Reflection on Roots

A Sneak Peek at the Week

Reading:  We will finish Toliver's Secret and focus on theme.

Math: We will continue to review geometry with the different types of angles: scalene, isosceles, and equilateral.  Students will also use the area model and multiplication and division to show two equivalent fractions.

Science: Parts of a Plant - Students will be able to answer the question - How do structural adaptations allow plants to survive and reproduce.

Social Studies: We will review for our American Revolution test and move on to the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

Math Videos

I will begin posting videos to help you better understand how I am teaching fractions in math. You can find these videos under the Math Video tab at the top of the blog page.  You may also share these videos with your child if he/she has difficulty with homework.  If for some reason your child is absent, he/she may use these videos to help with missed math lessons.  I hope this will serve as a great tool for you at home!

Upcoming Tests/Quizzes

Science:  Monday, Feb. 13th - Flowering and Nonflowering Plants Quiz - Students have notes for this quiz in their journals.


Math:  Tuesday, Feb. 14th - Fractions Quiz - Students have their note pages and homework that we have completed in class to help them prepare for this quiz.  These can be found in their binders.  Students may also view the math videos for lessons 1-6.  Lesson 2 was combined with lesson 1.  Students will be quizzed on lessons 1-6. 

Chaperones for Upcoming Field Trip

Just a reminder that we are in need of at least 10 chaperones for our upcoming field trip.  Chaperones will be able to attend this trip for free!  Due to limited amount of space on the bus, we are asking that chaperones please follow the bus for this trip.

I have the following parents going as chaperones:

Ms. Stalcup
Mrs. McAllister
Ms. Harper
Mrs. Mix

As you can see, we are in need of six more chaperones.  If you would like to serve as a chaperone, please let me know!  Thank you so much for volunteering your time!

Valentine's Day

Students may bring in cards to exchange for Valentine's Day.  If your child decides to bring in cards, he/she must have a card for every child in our class.  There are 20 students in our class.  To make distribution of cards easy, please have your child write "From: His/Her Name" only on the cards. Cards do not need to be addressed to individual students. Thank you for your help with this!

A Peek at the Week: February 6th - 10th

Math:  Students will continue with geometry with the different types of angles: scalene, isosceles, and equilateral.  We will also begin working with fractions.    

Reading:  Students will continue to read Toliver's Secret.  They will also begin Book Clubs.  Their first book club meeting with consist of setting norms and creating a calendar to finish the book they have been assigned to read. This book club will last for 3 week.  Below is the focus of each week:



Week 1: Point of View
Week 2: Theme
Week 3 Summarizing

Science:  We will our unit on characteristics and growth of organisms.  This week students will classify plants as flowering or nonflowering. 

Social Studies:  We will continue to study the American Revolution with a focus on the following: Battles in SC, Yorktown, and the effects the American Revolution had on women, African Americans, and Native Americans.

Upcoming Field Trip: Camp Leopold

We are excited about our upcoming field trip to Camp Leopold on February 28th. If you have not paid the third installment of $40 (new students $65), please do so by Feb. 15th. Below is a list of things you need to know for the trip:

• Please report to the cafeteria by 7:30 a.m.
• Students should wear comfortable clothing that could get dirty and tennis shoes or hiking boots. Watch the weather forecast in case of rain or cold weather.
• If you would like to be a chaperone, please email me. We will need at least 10 chaperones. Due to limited space on the bus, you will have to drive your own car. Your child can ride with you if you fill out a letter of release form before hand.
• Please pack your child a small bag or backpack that includes a change of clothes in case your child gets extremely wet (including tennis shoes), two small snacks and a water bottle. Your child may want to wear a hat.
• Lunch will be served at the location, so your child does not need to bring a lunch unless you would like to pack your child’s lunch.

Lunch will consist of hamburger, chips, salad, lemonade/fruit punch, or water.

• Your child is allowed to bring a camera, but no other electronic devices.
• There is a gift shop, so if your child wants to bring money, please pack it in your child’s bag. The following items are offered: Water Bottles ($5), Duck Calls and Whistles ($10), Camp Leopold Hats ($10)
• We will arrive back on campus at 5:00 p.m., so please be in the back parking lot ready for pick-up.

Here is a link to Camp Leopold if you would like to see pictures or read about some of the activities we will be a part of while on the trip. We are taking four classes: Wetlands and Badlands, Cyprus Swamp Canoe trip, Seasons of life: Waterfowl Adventure, Team Challenge Course.

Link: http://www.wildlifeedcenter.org/camp-leopold/classes-and-activities/

Thank you,

ATTENTION: ALERT PARENTS

Today in class we went over the Battle of Saratoga.  Your child will need to complete the notes over the weekend.  A note page has been provided for them.  Students will need to glue this note page in their social studies journal. The presentation has been added to our social studies Google Classroom. Embedded in the presentation are two videos the students will also need to watch to help them better understand the Battle of Saratoga. 

