Well, as I write this update I can't help but wonder if we will have a full week of school?!?!?! The weather reports are a bit scary right now! We all know the weather is not always accurate so we must be prepared to have a full week of learning!
Math-
Chapter 14 is hard work! This week we will continue talking about long division and how to interpret a remainder in a word problem. Our Chapter 14 test is scheduled for Thursday. Please continue practicing at home.
Reading-
In reading we will be talking about synthesizing this week. We will synthesize our ideas, questions, and connections to reading passages.
Writing-
Whew...we are almost finished with our expository report. Monday we will work on our conclusion. Students will then have time to write their polished piece. Polished pieces will be due on Thursday. Students may type their polished pieces or write them in their best handwriting.
Science-
In science we will continue to discuss gravity and friction. Our force and motion quiz will be on Friday.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Reading Response Due January 28th
Write a paragraph about the book you are reading at home. In the paragraph answer the following questions:
- Who are the main characters in your book?
- What do you know about the main characters?
- What is the setting of your story? How do you know that?
- What is the plot of your story?
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Weekly Update January 24th-28th
Good Afternoon! Here is what to expect this week...
Math-Tomorrow we will be doing some problem solving with division word problems. We will be practicing a problem solving method called predict and check. The study guide will come home tomorrow and the test is Tuesday (LEAP students will take the test Wednesday). On Wednesday we will dive into Chapter 14. Chapter 14 continues our work with division. We will be learning to estimate and divide 1-digit divisors into 3-digit numbers.
Reading-We are continuing our study of story elements this week. Last week we focused on setting. This week we will focus on character and plot. Book groups will continue to meet. Ask your child to look at their calendar to see what day they meet this week. Reading and assignment needs to be complete by the meeting date!
Writing-The snow days have slowed down our 5 paragraph research paper. ALL RESEARCH NEEDED TO BE COMPLETE LAST WEEK. There will be no more class time given to research, only writing. Those students who need more information will need to research at home. Student had 2 weeks for research at school.
Upcoming Due Dates;
Introduction due Monday, January 24th
3 Body paragraphs due Thursday, January 27th
We have also established some no excuse grammar rules. If these rules are "broken" the assignment will have to be redone. All the students agreed to this consequence. The rules are:
Ability Awareness Day is this Friday!
Math-Tomorrow we will be doing some problem solving with division word problems. We will be practicing a problem solving method called predict and check. The study guide will come home tomorrow and the test is Tuesday (LEAP students will take the test Wednesday). On Wednesday we will dive into Chapter 14. Chapter 14 continues our work with division. We will be learning to estimate and divide 1-digit divisors into 3-digit numbers.
Reading-We are continuing our study of story elements this week. Last week we focused on setting. This week we will focus on character and plot. Book groups will continue to meet. Ask your child to look at their calendar to see what day they meet this week. Reading and assignment needs to be complete by the meeting date!
Writing-The snow days have slowed down our 5 paragraph research paper. ALL RESEARCH NEEDED TO BE COMPLETE LAST WEEK. There will be no more class time given to research, only writing. Those students who need more information will need to research at home. Student had 2 weeks for research at school.
Upcoming Due Dates;
Introduction due Monday, January 24th
3 Body paragraphs due Thursday, January 27th
We have also established some no excuse grammar rules. If these rules are "broken" the assignment will have to be redone. All the students agreed to this consequence. The rules are:
- Capitalize proper nouns
- Capitalize the beginning of a sentence
- Punctuation at the end of every sentence
- Use commas correctly in a series
Monday, January 17, 2011
Weekly Update Jan 18
I hope everyone had a nice three day weekend. I enjoyed the extra time with my sweet little boys! Here is what to expect this week...
Math
This week we will keep moving through chapter 13 -long division. This week we will learn the steps to long division:
Our test is scheduled for Friday the 21st.
Reading
Our mini-lessons this week are analyzing text structures in narrative texts. This week we will focus in setting.We will focus on the importance of setting and how changing the setting could dramatically affect a story.
