Weekly Update

Math 
We are doing great with multiplication!  In addition to the turtlehead strategy, this week we reviewed the distributive property of multiplication.  Students can watch the video below to review this great strategy.  The Unit 4 Test over Chapters 10-12 will be Friday the 24th.  Students will receive the study guide on Tuesday, and we will review all next week.


  

Tyler and Lola solving multiplication problems to unscramble a hidden picture in the activity rotation

Macey and Gianna reviewing geometry in the games rotation

Reading
This week we finished our read aloud, Missing on Superstition Mountain.  Next week we will start our next read aloud, No Talking by Andrew Clements.  We will also start to prepare for our first book club, in which we will all be reading various Andrew Clements books.  We will go over the 6 different book club roles (i.e. predictor, summarizer, clarifier, connector, characterizer, and discussion director).  We will also go over questioning to make sure that we will have great discussions about our books.  In book clubs, the students will be responsible for reading an agreed upon number of chapters outside of book club time.  In book clubs, students will use the assigned role sheet to guide them in having a conservation about the chapters' events and characters.  Andrew Clements is a great author for 4th graders to explore, so I can't wait to start our first book club!

Writing/Spelling
We are really learning how to meet a deadline while writing our persuasive essays!  The students are doing a great job in taking what they have learned from our personal essays (such as word choice, structure, adding mini-stories, etc.) and applying it to their persuasive essays.   From looking at the students' graphic organizers, I can tell that these will be awesome and very persuasive essays.  Students thought about their intended audience while writing these essays, so don't be surprised if one lands in your hands!  One student is trying to persuade me to not assign homework... we'll see how convincing he is!  ; )   In Spelling, students have their test on Friday the 24th.  

Social Studies
This week students were excited to learn more about the Louisiana Territory and Lewis and Clark in Chapter 4!  We also reviewed circle and line graphs.  Our Chapter 4 vocabulary quiz will be Thursday the 23rd.  Students can practice the 12 vocabulary words using our online social studies textbook or Quizlet.  Our next social studies test will combine chapters 4 and 5 and will be decided at a later date.

Username: Long-Leighton

Password: leighton

Important Info.
Long has decided to extend the PRISM entry form due date until Wednesday, so there is still time to sign up if your child hasn't already.  Remember, PRISM is optional in 4th grade, and required in 5th grade.  If you would like more information on PRISM, please visit http://go.lindberghschools.ws/Page/7598.  PRISM box order forms went home in yesterday's Flyer Folder for students who have already signed up.  

This week's Friday Homework is the Standardized Test Prep Chs. 1-9 (math).  However, many students decided to use their homework pass.  Instead of biweekly reading response letters (a.k.a. girls' and boys' letters), this semester the students will be completing an end of book activity each month.  Students have the description sheet that explains this monthly homework assignment.  After finishing an independent reading chapter book each month, students will choose on an activity to complete.  Below is the front of the description sheet (it looks yellow, but it is light blue).

Also, Scholastic Book Orders went home in Flyer Folders.  They are due Friday the 24th.  Click on the image below if you would like to order online.

Finally, I am very proud of our class spelling bee representatives!  They did a great job!  

As a reminder, there is no school on Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Enjoy the extended weekend!

Weekly Update

Math 
We have reviewed factors and multiples this week.  We have also begun Chapter 9, focusing on using multiplication and division with algebra, writing expressions, solving expressions using our PEMDAS trick, and solving word problems.  Students will receive the Unit 3 study guide on Monday.  The Unit 3 Test will be Wednesday, 12/11 (our early release day).  Unit 3 covers chapters 8 and 9 in our textbook.  

Dorothy and Gianna (the week of Thanksgiving) using their fun factors and multiples cootie catchers!  

Spencer practicing his factors and multiples on the computer 

Dorothy using dice and the order of operations to solve expressions

Reading
We have started reading nonfiction books about rocks in reading groups to compliment our science unit.  We are making webs to note our findings about rocks and minerals as we read!  

Writing/Spelling
We have finished revising our rough drafts of our personal essays!  After we picked our essay topic, we started fine tuning our drafts.  A big emphasis this week was to make sure that we used certain words and phrases in the body of our essay, in our counterargument, and in the beginning and end of our essay (see the charts below).  These essays are very impressive!  Next week we will edit our essays.  In Spelling, students have resumed with their blue, green, or yellow word sort.  Their spelling test will be Friday, December 13th.    

Katherine highlighting all the great essay words/phrases in her writing and adding other details

Science
Students are loving our rocks unit!  We have learned about classifying minerals (which make up all rocks), the three different types of rocks, and the rock cycle.  Students should be studying their vocabulary words.  They have a quiz on these words next Thursday, 12/12.  Students can also study rocks at home by logging on to our science textbook and completing the assigned activities.  Like our ecosystems unit, students earn extra credit from completing these activities!  Click on our textbook below to be directed to the online resources.

Alex and Eric working on their rock cycles

Hannah is doing a great job on her rock cycle!

Our finished products

Important Info.

In Tuesday's Flyer Folder, students brought home many notes!  It is important to sift through these for important information.  Students took home a PRISM entry form.  PRISM is a noncompetitive science celebration in which students are encouraged to investigate a scientific topic.  They will display the results of their study at a school-wide celebration on February 20th.  Fourth grade does not require students to participate.  However, all fifth graders are required to participate, so it is recommended that fourth graders participate in PRISM as well.  PRISM projects are completed at home, and entry forms are due January 10th.  Click here for more information.  

This week, students were given the fourth grade spelling word list for our classroom spelling bee.  Students have a yellow sheet with the fourth grade words, as well as the Great American Spell Check newspaper with extra activities to help them practice these words.  We will hold the classroom spelling bee the week of December 16th.  The two classroom finalists will represent our class in the school-wide spelling bee.  Good luck!  

Any time there is a snow day, assignments will be due the next school day.  For example, boys' letters will now be due on Monday.  Also, students will receive this week's Friday Homework (Math Standardized Test Prep Chs. 1-8) on Monday.  Any other notes to go home will be sent in Tuesday's Flyer Folder.  

Finally, we have an early release day next Wednesday, 12/11.  Please make sure your child knows how they are getting home. 

Enjoy the snow day!