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The Energy Is… High 😅 (Spring Break Can’t Come Soon Enough)
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Hi teachers, It is officially the last week before spring break… and the energy is telling us everything we need to know. The weather has been all over the place here in Southern California, routines are feeling a little looser, and let’s just say the social dynamics in a 5th grade classroom are thriving right now. It’s that time of year. Spring break is well-earned. Even so, we’ve got a really meaningful (and engaging) week ahead: 💜 Women’s History Month + Symbolism We’re wrapping up our Women’s History Month unit, where students have been reading mini biographies of influential women. To culminate the unit, we’re introducing a lesson on symbolism. This is such an important skill because it moves students beyond just knowing information. It asks them to think more deeply about what represents an idea and why. When students can connect symbols to meaning, they begin to understand themes, character traits, and impact in a much more powerful way. We’re tying this into a Wonder Woman-inspired project. Each student creates a shield for a woman they studied, including four symbols that represent her life, accomplishments, or character. Some examples:
This is one of those projects where creativity really shines. We’re using this resource to support the unit: 👉 Women's History Biographies 📏 Line Plots (Hands-On Kickoff) We’re also starting line plots, and this is hands-down one of our favorite ways to introduce the unit. Students grab measuring tapes and:
We turn that data into class line plots, then compare the two and discuss what we can quickly learn just by reading them. It’s simple, but it works. Students immediately see the purpose. And because we measure to the nearest quarter inch, it naturally brings in fractional data, which sets us up nicely for the rest of the unit. We also put together a free line plot activity you can use with your students this week (or save for after break). It includes a hands-on measuring component, line plot templates, and reflection questions to help students make sense of the data. You can grab it here: 👉 Line Plot Freebie 📚 Battle Circle Books We’re hoping to wrap up our Revolutionary War battle circle books this week (quick refresher: students read, summarize, and illustrate key battles in a circle book format). These have been a great way for students to organize information, summarize key ideas, and present their learning visually. When we come back from break, we’ll be ready to jump into a new writing unit. 🤖 Instructron Test Prep (Where It All Started) With state testing around the corner, this is the time of year when test prep ramps up—but we all know how it usually feels… like just more testing. That’s exactly why we built this part of Instructron. Our state test prep (3rd, 4th, and 5th grade) gives students something different:
Instead of guessing and moving on, students actually learn from their mistakes in real time. When we first launched this feature last spring, the feedback was incredible. Teachers loved the data they could use to support students before the biggest test of the year, and students loved that it didn’t feel like just another test. Instructron has grown a lot since then, but this feature still holds the core of what we set out to create. If you haven’t tried it yet, you can sign up HERE and use code TOPFLOOR20 for a discount on any plan. 🏫 Middle School Transition On top of everything else, we’ll also be:
So there’s a lot happening beyond academics as students start preparing for that next step. If your classroom feels a little extra right now, you are not alone. Hang in there. Spring break is almost here! You’ve got this. 💛 Quyen & Joe Follow us on our social media accounts and TPT store! |
Top Floor Teachers
We're so glad you're here. We're Joe and Quyen and we can't wait to share all things teaching with you. By signing up, you will be the first in line when we share new ideas and resources. Can't wait to meet you!
Hi teachers, Testing week is here, so we’re shifting how we use our time. Less new instruction, more review, and a big focus on keeping students engaged without overdoing it. One of our go-to moves this week is turning math review into a friendly competition. We set up task cards around a common area on campus and have students work in partners or small teams to solve them. When time is up, we collect all the responses and tally the correct answers by class. The class with the most correct...
Hi teachers, We’re in that stretch of the year where things start to move fast. The content ramps up, the schedule fills up, and there’s a lot happening all at once. Here’s what’s going on in our classrooms this week: Math: Order of Operations with GEMS We’re diving into order of operations, and we are firmly Team GEMS over PEMDAS. If you’ve ever had students multiply before dividing just because the acronym told them to, you already know the struggle. PEMDAS can lead kids to think there’s a...
Hi teachers, Spring break came and went way too fast, but we’re back and ready to roll into the final stretch of the school year. These last two months always feel like a sprint, and this week is no exception. Math: Geometry is HEREYou know it’s the end of the year when geometry finally makes its appearance. This week, we’re diving into classifying polygons using hierarchies and Venn diagrams. That whole “every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square” idea can really trip...