State Report poster example
February/March
Fourth grade has been bustling with lots of learning. In Reader's Workshop, we've been working on a close reading unit of study, “How to Study a Concept.” The concept we’re focusing on is leadership. We launched this unit by reading an article titled, “How to Be a Leader,” from which students generated lists of the qualities that strong leaders possess. Throughout this unit, we are reading a variety of texts about famous leaders, and considering how each leader demonstrates the qualities of strong leadership. We closely read these texts, searching for evidence that supports our thinking. We mark the evidence we find with post-it notes and then write about the evidence we find. Some of the leaders we're reading about are Jackie Robinson, Amelia Earhart,Nelson Mandela, and a fictional character, Wesley, who was taunted by his classmates and was considered an outcast. This character stood his ground and didn’t go along with peer pressure. He used his creativity and created his own civilization. Eventually, he became the leader who showed others that being different was a good thing. Our final assessment will be to choose two of the leaders and find evidence of their courage!
As writers we have just finished writing opinion pieces. We learned how to write about a topic that we felt passionate about. We elaborated on the reasons for our opinions by generating mini-stories about our own experiences in our topics. Some of us researched facts to make our pieces stronger and more convincing. Our endings allowed us an opportunity to reflect about how we feel about our topics.
We just finished our multiplication and division unit.
Use it, drop it, or split it? Those are the options we considered as we tackled division problems with remainders. We read picture books that involved division and even wrote our own stories. This enabled us as mathematical learners to not only solve the problems, but also represent and have discussions around the division. Some strategies we used were multiplication, drawings, equations and the area model.
Our new unit of study is on fractions. Currently we're making fraction cards so we can play some fun games. They'll help us with ordering fractions on a number line and help us see equivalent fractions.
We're wrapping up our work as electrical engineers in science, based on an Engineering is Elementary unit. We were tasked to create an alarm circuit based on a story we read, "A Reminder for Emily." In the story, Emily keeps forgetting to do her chores on time, so she decides she needs an alarm circuit to help. We worked through the Engineering Design Process, in which we asked questions, imagined and planned a design, and then improved our designs.
In Social Studies, we finished studying the Southeast region. We traveled to Everglades National Park, Cape Canaveral, and Jamestown, Virginia. We listened to the four types of music that came from this region (Bluegrass, Jazz, Blues and Cajun). The Civil Rights Movement was also a focus during our study of the Southeast Region. We read some picture books to see how segregation kept blacks and whites apart. One title was, Freedom Summer, which sparked some great class discussion on the unfairness of segregation. We were able to reference our study of Jackie Robinson in our reading unit and make connections of how he helped to break the color barrier.
Before our study of Immigration, we learned about “cottage” industries, where people worked at home usually in rural settings using their own equipment. The Industrial Revolution and the discovery of water and steam power resulted in a rise of factories. We learned about the different reasons why immigrants decided to come to America and how they entered by either being processed through Ellis Island or Angel Island on the west coast. Once they arrived, they lived in crowded, ethnically grouped tenements and worked for low wages in terrible working conditions. One group we studied using literature and primary sources were the “Mill Girls” who worked in the textile factories in Lowell, Massachusetts. We will be visiting the museum later this year. We identified the many contributions the immigrants brought to the United States and drew images and placed them on a large map of the United States. Our final project was to write, "I am..." poems. We chose a picture of an immigrant child and wrote a poem of his/hers feelings, wonders and dreams!
So much more to come!
January 2016
We've left the North East region with Mr. Miller and are back in our homeroom to start our unit on Immigration! We'll begin by learning about the immigrant girls who came here to work in the Lowell Mills textile factories. We'll look at primary sources, letters, pictures and advertisements along with fiction and non-fiction books. Later this year we'll visit the Mills and experience what life must have been like for them. More details on the field trip to follow.
Before vacation we started our new opinion writing unit called "Boxes and Bullets." The box will hold our thesis statement and the bullets will be our reasons to strongly support our statement. We've been busy generating many ideas by thinking about people, places and objects that mean a lot to us. We've also had some great debates on topics such as, "Should kids be allowed to play sports if they have bad grades?" and "Should kids be allowed to set their own bedtimes?" It was a fun activity to state three strong reasons to try persuade our classmates to agree with our opinion. Also, we got to hear the opposing ideas. We even persuaded Mrs. Sherburne to let us have outdoor recess as much as possible. The best reason we gave was that we pay attention better if we have fresh air and exercise!