Our book clubs are in full swing! Ask your child what book they are reading: Number the Stars, There's a Boy in the Girls Bathroom, or Dork in Disguise. We are learning how to meet as a a book "club." This means setting our own assignments and asking "thick" questions that prompt group discussions.
Writing
We are continuing our work on our 5 paragraph expository essay. At this point students should be finished or almost finished researching and taking notes. All notes should be finished by Wednesday. Last week we discussed adding a "hook" to our introductions. This week we will use graphic organizers to plan out our support paragraphs.
Upcoming Due Dates in Writing
Wednesday 19th- Introduction Paragraph with "Hook" (1st draft) due
Friday 21st-3 support paragraph graphic organizers due-Students will be given these graphic organizers Tuesday the 18th.
Thursday 27th-3 support paragraphs dues (1st draft)
Science
This week we will be working on our Force and Motion Unit in Science. On Friday we learned about position and motion. This week we will focus on:
Correction:
The spelling bee is this Friday. The time has changed. It will be a 2:00pm in the cafeteria.
Math
This week we will keep moving through chapter 13 -long division. This week we will learn the steps to long division:
- Divide
- Multiply
- Subtract
- Compare and Check
Our test is scheduled for Friday the 21st.
Reading
Our mini-lessons this week are analyzing text structures in narrative texts. This week we will focus in setting.We will focus on the importance of setting and how changing the setting could dramatically affect a story.
Our book clubs are in full swing! Ask your child what book they are reading: Number the Stars, There's a Boy in the Girls Bathroom, or Dork in Disguise. We are learning how to meet as a a book "club." This means setting our own assignments and asking "thick" questions that prompt group discussions.
Writing
We are continuing our work on our 5 paragraph expository essay. At this point students should be finished or almost finished researching and taking notes. All notes should be finished by Wednesday. Last week we discussed adding a "hook" to our introductions. This week we will use graphic organizers to plan out our support paragraphs.
Upcoming Due Dates in Writing
Wednesday 19th- Introduction Paragraph with "Hook" (1st draft) due
Friday 21st-3 support paragraph graphic organizers due-Students will be given these graphic organizers Tuesday the 18th.
Thursday 27th-3 support paragraphs dues (1st draft)
Science
This week we will be working on our Force and Motion Unit in Science. On Friday we learned about position and motion. This week we will focus on:
- speed
- velocity
- acceleration
- force
- inertia
Correction:
The spelling bee is this Friday. The time has changed. It will be a 2:00pm in the cafeteria.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Expository Essay
By now I hope you have heard your child talking about their expository 5-paragraph essay on a famous person. We have been working hard to research and learn all the chosen subjects. As you can imagine research, note-taking, paraphrasing, and outlining are tough tasks for fourth graders!
Just to update you...all students should have at least 1 book (I think we have everyone taken care of-finally!)and are limited to 2 Internet resources. We have spent time in class learning how to "google" and check the validity of sights. We also went to the library and learned how to use the Grolier Encyclopedia
Today we worked on a rough outline.
Introduction
Paragraph 2 (topic)
Paragraph 3 (topic)
Paragraph 4 (topic)
Conclusion
Students chose the topics/main ideas for each paragraph based on what they had found in their research. We are now working to color code our notes. For example, if paragraph 2 is about Abe Lincoln's childhood I would underline all facts about his childhood in blue.
We have discussed the fact that not all facts we have found will be in our 5 paragraph essay.
This is such a learning process that I have not set a due date for the final product. I am basing our timeline on the students progress and understanding as we go. At this point some students are becoming information saturated as they keep gathering more and more information. I am encouraging them to begin evaluating the information they have!
Just to update you...all students should have at least 1 book (I think we have everyone taken care of-finally!)and are limited to 2 Internet resources. We have spent time in class learning how to "google" and check the validity of sights. We also went to the library and learned how to use the Grolier Encyclopedia
Today we worked on a rough outline.
