Ms. Higgins 4-306 Week of October 11 14, 2016

P.S. 249Name: ______

Ms. Higgins 4-306 Week of October 11 – 14, 2016

Parent Signature:

This packet is due Monday October 17thand it must be signed by a parent.

October 10th: NO SCHOOL! Columbus Day

October 12th: NO SCHOOL! Yom Kippur

• Reading Intensely: making sure you are paying attention to even the smallest details that the author gives you.
• Growing Ideas about Characters: noticing patterns, details, changes, desires, obstacles, and traits about a character. Think about how they could have acted but didn’t.

• Write an Equation
• Draw a Picture
• Use an Object
• Make a Table
• Find a Pattern
• Make a Model

• Analyze: look at closely
• Argue: to give a claim (idea) and support it in order to prove your claim (idea) is right.
• Support: use evidence from the text to back-up claims (ideas) that you have based on what you are reading.
• Close Reading: thinking about what you are reading and asking questions as you read. Writing notes, circling words, underlining sentences help you to do this!

Monday October 10: NO SCHOOL!

Tuesday October 11:

1. ELA Homework: Closely reread the passage “Anansi and the Yam Hills.” What are some character traits to describe the main character Anansi? Give evidence from the text to support your response.

Anansi is ______because ______

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______.

Anansi is also ______because ______

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2. Reading: Read your independent reading book for 40 minutes and record in your reading log. In your Reading Notebook, write a synthesis summary of your book so far. Remember, a synthesis summary goes back in the story to give backstory or relevant details. It doesn’t go in order like a chronological retell!

3. Math Problem Solving: Remember that we know three strategies for rounding: the horizontal number line, the vertical number line, and the rounding rule. Read the problem below, paying special attention to the bolded words, then complete the problem using SOLVE on the next page.

Franklin School is collecting pennies for another school that was damaged in Hurricane Matthew. There are four grades in Franklin School. Each classroom has a large jar to fill with pennies. At the end of a month each grade has the following total number of pennies:

Second Grade: eight thousand, six hundred twenty-four

Third Grade: seven thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine

Fourth Grade: nine thousand, four hundred two

Fifth Grade: seven thousand, three hundred sixty-one

The students at Franklin School use estimation to round the total pennies each grade level collects to the nearest thousand. The students then estimate how many dollars’ worth of pennies they collected. About how much money in dollars will Franklin School send to the damaged school? Show all your mathematical thinking.

4.Writing: Write an essay or make a poster for the “Respect for All” contest (the information is attached). Write it on loose-leaf paper so you can submit it for the contest!

Wednesday October 12: NO SCHOOL!

ThursdayOctober 13:

1. ELA Homework: Closely reread the passage “Anansi and the Yam Hills.” Part of growing ideas about characters is looking for their struggles and motivations.

-Write at least 5 sentences to answer the following questions giving evidence from the text.

-What is Anansi’s motivation?

-What is Anansi’s struggle?

-How is the story’s problem resolved? Does Anansi get what he wants in the end?

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2. Reading: Read your independent fiction reading book for 40 minutes and record in your reading log. Our class needs to work on including story elements (setting, characters, plot, problem, resolution, turning point, theme, etc.) in our literary responses. In your Readers’ Notebook:

-Describe the setting of your story. Where is it? When does it take place? What are some sensory details to describe it?

-What is the problem of your story?

-Who are the characters you’ve met in your story so far? What are their names? Character traits? Physical descriptions? Emotions?

-What is the plot of your story so far? What events have taken place? Do you think it’s part of the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, or resolution?

3. Math Problem Solving: This is a harder version of Tuesday’s problem. Good luck!

Franklin School is collecting pennies for another school that was damaged in Hurricane Matthew. There are six grades in Franklin School. Each classroom has a large jar to fill with pennies. At the end of a month each grade has the following total number of pennies:

Kindergarten: nine thousand, two hundred eighty-eight

First Grade: seven thousand ninety-eight

Second Grade: eight thousand, six hundred twenty-four

Third Grade: seven thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine

Fourth Grade: nine thousand, four hundred two

Fifth Grade: seven thousand, three hundred sixty-one

The students at Franklin School use estimation to round the total pennies each grade level collects to the nearest thousand. The students then estimate how many dollars’ worth of pennies they collected. About how much money in dollars will Franklin School send to the damaged school? Show all your mathematical thinking.

4. Writing: Continue writing your “Respect for All” essay or making your “Respect for All” poster. It is due when you come back to school on Monday October 17th.

