Weekly Update Jan 28 - Feb 1

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

January 28 - February 1, 2019

Language Arts

In Language arts this week, the children will complete their final assessment on their Realistic Fiction writing unit, using all of the tools they have learned throughout the unit. We begin our new reading unit this week, Reading for Research. We will begin by revising previous concepts taught this year including identifying the main idea within non fiction texts. In the first bend of the unit, students will work towards learning multiple strategies in order to identify the main idea and supporting details. They will also learn to differentiate between interesting versus important information.

Math

This week in math the students will continue to deepen their understanding with equivalent fractions. They will be using images and number lines to help visually and conceptually understand how different fractions can be equal. The students will then move on with comparing fractions using visual representations.

Science

This week in science, students will gather information from images of fossils, the online simulation, and a book to help them answer the question: How do fossils form? The purpose of these lessons is for students to construct and reflect on their understanding of how fossils form. Then, students will use the Simulation to gather information about sedimentary rock formation. They observe rocks forming and record their observations about how this process happens. In doing so, students begin to make sense of the role of water and sediment in rock formation.

Announcements

• Legal Guardianship - If for some reason you have to be out of the country, please advise your child’s teacher as to who will be the legal guardian of your child.
• Water Bottles & Hats - Please check that your child comes to school with their water bottles and hats every morning. Recently, many students seem to be forgetting them at home.
• March 7th & March 8th - Student Led Conferences (SLC) will be held just before spring break. Please contact your child’s teacher if you are not able to attend on either one of these days, so that an alternative date can be set up.

Resources

Here is a video explaining a game called Race To 1 that you can create at home to help reinforce the concept of fractions. It is a game primarily for teaching addition and subtraction of fractions but it can be modified to simply build fractions and conceptual understanding.

Here is a website resource, The Math Learning Center, where students can build and manipulate fractions. Open the link and select fractions. When building fractions we encourage only using rectangles as it will reinforce what we are doing in the classroom.

Weekly Update January 20-25

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

January 21 - January 25, 2019

Language Arts

In Reading this week we are completing our units on realistic fiction. Students are completing reading their Book Club realistic fiction stories,  using thinkmarks to identify important & surprising parts. We are also examining key events and both expected and unexpected character traits as well as emerging themes.

In writing this week we are completing peer editing in CUPS (Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation & Spelling, as well as revising with ARMS (Add sentences and words, Remove unneeded sentences and words, Move a sentence or word placement and Substitute words or sentences for others). We have been both giving and receiving feedback from peers and teachers in order to get our realistic fiction stories to the publishing stage.

Math

This week we begin our unit on equivalent fractions. Students will complete the pre assessment so we can gather their current knowledge on fractions. They will then move on to show what fractions will look like when we model them during our class work. Students will begin to compare two fractions with different numerators and denominators.

Science

As we launch our science unit, students are introduced to the unit and to their roles as geologists exploring a fossil that was discovered in a rocky outcrop in Desert Rocks National Park. They learn that a geologist is a scientist who studies the materials and processes that form the solid part of Earth. They learn that rocks and fossils can provide clues about the way Earth changes over time. They reflect on what they understand and don’t understand, allowing them to prepare for learning new things. Students also learn about observations and inferences and make inferences about the found fossil and are introduced to some simulations.

Announcements

• January 25th: FREE Dress day -  If your child chooses to not wear their uniform they can make their 5 RM donation to one of the Red Hats
• Camp Lost Property - There are some leftover items from camp that have been forgotten by students. Please remind your child to check the table in the grade four common area for lost or missing items.
• Water Bottles & Hats - Please check that your child comes to school with their water bottles and hats every morning. Recently, many students seem to be forgetting them at home.

Resources

Here is a video explaining a game called Race To 1 that you can create at home to help reinforce the concept of fractions. It is a game primarily for teaching addition and subtraction of fractions but it can be modified to simply build fractions and conceptual understanding.

Here is a website resource, The Math Learning Center, where students can build and manipulate fractions. Open the link and select fractions. When building fractions we encourage only using rectangles as it will reinforce what we are doing in the classroom.

Weekly Update January 14-18th

Grade 4 AG

Weekly Newsletter

January 14th - January 18th, 2019

Welcome back to a new year 2019! I hope that all of you had a grrreat (!) vacation and that you  are looking forward to the grade 4 Camp-In experience that happens on Thursday (earlier arrival at 7am) and continues all day ...and night ...until Friday at the end of school. Included in this newsletter is a link to the packing list in the resources section. See below.

Language Arts
In writing we will be continuing our unit of realistic faction writing where students will be planning, rehearsing and drafting their stories - making their characters come alive by using a balance of description, action, thinking and dialog.

In reading, the  students will be  independently reading stories and looking at how the authors tell us more about the characters by what the characters say, do and think and how other characters in the story respond/react. We will also be starting a new class read aloud.

Math
Our new math unit being launched this week will be  Fraction Equivalence and Ordering, where students will be using models to show/ prove that fractions are equivalent or not and using benchmark fractions to compare size. Here is a link to a quizlet vocabulary set that will be a good preview of vocabulary. As always with quizlet, start with 'flashcards' and 'learn'. This week we will be assessing the students previous understandings of fraction ordering and equivalence using a pre-assessment. We will use this information to group students within the class to target key knowledge or skills that they need through the coming weeks as we teach this unit.

This week we will also be sending home the post assessment for the unit on  Measurement and  Conversion unit. This will be sent home, please look at it with your child. This will need your signature and should be sent back to school by the end of the week.

Science
Science will not start this week as it is such a short week due to our Camp-In Experience on Thursday and Friday. Here is a preview of the unit  on Earth Changes that we will be starting to teach next week just to whet your appetites:

In the role of geologists, students investigate how a dinosaur fossil found in the fictional Desert Rocks National Park formed. This investigation serves as the anchor phenomenon for the unit. Students will make inferences about the history of the park based on the fossil itself and the rock layers in which it is embedded. Investigating how the fossil formed and how the Earth has changed.

Announcements

• CAMP-IN - Be sure that your child has a Home Snack and Home Lunch for Thursday.  It is also recommended that your child gathers up all that they will need for their sleepover on Thursday night. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher. Camp-In Packing List 
• Water Bottles & Hats - Please check that your child comes to school with their water bottles and hats every morning. Recently, many students seem to be forgetting them at home.
• ES Dress Up Days - plan your days in advance click HERE for dates. 

Resources
Repeat: Grade 4 Camp-In Resources

• Camp-In Information Presentation 
• Camp-In Permission Form - should be completed already. 
• Camp-In Packing List