Thursday, June 9, 2011
Summer Math Practice
The best thing you can do to prepare for next year is build your fact fluency. Visit this site to play different games all summer long. Put in just a little practice each day and you'll rock fourth grade! Be sure to try the sketch game. It's one of my favorites. It reminds me of Mario Brothers, but it's mixed in with math facts.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Social Studies: Immigration Info
This week's focus will be immigration. The official definition of this word is the arrival of settlers in a new country for permanent living. We discussed what it means to immigrate, or be an immigrant today and we broke this definition down. We know that immigration basically means going to a new country to live there.
Today, our homework was to interview our family to find out where our family came to America from. This information will be used in our quiz on Friday. The quiz will differ from the normal format. We will be writing a letter. The following elements will be included in the letter: you are an immigrant to America, you are writing to a family member that is still in the old country, you must describe the immigration experience of arriving to Ellis or Angel Island, and you must include a picture with a caption. The picture should be a simple sketch that illustrates one of the details mentioned in the letter.
In order to get an idea of what the immigrant experience was like long ago, we did a little research online. Visit this link to explore Ellis Island and read diaries from real immigrants. You can also look at charts and graphs of immigrant data over time.
Today, our homework was to interview our family to find out where our family came to America from. This information will be used in our quiz on Friday. The quiz will differ from the normal format. We will be writing a letter. The following elements will be included in the letter: you are an immigrant to America, you are writing to a family member that is still in the old country, you must describe the immigration experience of arriving to Ellis or Angel Island, and you must include a picture with a caption. The picture should be a simple sketch that illustrates one of the details mentioned in the letter.
In order to get an idea of what the immigrant experience was like long ago, we did a little research online. Visit this link to explore Ellis Island and read diaries from real immigrants. You can also look at charts and graphs of immigrant data over time.
Last Newsletter
Second Step
Now that our musical is over, we are hoping to devote more time to our poster project. Most groups have selected a topic and are beginning work on their rough draft. By the end of this week, all groups will have a topic.
Science
We are finishing our unit on light energy this week. We will play Jeopardy in class on Tuesday to review for our unit test on Wednesday. Later in the week, we will continue working with our mystery beads. We concluded that they change color when exposed to UV rays. This week we will continue to investigate the importance of protecting ourselves from these harmful rays. We will cover the beads with sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses to help us observe how these items can protect our skin.
Social Studies
We will begin a study of immigration in America this week. We will begin with a virtual tour of Ellis Island. The format this week will not consist of the daily questions. Instead, we will be doing various in class activities throughout the week to prepare for the quiz on Friday. Please check the blog periodically this week for updates, so you can be sure your child is prepared.
Math Workshop
As we wrap up the school year, we are reviewing our skills with the four basic operations: adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division. The students are practicing how to accurately and efficiently compute answers to real world problems. We are also continuing to develop our understandings and strategies of multiplication and division facts. Ask your child how multiplication and division are related? Your child will earn 3 success tickets if they write in their planner the multiplication and division fact family using the numbers 7, 8, and 56. It should be the two multiplication and two division facts using those four numbers. We will have a Math quiz on Tuesday. The students will solve problems, using their most efficient strategy, in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division story problems. They will have Homework Sheet #34 for the week. Due to the short week, the entire sheet will be checked in class on Friday.
Now that our musical is over, we are hoping to devote more time to our poster project. Most groups have selected a topic and are beginning work on their rough draft. By the end of this week, all groups will have a topic.
Science
We are finishing our unit on light energy this week. We will play Jeopardy in class on Tuesday to review for our unit test on Wednesday. Later in the week, we will continue working with our mystery beads. We concluded that they change color when exposed to UV rays. This week we will continue to investigate the importance of protecting ourselves from these harmful rays. We will cover the beads with sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses to help us observe how these items can protect our skin.
Social Studies
We will begin a study of immigration in America this week. We will begin with a virtual tour of Ellis Island. The format this week will not consist of the daily questions. Instead, we will be doing various in class activities throughout the week to prepare for the quiz on Friday. Please check the blog periodically this week for updates, so you can be sure your child is prepared.
