Clams and Buttons

In the Boat Shop

For my first time, we were able to go to the boat shop!

Boats!

French Fur Trader

Mississippi River Museum!!!!

Promote Symmetry!

As we move into our next math unit, the kids will be exploring symmetry with 2-D shapes.  I introduced this online geoboard today in class.  The kids were very excited to explore!  Here's the link to explore more at home:

http://www.mathplayground.com/geoboard.html

Equivalent Fraction Games

Here are two games for extra practice with equivalent fractions.  Understanding equivalent fractions is a student learning expectation (SLE) in 4th grade math, so everyone must be able to recognize and diagram these by the end of the year.  Enjoy the fun!

Equivalent Fractions with Pictures Matching (Easy)
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/fractions/memory_equivalent1.htm

Create Your Own Equivalent Fractions (Challenging)
http://illuminations.nctm.org/activitydetail.aspx?id=80

http://www.green-planet-solar-energy.com/equivalent-fractions.html

Space Shuttle Construction - We Need Your Help!

Our space shuttle construction is almost here!  Next week, all three fourth grade classrooms will be working on building a space shuttle simulation in conjunction with our studies of the Southwestern United States.  I am hoping families from our class are able to help one way or another.

Karaoke Machines

To help project our voices, we have used karaoke machines in the past.  If you have a karaoke machine you are willing to loan to this project, please let me know.  You are welcome to bring them in any time next week, and you will have it back at the end of the day on Friday.

Parent Volunteers

Having parent volunteers also makes this project work a lot smoother.  Our construction times, for both Monday and Tuesday, will be from 1:00-2:15.  If you are able to help, let me know.  There is no limit on the amount of volunteers we need – the more, the better!  Simply let me know if one of these afternoon times works for you.

Thanks again for everything you do to help support our class’s learning.  This is a wonderful project that the kids will remember for a long time.

April Reading Log

Today the kids received their reading logs for April.  Try to provide a chance for your child to read at least twenty minutes each day, which includes books, magazines, and online articles.  If s/he reads that day, color in the appropriate rain cloud.  For your convenience, have your child keep this in his/her red folder.  Sign it the night before April 30th, and have your child bring it in then.

Updates for the Week of April 1

Good afternoon!  We had a great first day of Iowa Assessments (formerly known as Iowa Tests of Basic Skills) today.  Thanks for having the kids ready to go!

Here’s a look at our week:

Math àThe kids will continue working with percents, specifically converting them to decimals and fractions.  Each table also started tracking their chosen baseball team to collect real-world data.

Reading àI introduced “Rube Goldberg Machines” to introduce the comprehension skill “Cause and Effect”.  We will work on this quite a bit these last several weeks of school (also, it is part of the report card).  Additionally, make sure your child works with his/her spelling words each night as s/he has in the past (5 minutes or so).

Social Studies à  The kids are continuing to learn about life in the Southwest.  Their collages from last week look awesome, and this week brings information about economies, industry, and natural features including the Hoover Dam and the Rio Grande.

Science à  Later this week, each student will have an opportunity to go on a rock collection hunt at home.  Details are attached – if you have any extra 12-egg cartons, send them this way J!  We will use these samples throughout our Earth Materials unit.

Behavior à  The kids will be focusing on giving their personal best efforts throughout the day.  This has never really been a problem, but since Iowa Assessments are this week, this topic is more relevant than ever.

Other àA big thanks goes to everyone who is bringing in snacks this week.  The kids are certainly excited about having morning snack this week!  Also, there will be a few updates on our blog this week.  For extra practice, make sure your child sees these games.  I’ll show them off at school as well.  Lastly, shuttle week is next week.  If you’re interested in helping construction on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday from 1:00-2:15, send me a note!

 

Summary

1. Percents, Decimals, Fractions
2. Cause and Effect
3. Southwest Economy
4. Rock Collection
5. Personal Best Always!
 

Fractions, Decimals, and Percents Conversion Game

The main focus from Unit 9 is using equivalent fractions and decimal values to figure out percents.  Below is a fun game your child can play to reinforce their understanding of these concepts.  If s/he would like to watch the full episode of Cyberchase from where this game is taken, the episode is Season 3 Episode 4, titled "A Piece of the Action".

