Thursday, November 30, 2017
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
November
Hello Families!
I hope you all are looking forward to the Thanksgiving break! This past week, students finished up their multiplication unit with the final test. Next week, we will start our division unit. Please make sure your child continues to practice his/her multiplication and division facts in preparation for the new unit.
We also finished up our glacier unit in science. Students had a lot of fun making glacier dictionaries as their final projects. The dictionaries should be coming home with your child on Monday along with the unit 2 math test. Next, we move on to our next social studies unit about the first people of Wisconsin.
**Please keep in mind that any test or project that your child does not complete to their full potential can be retaken/redone. They just need to let me know and we can schedule a time for a retake.
In language arts, students are working with nonfiction for both reading and writing. In reading, kids are doing research projects about weather events in small groups. They are learning to take notes and synthesize information from sources. They will present a slideshow with their group to teach to the class next week. In writing, students are finishing up their first opinion essay and will soon be switching to the persuasive essay.
Here is a picture of some students on our read in and pajama day yesterday!
I hope you all are looking forward to the Thanksgiving break! This past week, students finished up their multiplication unit with the final test. Next week, we will start our division unit. Please make sure your child continues to practice his/her multiplication and division facts in preparation for the new unit.
We also finished up our glacier unit in science. Students had a lot of fun making glacier dictionaries as their final projects. The dictionaries should be coming home with your child on Monday along with the unit 2 math test. Next, we move on to our next social studies unit about the first people of Wisconsin.
**Please keep in mind that any test or project that your child does not complete to their full potential can be retaken/redone. They just need to let me know and we can schedule a time for a retake.
In language arts, students are working with nonfiction for both reading and writing. In reading, kids are doing research projects about weather events in small groups. They are learning to take notes and synthesize information from sources. They will present a slideshow with their group to teach to the class next week. In writing, students are finishing up their first opinion essay and will soon be switching to the persuasive essay.
Here is a picture of some students on our read in and pajama day yesterday!
Monday, November 6, 2017
Quarter 2
Today is the first day of the second quarter. First quarter report cards will be sent home soon.
Today's field trip to the Riversedge Nature Center was a success! Thank you to Ms. Vogl and Mr. Lozoff for joining us! The kids got to explore all kinds of landforms created by the glaciers thousands of years ago. See below for some pictures from our day.
In science this week, we will continue to finish up our glacier unit. The students will be making a glacier dictionary in class.
In math, students will learn how to do two digit by two digit multiplication. Please have them use one of the methods taught in class. The "shortcut" method is really not to be mastered until 5th grade. The final unit test for multiplication will be next Friday or the following Monday.
In writing, we began the opinion essay unit. Students are currently working on brainstorming ideas for their essays using a thesis and reasons.
In reading, we began our nonfiction unit. Right now, the kids are just getting familiar with nonfiction text structures and how to navigate a nonfiction text to learn something new. Soon they will move in to researching a type of weather event with groups using nonfiction text sets.
Just a reminder that this Wednesday is an early release day at 1:50 for the students.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Hello Everyone!
Last week, we had a celebration to recognize all of the hard work the students put into finishing their first narrative writing pieces. The students shared their favorite parts from their stories while enjoying pretzels and juice. This week, they are applying what they learned from their first piece and are writing a new narrative completely on their own!
Last week, we had a celebration to recognize all of the hard work the students put into finishing their first narrative writing pieces. The students shared their favorite parts from their stories while enjoying pretzels and juice. This week, they are applying what they learned from their first piece and are writing a new narrative completely on their own!
In science, the kids have been working on their projects. They got to choose to create a storybook, poster, or Power Point to share what they learned about erosion, weathering, and deposition this month. They are learning to search for pictures on Britannica Imagequest to incorporate into their projects. The project is due this Thursday, October 26. It will be completed in class.
We have begun our multiplication unit in math. Please allow students to use the methods taught through our Math Expressions curriculum. They will not be taught the "shortcut" method for multiplication until the end of the unit.
