#2 Emergency Plans-LaPenta Room 208
Fifth Grade
Sub info packet is located in brown accordion folder (on my desk) and in Source4Teachers.
9:10-9:45 Writing
-students may switch to other classrooms
-Marking period 1:
-Marking period 2:
-Marking period 3:
2nd rotation 2-14 to 3-8 (14 days)
LaPenta to Byers
Byers to Zehring
Zehring to LaPenta
3rd rotation 3-9 to 3-30 (16 days)
LaPenta to Zehring
Byers to Lapenta
Zehring to Byers
-Marking period 4:
1strotation 3-31 to 5-1 (12 days)
LaPenta to Byers
Byers to Zehring
Zehring to LaPenta
2nd rotation 5-2 to 5-18 (12 days)
LaPenta to Byers
Byers to Zehring
Zehring to LaPenta
3rdrotation 5-19 to 6-6 (12 days)
LaPenta to Byers
Byers to Zehring
Zehring to LaPenta
Book for lesson available under “Social Studies” tab on my classroom website.
9:45-10:15 Flex Groups
-letter available below or on classroom website under “Emergency Plans”
10:15-11:10 Reading
-Write a persuasive letter to Mr. Hernandez, the principal, or Mrs. LaPenta-homeroom teacher
to try to convince them as to why we should have a shorter school day. Provide at least 3
definitive reasons as to why this is a good idea with detailed information as to the benefits.
Model format for students, do a practice letter together, then guide students through writing
their own letter.
-write a sentence w/ grammatical errors on whiteboard or overhead chosen from persuasive
letters students just wrote and students correct sentences on paper or whiteboards. Give
students who are doing especially well a chance to come up with their own sentences with
errors for classmates to correct. Lined paper is behind second curtain, bottom shelf on right
side of room.
11:10-12:10 Math
-Mastermind is a classic game. Two players play. One of the players makes up a secret code, and the other has to guess it. Each time the guesser guesses a code, the first player gives them a clue how well they did.
For example, suppose your secret code was 8563, as shown above. And suppose my guess was 8475, as shown below.
Then, you would respond like this :
- In my guess, the marble numbered 8 (the red marble) is in the correct place. So you give me a green peg next to my guess. (instead of a green peg, students may use a star)
- Apart from the 8, I also guessed a 5 (the light blue marble), but I put it in the wrong place. Because it would be correct if I moved it, you give me a white peg. (instead of a white peg, students may give a checkmark)
- My other two marbles are completely wrong - so you don't give me any peg, either white or green. (no star or checkmark given)
- When I see the green peg and the white peg, I know that one of my pegs is in the correct place, and one other is correct, but in the wrong place. However, I have no idea which ones. For all I know, it might be the 4 and 7 that are correct...
Likewise, if I guessed 3366...
- Then I have a marble numbered 6 (a green one) in the correct place, so you indicate this by giving me a green peg next to my guess. The other 6 doesn't earn me another peg.
- Also, your secret code has one 3. My guess has two 3's, neither are in the right places. Therefore, you give me a single white peg, because one of my 3's is the right color.
- Once you've given a green peg and a white peg for one of my 3's and one of my 6's, my other 3 and 6 don't match your 8 and 5, so I don't get any more pegs - just the one green and the one white.
After a few guesses, perhaps I'll have enough information to figure out the four numbers in your secret code. A few more guesses, and I might have figured out what order these numbers are in! I'll have cracked your code!
Or perhaps, after 12 guesses, I'll still be just as baffled as at the start...
-the pizza cutting puzzle!
-let's imagine that instead of putting a round pizza into a square dish, we have
- A square pizza, and
- A round dish.
The puzzle is to find a way to cut up the pizza, and rearrange the pieces so they fit in the dish.
Anyway, here's my suggestions for tray sizes.
- A square pizza, 10 inches per side, only needs to be cut into 3 pieces to fit on a round tray. The given tray is 13 inches across. You can use this to introduce the puzzle.
- The next tray is only 12.5 inches across. I think this is just too small for three pieces to do. I'm not sure how many pieces will be needed, but it's probably still not many.
- If that turns out to be very easy, try the kids on the 12 inch tray! This is likely to be more of a challenge. If you are giving this puzzle to, say, a class of kids, you could give a reward of some sort to the child who solves the puzzle with the fewest number of pieces.
- The 11.8 inch tray will be very challenging! The pizza will fill almost 95% of the tray, and likely need to be cut into many many pieces. Reserve this puzzle for the brightest and most motivated of your kids.
