Fifth Grade Blog: June 2016

FIFTH GRADE SUMMER READING

Dear Fifth Graders and Parents,

It’s summertime and “the living is easy.” Summer also provides the perfect opportunity to kick back and read, read, read! Below you will find TCS’s fifth grade reading expectations for the summer.

The first required reading book is historical fiction, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. This novel is a dual narrative (contains two stories). One story involves a girl named Nya living in southern Sudan, Africa in 2008; and the other story is about a boy named Salva living in Southern Sudan in 1985 during the Sudanese civil war. If possible, I recommend that you read this novel with a parent since it does involve scenes from war and refugee camps. There is a hopeful and positive message at the end of both stories.

The other required book is a mystery, From The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. The author got the idea for this book from a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with her three children “when she spotted a piece of popcorn on the seat of a blue silk chair. There was a velvet rope across the doorway of the room. How had that lonely piece of popcorn arrived on the seat of that blue chair?” This is a story about two young runaways who hide inside the MET. Since the 5th Grade visits the MET in the spring, how fun would it be to read a mystery which unfolds inside the various exhibition rooms inside this iconic museum?

The third book choice is up to you. You may choose a book that you have been wanting to read, a Newbery or even a nonfiction book about Egypt or Greece! The choice is yours! Enjoy!

For summer reading,

Mrs. Kelly

“A Visual Journal: Walking with Nya and Salva”

Project Assignment

PLEASE READ THE ASSIGNMENT DIRECTIONS SEVERAL TIMES AND REFER TO THE ASSIGNMENT THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT!

BEST OF ALL, HAVE FUN!!

Your summer project assignment is linked to your reading of A Long Walk to Water. Linda Sue Park, the author, was a journalist at one time in her life.

I want you to image that you are a journalist traveling with Nya and Salva. You are going to document aspects of their journey or “walk” in pictures, photos, symbols, and words. I have provided you with a sketch and write booklet for this project. It will be turned into me on the first day of school.

Your visual journal should include:

A cover. The title has been provided, but you can come up with another one of your own that focuses on the purpose of this assignment.
Your full name and date in the bottom right hand corner of the cover. You may type both and glue them on neatly.
Ten total events from the beginning, middle and end of the novel that relate to Salva and Nya. You will choose 5 events for Nya and 5 for Salva. Think about your event choices as you read and sticky note possibilities. Dig deeply for unique choices. Then think about how you want to represent the event visually. Visuals may be from magazines, online, a real photo, etc. You are not to draw your visual.

A page for each event involving Nya or Salva that displays an image, photo or symbol representing that event. Again, you will choose 5 events for Nya and 5 for Salva.