The Great Depression

Dear Fifth Graders,

Please work with your group to write an answer for the following essays.  Your answers should be in paragraph format and your text book can be used as a resource. Good luck!

1.  What happened to American farmers on the Great Plains and in the South during the Great Depression?

2.  In what way was President Roosevelt's idea of what government should do to help citizens during the Great Depression more effective than Herbert Hoover's idea of government?

3.  What types of programs made up the New Deal? What effects did these programs have on people and the economy of the United States?

New Territories and WWI

Hello Our Brilliant Students,
Please work with your group to answer one of the essays below.  Make sure you use your textbook as a reference and answer the essay in paragraph form.

1.  In what way did WWI create changes in the US?

2.  How did Theodore Roosevelt help improve the US? List and describe at least three things.

3.  Describe the life of a soldier in WWI.

4.  Why was Alaska beneficial to the US?

The Kid in the Red Jacket

Hello Fifth Graders,
I hope you all enjoyed reading the novel "The Kid in the Red Jacket." What was your favorite part? Explain why.

I look forward to reading your posts.
Miss Mastronardi

The Civil War and Reconstruction

Dear Students,
Work with a partner or your group to answer one of the following questions.  Your answer should be in paragraph format.  You may use your textbook.

1.  What was the difference between economies of the North and the South?

2.  Why were Southerners so upset when Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election in 1860?

3.  What services did the Freedman's Bureau provide to former slaves?

4.  How did location affect development of industry in the United States during Reconstruction?

Good Luck,
Miss Mastronardi

What Would Have Happened?

Hello Brilliant Students,
I hope you are enjoying learning about the Civil War in social studies.  Please answer the following question in paragraph format.  Make sure you proofread your work before submitting it.

If Jefferson Davis had been elected instead of Abraham Lincoln, what do you think would have happened?


Be sure to back up your opinion with what we have been learning about in class.

~Miss Mastronardi

Welcome to Fifth Grade

Dear Fifth Graders,
Welcome to Fifth Grade! I hope you have enjoyed the first few days in our classroom.  Mr. Jennings and I are looking forward to a a great year with all of you!
For your first blog assignment we would like you to rate your first few days of school. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best) how have you liked fifth grade so far? Please rate your fifth grade experience thus far and explain in a paragraph why you gave it that rating. 
We can't wait to read your responses!

Miss Mastronardi & Mr. Jennings

The Great Depression

Dear Students,
Please work with your group to answer one of the essay questions below.  Make sure you do a thorough job of explaining your answer and backing it up with facts from chapter 10 in your Social Studies book.

1.  What happened to the American farmers on the Great Plains AND in the South during the Great Depression?

2.  In what ways was President Roosevelt's idea of what government should do to help the citizens during the Depression  more effective than Herbert Hoover's idea of government?

3.  What type of programs made up the New Deal? What effects did these programs have on the people and economy of the US? Choose at least 2 programs of the New Deal to write about.

Good luck,
Miss Mastronardi

Number the Stars

Dear Students,
Annmarie needs to be brave to help to her friend and other Jewish people escape Nazi occupied Denmark.
Was there a time that you were scared and needed to be brave? Please write a paragraph telling us about your moment of bravery.


Love,
Mr. Jennings & Miss Mastronardi

Happy New Year!

      

Dear Brilliant Fifth Graders,
We hope everyone had a great break! What did you do over the past few weeks? Did you make a New Year's resolution for 2012?
Please write a paragraph that contains at least 6 sentences telling us about your break or your New Year's resolution.

We can't wait to read your blog posts!

Love,
Miss Mastronardi and Mr. Jennings



Unit 4 Essays

Dear Fifth Graders,
Please choose one of the essays below to answer with your group.  Make sure your answer is in paragraph format. 
Review the blog tonight to help you study for your Social Studies test tomorrow.


1.  In what way did WWI create changes in the US?

2.  How did Theodore Roosevelt help improve the US? List and describe three things.

3.  Describe the life of a soldier in WWI.

4.  Why was Alaska beneficial to the US?


Miss Mastronardi

Thanksgiving Break

                                                                    
Dear Brilliant Fifth Graders,

How was your Thanksgiving break? What are you thankful for? Please write a paragraph containing at least 5-7 sentences telling me about your break, or a paragraph about what you are thankful for.

I am thankful for such an amazing group of students! You make teaching fun and enjoyable each and every day!

Love,
Miss Mastronardi

Turn of the Century

Hello Fifth Graders,
Please choose one of the questions below to answer. Make sure you answer ALL parts of the question and write in complete sentences.

1.  Name one invention created between 1867 and 1879.  Describe how it changed businesses or helped people's lives.

2.  How did the United States become a mix of different cultures? What did immigrants bring to the United States?

~ Miss Mastronardi and Mr. Jennings

Maniac Magee Vocabulary

Hello Students,
Choose five of your vocabulary words from list 1 of Maniac Magee and put them into sentences.  Make sure your vocabulary words are used correctly in each sentence and be sure to proofread your work.


~Mr. Jennings and Miss Mastronardi

Maniac Magee



Dear Students,
What has been your favorite part so far in Maniac Magee? Why is it your favorite?
Please write at least five sentences and be sure to proofread your work.

I can't wait to read your posts!

Miss Mastronardi

Reconstruction



Hello Fifth Graders,
Please write a short (4-6 sentences) answer to ONE of the questions below. Make sure you topic sentence echos the question you choose.

1. What services did the Freedman's Bureau provide to former slaves?

2.  Explain how sharecropping was similar to slavery.

3.  How did the Transcontienental Railroad change the United States?


This should be a good review for your test tomorrow. :)

~ Miss Mastronardi

The Island

Hello Boys and Girls,
You seem to really be enjoying The Island trilogy that Mr. Jennings is reading to you.  How would you end the third book? What would happen to J.J. and the other kids left on the island?
Please make sure your response includes at least 6 good sentences.

~Miss Mastronardi

The Kid in the Red Jacket

Hello Students,
Please choose five vocabulary words from the story The Kid in the Red Jacket, and use each word in a sentence. Start each sentence with a different word and make sure your sentences contain at least five words.
Good luck!

Miss Mastronardi & Mr. Jennings

What Do You Like Most About Fifth Grade?

Hello Brilliant Students,
We are already into our second week of school. Can you believe it? Tell us what you like the most about fifth grade so far. Please write at least 5-6 sentences and make sure you have a topic sentence and closing.

Our favorite thing about fifth grade is our amazing class. We feel so lucky to have such wonderful students!

Miss Mastronardi
Mr. Jennings

Welcome to Fifth Grade!

Greetings Fifth Graders,
Mr. Jennings and I hope you have enjoyed your first week back to school. We are very excited to have a fun and educational year with all of you!

Write a paragraph telling us what you are most looking forward to in fifth grade this year. Make sure you proofread your work.

We can't wait to read your first blog assignment!

Your teachers,
Mr. Jennings
Miss Mastronardi