This Wednesday, the students will take their final reading assessment. They will need to use details from a story to describe characters, character change, symbolism, and theme. These are all concepts that we have been discussing during our Tiger Rising unit.
Have a great week!
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Hello!
In October, we are wrapping up many of our beginning units of the year.
Writing- Students are typing their final drafts of their first Narrative Essays this week. We will have a celebration on Friday for all of the hard work they have done in writing. Each student will get to share their favorite part of their piece with the class.
Reading- Students are finishing up their character study. They are learning to respond to their reading on a daily basis to grow ideas about characters. On the final reading assessment, students will read a short story and need to explain what kind of person the main character is, how that character changes, and what is the life lesson learned from the story. We have been studying these topics in class. Students are encouraged to read books around their individual reading levels to make the largest gains in reading this year.
Word Work- The kids each have their own word work list based on their spelling inventory level. They sort words based on a pattern each week. They have also been introduced to our word wall. They will learn 5 words per week which will be posted on the classroom word wall. Students are expected to be able to spell these words correctly in their everyday writing. We will begin to write these each week in the assignment notebook.
Math- Students are finishing up unit 1. The test will be on Thursday, October 12. Students received an optional study guide on Monday to work on throughout the week. There is a mandatory study guide from the workbook, which will be homework on Wednesday. The test will include writing numbers in different forms, adding and subtracting large numbers, rounding, estimating, and two step word problems.
Science- We had a great time on our walking field trip to the park last Friday! The kids will continue to study erosion, weathering, and deposition on Discovery Education this week. See photos below!
In October, we are wrapping up many of our beginning units of the year.
Writing- Students are typing their final drafts of their first Narrative Essays this week. We will have a celebration on Friday for all of the hard work they have done in writing. Each student will get to share their favorite part of their piece with the class.
Reading- Students are finishing up their character study. They are learning to respond to their reading on a daily basis to grow ideas about characters. On the final reading assessment, students will read a short story and need to explain what kind of person the main character is, how that character changes, and what is the life lesson learned from the story. We have been studying these topics in class. Students are encouraged to read books around their individual reading levels to make the largest gains in reading this year.
Word Work- The kids each have their own word work list based on their spelling inventory level. They sort words based on a pattern each week. They have also been introduced to our word wall. They will learn 5 words per week which will be posted on the classroom word wall. Students are expected to be able to spell these words correctly in their everyday writing. We will begin to write these each week in the assignment notebook.
Math- Students are finishing up unit 1. The test will be on Thursday, October 12. Students received an optional study guide on Monday to work on throughout the week. There is a mandatory study guide from the workbook, which will be homework on Wednesday. The test will include writing numbers in different forms, adding and subtracting large numbers, rounding, estimating, and two step word problems.
Science- We had a great time on our walking field trip to the park last Friday! The kids will continue to study erosion, weathering, and deposition on Discovery Education this week. See photos below!
Friday, September 22, 2017
Week 3
We had a great week this week. It was our fist week of RtI. My class worked on the nonfiction, current events, reading site called Newsela. The students read an article aloud and silently, mark the text and vocabulary, and take quizzes online. We have class discussions about different reading strategies. The kids will also be participating in fiction book clubs during this time. We will also continue to work on building multiplication proficiency. I will be working with small groups to support the math curriculum during this time as well.
The students created three dimensional characters for their realistic fiction stories in writing. Next week, they will create plot lines and write scenes for their stories. In reading, the students learned to read intensely and choose good fit books. Next week, they will learn retell not just chronologically but as a synthesis including the background story. They will also focus on characters desires and obstacles. In word work, the students learned how to do a standard word sort, freestyle sort, and speed sort. The week after next, students will be completing sorts at their individual levels and learning 5 word wall words per week.
In math, the students continued to work on reading and rounding large numbers. Next week, they will work on adding, subtracting and estimating with large numbers. There will be a quiz on Wednesday the 27th.
In social studies this week, students will need to bring an artifact from home. This can be any object from the past. They will learn to question primary sources with these artifacts. They will be coming home with flashcards to study for the test on Friday (the 29th) which will be about historians and learning about the past.
