August 20 - Write about a goal you have for fifth grade. What do you plan to do to help you reach that goal?
August 26 - Write at least a half page in your journal on this topic: What do you think is the most important subject taught in school? Explain your views.
August 30 - Do you think grades are necessary in schools? Explain your view.
August 31 - A __________ would make a perfect pet.
September 1 - Summer is almost over. Fall will begin soon. Which season do you like best? Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring? Why do you like it best?
September 3 - Free Topic Friday. Write about anything you like.
September 7 - We enjoyed a long three day weekend. What did you do over the weekend? Think of one thing you did and write a paragraph about it. Use lots of details. For example, you could describe what you saw, what you heard, and what you felt like. Try to use some amazing describing words.
September 8 - There is a famous saying that goes, "Finder keepers; losers weepers." It means that if you find something you get to keep it. If you lose something... too bad for you. Explain why you agree or disagree with the saying "Finders keepers; losers weepers."
September 13 - Focus: Sequencing- Think about your weekend. Write a summary paragraph explaining how you spent your time. Put your ideas in chronological order. Start with Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, and Sunday night.
September 14 - What was your most humiliating (embarrassing) experience? Write a short, possible funny, description of it.
September 15 - Nobody likes to be sick. Tell about a time you remember that you or a family member were REALLY sick. Did you have to go to the doctor? Did you have to miss school? How long were you sick? How did you feel? Etc.
September 17 - Free topic Friday. Write about anything you like.
October 6 - What is your favorite holiday? What is your least favorite holiday? Explain what you like and dislike about both.
October 12 - FULL PAGE _Do you like football? Why or why not? do you and your family watch the football games on TV? Do you have a special football treats you like to have while you watch the game? What team is your favorite and why?
If you don't like football, then pick a different family event you would like to write about OR explain what it is that you do not like about football.
October 13 -FULL PAGE Do you think there is life on another planet? Why or why not. What do you imagine life on another planet would be like? How would it be different from earth? Would you like to go there?
October 15- Full Page Last night you discussed with your parents what to do if you have a fire in your home. Write about that conversation. What did they say to do? Where are you supposed to meet? What are your two escape routes? Where do you have fire alarms in your homes? What number do you call if there is an emergency?
October 18 - Full Page Tomorrow we will be going on our field trip. Are you excited? You have all gone on field trips before. Tell about one that you really enjoyed.
October 20 - Full Page Write about the field trip.
October 22 - Full Page - Free Topic Friday.
October 25 - Full Page - Mrs. Steffen's Class - Write about your weekend. Mrs. Rocke's Class - Do you like music? There are lots of types of music: Country, jazz, rap, rock, blues, classical, children's, pop, etc. What kind of music do you like? What is it about that type of music that makes you like it? do you have a favorite song? Who is it by? When do you listen to music?
October 26 - FULL PAGE - Free topic. Write about anything you like.
November 1 - Full Page - Write about Halloween. What did you do? Did you celebrate? Did trick-or-treaters come to your house? Did you go trick-or-treating?
November 2 - FULL PAGE - Mrs. Rocke's Class
Re write these three paragraphs:
My sister had the best costume. She wore it all day long. I liked my costume too, but hers was great.
We got lots of candy. I even got my favorite kind. We got so much it should last a long time. My mom said seeing all that candy reminded her of a time when she was little.
My neighbors have great decorations for Halloween. Their house looked great. We plan to decorate our house like that next year.
November 5 - Full Page - Mrs. Steffen's class: - Free
Topic Friday
Mrs. Rocke's class: write three detailed paragraphs about how you celebrate
Thanksgiving.
November 9 - Full Page - Mrs. Steffen class: Most
of us take for granted the history and interesting sites in and near our
hometowns. Imagine that someone from out of town is visiting for a week
and you must plan a week of sightseeing and other things to do. Write a
schedule for the week and explain the things that you will do and see.