Introduction
Paragraph 2 (topic)
Paragraph 3 (topic)
Paragraph 4 (topic)
Conclusion
Students chose the topics/main ideas for each paragraph based on what they had found in their research. We are now working to color code our notes. For example, if paragraph 2 is about Abe Lincoln's childhood I would underline all facts about his childhood in blue.
We have discussed the fact that not all facts we have found will be in our 5 paragraph essay.
This is such a learning process that I have not set a due date for the final product. I am basing our timeline on the students progress and understanding as we go. At this point some students are becoming information saturated as they keep gathering more and more information. I am encouraging them to begin evaluating the information they have!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Weekly Update January 10th
Math- We are finishing Chapter 12 this week. The test will be on Wednesday. I will send the study guide home tomorrow.
Writing- All of the students have chosen the important person that they will research. The next several weeks will be spent researching and writing a five-paragraph expository essay. Last week students made a tentative outline about what they would like to be the focus of each paragraph. This week will will continue to research and begin to organize (color-code) our notes.
3 ten-minute journal entries will be due on Friday.
Reading –Our reading will be closely tied to our writing as we begin our expository unit. This week our mini lessons we will revisit the strategy of questioning and will respond to nonfiction texts with “thick” questions. We will also continue to look at text features of non-fiction texts.
In guided reading groups we will begin to look at poetry.
Last week students worked to set up a calendar for their book club books.
Word Study-Last week I gave the students a mid-year word study inventory to assess their progress. This week students will get new word study words. Contracts will be due Friday and the test will be on Friday.
Science-This week will wrap up our electricity chapter. We will be having a test at the end of the week. A study guide will come home Tuesday or Wednesday. Ask your scientist about electricity charades on Friday. We had a lot of fun!
We will meet with our Buddy Class on Wednesday. Our cookbooks are back from the printer (better late than never!). Look for the cook books to come home Wednesday.
Also, Wednesday is an early release day! Be sure your child knows how they are getting home.
Have a wonderful week!
Writing- All of the students have chosen the important person that they will research. The next several weeks will be spent researching and writing a five-paragraph expository essay. Last week students made a tentative outline about what they would like to be the focus of each paragraph. This week will will continue to research and begin to organize (color-code) our notes.
3 ten-minute journal entries will be due on Friday.
Reading –Our reading will be closely tied to our writing as we begin our expository unit. This week our mini lessons we will revisit the strategy of questioning and will respond to nonfiction texts with “thick” questions. We will also continue to look at text features of non-fiction texts.
In guided reading groups we will begin to look at poetry.
Last week students worked to set up a calendar for their book club books.
Word Study-Last week I gave the students a mid-year word study inventory to assess their progress. This week students will get new word study words. Contracts will be due Friday and the test will be on Friday.
Science-This week will wrap up our electricity chapter. We will be having a test at the end of the week. A study guide will come home Tuesday or Wednesday. Ask your scientist about electricity charades on Friday. We had a lot of fun!
We will meet with our Buddy Class on Wednesday. Our cookbooks are back from the printer (better late than never!). Look for the cook books to come home Wednesday.
Also, Wednesday is an early release day! Be sure your child knows how they are getting home.
Have a wonderful week!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The Light Bulb Went Off in Room 221
Do you know the saying, "A little light bulb went off..."Well that's what happened in our classroom today. We are studying electricity and today students studied simple circuits. The little scientists were so excited. The classroom buzzed with excitement as students yelled, "Its working! I made light! Look at this! Can we try our own ideas?" Needless to say this excitement in our classroom today was why I went into teaching! I have attached some pictures.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Multi-Digit Multiplcation Games
http://www.dositey.com/2008/muldiv/2digx2dig.html
This is a lesson that reviews the steps we discussed in class.
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/draggable/index2.html
Drag And Drop Multiplication
http://www.funbrain.com/fractop/
Soccer Shoot Out
This is a lesson that reviews the steps we discussed in class.
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/draggable/index2.html
Drag And Drop Multiplication
http://www.funbrain.com/fractop/
Soccer Shoot Out
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