On Friday afternoon, the kids did a team building activity called Save Fred. They had a ton of fun working with a partner to get a gummy worm through a gummy life saver that was trapped under a cup using only paper clips.
The students created three dimensional characters for their realistic fiction stories in writing. Next week, they will create plot lines and write scenes for their stories. In reading, the students learned to read intensely and choose good fit books. Next week, they will learn retell not just chronologically but as a synthesis including the background story. They will also focus on characters desires and obstacles. In word work, the students learned how to do a standard word sort, freestyle sort, and speed sort. The week after next, students will be completing sorts at their individual levels and learning 5 word wall words per week.
In math, the students continued to work on reading and rounding large numbers. Next week, they will work on adding, subtracting and estimating with large numbers. There will be a quiz on Wednesday the 27th.
In social studies this week, students will need to bring an artifact from home. This can be any object from the past. They will learn to question primary sources with these artifacts. They will be coming home with flashcards to study for the test on Friday (the 29th) which will be about historians and learning about the past.
On Friday afternoon, the kids did a team building activity called Save Fred. They had a ton of fun working with a partner to get a gummy worm through a gummy life saver that was trapped under a cup using only paper clips.
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Week 2
Math- This week we worked on forms of numbers including:
Standard form: 23,532
Expanded form: 20,000 + 3,000 + 500 + 30 + 2
Word form: twenty three thousand, five hundred thirty two
Additionally, the students began rounding smaller numbers and reading larger numbers. Please have your child work on his/her multiplication facts at home. Flashcards are a great way to practice. You can often find these at the dollar store. There are also many apps and computer games that students can use to practice memorizing those facts. As I mentioned in the past, student will need to do the homework side of the math sheet at home each night. They will work on the remembering side in class. If a child does not finish the remembering side in class, the remaining problems will also need to be completed at home or during study hall.
Writing- Students continued to work on building their writing stamina. They drew maps of places that mean something to them and began to pinpoint stories from those places. They also wrote about their hopes and dreams for the future. These will be posted in the classroom for the remainder of the year next to their pictures.
Reading- Students also continued to work on building reading stamina this week. On Friday afternoon, we had a "read in" where students got to independent read and partner read all afternoon all while using comfy pillows and blankets. This week, we will begin our writers workshop units of study. We will be reading Tiger Rising as our class mentor text and students will begin to interpret characters.
Social Studies- This week, students will continue to work on learning where they live. They will be sending a post card to themselves at their address. We will also begin our first unit from Wisconsin: Our State, Our Story. This unit focuses on thinking like a historian and analyzing artifacts from the past.
Jason Reynolds, author of Ghost visited our school on Friday. The kids thought he was very "cool" and some even got to have books signed.
The students are getting into the routines of our classroom. They do a great job of transitioning, lining up, and having meaningful conversations with partners. The class goal this week is to work on following directions quickly and efficiently.
Have a great week!
Standard form: 23,532
Expanded form: 20,000 + 3,000 + 500 + 30 + 2
Word form: twenty three thousand, five hundred thirty two
Additionally, the students began rounding smaller numbers and reading larger numbers. Please have your child work on his/her multiplication facts at home. Flashcards are a great way to practice. You can often find these at the dollar store. There are also many apps and computer games that students can use to practice memorizing those facts. As I mentioned in the past, student will need to do the homework side of the math sheet at home each night. They will work on the remembering side in class. If a child does not finish the remembering side in class, the remaining problems will also need to be completed at home or during study hall.
Writing- Students continued to work on building their writing stamina. They drew maps of places that mean something to them and began to pinpoint stories from those places. They also wrote about their hopes and dreams for the future. These will be posted in the classroom for the remainder of the year next to their pictures.
Reading- Students also continued to work on building reading stamina this week. On Friday afternoon, we had a "read in" where students got to independent read and partner read all afternoon all while using comfy pillows and blankets. This week, we will begin our writers workshop units of study. We will be reading Tiger Rising as our class mentor text and students will begin to interpret characters.