Mrs. Rocke's Class: - Advertising Slogans - What are some of your favorite
commercials? What makes a commercial effective? Does it have a
memorable slogan or jingle? Is it funny or exciting? Make up a
product and write a a 30 second commercial for that product. OR tell
about a commercial on TV that you enjoy. Tell why you like it, what makes
it good, and describe it.
November 10 - Full page. Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. What does it mean to be a Veteran? How would you thank a Veteran if you saw one somewhere?
November 15 - Full page. We only have a few more weeks of DARE. You have learned lots. What are some of the most important things you have learned? You may use your workbook for facts or for ideas. Remember to start a new paragraph each time you change topics. You might want to create a web to help you organize your ideas first.
November 16 - This may take more than one page! Mrs. Rocke's Class only - Most of us take for granted the history and interesting sites in and near our hometowns. Imagine that someone from out of town is visiting for a week and you must plan a week of sightseeing and other things to do. Write a paragraph for each day telling what you will do every day.
November 23 - This may be more that a Full page - Mrs. Rocke's class - Describe a PERFECT Thanksgiving dinner. Write three paragraphs. Tell about the snack or drink, tell about the main course, and tell about the dessert.
November 29- Full Page - Free Topic. Be sure to write in paragraphs. You may create a web to help you organize your paragraphs.
December 2 - Mrs. Rocke's Class only - If you could visit any country in the world, which country would you like to visit? Why would you like to visit that country?
December 7 - Snow
December 8 - Have you ever been to the doctor? Tell about your experience.
December 10 - Write the words to your Christmas song, Christmas Wishes, three times.
December 13 - Should we have had school today? Or should we have had another snow day? Give FIVE reasons why we should be in school and FIVE reasons why should not have been in school today.
December 14 - What did you do on the snow day last Monday?
December 17 - Free topic Friday.
January 5 - - Mrs. Rocke's Class - Tell me about your break. Remember to write in paragraphs.
January 7 - Mrs. Rocke's Class - Free topic Friday. Remember to write in paragraphs.
January 11 - Today is 1/11/11. What a cool date! Just think of what it will be like at 1:11 today. For your Journal, write about what you would like to be doing at 1:11 on 1/11/11.
January 12 - Should students your age be allowed to vote? Yes or No. Explain your answer.
January 14 - Free Topic Friday - Remember to write in paragraphs.
January 18 - Mrs. Steffen's class - Tell about your long
weekend.
Mrs. Rocke's class - Favorite Sneakers - Imagine they your favorite
pair of sneakers could talk. What wild stories might they tell of the
adventures they had while traveling around on your feet? Where did they
go? What did they do? Did they step in something gross? Were
their laces always untied? Write a list of things your sneakers might have
said at various points in their lifetime. Some of your entries might be
more in-depth than others.
January 19 - Monday was Martin Luther King's holiday. He once gave a famous speech titled, "I Have a Dream." What is your dream? What do you wish for? What do you want to have happen?
January 21 - Free topic Friday. Write about anything you want.
January 24 - Where you happy with the outcome of the "Big Game" between the Bears and the Packers? Did you watch the game? Did you watch the commercials? Did your team win? What did you think about the game? If you didn't watch the game or you didn't care who won, tell me why you think some people are so excited about sports.
January 25 - What do you think is the perfect age? Is it your age? Is it later in life? What is the perfect age? Explain why you think that age is the best.
Remember to write in paragraphs.
January 26 - Americans have lots of freedom. What does freedom mean to you?
January 28 - Free Topic Friday. Remember to write in paragraphs.
January 31 - Do you think we will have all the snow they are predicting for tomorrow? Will we have school? What will you do if we have the day off tomorrow? Remember to write in paragraphs.
February 7 - Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, said that winning the Super Bowl was a dream come true. He had been hoping to do that since he was five years old. Is there anything you have wanted to do since you were young? What will you do to make your dreams come true? Tell about it. Remember to write in paragraphs.
February 8 - An apple is a symbol associated with education. Select a new symbol for education, and write an essay that attempts to convince teachers that the new symbol is appropriate.
