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.