Social Studies- This week, students will continue to work on learning where they live. They will be sending a post card to themselves at their address. We will also begin our first unit from Wisconsin: Our State, Our Story. This unit focuses on thinking like a historian and analyzing artifacts from the past.
Jason Reynolds, author of Ghost visited our school on Friday. The kids thought he was very "cool" and some even got to have books signed.
The students are getting into the routines of our classroom. They do a great job of transitioning, lining up, and having meaningful conversations with partners. The class goal this week is to work on following directions quickly and efficiently.
Have a great week!
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Welcome!
Hello Parents and Students!
We had a great first week of school. The students learned all about the routines and procedures for fourth grade at Glen Hills. We created STAR Expectations for our classroom where students agreed on guidelines for Safety, Time, Accountability and Respect. Students also received their first classroom jobs and learned to open their lockers.
We began writers workshop this week. The students wrote about people, places, and things that they love and decorated their writers notebooks. Near the end of this week, we will begin our narrative writing unit. In reading, the students worked on building independent reading stamina. In social studies, the students started learning some background information about Wisconsin. We will discuss where we live in relation to the rest of the world this week and students will need to memorize their address. In math, students reviewed place value drawings. This week students will learn to read and round large numbers.
The children will be taking the STAR reading assessment on Tuesday and the STAR math assessment on Wednesday this week.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Becker
We had a great first week of school. The students learned all about the routines and procedures for fourth grade at Glen Hills. We created STAR Expectations for our classroom where students agreed on guidelines for Safety, Time, Accountability and Respect. Students also received their first classroom jobs and learned to open their lockers.
We began writers workshop this week. The students wrote about people, places, and things that they love and decorated their writers notebooks. Near the end of this week, we will begin our narrative writing unit. In reading, the students worked on building independent reading stamina. In social studies, the students started learning some background information about Wisconsin. We will discuss where we live in relation to the rest of the world this week and students will need to memorize their address. In math, students reviewed place value drawings. This week students will learn to read and round large numbers.
The children will be taking the STAR reading assessment on Tuesday and the STAR math assessment on Wednesday this week.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Becker
Friday, May 5, 2017
May
We have had an eventful couple of weeks here at Glen Hills. We are counting down to the last day of school with the "ABC Countdown". Each of the last 26 days of school will have a theme or event that corresponds with that letter of the alphabet. A sheet was sent home with a list of events/days. Here is how the year will wrap up in terms of subject areas...
Math- We will be ending the year with our geometry unit. The students have been learning about points, rays, lines, line segments, types of angles, and types of triangles. We will also cover types of quadrilaterals and symmetry.
Science- The students have been learning about the shelters and defenses of different animals. This week, they are working on a virtual lab where they test different variables to find out the best habitat for a Black Footed Ferret.
Social Studies- After our science unit, we will end the year with immigration in social studies.
Writing- The kids are working on a research project to write an informational essay about Westward Expansion. They are choosing three subtopics to research and write about in class. We are focusing on using dates and maps to support and strengthen our writing.
Reading- We just finished our historical fiction unit in reading. The kids completed a second historical fiction book club of their choice. The second round of clubs went much more smoothly than the first round. The students learned how to dig deeper in the text to grow strong discussions. We will wrap up the year with choice book clubs.
A couple of photos from the past few weeks...
Math- We will be ending the year with our geometry unit. The students have been learning about points, rays, lines, line segments, types of angles, and types of triangles. We will also cover types of quadrilaterals and symmetry.
Science- The students have been learning about the shelters and defenses of different animals. This week, they are working on a virtual lab where they test different variables to find out the best habitat for a Black Footed Ferret.
Social Studies- After our science unit, we will end the year with immigration in social studies.
Writing- The kids are working on a research project to write an informational essay about Westward Expansion. They are choosing three subtopics to research and write about in class. We are focusing on using dates and maps to support and strengthen our writing.
Reading- We just finished our historical fiction unit in reading. The kids completed a second historical fiction book club of their choice. The second round of clubs went much more smoothly than the first round. The students learned how to dig deeper in the text to grow strong discussions. We will wrap up the year with choice book clubs.
