READING WORKSHOP
We are almost finished with our Informational Text for this nine weeks and our focus on the study of one specific nonfiction author, Gail Gibbons. The children continue to be surprised as they open, what appears to be simple picture books, and find a wealth of information and amazing pictures and details, as well. At this point, the children have completed the many strategy sheets in the classroom as we have enjoyed Pirates, Sunken Treasure, Dragons, and The Honey Makers. They have been visualizing, predicting, summarizing, choosing specific vocabulary, sketching to stretch, and determining cause and effect through these amazing books. Mr. N., the husband of one of our teachers, is a "Beekeeper" and brought his materials and patience and answered the many questions of the students. This week, the children will need to independently read 4 additional books and complete the summaries and learnings about Ms. Gibbons.
To finish our year and allow the children an opportunity to practice all of their skills, they have previewed 5 Revolutionary War novels and made a choice to read a novel and work in a book group. Graphic organizers will accompany each assignment and the students will need to work on them in class as some teacher/student one-on-one testing (DRA'S) will be completed.
WRITING WORKSHOP
We are in the process of developing our Persuasive Essays that are our curriculum writing focus this final nine weeks. The topics chosen are ones that the children have strong feelings about. From laptops for every child, to a football field for Nicholson, to a convincing paper about an unusual pet, the children are writing three reasons and three specific supporting details on a graphic organizer. Add a engaging beginning with a thesis statement and a summarizing conclusion on their graphic organizer and they will be standing up for what they believe.
ENGLISH AND GRAMMAR
An adjective test this past week made me confident that the children really are able to identify an adjective when they see it. The remaining parts of speech I would like to quickly review before the year draws to a close is PRONOUNS AND PREPOSITIONS. Subject, object, and possessive pronouns will be practice for us this week so look for it to come home. Although the study of prepositions will be a target for next year, I find that their mobile (a year long project) would be in complete without it. The study brief, but fun, as we draw some objects in relation to a central object.
This Fourth Nine Weeks,
With our last posttest coming soon, we are spending our math period reinstructing solid figures and determining the number of faces, edges, and vertices of various space figures. Graphing statistical information and using that information to create a line graph, bar graph, circle graph, and pictograph will be part of our assignments this next few weeks. Hope to also spend some time with probability before we close our math concepts for this fourth grade year. Still some students that have not yet become members of the 100 and 100+Club, so remind them to practice. There is still time!!!
Spe
lling
Unit 16 gave the children plenty of practice with homophones and the meanings and spellings of the /er/ suffix. We will be giving the children the final Achievement Test on the fourth grade Core Words next week. Be sure to look at their Spelling Word Wizard Notebook to daily practice these words as they a part of the expectations for fifth grade.
.
SCIENCE
It is a science week for the children this week too. Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Alcala have developed a terrific unit study on ecosystems. It begins with worms, newspapers, and the very funny book, The Diary of A Worm. Need I say more? Please be looking at weekly assignment sheets for homework and check out Mrs. Jackson's and Mrs. Alcala's blog for updates on the unit.
HEALTH
For the last unit of study, we will be using our textbook and one of our previous year issues of our TFK to learn about the effects of tobacco use. With that, their project will be to complete a poster encouraging others not to smoke. Be looking for it to come home and encourage them to use the time given in the classroom wisely.
We have headed back to the textbooks to study the events that led to the Revolutionary War. The Stamp Act and taxes led to an interesting simulation that forced the children to pay a tax for things that they normally do each day. With a Tax Collector and British Soldier watching their every movement, they began to get frustrated and resentful and emotions made the colonist situation easy to understand. The test and questions about that important time in our history will be a part of their final grade. Hope to also watch the movie, Johnnie Tremain, to extend that study. If time permits, we will spend time on the most important battles and leaders of the Revolutionary War.