Math Workshop
As we wrap up the school year, we are reviewing our skills with the four basic operations: adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division. The students are practicing how to accurately and efficiently compute answers to real world problems. We are also continuing to develop our understandings and strategies of multiplication and division facts. Ask your child how multiplication and division are related? Your child will earn 3 success tickets if they write in their planner the multiplication and division fact family using the numbers 7, 8, and 56. It should be the two multiplication and two division facts using those four numbers. We will have a Math quiz on Tuesday. The students will solve problems, using their most efficient strategy, in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division story problems. They will have Homework Sheet #34 for the week. Due to the short week, the entire sheet will be checked in class on Friday.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Newsletter Info
Second Step
We will continue working in small groups to create posters outlining some of our favorite lessons from the year. Completed posters will be presented to the class next week and then put on display in our "Character Counts Classroom Museum." Ask your child about their poster theme. They are excited to use the strategies they have learned this year for calming down, solving problems, and developing super sensible solutions.
Social Studies
Our journey through the regions of the United States reaches its finale this week with a look at the Northeast. We will study the land, climate, and notable landmarks in city's like Philadelphia, New York, and Washington D.C. Other highlights of the region we'll discuss are the rocky soil, harsh winters, and lobster industry. The quiz will be on Thursday due to the short week. Please help your child adjust their study schedule accordingly.
Science
We will finish up our light energy unit this week with a last look at how light is absorbed, before we begin a review of all the things light can do (i.e. travel in a straight line until it strikes an object, reflect, refract, and absorb). Take a moment to look through your child's science notebook. Notice their growth as a scientist this year. Write an improvement you notice in their planner. If they put their planner in the basket so we can enjoy the note, they will win five tickets for sharing their work with you. We will not have a quiz this week, but the unit test will be next week. Look for specific info in your child's planner.
Math Workshop
We have been representing and describing numerical data using bar graphs and line plots. We have beeen interpreting what the numbers and symbols on a line plot mean. Please go to the link to read more about line plots and see an example. During class discussions, we have been using summaries such as: almost all, very few, half, or more than half to make true mathematical statements about our graphs. The students will have a quiz on Tuesday. The quiz will be on reading, interpreting and creating a line plot. Please refer to Unit 2, pages 21-35 in the Math Investigations workbook for studying. The students will have homework sheet #33 and will be checked in class on Thursday.
We will continue working in small groups to create posters outlining some of our favorite lessons from the year. Completed posters will be presented to the class next week and then put on display in our "Character Counts Classroom Museum." Ask your child about their poster theme. They are excited to use the strategies they have learned this year for calming down, solving problems, and developing super sensible solutions.
Social Studies
Our journey through the regions of the United States reaches its finale this week with a look at the Northeast. We will study the land, climate, and notable landmarks in city's like Philadelphia, New York, and Washington D.C. Other highlights of the region we'll discuss are the rocky soil, harsh winters, and lobster industry. The quiz will be on Thursday due to the short week. Please help your child adjust their study schedule accordingly.
Science
We will finish up our light energy unit this week with a last look at how light is absorbed, before we begin a review of all the things light can do (i.e. travel in a straight line until it strikes an object, reflect, refract, and absorb). Take a moment to look through your child's science notebook. Notice their growth as a scientist this year. Write an improvement you notice in their planner. If they put their planner in the basket so we can enjoy the note, they will win five tickets for sharing their work with you. We will not have a quiz this week, but the unit test will be next week. Look for specific info in your child's planner.
Math Workshop
We have been representing and describing numerical data using bar graphs and line plots. We have beeen interpreting what the numbers and symbols on a line plot mean. Please go to the link to read more about line plots and see an example. During class discussions, we have been using summaries such as: almost all, very few, half, or more than half to make true mathematical statements about our graphs. The students will have a quiz on Tuesday. The quiz will be on reading, interpreting and creating a line plot. Please refer to Unit 2, pages 21-35 in the Math Investigations workbook for studying. The students will have homework sheet #33 and will be checked in class on Thursday.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Newsletter Info
Social Studies
Our journey around the United States brings us to the Midwest this week. We will study the gentle, rolling farmland that is popular in this region. We will also learn about the climate of the region, with its cold, snowy winters. Students will be introduced to the notable landmarks and attractions like the Great Lakes, Sear's Tower, and St. Louis Arch. The quiz will be Friday.
Science
We will have a quiz on Wednesday that will cover reflection and refraction. Later in the week, we will experiment with how light can be absorbed and how we see color. Students will experiment with compact discs and prisms to explore rainbows.