A couple of photos from the past few weeks...
Art for Youth
Color Day
Capitol observation deck
Wisconsin Historical Society
Monday, April 3, 2017
April 3-7
Welcome back! I hope everyone had an enjoyable spring break.
The students will be taking the Forward Exam this week Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as well next Monday. They will be having an extra recess during these days to give them a break after the test. In addition to testing, we have art for youth this week Thursday with Mrs. Gapinski.
In reading this week, we will be focusing on point of view and perspective. We will continue to read Number the Stars. We will also be preparing for the Forward Exam by going through some student tutorials and practice questions.
In math, we will be working on finding equivalent fractions, comparing fractions with unlike denominators and placing fractions on line plots.
I know I mentioned in my last post that we would be starting science this week, however, with the Forward Exam, we will have to postpone science until next week. During that time this week, we will be beginning our informational writing unit.
There will be no daily geography this week due to testing.
The spelling test from before break has be rescheduled for Tuesday.
The students will be taking the Forward Exam this week Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as well next Monday. They will be having an extra recess during these days to give them a break after the test. In addition to testing, we have art for youth this week Thursday with Mrs. Gapinski.
In reading this week, we will be focusing on point of view and perspective. We will continue to read Number the Stars. We will also be preparing for the Forward Exam by going through some student tutorials and practice questions.
In math, we will be working on finding equivalent fractions, comparing fractions with unlike denominators and placing fractions on line plots.
I know I mentioned in my last post that we would be starting science this week, however, with the Forward Exam, we will have to postpone science until next week. During that time this week, we will be beginning our informational writing unit.
There will be no daily geography this week due to testing.
The spelling test from before break has be rescheduled for Tuesday.
Monday, March 20, 2017
March 20-24
Happy Spring!
This month we are collecting change to raise money for the Lukemia and Lymphoma Society. This coin drive is called "Pennies for Patients" and runs through March 24th. The class that raises the most money gets an Olive Garden pasta party for lunch in the classroom. So far, we have raised $30.
We just finished up our first fraction unit in math where students were adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers as well as converting fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa. The kids will be bringing home a parent letter today introducing you to unit 7, which will focus on comparing fractions and decimals.
In writing, we have been studying the Westward Expansion in preparation for the informative essay. We will begin drafting that essay after spring break using the resources we have gathered.
We just wrapped up our social studies unit on how/when Wisconsin became a state. This week we will continue to work on Westward Expansion research during social studies. Science will begin again after spring break.
We are studying historical fiction in reading class. I am currently reading Number the Stars aloud to the class while teaching strategies for analyzing this genre. The students are working in historical fiction book clubs to apply these strategies in groups. Please continue to encourage your children to read 25 minutes per night.
Have a wonderful spring break!!
This month we are collecting change to raise money for the Lukemia and Lymphoma Society. This coin drive is called "Pennies for Patients" and runs through March 24th. The class that raises the most money gets an Olive Garden pasta party for lunch in the classroom. So far, we have raised $30.
We just finished up our first fraction unit in math where students were adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers as well as converting fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa. The kids will be bringing home a parent letter today introducing you to unit 7, which will focus on comparing fractions and decimals.
In writing, we have been studying the Westward Expansion in preparation for the informative essay. We will begin drafting that essay after spring break using the resources we have gathered.
We just wrapped up our social studies unit on how/when Wisconsin became a state. This week we will continue to work on Westward Expansion research during social studies. Science will begin again after spring break.
We are studying historical fiction in reading class. I am currently reading Number the Stars aloud to the class while teaching strategies for analyzing this genre. The students are working in historical fiction book clubs to apply these strategies in groups. Please continue to encourage your children to read 25 minutes per night.
Have a wonderful spring break!!
A few of the wonderful Valentine projects!
Read-in day!
Our class play for Trader's in Time.
Measuring with Lucky Charms.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
February 27- March 3
Hello Everyone! I hope you all had a terrific weekend. It is hard to believe this is the last week of the second trimester already. The end of the trimester means that our class will be switching allied arts for the last time. Instead of music, the students will now go to tech ed with Mr. Savagian. They will continue to go to P.E. three days a week with Ms. Timmerman.