Myths, Legends, Fairy Tales, Fables and Tall Tales have one thing in common. They're all Folktales! Do you know how many Cinderella stories there are? Hundreds! We found out that in all Cinderella stories around the world, they all had the same theme. The main character was usually a poor male, female or animal who was treated badly, and laughed at. They had a step family and some sort of test they had to pass, (like the glass slipper) of course they always passed the test and ended up being rewarded in some way. They could have married a prince, became rich or successful. We've read so many other traditional literature books and learned how to compare and contrast them.
What makes someone a good leader? Are all leaders good leaders? These questions will help launch us into our next unit of study for Readers Workshop. We have brand new fiction and non-fiction leadership books for close reading. We'll read about Jackie Robinson, Nelson Mandela and Amelia Earhart to name a few. We'll have many opportunities for insightful discussions and written responses.
In math we're kicking the multiplication up a notch with solving multi- digit problems. We should keep studying our multiplication facts so we can find the solutions quickly and accurately. It also will help us when we tackle division!
2015
Who knew mapping skills could be so interesting? We've learned about cardinal and intermediate directions, using a legend and map scale. We also have been studying longitude and latitude. We used our knowledge by planning a six day road trip across the United States. We planned our route on a United States map, and figured out how many miles we traveled. We also had to calculate the cost of the trip by choosing places to stay, selecting restaurants and choosing dinners off of menus. Some of us even created our own menus! We also researched places we wanted to visit and added the admission fees. What a blast!
In Social Studies with Mr. Miller, we studied the Northeast region. We learned why the Northeast is called the birthplace of our nation, why the first factories grew in the Northeast and some major cities in this region. Our class took a train tour of the Northeast with our tour guide Ms. Mariner. We visited a lighthouse in Maine, Mount Washington, Plymouth, Boston, Hershey, Pennsylvania, New York City, the Erie Canal and Washington D.C. We participated in a few fun activities. The class decided on what would be a good government in Plymouth and worked in a factory that wrapped candies to get the feel of mass production and assembly line work. We took a walking tour of the National Mall in Washington D.C. and explored some of the memorials and monuments.
We have started to study El Salvador and our sister city, Teosinte. We will have some special speakers visiting to show us how Teosinte students live. It will be interesting to communicate these kids and find out how their lives are similar and different from ours.
In Readers Workshop we have been focusing on internal and external character traits by reading several books by Roald Dahl. Readers Workshop begins with a teacher read-a-loud, a mini lesson, and student thinking and sharing. We also have time for independent reading and writing responses that delve into the characters' feelings, thoughts and actions. Finding just the right quote can prove how the author informs us of our characters' personalities and relationships.
In Writers Workshop we have been connecting our work from Readers Workshop to help us develop realistic characters. Our realistic fiction writing includes strong leads, transition words, descriptive settings, our main character's heart desire and even similes! We also have learned about how to add meaningful dialogue and have put "said" to bed. You can learn so much about a character by how they say things. Instead of using "said" some examples we have been using are words like, whispered, shrieked, or sarcastically murmured under his breath! Knowing how to correctly punctuate dialogue has also been our focus. Come on in this Tuesday, November 24th, from 7:45 - 8:15 for our Writers Celebration!
In Math we have just finished our unit on strategies for adding and subtracting large numbers. We've used number lines, place value and even the old standby the algorithm. Our problem solving skills have also come in handy because we've been planning a December Delight Dance Party! We have $500 to spend on decorations, food and presents using Mrs. Sherburne's Sunday Globe flyers. The presents are for childrens' charities. We should be done shortly. Our next unit is multiplication. There will probably be a fun activity to show off our skills!
In two weeks we will begin our four week rotation in Science with Mrs. D. One thing's for sure Mrs. D's class will be electrifying!
We've left the North East region with Mr. Miller and are back in our homeroom to start our unit on Immigration! We'll begin by learning about the immigrant girls who came here to work in the Lowell Mills textile factories. We'll look at primary sources, letters, pictures and advertisements along with fiction and non-fiction books. Later this year we'll visit the Mills and experience what life must have been like for them. More details on the field trip to follow.