Friday October 14th – Sunday October 16th

1. Read, read, read!! Log your reading at least once over the weekend!
2. Finish homework packet.
3. Math Facts: practice multiplication/division flash cards for 10-15 minutes every night (especially 7, 8, and 9 times tables).
4. Bring back any signed papers that need to be returned (blue cards).

Anansi and the Yam Hills by Michael Auld

Once in a before time, there lived an old woman who had magical powers. Her name was 5. She was also so evil that some people called her a witch. 5 hated her name. No one knows why her parents named her the number 5. When she was a child, other children would make fun of her name. Sometimes when she was within earshot, they would look out the corner of their eyes and giggle as they said.

"Give me 5!"

When she grew up, 5 decided to put an end to the name-calling. So, she created a weird spell.

"Anyone who says '5' will drop dead,” she said. Then she changed her mind. “From this day on, anyone who says ‘5’ will disappear." This spell immediately caused a problem in the country. No one could say that number again without disappearing. Children could no longer recite their five times tables. People had to drop the word 'five' from their vocabulary. In 5’s village, the unlucky number was no longer 13.

Once, a customer asked a merchant, “How much is that blue T-shirt?”

“That shirt is 5 dol... ” Suddenly there was a loud “SWOOSH!” before the merchant could finish his sentence. He disappeared right in front of the dumbfounded customer's eyes!

A crafty spider named Anansi lived in 5's village. He had heard about the witch’s spell. Times were very hard. Anansi was not a farmer and he had no food at all to eat. His wife and children were starving. Since Anansi was small, and not a very good worker, he could only rely on his brain to get whatever he needed to survive.

He said to himself. "Things are tough, boy! I must make this witch's spell work for me.”

Anansi went to the road that led to the village's marketplace. He chose a spot on the side of the road where everyone on the way to market would have to pass. There, near a large Guangu tree, he decided to pile up five mounds of the rich brown soil. These mounds he called "yam hills". In the top of each yam hill, he planted an African yellow yam. Then he drove a stake next to the yam on which its vine could grow. Anansi carefully watered the yams until each one began to sprout.

Anansi made a web-like a hammock in the Guangu tree and patiently waited for someone to come by. Early one morning, after each yam shoot had poked its head out of a mound, Anansi sat down next to his yam hills. Soon, Brother Dog came by on his way to the market. Dog balanced a bankra basket of sweet-smelling fruits on his head as he walked down the road.

"Good morning Brother Dog," said Anansi in a sugary voice. "I know that you are busy, and I feel so stupid. I am not an educated man like you. Would you help me to count how many yam hills that I have planted here?" Anansi asked.

"You should have gone to school to learn how to count!" Brother Dog said grumpily as he walked away from Anansi towards the market.

Anansi climbed up into the Guangu tree and waited.

The next person to come by was Brother Bull. He carried large basket of fruits on his head.

"Good day Bro' Bull." Anansi said in a sad voice. "Could you just spare me one minute?" Anansi begged.

"What can I do for you, Anansi?" Bro' Bull asked.

"I was a *yikki and sickly child. So, my parents did not send me to school. I never learned my ABC’s. I planted all these yam hills... Can you help me to count them?" Anansi said.

"But, of course Anansi" Bro' Bull replied. "You have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...."

SWOOSH!

As he said that number, Brother Bull disappeared into thin air. The basket of sweet ripe fruits that he had been carrying on his head, fell to the ground. Anansi snatched up the basket of fruits and rushed home to eat them all.

For a long time, Anansi did very well tricking some passersby into counting his yam hills. He grew fat from all the baskets of food he had gathered. He had tricked Brothers Turtle, Owl, Mongoose, Hare, Peenie-Wallie the firefly, and even the tough Bro' Scorpion.

Mrs. Guinea fowl was a nice young mother of newly hatched children. She could not say 'no' to anyone. She and her husband shared the chore of selling their produce in the village. That day it was her turn to go to the marketplace. She loaded up her hand basket and headed for the market. As she got closer to the yam hills Anansi was nowhere in sight. Just as she was about to pass yam hill number 4, Anansi the spider lowered himself down from his perch in the Guangu tree. He called out in his sugary voice.

"Good morning Mrs. Guinea Fowl. Could you help me with a problem?"

"Of course Anansi," the polite Mrs. Guinea Fowl said.

"I have these yam hills here, and I don't know how to count ... would you help me... ? Pleeease." Anansi begged. Mrs. Guinea Fowl, who had seen Anansi trick Bro' Scorpion, walked over to the last yam hill and climbed up on top of it.

She said. “You have 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... and the one I am standing on".

"What! What are you doing? That is not the way you count!" Anansi shouted angrily.