This week, the students will be swimming in P.E. class, so please sent swim suits and towels. On Friday, from 10:00-11:00 we will be having a special guest come to Glen Hills. His name is Corey Anderson and he is a professional singer/dance/choreographer. He will be sharing his career path with the 4th and 5th grade students in the commons.
In math, we will be working on adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers. In social studies, we will be studying the Black Hawk War and how Wisconsin became a state. The students will also be learning how the state government is organized. In reading, we will begin our historical fiction unit and in writing, we will be working on grammar and poetry this week.
Please remember to turn in your conference form to me as soon as possible. Spring conferences are on March 16th from 4-8 and are by request only. Even if a conference is not requested, please return the form with the box checked for "no conference needed at this time".
Thank you!
Mrs. Becker
This week, the students will be swimming in P.E. class, so please sent swim suits and towels. On Friday, from 10:00-11:00 we will be having a special guest come to Glen Hills. His name is Corey Anderson and he is a professional singer/dance/choreographer. He will be sharing his career path with the 4th and 5th grade students in the commons.
In math, we will be working on adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers. In social studies, we will be studying the Black Hawk War and how Wisconsin became a state. The students will also be learning how the state government is organized. In reading, we will begin our historical fiction unit and in writing, we will be working on grammar and poetry this week.
Please remember to turn in your conference form to me as soon as possible. Spring conferences are on March 16th from 4-8 and are by request only. Even if a conference is not requested, please return the form with the box checked for "no conference needed at this time".
Thank you!
Mrs. Becker
Sunday, February 19, 2017
February 20-24
I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather this past weekend!
On Tuesday, we will be taking a class trip to the book fair. Students can bring money to purchase books throughout the week. The Glen Hills Black History Presentation and open house are also on Tuesday from 6:00-7:15. On Wednesday, the fourth-grade classes are hosting a "read in" during the school day. Students can wear pajamas and bring in their favorite books to read throughout the day.
We are finishing up the measurement unit in math this week. The review day is Tuesday and the test is on Wednesday. Students will be coming home with a study guide on Tuesday evening. The test will include metric measurement, customary measurement, elapsed time, area, perimeter, and word problems. At the end of the week, we will begin our fraction unit.
In social studies this week, we will be studying from native lands to territories, to statehood. The students will learn about the Wisconsin lead rush. There will be no daily geography packet this week as it is a short week.
In reading, students will continue to write about their weather research and teach their findings to the class. They will begin their historical fiction book clubs next week. In writing, students will continue to work on poetry. There is a spelling test on Friday.
On Tuesday, we will be taking a class trip to the book fair. Students can bring money to purchase books throughout the week. The Glen Hills Black History Presentation and open house are also on Tuesday from 6:00-7:15. On Wednesday, the fourth-grade classes are hosting a "read in" during the school day. Students can wear pajamas and bring in their favorite books to read throughout the day.
We are finishing up the measurement unit in math this week. The review day is Tuesday and the test is on Wednesday. Students will be coming home with a study guide on Tuesday evening. The test will include metric measurement, customary measurement, elapsed time, area, perimeter, and word problems. At the end of the week, we will begin our fraction unit.
In social studies this week, we will be studying from native lands to territories, to statehood. The students will learn about the Wisconsin lead rush. There will be no daily geography packet this week as it is a short week.
In reading, students will continue to write about their weather research and teach their findings to the class. They will begin their historical fiction book clubs next week. In writing, students will continue to work on poetry. There is a spelling test on Friday.
Monday, February 13, 2017
February 13-17
Hello Everyone!
Happy Valentine's Day week. The kids are very excited about their projects and our party tomorrow. I am totally impressed with the beautiful boxes that were brought in today. Just a reminder that the party will be Tuesday afternoon from about 2:15-3:00. Students can exchange Valentines with classmates as long as they have brought one for everyone.