Math Workshop
We are continuing our studies of surveys and graphs. This week, we will dive into representing categorical data by using a picture or graph. The students are using data to compare groups. We are also learning the characteristics of bar graphs (i.e. title, x and y axis with labels, intervals, bars, a key, etc.). As we notice things about graphs, we are using a list of useful phrases to help us go deeper in our analysis. The list includes the following phrases: almost all, very few, half, less than half, or more than half. Please continue to look for real-world examples of bar-graphs and send them in for the class to share. Your child will earn 3 success tickets if they do so. So far, only one student out of 55 has brought in a graph to share.
Our journey around the United States brings us to the Midwest this week. We will study the gentle, rolling farmland that is popular in this region. We will also learn about the climate of the region, with its cold, snowy winters. Students will be introduced to the notable landmarks and attractions like the Great Lakes, Sear's Tower, and St. Louis Arch. The quiz will be Friday.
Science
We will have a quiz on Wednesday that will cover reflection and refraction. Later in the week, we will experiment with how light can be absorbed and how we see color. Students will experiment with compact discs and prisms to explore rainbows.
Math Workshop
We are continuing our studies of surveys and graphs. This week, we will dive into representing categorical data by using a picture or graph. The students are using data to compare groups. We are also learning the characteristics of bar graphs (i.e. title, x and y axis with labels, intervals, bars, a key, etc.). As we notice things about graphs, we are using a list of useful phrases to help us go deeper in our analysis. The list includes the following phrases: almost all, very few, half, less than half, or more than half. Please continue to look for real-world examples of bar-graphs and send them in for the class to share. Your child will earn 3 success tickets if they do so. So far, only one student out of 55 has brought in a graph to share.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Newsletter Info
Scholarship Warning Reminder for parents to check Oncourse.
Field Trip
Our field trip to O2b is next Monday, May 16th. Please remember to send your child in their green Chets Creek t-shirt with a bag lunch. As we will be eating on site, everything in the lunch needs to be sent in disposable containers.
Musical
Please remind your child to study their lines, if they have a speaking part. All lines need to be memorized by this Friday, May 13th, in order for us to maintain our rehearsal schedule. Don't forget to return the costume info/donation form that went home last week. All t-shirt sizing info and donations are due to our Room Mom by tomorrow (Tuesday).
Second Step
This week's Anger Management lesson will focus on telling our angry feelings what to do when we need to make a complaint about something. People may be poor at getting their needs met because they don't speak up with complaints when it's necessary, or they speak up too aggressively and inappropriately. Complaints are often associated with angry behavior, but we will learn that if they are expressed appropriately (calmly and logically), they can be used to communicate important information to others.
Social Studies
Our journey around the United States will take us to the West Region which is further subdivided into two groups: Pacific and Mountain. This region is further divided because of its large size. Please help your child review the eleven states by looking over the daily questions, as well as the map. We will discuss several landmarks, including the Great Salt Lake and the Redwood Forest. The quiz will be Friday.
Science
Our study of light energy continues with a look at what light can do (besides reflect). We will investigate how light can refract, or bent, because it passes through objects at different speeds. Try putting a spoon in a glass of water. Observe how the handle appears broken, or bent, from the side view. Ask your child to explain this phenomenon to you. There will be no quiz this week due to Musical Rehearsals.
Math Workshop
In Math Workshop, we are continuing our studies into representing and describing data. The students are using data to compare groups, as well as reading and interpreting a bar graph. During class disucssions, we have been using summaries such as almost all, very few, half, or more than half. Ask your child about their "Places We Like to Eat" representations we have been working on in class. Please continue to look for real-world example of bar-graphs and send them in for the class to share. Your child will earn 3 success tickets if they do so. The math quiz on Tuesday will be a mixed review of objectives worked on during Calendar Math. The students will have Homework Sheet #31 to complete. It will be reviewed in class on Wednesday and Friday.
Field Trip
Our field trip to O2b is next Monday, May 16th. Please remember to send your child in their green Chets Creek t-shirt with a bag lunch. As we will be eating on site, everything in the lunch needs to be sent in disposable containers.
Musical
Please remind your child to study their lines, if they have a speaking part. All lines need to be memorized by this Friday, May 13th, in order for us to maintain our rehearsal schedule. Don't forget to return the costume info/donation form that went home last week. All t-shirt sizing info and donations are due to our Room Mom by tomorrow (Tuesday).