Tests/Quizzes: Week of February 6th - 10th

Science: Astronomy Test - Monday, February 6th - This test will cover moon phases, constellations, and shadows.  Students should have already started studying for this test as it was part of their science homework this past week.  Students have a Box It they may also use as a study tool along with class notes and a shadow tool we made in class.


Flowering & Nonflowering Plant Quiz - Wednesday February 9th

Math:  Geometry Quiz -Wednesday, February 8th -We have been reviewing lines, line segments, points, and angles from last year.  Notes can be found in their journals.

Mentor Sentence - Friday, February 10th - This will be the sentence from last week.  The focus will be on using quotation marks in a sentence.

All About Angles

As part of our geometry study, we have been learning about the different types of angles (right, acute, and obtuse). Students found angles in the real world and added them to our All About Angles Padlet board. Check out the angles they found in the real world!

Mentor Sentence Test Date Changed

Students will take this week's mentor sentence test, Monday, January 30th instead of Friday, January 27th.  I will not be in school on Friday and I would rather the students take their test with me than a substitute teacher.  Please make note of this change.

Preparing for MAP Testing - 32 Days!

We have MAP testing coming up in 32 days!  That is right around the corner! I have sat down and talked with every students about his/her MAP goals in both reading and math.  Thank you for signing and returning your child's MAP goals sheet.  A tool that I use in class to help students prepare for MAP is Compass Learning.  Compass Learning in a digital curriculum for K-12 students that can be used as primary or supplementary instruction.  It uses a diagnostic to offer prescriptive instruction through a personalized learning path that is monitored by myself. Our school has purchased this program and the instruction is personalized based on each child's MAP score.

In both reading and math, students have folders set up based on their personal RIT score.  The good thing about this program is that students may work on it at home!  They know their user name and password.  Here is the link to the website just in case your child does not know how to get there: Compass Learning.  I encourage you to allow your child to spend time each day, including weekends, to work on their reading and math folders in Compass Learning.  

We are working really hard in class so that students will meet their reading and math goals when they take MAP.  When students set goals for MAP most, if not all, of the students stated they would use Compass Learning at home.  Please help out by encouraging your child to spend some time on Compass Learning each day.  Let's work together to ensure our students see growth when they take the MAP test in the next 32 days!

A Peek at the Week: January 20th - February

Here is a sneak peek at what students will be learning next week:


Math:  We will be working on division word problems and continuing to review geometry.

Science:  We will conclude our Astronomy Unit with constellations and begin our Plant Unit with flowering and nonflowering plants.

Social Studies: We will begin studying the Declaration of Independence.

Reading:  Toliver's Secret & Point of View

Upcoming Tests/Quizzes: January 31 - Feb. 3

Please take a few minutes to note our upcoming tests and quizzes for the Week of January 31st - February 3rd.

Math:  February 1st - Division Test - This test will including dividing a 2, 3, and 4 digit dividend by a one digit divisor.  There are lots of problems students can use in their math journals to practice over the weekend.

Social Studies - January 30th -Causes of the Revolutionary War - Students were given a Box It as a study tool and a Study Buddy that breaks down for them what they need to study.  There are also presentations in the Social Studies Google Classroom.  Students also have their notes in their journal. 

Grammar -  February 3rd - Mentor Sentence Quiz - Students will get their new mentor sentence Monday, January 30th.  

Reading - Toliver's Secret Comprehension Test, February 2nd - This test will cover chapters 5-8.

Science:  Astronomy Unit Test, February 6th - Students will be given a study buddy for this test next week.

Mentor Sentence Prep at Home

This week we began working with a new mentor sentence.  Students will be tested on this sentence on Friday.  Each day students are to complete all of their mentor sentence work in their grammar journals. This should be very easy to do as I write everything down for them as we go over the sentence each day. 

I have noticed that students are not adding to their work by copying what I have included for them from the board during our discussions.  For example, Monday was Invitation to Notice. Students were to write down everything thing they noticed about the sentence.  We then discussed this as a class and I added all of the things they were to notice on the board.  If students didn't have what we discussed they were to add it to their list.  Several students did not do this.  Another example... Tuesday was Invitation to Notice Parts of Speech.  Students were to copy the sentence in their journal, skipping lines, and then label as many parts of speech as they could.  Once they completed this, we went through each word and labeled the parts of speech.  I noticed that some of the students did not do this.  

It is very important that students are following along and adding to their work as we discuss it in class.  Their journals are to be used as a study tool for the mentor sentence test and it will be very hard for students to study with incomplete information.  Please help me by checking to make sure your child's mentor sentence work is complete each day!  

4th Grade Honor Roll Recognition

It time to celebrate those students who have made the honor roll!  4th grade honor roll recognition will be Wednesday, January 25th.  You may come out and watch the students as they are recognized on this day.  If you do plan to come out, please report to the upstairs media center.  

Class Picture Day

Class Picture Day is February 1st.  The price of a class photo is $10.  An envelope to send in the money for class pictures were sent home in Friday folders two weeks ago.  At this point there are only two students who are purchasing a class picture.  If you will be purchasing a class picture, please be sure to send in your money inside the envelope as soon as possible.  Thanks a bunch!

