We have been having some great times in 4th grade this month. The students have been working hard and we have been building our classroom community day by day. Students have been taking turns being the morning meeting leader each day. They choose the greeting, activity and lead the students through the morning transitions. They are really enjoying this new found responsibility.
MATH:
We just started Unit 5 in math which is all about fractions/adding same denominator fractions, adding improper fractions etc. Next week I will be sending home the Unit 4 assessment for you to review with your students. Please review and sign and send it back by this Fri. Feb. 1st. as it is an important part of your student's portfolio. We will finish Unit 5 prior to February vacation and take the assessment as well Remind your students to practice on Reflex for automaticity of math facts at least 1x per week as part of their regular homework. This will be beneficial for them, not just for fourth grade but in the future as well.
WRITING:
We are writing persuasive essays and we are well on our way to getting to the body of the essays. Some students are planning on turning their essays into CRES Chats--our version of Ted Talks. We will be filming the week of 2/4 so we have lots of work to do! Kids are really coming up with awesome evidence to support their opinions and ways to improve our world! Hoping to post them presenting these essays via link so that you may view them. Stay tuned!
READING:
We are working on research projects of severe weather events(think: tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and droughts). Students have worked in small groups to research about these extreme weather events. They will start creating posters and then present and teach their classmates about their event. Eventually we will switch topics and compare and contrast them with one another.
In Science we have been talking about energy and force and motion. We made electric circuits last week and this week we made roller coasters! Check out the photographs page to see the creations!
We also had a guest yoga teacher come show us several yoga moves and calming breaths to help students center themselves if they are feeling overwhelmed or out of control. I have also included the recipe for glitter jars below to make at home. This is also a calming technique that students can use.
Glitter Jar Ingredients & Recipe
Jar or bottle: For the jar, I use plastic water bottles so I don’t have to worry about glass breaking. For durability and shape, I prefer to use 11.2oz (330ml) Voss Water bottles. The labels peel off fairly easily, but you have to go slowly.
Glue: I really like Elmer’s Clear School Glue for my glitter jars. If you’re using the 11.2oz bottles I recommend above, one 5oz bottle contains enough glue for about 2 glitter jars.
Glitter: Fine glitter works best.
Water: Warm water, straight from the tap. With the first glitter jar we ever made, I had microwaved the water to near-boiling and even though it had cooled down a lot by the time we added it to the bottle, I sealed the cap shut while it was still fairly warm. As it cooled, the water contracted and warped the bottle shape a little. (Science!)
Optional
• Food coloring to color the water. One or two drops is more than enough!
Glitter Jar Directions:
Many students are not practicing their recorders regularly for music class. It is considered homework to practice for 10-15 minutes three times a week. Mrs. St. John is concerned that students will receive grades of "partially meeting" music expectations and parents will wonder why. She has been clear with students, but we want to make sure parents are clear too so there isn't confusion with February's report cards. Those who are practicing sound great and are receiving their colorful belts!
Dates to Remember:
Wed. 1/30-Early release Day-Students dismissed at 12:30
Thurs. 1/31-NAEP testing for randomly selected students(parents were notified by letter early this month)
Feb. 15th-Jump Rope for Heart/Valentine's Day party(party in the am and JRFH-in the pm)
Feb. 18-22 February vacation
As always thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Your students surprise and amaze me every day! If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Tracy
MATH:
We just started Unit 5 in math which is all about fractions/adding same denominator fractions, adding improper fractions etc. Next week I will be sending home the Unit 4 assessment for you to review with your students. Please review and sign and send it back by this Fri. Feb. 1st. as it is an important part of your student's portfolio. We will finish Unit 5 prior to February vacation and take the assessment as well Remind your students to practice on Reflex for automaticity of math facts at least 1x per week as part of their regular homework. This will be beneficial for them, not just for fourth grade but in the future as well.
WRITING:
We are writing persuasive essays and we are well on our way to getting to the body of the essays. Some students are planning on turning their essays into CRES Chats--our version of Ted Talks. We will be filming the week of 2/4 so we have lots of work to do! Kids are really coming up with awesome evidence to support their opinions and ways to improve our world! Hoping to post them presenting these essays via link so that you may view them. Stay tuned!
READING:
We are working on research projects of severe weather events(think: tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and droughts). Students have worked in small groups to research about these extreme weather events. They will start creating posters and then present and teach their classmates about their event. Eventually we will switch topics and compare and contrast them with one another.
In Science we have been talking about energy and force and motion. We made electric circuits last week and this week we made roller coasters! Check out the photographs page to see the creations!
We also had a guest yoga teacher come show us several yoga moves and calming breaths to help students center themselves if they are feeling overwhelmed or out of control. I have also included the recipe for glitter jars below to make at home. This is also a calming technique that students can use.
Glitter Jar Ingredients & Recipe
Jar or bottle: For the jar, I use plastic water bottles so I don’t have to worry about glass breaking. For durability and shape, I prefer to use 11.2oz (330ml) Voss Water bottles. The labels peel off fairly easily, but you have to go slowly.
Glue: I really like Elmer’s Clear School Glue for my glitter jars. If you’re using the 11.2oz bottles I recommend above, one 5oz bottle contains enough glue for about 2 glitter jars.
Glitter: Fine glitter works best.
Water: Warm water, straight from the tap. With the first glitter jar we ever made, I had microwaved the water to near-boiling and even though it had cooled down a lot by the time we added it to the bottle, I sealed the cap shut while it was still fairly warm. As it cooled, the water contracted and warped the bottle shape a little. (Science!)
Optional
• Food coloring to color the water. One or two drops is more than enough!
Glitter Jar Directions:
- Fill your bottle about 1/8 to 1/3 full with glue. The more glue you add, the longer it will take for the glitter to settle after shaking.
- Add glitter, start with a tablespoon or so.
- Fill the bottle the rest of the way with warm water. At this step, before filling the bottle all the way, you can leave a little less than an inch of space at the top of the bottle, cap it, and shake it to see if you want to add more glitter, more glue, or just more water.
- When the bottle is full up to the neck with water, glitter, and glue, cap it. I recommend using a hot glue gun to seal the cap closed. I did this by applying a single ring of glue all around the top threading and then screwing the cap on.
From the Music Room:
Many students are not practicing their recorders regularly for music class. It is considered homework to practice for 10-15 minutes three times a week. Mrs. St. John is concerned that students will receive grades of "partially meeting" music expectations and parents will wonder why. She has been clear with students, but we want to make sure parents are clear too so there isn't confusion with February's report cards. Those who are practicing sound great and are receiving their colorful belts!
Dates to Remember:
Wed. 1/30-Early release Day-Students dismissed at 12:30
Thurs. 1/31-NAEP testing for randomly selected students(parents were notified by letter early this month)
Feb. 15th-Jump Rope for Heart/Valentine's Day party(party in the am and JRFH-in the pm)
Feb. 18-22 February vacation
As always thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Your students surprise and amaze me every day! If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Tracy