There is a YAC this Friday for 4th graders. The students have off school on Monday the 20th. Open house is on Tuesday evening and the book fair will be running all next week.
In math this week, we will be reviewing metric and customary measurements as well as area and perimeter. The kids will be participating in a little measurement Olympics competition in class on Friday. This was a short unit on measurement, so the test will already be coming up next Wednesday, the 22.
Today in social studies, we went on a virtual field trip to a canoe museum in Canada. We skyped with museum guides and got to see many artifacts from the fur trade era. The kids were able to respond and ask questions. It was a great learning experience!
In reading, the students are working in small groups to use a variety of nonfiction resources to learn about different extreme weather topics. They will teach the rest of the class about their topic later this week.
The students finished their persuasive essays in writing last week. We are spending this week working on some fun poetry!
Last week was spirit week. Here are a few pictures.
Happy Valentine's Day week. The kids are very excited about their projects and our party tomorrow. I am totally impressed with the beautiful boxes that were brought in today. Just a reminder that the party will be Tuesday afternoon from about 2:15-3:00. Students can exchange Valentines with classmates as long as they have brought one for everyone.
There is a YAC this Friday for 4th graders. The students have off school on Monday the 20th. Open house is on Tuesday evening and the book fair will be running all next week.
In math this week, we will be reviewing metric and customary measurements as well as area and perimeter. The kids will be participating in a little measurement Olympics competition in class on Friday. This was a short unit on measurement, so the test will already be coming up next Wednesday, the 22.
Today in social studies, we went on a virtual field trip to a canoe museum in Canada. We skyped with museum guides and got to see many artifacts from the fur trade era. The kids were able to respond and ask questions. It was a great learning experience!
In reading, the students are working in small groups to use a variety of nonfiction resources to learn about different extreme weather topics. They will teach the rest of the class about their topic later this week.
The students finished their persuasive essays in writing last week. We are spending this week working on some fun poetry!
Last week was spirit week. Here are a few pictures.
mismatched day
class color day
crazy hair day
virtual field trip
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
January 23-27
Students are swimming in P.E. this week. There is a spelling test on Friday. Words should be written in assignment notebooks on the week on January 17.
The students are learning all about explorers and the fur trade this week in social studies. They have learned about Nicolet, Marquette, and Joliet. They have learned that the French were the first to arrive in Wisconsin from Europe. They wanted to spread their religion and to trade goods with the Native Americans. The students learned that beaver fur was a hot commodity during this time. Soon they will learn about the British taking over French trading posts.
In reading, students are learning to take notes from their nonfiction books. We are focusing on how nonfiction texts are structured and organized. Students are learning the difference between cause and effect, problem and solution, compare and contrast, sequencing, and main ideas and details.
In math, the students are getting a short break from extended, multi-step word problems and are now learning about factors, multiples, prime numbers, composite numbers, and patterns. There will be a quiz on these topics on Thursday. The final test for chapter 4 will be on Monday or Tuesday. A review sheet will be coming home over the weekend.
These are a few of the strategy posters that students can reference in the classroom. They may be helpful to use with homework assignments as well.
The students are learning all about explorers and the fur trade this week in social studies. They have learned about Nicolet, Marquette, and Joliet. They have learned that the French were the first to arrive in Wisconsin from Europe. They wanted to spread their religion and to trade goods with the Native Americans. The students learned that beaver fur was a hot commodity during this time. Soon they will learn about the British taking over French trading posts.
In reading, students are learning to take notes from their nonfiction books. We are focusing on how nonfiction texts are structured and organized. Students are learning the difference between cause and effect, problem and solution, compare and contrast, sequencing, and main ideas and details.
In math, the students are getting a short break from extended, multi-step word problems and are now learning about factors, multiples, prime numbers, composite numbers, and patterns. There will be a quiz on these topics on Thursday. The final test for chapter 4 will be on Monday or Tuesday. A review sheet will be coming home over the weekend.
These are a few of the strategy posters that students can reference in the classroom. They may be helpful to use with homework assignments as well.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
January 17-20
The students had their very first orchestra performance today. They did a great job!
