PM
Friday, Feb. 22, 2019: Vocal Music Assembly, 2 PM
Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019: Early Dismissal Day, 1:29 PM (No childcare)

Save the Date

Tuesday, Mar. 5, 2019: Winter Survival, Rescheduled Date, 9:30- 2:00 PM
Thursday, Mar. 7, 2019: Leslie Science Center Visit to Dicken, Food Chain Lesson

Subjects at a glance

Math: Unit 4 was extended slightly due to the 5 snow days. Students will correct the pretest taken for homework on Tuesday night this week.  Unit 5 is challenging as was Unit 3. We will be studying fractions again; however, more complex. I typically separate the unit into 2 parts due to the level of complexity. Below this section are the unit concepts.
Language Arts:
Reading: We will study Biography (narrative nonfiction) unit for the Month of February. Students will review time periods, character traits, and setting. Students will closely study cause and effect and how ones influences effect his or her life. The district has added Power up for students who have exited Lexia Core 5. Student are expected to log in daily and record their time on a chart.
Writing: We will conclude our Wax museum, First person/ perspective project. Then we will be begin informational writing project incorporating: different writing structures and graphical features.
Poetry: We will continue our Figurative Language Fridays as we learn onomatopoeia (sound words), symbolism (words with deeper meaning) and oxymoron (2 contradictory words).
Social Studies: We are continuing our studies of 3 Worlds Meets. We will cover the study of European explorers and the Columbian Exchange. Then, we will transition to studying the continent of African and how Africa was a part of the 3 World Meet.
Science: We beginning our study of Infinity and Beyond by studying gravity, Earth's gravitational pull, axle, and orbiting. At the end of the learning cycle, students will try to prove how the Earth is not flat but round.

EDM Unit 4: Assessed Outcomes

Unit 4: Decimal Concepts and Coordinate Grids

• Read and write decimals in words, numbers and expanded forms.
• Compare decimals.
• Round decimals.
• Plot points on a coordinate grid. (x, y) 
• Use a coordinate grid to answer questions and solve problems.
• Shade grids to add and subtract decimals.
• Use algorithms to add and subtract decimals.

EDM Unit 5 Outcomes

Unit 5: Operations with Fractions (Fractions return)

• Find common denominators. (part I)
• Add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers with unlike denominators.
• Multiply fractions using paper folding, area models, or an algorithm (part I)
• Explain why multiplying a fraction by a fraction equal to 1 gives an equivalent fractions. (part I)
• Divide a unit fraction by a whole number.
• Divide a whole number by a unit fraction.

NAAPPID/ Parent Involvement Day, February 11, 2019

All parents are always welcome at Dicken and in Room 122. The second Monday in February as been designated to be National African American Parent Involvement Day by the late Joe Dulin. He chose a day in February since it was Black History Month and created a day to provide a warm, welcoming reception of minority parents. The day has evolved to be a warm and welcoming reception of all parents and our community. Below is the anticipated schedule:

8:30 AM                                 Mochas with Mike (Kerry)

                                               Classroom Visits

9:30 AM                                 Assembly, Bichini Biakomgo

11:30 AM- 1:15 PM               Luncheon, free

1:30 - 2:30 PM                       Wax museum

2:30- 3:59 PM                        Classroom visits

Valentine's Day Card Exchange 

This probably is the last year for students to exchange Valentine's Day cards or candies. It is not required; however, if a student wishes to participate, he or she must bring a card or treat for every student. In the event, there is not one for every student, I will be retrieving all items until enough items are brought to the class for everyone. I sent an email all of the classes names, 19 total. I will give a paper copy to student who cannot print it.  We will eat cookies while decorating our bags and reading our cards. Thank you to the parents who volunteered to donate items and cookies.