The Game:  http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/math-games/mission-magnetite/

The Episode:  http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/videos/a-piece-of-the-action-ep-304/#!/seasons-1-8/3

Updates for 3-25-2013

Math - The kids are finishing exploring perimeter (just add all the sides) and the area of a rectangle (one side times the other).  Later this week, we will begin using our knowledge of fractions and decimals to connect our understanding to percents.  While memorizing basic percents (i.e., 1/4 = 0.25 = 25%; 3/5 = 0.60 = 60%) isn't a fourth grade learning expectation, I am going to be pushing several of the kids towards being able to quickly calculate those.  Having that understanding is as helpful as having mathematical facts memorized!  Also, when the Major League Baseball Season starts, table groups will be selecting a baseball team to track the win-loss record, write fractions for games won, and calculate their winning percentages - what a great real-world connection!  Finally, there will be some new links to math games posted on our class blog in the coming days.

Reading - We will be focusing on the comprehension skill of analyzing character.  This will be done through our read-aloud book Loser as well as our whole-class story Me & Uncle Romie.  Of course, there will be lessons of fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and phonics interspersed throughout our Language Arts block as well.  Kids can also turn in their reading logs April 1st.

Social Studies - My favorite region of the United States (probably) is the Southwest.  The kids have already learned a little about conquistadors, and we will continue learning about climate, rain shadows, resources, and human interaction in the Southwest.  I will also have some bonus hands-on projects for those students who wish to try them at home.

Science - Our Earth Materials unit will begin next week, which focuses on rocks and minerals.  There are lots of connections in our lessons between Social Studies and Science, which makes teaching these concepts even more enjoyable.  The kids will walk away with some great projects and enjoyable learning experiences!

Behavior - We will continue to have energizers in the classroom that foster whole-class participation and are fully inclusive.  We will be playing Kitty Wants a Corner early this week, and later this week we will be playing a game to work on cooperation called 2x4. *Note* The kids made a wonderful transition back to school, so a big time kudos to you for having your child ready to get "back in the saddle" (sorry for the bad Southwestern cowboy joke).

Other - Next week will be the official Iowa Assessments week.  The kids have had a chance to work with differentiated groups (adjusted according to their level), and this week we will be taking a very small version of the test so they can get a "Sam's Club Taste Test" of what it will be like.  Also, last year I tried something new, and it worked really well.  I asked if there were families that wanted to bring in a very healthy morning snack for Iowa Assessments.  Families brought in foods such as granola bars, mixed fruit, string cheese, and bagels.  If you are interested in bringing a snack during a particular day, simply verify it with me.  Thanks for supporting the entire class!

It's Electric!

Nothing gets me going quite as much as "The Electric Slide" during our electricity unit! What perfect transition music!

The class had the opportunity to carry out one of the best features of science: the controlled experiment. To begin, the kids made predictions about how many washers their electromagnets would pick up with 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 winds. After making predictions, they were ready to test those predictions.

We discovered that the more winds and the tighter the winds are will lead to a stronger electromagnet! I also explained how electromagnets are in a variety f different forms, including doorbells and computer hard drive.

The kids have really enjoyed this unit. I'm excited to explore earth materials next, as we not only get to look for awesome rocks and minerals, but we also get to try some different expire menus with those materials.

Collaborating to Connect a String of Lights

The kids have learned a lot about the different types of circuits. After working with their tables groups, they joined with other groups to make a much more massive string of lights. They explored solutions to fix the lights if one happened to burn out.

Cyberchase on PBS - Using Fractions

I showed the kids the "For Real" video from this episode. Several kids wanted to watch the full episode, so I told them I would post a link to the video below.

Keep in mind that SEVERAL of these episodes are perfect for reviewing different mathematical concepts. PBS is awesome!

To find the video, click the link below.  Select "Seasons 1-8" and then select "Season 1".  Scroll down about 1/4 of the way. Find "Zeus on the Loose", which is episode number 106:

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/videos/room-for-one-more/#!/all

February Book Orders due on Friday

You can also order online.  Simply click the picture below and follow the on-screen directions.

<a href='https://orders.scholastic.com/GV9WK'><img src='http://clubs2.scholastic.com/wcsstore/ExtendedSitesCatalogAssetStore/common/images/layout/embed_style_long.gif'/></a>

Two Great Fraction Games

These games are perfect for kids to practice with equivalent fractions while having lots of fun:

From: www.mathtube.com

Melvin's Make a Match requires the player to match a fraction with the correct picture.  Match them all to advance to the next level.  Can you find all the potion matches?
http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/math-games/melvins-make-match/

Fraction Frenzy challenges the player to match equivalent fractions as quickly as possible.  Match them quicker for more bonus points!
http://www.learningplanet.com/sam/ff/index.asp

Updates for the Week of February 11, 2013

Good morning!  Here’s a look at this week:

Math à  The kids have been working with fractions.  This is a big part of the math curriculum, but when finished, the kids will be able to add and subtract them as well as find equivalent fractions convert fractions to decimals and percents.  The kids are becoming solid with their multiplication/division facts, and this really helps out with that!