They created new year's resolution mobiles for the start of 2017.
Last week, the students all participated in the fourth-grade classroom spelling bee. Jim and Aria from our class made it to the final round. Congratulations!
The students will be swimming in P.E next week and will continue to work with recorders in music class.
There will be a bake sale sponsored by the student council this Thursday, January 19th. Students can bring money to purchase baked goods during their lunch hour.
There will be a YAC for 4th and 5th-grade students on Friday evening.
Math- This is quite a challenging unit for 4th-grade students. We are currently focusing on multiplication and addition comparison word problems. Students need to draw comparison bars and write equations with variables to solve these problems. Later this week, we will move to two-step, three-step, and four-step word problems. It is important that students take their time with these and reread them at least twice to comprehend what is being asked in each problem. The students need to make sure they label their answers.
Social Studies- Chapter 4 social studies is about explorers and the fur trade in Wisconsin from 1600 to 1840.
Spelling- The students will be taking their spelling tests tomorrow (Wednesday), as we ran out of time last Friday. They should have their word lists written in their assignment notebooks on the week of January 2nd. The students will be getting a new list of words this week, with a test on Friday the 27th.
Reading- We are beginning our nonfiction unit in reading this week. The students are currently reading nonfiction books of choice, but will soon be switching to weather topic books. Please make sure your child is doing their 25 minutes of reading per night.
Writing- Students will be completing their final drafts of their opinion essays tomorrow. After that, we will move into the persuasive essay.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Becker
They created new year's resolution mobiles for the start of 2017.
Last week, the students all participated in the fourth-grade classroom spelling bee. Jim and Aria from our class made it to the final round. Congratulations!
The students will be swimming in P.E next week and will continue to work with recorders in music class.
There will be a bake sale sponsored by the student council this Thursday, January 19th. Students can bring money to purchase baked goods during their lunch hour.
There will be a YAC for 4th and 5th-grade students on Friday evening.
Math- This is quite a challenging unit for 4th-grade students. We are currently focusing on multiplication and addition comparison word problems. Students need to draw comparison bars and write equations with variables to solve these problems. Later this week, we will move to two-step, three-step, and four-step word problems. It is important that students take their time with these and reread them at least twice to comprehend what is being asked in each problem. The students need to make sure they label their answers.
Social Studies- Chapter 4 social studies is about explorers and the fur trade in Wisconsin from 1600 to 1840.
Spelling- The students will be taking their spelling tests tomorrow (Wednesday), as we ran out of time last Friday. They should have their word lists written in their assignment notebooks on the week of January 2nd. The students will be getting a new list of words this week, with a test on Friday the 27th.
Reading- We are beginning our nonfiction unit in reading this week. The students are currently reading nonfiction books of choice, but will soon be switching to weather topic books. Please make sure your child is doing their 25 minutes of reading per night.
Writing- Students will be completing their final drafts of their opinion essays tomorrow. After that, we will move into the persuasive essay.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Becker
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Welcome Back! I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break! Just a math update to help with the new unit...
This is a very intricate unit in math where the children need to think critically in order to solve the word problems given to them. One thing I noticed is that many are struggling with the difference between situation equations and solution equations. Here are the terms defined by Math Expressions:
Situation Equation- shows the structure of the information in a problem
Solution Equation- shows the operation that can be used to solve a problem
With both equations, there will be a variable represented by a letter.
Here is an example:
Susanna took $3,050 out of her bank account. Now she has $11,605 left in the account. How much money was in Susanna's account to start?
I usually tell students in order to find the SITUATION equation, they should write the equation in the order that it is read in the problem, leaving a variable for unknown information.
Situation equation for this problem is: s - 3,050=11,605 because we do not know how much money she had to begin with, but we do know how much she took away and how much she had left. This is stated first in the problem.
Solution equation for this problem would be 11,605 + 3,050 = s. In the solution equation, you must get the variable alone on one side so that it can be defined. This is often an inverse operation of the solution equation. The answer, in this case, would be $14,655.
It is possible for the situation and solution equations to be the same in some word problems.
I hope this helps!
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