February 9 - We are going to see the Middle School Play this morning. Have you ever thought about being in a play? Tell about what you think it would be like to be a star of a play or movie star.
February 10 - Free Topic Friday
February 15 - A couch potato is someone who spends a great deal of time watching TV or playing video games. Convince a couch potato that there are much better ways to spend one's time.
February 17 - Some states have banned the use of cell phones while a person is driving. Express your views for or against this policy.
February 22 - Some people seem to be late all the time. Are you a late person, an early person, or a prompt person? How do you feel when you have to wait for someone who is late? Write an essay that will convince late people to change their ways.
February 23 - Some days it is hard to get out of bed. Other days you can jump right up and be ready to go. Describe the perfect way for you to start the day. What do you like for breakfast? Do you like to watch TV or do you like to listen to music? What is the best way to get going in the morning?
February 25 - Free Topic Friday.
February 28 - ISATs start today. How ready are you? Do you feel like you will be successful?
What would you say to someone that is nervous about taking the tests?
March 1 - You have finished some of the ISAT testing. How did it go? Was it easier than you thought it would be? Was it harder? Or was it what you expected? What was hard? What was easy? How did you feel when you were taking the tests?
March 2 - Some people dislike bugs. Other are not particularly fond of snakes. Describe the type of animal you would least like to get close to.
March 4 - Most of you have finished the ISATs. A few of you have a few more tests to go. what did you think? Did you have any problems with the test? What would you tell a fourth grade student about the fifth grade ISAT tests?
March 28 - It is great to see all of you again. How was your break? Tell me about your break. Remember to use paragraphs and lots of great details.
March 29 - Yesterday you wrote about something you did over spring break. Reread your paragraph and circle the first word in every sentence. Did you use many different ways to start your sentences? Did you use any of the sentence patterns we have talked about?
Today – Rewrite your paragraph and make it even better. Highlight the sentence pattern sentences you used and highlight the vocabulary words you used that are great.
April 1 – Write about a time when you helped someone. Remember to use lots of different sentence patterns and use great vocabulary.
April 3 - Mrs. Rocke's class only - Free topic. Write about anything you want. Remember to use good sentences and vocabulary.
April 12 - Imagine that our school wants to start a new program to encourage respect for others. Imagine that each week teachers will award a student who has shown exceptionally respectful behavior. What kinds of behaviors might be rewarded?
April 13 - Think of the best birthday cake you can imagine. What kind of cake is it? Describe how the cake looks, smells, and tastes.
April 28 - Write about the Poetry Tea.
April 29 - Today is the math test. You have learned how to solve fraction problems. Were they as hard as you thought they were going to be? What do you like best about fractions? What do you dislike about fractions? Give an example of a fraction problem and tell how you would solve it.
May 2 - Write about your science experiment. Do you like it? Did it turn out like you expected?
May 3 - Imagine that your school district wants students to spend more time at school each week. Would you rather attend an extra hour of classes each day or attend school for a half day on Saturday? Explain and support your opinion.
It is hard to support something you don’t agree with, but remember this is like writing with a bias from another’s point of view.
May 4 - On May 12, we will be going to a Cornbelters game. You will also get to meet your pen pal on that trip. Imagine what that day will be like and write about it.
May 5 - We went to the Middle School this morning. What do you think about it? Are you excited about going there? What do you think it will be like?
May 9 - Tell about what you did over the weekend.
May 11 - The state of Illinois is considering a new law that would require everyone, even adults, sitting in the back seat of a car to use their seat belts. What would you say to someone to convince them to always wear their seat belts?
May 13 - Write about the Cornbelters baseball game and meeting your Pen Pals.
May 17 - Write about your sled team and the race. What do you think will happen? Are you excited?
May 19 - Fifth grade is almost over. Think of one thing that you learned in each subject and write a paragraph about it.
1. Reading
2. Math
3. Science
4. Social Studies
5. Music
6. PE
So you need six paragraphs! Make them interesting. Use good sentences and great vocabulary.