12:10-12:40Recess on large, lower playground (refer to sub info packet for further info)
-DUTY on Day 1
-please remind students to take a bathroom break and get any supplies before going outside
-if indoor recess, see sub info packet
12:45-1:15 Lunch (refer to sub info packet for further info)
-DUTY on Day 5
1:15-1:55Reading Skills
-Read a story. Students respond by writing and illustrating a sentence in response to given
question. (paper is located in basket on shelves under windows)
-write a new ending to the story and share with class
-write a story outline (first 1, 2, 3; next 1, 2, 3; last 1, 2, 3). Assign groups of students
parts. After group practices, they can act it out in front of the class.
-on top of shelf above coat closet area are several reading games, some of these games are new
to students and you will want to monitor them to make sure they are following the rules
-allow students to finish a game before beginning the next
2:00-2:40 Special
Day 1 Library, Day 2 Music, Day 3P.E., Day 4Computer Lab, Day 5 Art
2:40-3:40 Math Skills
-GET AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN – Pick a random number (at least in the thousands or greater
depending on what grade you teach) and I write it on the board. This is the target number. Then
I write about five other random numbers. The students then can use any math operation and any
of the five numbers once to try to get as close as they can to the target number. The student who
gets the closest wins.
-Play the game WAR the regular way, with one card each, however this time the winner of the
hand must recite the multiplication fact before they can truly win the hand. For example: I lay
down a 4 and he lays down a 7. His card is higher but he cannot win the hand unless he can give
the answer to 4×7.
-Use everyday math cards located on “math” bookshelf on right side of room
3:40-3:45 Dismissal prep
-call individuals or rows to begin getting together their belongings
-students must be working quietly at seats
3:40-4:05 Dismissal
INFORMATIONAL GRADE 6
Each season—spring, summer, fall or winter—offers special sights and sounds.
Select one season and describe its unique qualities.
Identify an activity, such as a hobby, pastime or sport, you enjoy or do well.
Explain what you do and why you chose the activity.
Consider all the animals that could be pets.
Select one that would make a good pet and explain why.
Select a person that you would invite to speak to your class.
Explain why you would enjoy that speaker.
Choose what you think would be the best job for you when you become an adult.
Explain why that would be the best choice.
Most people have a special day that they enjoy.It can be a holiday, a birthday or a day of the
week such as Friday or Saturday.What day is special to you?
Write to explain why your special day is enjoyable for you.
Jesse Jackson once said, “Your children need your presence more than your presents.”
Explain what this quotation means to you.
We all have a hero or heroine—a person whose qualities, achievements or lifestyle we admire.
Choose a person you consider to be your hero or heroine.
Write to explain why this person is your hero or heroine.
You have an opportunity to relive a time from last year.This time could be a happy event, or it
could be an event that you would like to change.
Write why you want to relive this event.
Each class must take a science or social studies field trip.Choose a place you would like to go
for a field trip.Why will your choice be a good place to visit and what will you learn?
Write to explain what makes your choice a good place to visit for a science or social studies field
trip. Also explain what you hope to learn from the trip.
Think of someone whom you look up to or admire.What do you admire about that person? Why
has this person influenced you?
Write to explain what qualities you admire about this person and tell why he/she has influenced
you.
A new student from a faraway place has enrolled in the sixth grade at your school. How can this
student become successful?Why will these actions make him or her successful?
Write an essay explaining how this new student can become a successful sixth grader.
Think about different weather conditions such as snow, rain, heat, cold, and wind. What one
specific weather condition affects you the most? Why?
Write an essay explaining the effects of this weather condition.
Many people believe that we“…appreciate something that we earn more than something we are
given.”
Explain to your classmates why this statement is true and tell how it might relate to them.
The school district has a policy of “no backpacks” in the school’s classrooms.Many students
feel this is very difficult.
Write to the principal to explain the difficulties for a student with the policy of “no backpacks”
and explain the reasons for these difficulties.
It is very important for a fourth grader to be organized in school.
Explain to a younger student how to be organized and tell why being organized is important for a
student.
There is a room available in your school.What suggestions do you have for the use of this
room?
Explain the use of the room and the benefit to the students.
NARRATIVE GRADE 6
You are a designer for a company that creates rides for carnivals, fairs and amusement parks.
Describe the ride you designed and explain why people would like it.
You are a pair of shoes. You may be any kind of footwear.
Describe yourself in detail and tell about your most memorable experience.
You are shipwrecked on an island for a month with only your backpack.
Tell how you survive with the items in your backpack.
Your teacher comes into the room and places a book on the desk.The book begins to move.
Write about what adventure occurs when the book is opened and tell what you learn from this
adventure.