"What do you mean, Anansi?" Mrs. Guinea Fowl said.

"I don't know of any number called 'the one I'm standing on'. Start again!” Anansi ordered.

Mrs. Guinea Fowl began again. "You have 1, 2, 3, 4 ... and the one I am standing on".

"That is not what you are supposed to say!" Anansi shouted even more angrily.

"Well ... If you are so smart... What am I supposed to say?" Mrs. Guinea Fowl asked.

Anansi shouted, "You are supposed to say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... Oops…”

Suddenly, Anansi disappeared, leaving Mrs. Guinea Fowl with all the loot that he had gotten from tricking his victims.

* yikki = small

Respect for All Essay and Poster Contest

October is National Anti-Bullying Month. All schools in the district are participating in the Respect for All Essay and Poster Contest. You will be writing an essay OR creating an artistic poster about one of the following topics: bullying, being a bystander, making positive choices, being a good friend/citizen, taking a stand, or peer pressure. Essays and posters are due to Ms. Higgins by Monday October 17th, 2016. Submissions will be sent to the superintendent who will choose two essays and two posters. Winners will be announced in late November!

ESSAY POSTER

Sample Posters

Sample Essay Questions

1.What can you do to put a stop to the culture of bullying?

2.What is the danger of standing around and watching while someone else is bullied?

3.Why is it important to accept people for who they are?

4.Write about a time when you stood up for something that you believed in. Was it hard to express an opinion that other people didn’t agree with? Why or why not?

5.Why do you think some people bully others?

6.How can you encourage other people to be more accepting of those who are different?

Sample 3rd Grade Essay: The “Dream”

By: Anna Curry

“Stupid!!” said the big bully at my school. “Stop!” I yelled. Then the bully punched me. I hit the floor.

Suddenly I was in a huge school gym, and I was wearing a blue cap and gown. I looked about 21 years old. I was graduating from college, and wanted to change the world.

I could change the world by making sure that kids know how to handle their feelings in a healthy way. I want to help make sure kids aren’t bullied, and could do this by talking to schools about bullying. Kids bully each other because the bully has been hurt, or feels badly about himself/herself, so the bully wants the other kids to feel his or her pain. I have been bullied, and it is scary. It made me feel put-down and worthless.

After I graduate from college, I could start a new movement to help prevent bullying. Maybe it could be called the “Alliance for a Bully-Free Generation.” I would help schools form groups that meet weekly. One example would be a “kindness club.” In this group, students would find ways to show kindness to others. For example, older students could help younger students feel good about themselves by making cards or bookmarks with compliments or words to encourage them. Another group could be a “share” group. In this weekly meeting, the students could tell their stories of how they were bullied. Maybe bullies themselves could share how they bullied others, and ask for forgiveness.

I believe I could get teachers across the world to come together and discuss their ideas and groups. With technology today, and in the future, we could use Face Time or Skype, and Google Translate to communicate with and reach kids and schools all over the world.

I woke up from this dream, after I had hit my head on the floor. I was in my bed and my mom was sitting next to me. I told her that bullying needs to stop and I want to help. I want to change the world.

Sample 6th Grade Essay: Hitting Bullying out of the Park

By: Kayla Denyce Jimenez

An everyday issue worth fighting for is bullying. Bullying isn't something ANYONE should ever have to go through especially not alone. So my school, James Fenimore CooperSchool is letting bully victims know that they are NOT alone in this painstakingly horriblejourney of theirs. These are a few of the abundance of things my school's staff, students andcommunity have done and is still in the process of doing to help prevent bullying fromhappening.

Our school has taken many different approaches to help prevent and end bullying such as petitions that were handed out to each classroom and signed by each student who is againstbullying and want to help make a difference in stopping it. The students who came up with thisidea thought that this petition would make bullies notice that they are standing alone in thisbattlefield of hatred and unfairness. These petitions were more than just long pieces of paperwith random kids names on them.They were just like those students declaration ofindependence.It's worth so much to them not only in their minds, but in their hearts. Anotherthing my school did was make posters.I actually was one of those students who made a poster.Our poster was black and blue representing the bad hardships bullied victims go through. Wealso had a tree on our poster which represented growth in a victim. This growth symbolizedbecoming stronger in their sense of mind. The poster was covered with poems and quotes aboutbullying. The list goes on and on such as announcements, student-made buttons, poster contest's,t-shirt days, developed websites, blogs, poems, essays, a message on our school's marquee,mural's, pledge walls, Stargirl Books, Stargirl play that had to do with conformity, movies, andso much more.