Before vacation we started our new opinion writing unit called "Boxes and Bullets." The box will hold our thesis statement and the bullets will be our reasons to strongly support our statement. We've been busy generating many ideas by thinking about people, places and objects that mean a lot to us. We've also had some great debates on topics such as, "Should kids be allowed to play sports if they have bad grades?" and "Should kids be allowed to set their own bedtimes?" It was a fun activity to state three strong reasons to try persuade our classmates to agree with our opinion. Also, we got to hear the opposing ideas. We even persuaded Mrs. Sherburne to let us have outdoor recess as much as possible. The best reason we gave was that we pay attention better if we have fresh air and exercise!
Myths, Legends, Fairy Tales, Fables and Tall Tales have one thing in common. They're all Folktales! Do you know how many Cinderella stories there are? Hundreds! We found out that in all Cinderella stories around the world, they all had the same theme. The main character was usually a poor male, female or animal who was treated badly, and laughed at. They had a step family and some sort of test they had to pass, (like the glass slipper) of course they always passed the test and ended up being rewarded in some way. They could have married a prince, became rich or successful. We've read so many other traditional literature books and learned how to compare and contrast them.
What makes someone a good leader? Are all leaders good leaders? These questions will help launch us into our next unit of study for Readers Workshop. We have brand new fiction and non-fiction leadership books for close reading. We'll read about Jackie Robinson, Nelson Mandela and Amelia Earhart to name a few. We'll have many opportunities for insightful discussions and written responses.
In math we're kicking the multiplication up a notch with solving multi- digit problems. We should keep studying our multiplication facts so we can find the solutions quickly and accurately. It also will help us when we tackle division!
2015
Who knew mapping skills could be so interesting? We've learned about cardinal and intermediate directions, using a legend and map scale. We also have been studying longitude and latitude. We used our knowledge by planning a six day road trip across the United States. We planned our route on a United States map, and figured out how many miles we traveled. We also had to calculate the cost of the trip by choosing places to stay, selecting restaurants and choosing dinners off of menus. Some of us even created our own menus! We also researched places we wanted to visit and added the admission fees. What a blast!
In Social Studies with Mr. Miller, we studied the Northeast region. We learned why the Northeast is called the birthplace of our nation, why the first factories grew in the Northeast and some major cities in this region. Our class took a train tour of the Northeast with our tour guide Ms. Mariner. We visited a lighthouse in Maine, Mount Washington, Plymouth, Boston, Hershey, Pennsylvania, New York City, the Erie Canal and Washington D.C. We participated in a few fun activities. The class decided on what would be a good government in Plymouth and worked in a factory that wrapped candies to get the feel of mass production and assembly line work. We took a walking tour of the National Mall in Washington D.C. and explored some of the memorials and monuments.
We have started to study El Salvador and our sister city, Teosinte. We will have some special speakers visiting to show us how Teosinte students live. It will be interesting to communicate these kids and find out how their lives are similar and different from ours.
In Readers Workshop we have been focusing on internal and external character traits by reading several books by Roald Dahl. Readers Workshop begins with a teacher read-a-loud, a mini lesson, and student thinking and sharing. We also have time for independent reading and writing responses that delve into the characters' feelings, thoughts and actions. Finding just the right quote can prove how the author informs us of our characters' personalities and relationships.
In Writers Workshop we have been connecting our work from Readers Workshop to help us develop realistic characters. Our realistic fiction writing includes strong leads, transition words, descriptive settings, our main character's heart desire and even similes! We also have learned about how to add meaningful dialogue and have put "said" to bed. You can learn so much about a character by how they say things. Instead of using "said" some examples we have been using are words like, whispered, shrieked, or sarcastically murmured under his breath! Knowing how to correctly punctuate dialogue has also been our focus. Come on in this Tuesday, November 24th, from 7:45 - 8:15 for our Writers Celebration!
In Math we have just finished our unit on strategies for adding and subtracting large numbers. We've used number lines, place value and even the old standby the algorithm. Our problem solving skills have also come in handy because we've been planning a December Delight Dance Party! We have $500 to spend on decorations, food and presents using Mrs. Sherburne's Sunday Globe flyers. The presents are for childrens' charities. We should be done shortly. Our next unit is multiplication. There will probably be a fun activity to show off our skills!
In two weeks we will begin our four week rotation in Science with Mrs. D. One thing's for sure Mrs. D's class will be electrifying!