It's a busy week as the students prepare for Academic Expo! I can't wait to see what they have learned!
Reading: Students are finishing up their biographies this week as well as reading more biographies about other fascinating people. We are also working on our fluency this week by reading poems about heroes. The students have been learning a lot about dividing syllables to help them become better readers as well as spellers - let your fourth grader tell you more!
Language: Our focus continues to be on adverbs that answer the questions of How? When? and Where?. The students are also in the planning stages of their hero essays.
Math: Our shift this week will switch to division, but that doesn't mean that those multiplication facts aren't still important! We'll be using those facts to help us divide, so the children should still be practicing their multiplication facts.
Alabama History: Just what does it take to become a state? That is what we are learning this week! We are talking about Alabama's steps into statehood and what life was like in antebellum Alabama.
Science: The exciting unit of electricity is coming alive for the students! To begin the unit, we talked about electricity safety, and I even brought back one of the classics to help remind us of how to be safe around electricity:
Monday, January 26, 2015
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Area and Perimeter
The students have been learning about area and perimeter over the past two weeks. Yesterday, they were given the task of designing a dog cage in their backyard. All that they had to consider was was a budget. The students were given a budget of $500, a price of $75 for other tools and supplies, and an $8 price per foot of fencing. From there, they were given the freedom to choose the shape and design of it. I was very impressed with their creativity. Here are a few examples: 
Today, the students took on a new and challenging task: to measure and map out our not-quite rectangular classroom and then find the area and perimeter of it.
Becoming a Country Projects
The students did a great job and used some wonderful creativity in order to present what they had learned about the American Revolution and the Creek War. Students made posters, created diaromas, wrote journal entries, created videos, designed game boards and more! Wonderful work, everyone! I love seeing the knowledge the students learned presented in creative ways.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Week 3, Third Nine Weeks
I hope you had a wonderful long weekend enjoying the lovely weather!
Reading: Students are still reading their biographies to learn more about their hero. This week, we will begin using information we have gathered from the biographies to write an expository essay explaining why our hero is a hero.
Language: Adverbs are our focus this week as we learn about ways to improve our sentences by modifying verbs.
Math: Students will be completing several different projects in the classroom this week that will require them to use their knowledge of area and perimeter. Hopefully by the end of the week, we will begin investigating division.
Alabama History: We have talked about how our country became a country. It is now time to discuss how our state became a state! We'll be starting our next unit of Statehood and Settlement this week.
Science: Students have done a great job learning about how space travel has enhanced our every day lives. We will now begin our exciting study of electricity!
Reading: Students are still reading their biographies to learn more about their hero. This week, we will begin using information we have gathered from the biographies to write an expository essay explaining why our hero is a hero.
Language: Adverbs are our focus this week as we learn about ways to improve our sentences by modifying verbs.
Math: Students will be completing several different projects in the classroom this week that will require them to use their knowledge of area and perimeter. Hopefully by the end of the week, we will begin investigating division.
Alabama History: We have talked about how our country became a country. It is now time to discuss how our state became a state! We'll be starting our next unit of Statehood and Settlement this week.
Science: Students have done a great job learning about how space travel has enhanced our every day lives. We will now begin our exciting study of electricity!
Monday, January 12, 2015
Week 2, Third Nine Weeks
Reading: This week, the students will spend much of the class time reading their biography and learning more about the person they chose to call their hero. Biography books should mainly be read in the classroom, however, if students feel behind, they are of course welcome to read a bit at home. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday on the biography/hero terms we have been studying. The words are on StudyStack.
Math: This week we will be using our multiplication skills with area and perimeter. Students will be completing projects in the classroom that deal with finding the area and perimeter of squares, rectangles, and odd shaped polygons with right angles.
Language: We will finish our discussion of adjectives this week. There will be a test on Thursday. There are websites on Schoology which will help the students review adjectives.
Science: The students are completing their projects about items made or improved because of space exploration. They will be presenting these projects to the class later this week.
Alabama History: Students will be presenting their "Becoming a Country" projects to the class later this week. We will then be looking at the three branches of government as we begin talking about Alabama becoming a state.
Math: This week we will be using our multiplication skills with area and perimeter. Students will be completing projects in the classroom that deal with finding the area and perimeter of squares, rectangles, and odd shaped polygons with right angles.
Language: We will finish our discussion of adjectives this week. There will be a test on Thursday. There are websites on Schoology which will help the students review adjectives.
Science: The students are completing their projects about items made or improved because of space exploration. They will be presenting these projects to the class later this week.
Alabama History: Students will be presenting their "Becoming a Country" projects to the class later this week. We will then be looking at the three branches of government as we begin talking about Alabama becoming a state.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Multiplication Number Talks
This week, the children have been taking on some incredibly challenging math problems in their heads and tackling them with the greatest of ease.
Today, they succeeded in solving 16 x 39 in their heads!
Can you solve that (without a calculator or a piece of paper)? What do you go to first? Are you trying to stack the numbers and then multiply one at a time? Are you forgetting what numbers you have "written down" already?
Would it help if perhaps you first thought about these problems first...
6 x 40
10 x 40
16 x 40
Can you solve it now? Through these multiplication number talks, the students are feeling more and more confident with challenging problems by finding ways to break them apart or even manipulate the problem one way or another to solve it. Wow!
Today, they succeeded in solving 16 x 39 in their heads!
Can you solve that (without a calculator or a piece of paper)? What do you go to first? Are you trying to stack the numbers and then multiply one at a time? Are you forgetting what numbers you have "written down" already?
Would it help if perhaps you first thought about these problems first...
6 x 40
10 x 40
16 x 40
Can you solve it now? Through these multiplication number talks, the students are feeling more and more confident with challenging problems by finding ways to break them apart or even manipulate the problem one way or another to solve it. Wow!
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Week 1, Third Nine Weeks
Happy New Year! Welcome Back!
Reading: We are embarking on a whole new adventure this week! Today and throughout this week, we will be discussing what a hero is. We will be reading about real-life heroes, legends and fairy tales, then looking at qualities that they have in common to create a strong definition of what it truly means to be a hero. Over the weekend, students will be deciding on a real-life hero that they want to read and learn more about. We will also be setting reading goals for this nine weeks, so please discuss these with your child.
Language: Our lessons on adjectives continue as we look at adjectives that are considered proper and need capital letters, such as French bread. Students will also be working with synonyms and antonyms.
Math: Students are working on representing and solving multiplication problems this week as well as solving multi-step problems and beginning area and perimeter.
Alabama History: We will finish our discussion of the Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears. Remember that projects are due next Wednesday the 14th.
Science: Students will be working on projects in groups, mainly in the classroom, researching different types of technology that was either made possible or improved upon because of space exploration.
Reading: We are embarking on a whole new adventure this week! Today and throughout this week, we will be discussing what a hero is. We will be reading about real-life heroes, legends and fairy tales, then looking at qualities that they have in common to create a strong definition of what it truly means to be a hero. Over the weekend, students will be deciding on a real-life hero that they want to read and learn more about. We will also be setting reading goals for this nine weeks, so please discuss these with your child.
Language: Our lessons on adjectives continue as we look at adjectives that are considered proper and need capital letters, such as French bread. Students will also be working with synonyms and antonyms.
Math: Students are working on representing and solving multiplication problems this week as well as solving multi-step problems and beginning area and perimeter.
Alabama History: We will finish our discussion of the Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears. Remember that projects are due next Wednesday the 14th.
Science: Students will be working on projects in groups, mainly in the classroom, researching different types of technology that was either made possible or improved upon because of space exploration.
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