Moon Walk

In science we have been studying the phases of the moon.  The students have been very excited to learn all about the moon. Yesterday, the students took a moon walk.  This activity gave students the opportunity to experience all the phases of the moon. As they rotated through eight stations they were able to make observations of the phases.  To help students remember these phases, they had to draw each phase as they went through each station.  I heard lots of "oohs" and "ahhs" from many of the students.  I knew right then they were making connections to what they had already learned in class about the phases of the moon. Below is a picture of what students saw as they took their moon walk.

As students went through each station, they had to record their observations of the moon in their journals. 

   

After students completed their moon walk, they labeled each phase of the moon.  This was a great experience for the students because it gave them the opportunity to actually see each phase of the moon!  Our next activity will be to create a video showing the phases of the moon using Ipads!

 

Students will take a quiz on the phases of the moon Tuesday, January 24th.

The Acts Informational Pamphlets

We have been studying the causes of the Revolutionary War. Some of the main causes of this war are the number of Acts that were placed on the colonists.  These Acts include: Sugar, Stamp, Townshend, Tea, Coercive, and Intolerable Acts.  One way the colonists communicated with each other were through pamphlets. Students were given the task of creating a pamphlet to make the colonists aware of these taxes.  Below are several examples of the pamphlets students created! I think they did an amazing job!

In the first box the students had to explain the act.  In the second box they had to explain why the act was fair.  The third box required students to give a call to action. Finally, in the last box students had to include a graphic or illustration.  

A Peek at the Week

Math:  Division - Students will divide a one digit divisor into a three digit dividend.  Please make sure students are practicing this at home along with their multiplication facts.  Students will not be able to divide if they do not know the facts!  We will also begin looking at geometry.  This is basically a review from last year.

Science - Shadows - We will finish up our study on the moon phases.  Students will be completing a phases of the moon video using Ipads.  Be on the look out for these videos to be posted to our blog!  I am hoping for sunny days next week as we will move into shadows.  Moon Quiz - Tuesday, January 24th. 

Social Studies - Causes of the Revolutionary War - The focus this week will be on the major battles.

Reading - We will continue reading Toliver's Secret.  Students will examine the point of view.  There will also be a new mentor sentence given to the students.  If you haven't read the blog post on mentor sentences, please be sure to check it out!  There will be a mentor sentence quiz on Friday, January 27th.

Mentor Sentences

Each week students will have a mentor sentence quiz.  A mentor sentence is a well crafted sentence that can be found in any text. Mentor sentences serve as good examples of what good writing is all about.  Mentor sentences are also a great source for identifying different elements of writing including grammar, structure and style.

Since we are reading Toliver's Secret, our mentor sentences will be coming from this text.  Each day of the week we work with the sentence in a different way.  Students complete all of their work with mentor sentences in their grammar journals.  Below is a description of what we do with the sentence each day.

Day #1: Invitation to Notice - Students are invited to notice all the things about what makes the sentence a good mentor sentence.  It could be use of exciting words, descriptions, figurative language, vivid verbs, grammar usage and much more!  There is no limit to what students might find.

Day #2: Invitation to Notice Parts of Speech - Students write the mentor sentence in their journal exactly as it is written, skipping lines in between.  Students find and label all parts of speech they can identify in the sentence.

Day #3: Invitation to Revise - Students revise the sentence to make it even more descriptive and exciting.  They rewrite the sentence and try adding or changing adjectives, specific nouns, and vivid verbs.

Day #4: Invitation to Imitate - Students imitate the mentor sentence.  The use the structure of the sentence to create a brand new mentor sentence that no one has ever seen before.  They use the author's style, but with their own words.

Day #5: Quiz - On the quiz, the students are required to make 3 corrections to the mentor sentence (there will always be three corrections to make), rewrite the sentence correctly, answer questions about the parts of speech, as answer questions about anything we have discussed about the mentor sentence.  This could include figurative language, type of sentence, etc.

An example of what students' journal should look like with their mentor sentence.

Students should be studying their mentor sentence each night.  It is also important that students pay attention and participate in class discussions when we are talking about the mentor sentence. Students will be introduced to their new mentor sentence on Monday, January 23rd and will have their quiz on Friday, January 27th.  

Tests/Quizzes Week of January 23rd

Math: Division Quiz - Tuesday, January 24th - This will cover dividing with multiplies of 10, 100, 1000 and dividing a one digit divisor into a two digit dividend.

Science: Moon Quiz - Tuesday, January 24th - Students should be able to identify the phases of the moon and know basic information found in their science journals about the moon.

Grammar: Mentor Sentence - Friday, January 27th - Students should be studying their mentor sentence notes daily.

Social Studies: Causes of the American Revolution - Monday, January 30th. Students will complete a Box It on Monday, January 23rd to help them review for the test.  We will complete the Box It in class so that I can ensure students have all the correct answers. Presentations can also be found in the Social Studies Google Classroom.

Report Cards

You should find your child's report card in his/her green folder.  Please be sure to celebrate successes and set new goals for the upcoming nine weeks.