Note du mercredi: Grade 4 - English Teacher's Note
October 26, 2016
This week, we continue to read our Dear Mr. Henshaw story. We can’t wait to see if Leigh can find a way to protect his lunch and capture the lunch thief. In connection with this story, we are working on our vocabulary, comprehension skills and learning how to summarize. We are making art projects related to the story later this week. We are also working on editing our letters to the author and hope to get them out this week.
In math, we are continuing to work on Terra Nova skills and concepts. This week, we are learning about line graphs, ordinate points, congruence and symmetry. Our test on Friday will focus on the 7 times table. The students should have these facts memorized.
We are continuing to talk about elections. We are reading books about voting and learning about the voting process in the United States. We read about the differences between the Democrats and the Republicans. We are also learning about the candidates.
We have had fun using the I-pads. Last week, we got to use them for research on our authors and play a game about different time periods in history. This week we are finishing our Black Lagoon stories by reading them aloud on the I-pads. We then get to add pictures to help put our books together
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Reminders:
The Cereal Box Book Report is due tomorrow.
We will have the Halloween Parade and Party on Monday morning. Please have your child come dressed in his/her costume and bring a change of clothes for after the parade.
October 19, 2016
This week is a busy week. We are working on many different projects and activities. We continue to read Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverley Cleary. We are focused new vocabulary and strategies for how to understand new words. In connection to this book, we are writing letters to our favorite authors. We are researching information about the authors on the i-Pads and then starting our rough drafts. Our vocabulary words this week, also come from our story. We have a test on them this Friday.
We are also finishing writing and editing our Black Lagoon stories. We can’t wait to share them with you. We are going to be using a new app to help us put our stories together. At home, the students should be working on their book report projects. Please let me know if you have any questions about them. The reports are due on or before Thursday, October 27th.
We have started our unit on elections. We are learning about the voting process in the United States. We are also discussing the differences between Democrats and Republicans. We are reading short stories and articles to help us. We are working on the summarizing process while doing this.
In math, we continue to work on our multiplication facts. We are also working on review skills for the upcoming Terra Nova tests. We are working on fractions, geometry, and graphs.
During our Second Step lessons, we have been working on activities and projects for our celebration of the school's 25th anniversary.
Thanks for all of the parents who shared with us during our week of taste. It was a lot of fun and yummy too.
October 5, 2016
We want to thank all of the parents who joined us for our field trip in the rain. It was a lot of fun. The students had fun learning about Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. They loved going around and finding all of the answers for the scavenger hunt. But many of them said there favorite part was going to the United States Mint and seeing how many is made. Overall, even in the rain, it turned out to be a great trip.
This week the October book report project information went home. Your child is going to read a fiction book and complete a 4 part Cereal box project. The book must be approved by me. They have been provided with examples in class. I have extra cereal boxes if needed. If you have any questions, please let me know. The projects are do on or before Thursday, October 27th.
This week we will continue reading our new story Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Clearly. We will be reading this story in French and English. It is a story about a boy who writes to an answer and learns a lot about himself in the process. We will be writing our own letters to authors later this month.
In math, we are continuing to work on our review skills. We are reviewing our multiplication facts, borrowing skills and learning about bar graphs. We are learning about how to summarize information in connection to our current events articles in our Time For Kids magazine. We are also continuing to work on our editing skills and paying attention to our own writing mistakes.
There is no spelling this week.
Reminder: There is no school on Friday, Monday and Tuesday.
September 28, 2016
This week, we are finishing up our unit on baseball. We have been discussing several famous baseball players and read articles about Jackie Robinson.
We have had fun with our Black Lagoon stories. The students worked in small groups to read a book and share it with the class. They did a great job acting out, reading, and presenting to their classmates. We are now working in groups to write our own Black Lagoon story.
We are looking forward to our trip tomorrow to Philadelphia. We will be visiting the United States Mint to see how coins are made, visiting some famous landmarks, and doing a scavenger hunt around the Independence Hall area. This is in connection to our Pennsylvania unit as well as helping with our team building and working together skills. In connection with our field trip, we have been working on our map skills. Please make sure your child wears comfortable clothes, brings a cinch sack or small back pack and packs a lunch if they are not signed up for hot lunch.
Scholastic book orders went home this week. These are optional. If you want to place an order, please make one check out to “Scholastic”. If you have any questions or want any recommendations for your child, please let me know and I am happy to help.
In grammar, we are continuing to review types of sentences and learn about different types of nouns. We are also working on our editing skills.
In math, we are reviewing many of our skills including our basic multiplication facts, carrying and borrowing.
September 21, 2016
This week, we are finishing our unit on Baseball Fever. We have been reviewing the main ideas, learning how to play chess and practicing on the iPads and learning about baseball.
We have been having fun reading the Black Lagoon books by Mike Thaler. We are comparing their similarities and differences as well as learning about the story line and talking about predictions.
In grammar, we are reviewing nouns and talking about different types of sentences including questions.
This week the students will start their response log homework. The assignment is given on Thursday and due the following Tuesday. They are expected to read for 20 minutes and write a full page reaction about what they have read.
In math, we are learning about big numbers: how to say them, read them and compare them.
Tomorrow we will be going to the library. Those students who have their library cards can check out books to take home. Thanks for the prompt response in getting your child a card.
In our free time we have been learning about the Philadelphia Mint and Philadelphia history in preparation for our first field trip on Thursday, September 29th. Find out more about the Mint at: http://www.usmint.gov/mint_tours/?action=philadelphia
Welcome to Fourth Grade. We have gotten off to a great start. The students are in a routine and excited about school. This week we are starting our spelling unit. We will have a pretest on Mondays and a test on Fridays. We are reviewing our summer reading book, Baseball Fever. We are doing some fun and exciting lessons, projects and games related to chess and baseball in connection with this book. We are also talking about respect, class rules and ways to be role models. We are talking about our theme for the year; 25th Anniversary.
Here are some important reminders:
Back to School Night tonight- Please join us to find out more about the procedures, projects and curriculum for fourth grade.
Friday is the school picnic. The whole school will have a picnic together. Please remember for your child to wear their school shirt.
The school theme this year is 25th Anniversary. We will be doing many fun activities and projects related to this theme and the number 25.