Second Step
This week's Anger Management lesson will focus on telling our angry feelings what to do when we need to make a complaint about something. People may be poor at getting their needs met because they don't speak up with complaints when it's necessary, or they speak up too aggressively and inappropriately. Complaints are often associated with angry behavior, but we will learn that if they are expressed appropriately (calmly and logically), they can be used to communicate important information to others.
Social Studies
Our journey around the United States will take us to the West Region which is further subdivided into two groups: Pacific and Mountain. This region is further divided because of its large size. Please help your child review the eleven states by looking over the daily questions, as well as the map. We will discuss several landmarks, including the Great Salt Lake and the Redwood Forest. The quiz will be Friday.
Science
Our study of light energy continues with a look at what light can do (besides reflect). We will investigate how light can refract, or bent, because it passes through objects at different speeds. Try putting a spoon in a glass of water. Observe how the handle appears broken, or bent, from the side view. Ask your child to explain this phenomenon to you. There will be no quiz this week due to Musical Rehearsals.
Math Workshop
In Math Workshop, we are continuing our studies into representing and describing data. The students are using data to compare groups, as well as reading and interpreting a bar graph. During class disucssions, we have been using summaries such as almost all, very few, half, or more than half. Ask your child about their "Places We Like to Eat" representations we have been working on in class. Please continue to look for real-world example of bar-graphs and send them in for the class to share. Your child will earn 3 success tickets if they do so. The math quiz on Tuesday will be a mixed review of objectives worked on during Calendar Math. The students will have Homework Sheet #31 to complete. It will be reviewed in class on Wednesday and Friday.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Newsletter Info
Math Workshop
We are continuing our work in Surveys and Line Polts. In this unit, the students are collecting, representing, describing and interpreting data. They are also designing and carrying out their own data investigations in class. Ask your child about the data we have collected so far as a class. The homework sheet for this week is Sheet #30 and will be checked in class on Wednesday and Friday. The students will have a quiz on Tuesday. The quiz will be a mixed review of items we have covered during our calendar math time. Please note: We are offering a revision opportunity on last week's fraction assessment. Students who earned a 14 out of 20 or lower may revise their work to earn up to 15 out of 20 points. Revisions are due no later than Friday, May 6th. Late revisions will not be accepted. The assessments (with revision directions) were distributed to students who qualified for revisions on Thursday (April 28th) of last week. Please check the grade portal or talk with your child about their score to verify whether or not they qualify for revisions.
Second Step
This week we will continue with anger management as it relates to dealing with disappointment. We all feel disappointed at different times when things don't go our way or when situations do not work out as we expected them to. We will discuss how to anticipate and cope with feelings of disappointment.
Social Studies
Our tour of the United States continues with a visit to the Southwest. Students will map the 4 states in this region: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. We will learn about the desert that covers much of the region, as well as major landmarks like the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. The quiz will be Friday.
Science
Our study of Light Energy continues with a more in depth look at how light travels. We will have a quiz on Wednesday where students will have to be able to explain how light travels, identify sources of light energy, and be familiar with our new light vocabulary words: reflect, refract, and absorb.
We are continuing our work in Surveys and Line Polts. In this unit, the students are collecting, representing, describing and interpreting data. They are also designing and carrying out their own data investigations in class. Ask your child about the data we have collected so far as a class. The homework sheet for this week is Sheet #30 and will be checked in class on Wednesday and Friday. The students will have a quiz on Tuesday. The quiz will be a mixed review of items we have covered during our calendar math time. Please note: We are offering a revision opportunity on last week's fraction assessment. Students who earned a 14 out of 20 or lower may revise their work to earn up to 15 out of 20 points. Revisions are due no later than Friday, May 6th. Late revisions will not be accepted. The assessments (with revision directions) were distributed to students who qualified for revisions on Thursday (April 28th) of last week. Please check the grade portal or talk with your child about their score to verify whether or not they qualify for revisions.
Second Step
This week we will continue with anger management as it relates to dealing with disappointment. We all feel disappointed at different times when things don't go our way or when situations do not work out as we expected them to. We will discuss how to anticipate and cope with feelings of disappointment.
Social Studies
Our tour of the United States continues with a visit to the Southwest. Students will map the 4 states in this region: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. We will learn about the desert that covers much of the region, as well as major landmarks like the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. The quiz will be Friday.
Science
Our study of Light Energy continues with a more in depth look at how light travels. We will have a quiz on Wednesday where students will have to be able to explain how light travels, identify sources of light energy, and be familiar with our new light vocabulary words: reflect, refract, and absorb.
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