You can fly.
Write about an adventure you had when you were flying and tell what you learned from this
adventure.
At different times in their lives, people face situations in which they need to be brave.
Write about a time when someone needed to be brave and tell why bravery was needed.
You lived in an earlier time.
Write about your experience when you lived in an earlier time and tell why it was exciting.
Every clock in your town ran backwards for twenty-four hours.
Write about the adventures resulting from how your “backwards day” was different from a
normal day.
It is always fun to visit a zoo, but did you ever think about what the animals do when the zoo is
closed?You are in the zoo after it closes.
Write about what you see and learn when the zookeeper forgets to lock the cages.
Think of a time when you did something nice for someone else. What did this experience teach
you about yourself?
Write a narrative about doing something nice for someone.
Learning a new skill, such as painting a picture, playing an instrument, or riding a skateboard canbe challenging. Think of a time when you learned a new skill or taught someone else a new skill.What happened? Why was this experience a challenge to you?
Write a narrative about learning or teaching a new skill.
Most people can remember a day or event in their lives that they would like to relive. Thinkabout a particular time that you would like to relive. What happened? Why would you like torelive it?
Write a narrative about a day or event you would like to relive.
All of us have favorite stories and especially favorite characters within those stories. Whatwould happen if your favorite character visited your class for a day? What would you remembermost about this adventure?
Write a narrative about an adventure at your school with your favorite character.
Photographs often remind us of special people or events that we might have forgotten.
Write the story of a photograph for your family and tell why the photo holds a special memory
for you.
You are a yellow school bus that can take a group of young people anywhere.
Write a story for the teacher about the journey that you take, and tell what part of the trip the
children enjoyed the most.
You appreciate something that you have to earn more than something you are given.
Tell a story to your class about a time when you had to work hard to earn something and tell why
it was important to you.
You have decided to give a favorite possession to charity.
Tell a story about the time when you gave this possession to charity and tell why the charity
would be willing to accept it.
PERSUASIVE GRADE 6
You have chosen an excellent book for sixth graders.
Persuade your classmates to read this book.
Many public places do not permit skateboarding/bicycling/rollerblading. Do you agree or
disagree with this rule?
Write to persuade community leaders to support your opinion.
Your class is having a snack on Friday afternoon.
Choose your favorite snack food and write to persuade your classmates why your choice should
be served.
Many boys and girls enjoy playing the same sport.Do you think boys and girls should be on the
same team?
Write to persuade the coach to agree with your opinion.
Your school district is considering a rule that students may not carry backpacks to school.Do
you agreeordisagree?
Write to persuade your principal to support your opinion.
Eating the proper foods is very important in order to stay healthy.Often, young people like to
eat junk foods and they do not eat healthy fruits and vegetables.
Write to persuade your friends that a balanced diet is important in staying healthy.
An elementary school principal has considered canceling recess for grades one through four sochildren will spend more time in the classroom. The principal wants to know how older studentsfeel about this suggestion. Do you agreeor disagree with this idea? Do you think that cancelingrecess is a good idea?
Write to persuade the principal to accept your views on this issue.
You have just learned that your favorite television show is being taken off the air.
Write to persuade the broadcaster to keep your favorite show on the air.
Your principal wants all children to share in keeping the school neat and clean. Students will beasked to spend one hour each week doing clean-up work. Do you agreeor disagree with theidea?
Write to persuade the principal to consider your opinion.
Some people believe that competitive sports—baseball, volleyball, softball, and basketball—canbe helpful to elementary school students. The principal is considering adding competitive sportsin elementary school. Do you agree or disagree?
Write an essay persuading the principal to support your opinion that competitive sports shouldor
should not be added to the elementary school program.
Your school is considering charging students a fee for participating in after-school activities. Do
you agreeordisagree?
Write an essay persuading your principal that a fee shouldor should not be charged for after-
school activities.
You have thirty minutes of free time in school each week. Your teacher has asked your class tosuggest ways to use this free time. Think of a way to use this free time. Why is your idea thebest one?
Write an essay persuading your teacher to accept your idea on how this free time should be
spent.
Your community is searching for a student to send to the capitol to represent the young people of
your town.Choose someone you feel is a good student leader.
Persuade your community to agree with your choice.
Many boys and girls play the same sports.Is it a good ideaor not to have boys and girls on the
same team?
Convince the coach of one particular sport in which boys and girls shouldor should not be on
the same team.
The school district is reconsidering the “policy on backpacks” in the school’s classrooms.
Decide whether backpacks shouldor should not be allowed in the school’s classrooms.
Persuade the principal to agree with your decision.