                  

Reading à  This week our focus is on coral reefs.  We will be comparing and contrasting different types of coral (compare and contrast is a BIG Student Learning Expectation (SLE).  We are also writing a prompt about what we’ve learned about magnetism so far.

Science à  We have been working with electricity the past week.  The kids will be presented with different tasks, such as lighting a bulb with one wire and implementing a switch into their circuits.

Social Studies à  The class has been exploring the rough tenement housing in the early 1900s.  This week, they will have a chance to design and create a model of a tenement home.  Much thanks goes to Mrs. Hubler for helping us during the class’s art time.

Updates for 1-28-13

Here’s a quick look at this week.

Math à  The kids will take their next Iowa CORE Math Test on Tuesday and Wednesday.  This will show their growth over the course of fourth grade so far.  This test is aligned with the Core Curriculum that Iowa and 44 other states have set.  More info here: http://www.corestandards.org/

After tacking that test, the students will celebrate the 100^th day of school with a special math lesson…pictures to come.  We will also begin exploring fractions this week.  Those on Khan Academy can find a plethora of practice activities.

Reading à  The kids will be reading some nonfiction revolving around the importance of energy in our lives.  We will be discussing author’s purpose, as well as practicing phonics, vocabulary, and fluency.

Science à  This week we will begin exploring circuits!  Do you know the difference between series circuits and parallel circuits.  I’ll give you a clue:  think Clark Griswold’s Christmas lights.  He thought that if one goes out, they’d all go out (series circuits).  However, we mostly see lights that will stay on even if one goes out (parallel circuits).  An awesome kit to explore electricity is posted below.  Again, I don’t get any royalties for this.  However, the kids that use this are incredibly engaged and motivated!  The one posted is the most basic, but there are lots of other more advanced Snap Circuit sets:

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-100-Snap-Circuits-Jr/dp/B00008BFZH/ref=pd_sim_t_3

http://www.clarkgriswoldcollection.com/

Social Studies à  We have been exploring the differences between capitalism, socialism, and communism.  This week we will look at people who preformed very well during the Progressive Era, including JP Morgan and John Rockefeller, as well as other “robber barons”.

*Conferences are coming up – please sign up down in the office as soon as possible.*

Thanks, and make it a great week!

Updates for the Week of January 22, 2013

Good afternoon, everyone.  I hope you enjoyed your three day weekend (if you had one…unlike me!).

First, and selfishly most importantly, your child brought home two sheets tonight.  The blue sheet had information of my graduate research project and the white sheet was a Sunday-Saturday schedule.  I want to clear a few items up.  First, the weekly schedule your child brought home isn’t for this particular week; rather, it is a generic, typical week.  What I’m trying to get out of each schedule is how much your child allocates free time in different areas.  Second, I realize that every week is slightly different.  I’m looking for generalizations.  For example, when your child returns the schedule tomorrow, I want to look and see “2 hours of basketball practice on Thursdays” and “15 minutes of reading each night” and “30 minutes of television each night”.  In the coming weeks, I’ll be tallying these more specific results.

Science!  The kids have been exploring magnetism.  Pictures will be posted on the blog this week.  Remember to keep checking the blog for tutorials, support videos, and pictures within the classroom.

Social Studies!  The kids have recently finished learning about the Southeast (you may have seen the final project – a quilt square research project).  We have moved into a time era rather than a region of the US.  We will be exploring the 1870s-1920s, know as the Gilded and Progressive Eras.  This will include the concept of capitalism, child labor, and tenement housing.

Math!  We will be finishing our unit on division this week.  The kids have this almost completely mastered, and they will be the first to tell you how much easier it is when they know their multiplication facts.  Next up…fractions.  www.KhanAcademy.org has some GREAT activities to support your child, so if you haven’t signed up, make sure to do so this week J.

Reading!  The kids have continued working on fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and phonics.  These are the foundations that make reading United States novels, nonfiction Science articles, and anything else under the sun possible!

Lastly, the conference schedules will be posted in a few days.  I can’t believe all that has been going on lately…and always, I suppose!  Please let me know if you every have any concerns or questions about anything.

Angles Can Be Found Everywhere!

...including on the Internet. "Banana Hunt" is a game which allows players to estimate a line angle given. The closer the angle ...the more bananas to be found! Our class earned 27 nanners the first round - can you find more?

http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/bananahunt/bhunt.html

A quick tutorial of angles