Weekly Update April 15-19

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

April 15 - April 19, 2019

Language Arts

In Language Arts this week we will be completing our pre-assessment for our new topic Literary Essays. After choosing a familiar text, students will write an initial opinion or argument essay whereby they state their opinion or claim, giving reasons why they feel this way. Students are encouraged to make claims about characters and themes using evidence from the text. The data gathered from this pre-assessment will allow for students needs to be determined for planning for the unit.

We will also start our unit on Historical Fiction. Students will begin by examining the introductions of familiar books in order to analyze the setting, taking note of when and where the story takes places and what this place feels like. Students will be encouraged to be alert for change within the text, identifying clues by the author.

Math

In math this week the students will be completing the unit on fractions and operations. They will be continuing to use the area model and number lines while multiplying fractions. This aids the students with their conceptual understanding of multiplication of fractions.

Science

Over the next two weeks, students will be in the science lab to investigate the question What affects the amount of rock that water can erode? Students will observe two stream tables as the Erosion Model. They will then summarize their understanding by completing two activities in the Earth’s Features Modeling Tool, one showing the effect of the speed of a river on erosion and one showing the effect of the amount of time a river has been flowing. Students also return to Rocky Wonders to read about how water can cause erosion as well as be a natural hazard. Next, students broaden their view, observing a world map to better understand patterns in Earth’s features. Students conclude the unit by returning to the Rocks and Fossils anticipatory chart to reflect on all they have learned. The purpose of this is for students to engage in argumentation as they apply their understanding of erosion.

Announcements

• School Start Time: School starts at 7:50 am. Many students arrive before then and are able to chat to their friends and play in the common area. At 7:50 am sharp classes hold their informative morning meetings. Please ensure that your child arrives in plenty of time to get to their classroom each morning ON TIME!
• ES Dress Up Days: Plan your days in advance click HERE for dates and details.  (The next Dress Up Day will be Friday, April 19th)
• MAPS Testing: Grade 4 students will begin taking their MAPS test Starting on April 25th.

Resources

Below is a link to our ES Library page filled with incredible reading resources like Big Universe (electronic books with varying reading levels), BookFlix & Trueflix and TumbleBooks which can all support our Grade 4 exploration of realistic fiction.

Note: your child’s ISKL username and password is required to access these external resources. Please email jgormley@iskl.edu.my to request your child’s login information.

https://iskl.follettdestiny.com/common/servlet/presenthomeform.do?l2m=Home&tm=Home&l2m=Home

Below is a link to Splash Math: Fraction Games for 4th Graders. There are a number of games to play to reinforce fraction concepts. A number of classes are in the process of reviewing fractions to prepare for an end of unit assessment.

Note: a free login is required to play past the demo stage.

https://www.splashmath.com/fraction-games-for-4th-graders

Weekly Update April 8-12

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

April 8 - April 12, 2019

Language Arts

In Language Arts, students will spend the next week  completing the end of unit assessment, combining all recent learnings in order to produce a new informational text. Students will choose a nonfiction topic, identify & locate relevant resources, make a plan and select text structures that are most relevant. They will select headings & subheadings, research, take notes and paraphrase key words and ideas within their report. Students will draft their writing and revise using ARMs And CUPs.

Math

This week in math the students will be using fraction word problems to solve addition and subtraction equations. The students will use visuals to add and subtract and their answer will be in improper fractions and mixed numbers. They will be using visual models to help represent and show their answers.

Science

This week we start our final chapter in science. Students are invited to consider how rock around the world is shaped, broken, worn down, and exposed.  The are introduced to a new question and phenomena: why Desert Rocks Canyon has so much more exposed rock than nearby Keller’s Canyon. They use the book, Rocky Wonders, to learn about how rock is weathered and eroded over time. Later in the week,  students use the Earth’s Features Sim to explore what factors can cause water to erode different amounts of rock. The purpose of these lessons is to begin to explore what factors affect how much rock a river can erode.

Announcements

• WIDA Testing: EAL students have been notified and will be taking the WIDA test this week with Mr. Balsamo.
• ES Dress Up Days: Plan your days in advance click HERE for dates and details.  (The next Dress Up Day will be Friday, April 19th)
• MAPS Testing: Grade 4 students will begin taking their MAPS test Starting on April 25th.

Resources

Here is a link to extend students curiosity about fossils: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/fossil/

Weekly Update March 18 - April 5

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

March 18 - April 5, 2019

This newsletter covers the week before Spring Break and also the week after Spring Break.

Language Arts

In Language Arts throughout the next couple of weeks we continue to follow our topic across texts, cross-referencing information to ensure accuracy. Students continue to use notes to add any missing information to their writing, documenting sources used in their reference section. Students continually revise their work, adding and deleting parts to ensure that the reader is hooked and that essential paragraph elements are included namely a main idea sentence, details including facts, examples & data as well as an ending. We introduce transitions and figurative language to help the students link their information and to keep the reader interested. The students will work to collate their information into their typed slide show presentation, using ARMS and CUPS to self, peer, and teacher edit their work.

Math

In the next two weeks, the students will be continuing the unit on fraction operations. They will continue to work on using visual models to add and subtract fractions. They will also be introduced to mixed numbers and improper fractions. Another area of focus with be an introduction to be using line plots to display and answer questions about fraction data.

Science

In the next two weeks in Science, students will discuss and model what they know about the past environments of Desert Rocks National Park and are introduced to the question What is the order of the past environments of Desert Rocks National Park?  They construct ideas about the order in which rock layers form by using relevant models and the Fossil Hunter’s Handbook and then model their understanding. Students then gather and organize evidence for two claims about the order in which layers formed in a rocky outcrop. Next, students read and discuss how scientists use data and ideas about rock layers to make arguments about what caused the dinosaurs to go extinct. Later, students write about which argument is most convincing and why.

Announcements

• March 18th: NO SCHOOL - ISKL Faculty Inservice
• March 25th -March 29th: NO SCHOOL - March Break
• April 1st: Coffee Chat & Resource Fair @ 8:00am - 9:45am  This is a great opportunity for you to learn about the resources that the Student Resource Team (SRT) offers to support all students in their learning and development at ISKL. In addition to learning about speech and language therapy, educational psychology, and counseling available at ISKL, parents will learn about additional supports that can be accessed outside of school to support their child and family.  Coffee and snacks will be provided. RSVP Required.  Registration Link
• ES Dress Up Days: plan your days in advance click HERE for dates and details.

Resources

Below is a link to our ES Library page filled with incredible reading resources including current event links to news sites such as Newsla (news site with the capability to adjust reading level), DOGOnews (news site with the capability to read articles out loud). Support our Grade 4 scientific exploration of the natural world or search articles related to interests, either way, all readers can access and engage in news and information.

https://iskl.follettdestiny.com/common/servlet/presenthomeform.do?l2m=Home&tm=Home&l2m=Home

Below is a link to Splash Math: Fraction Games for 4th Graders. There are a number of games to play that support our unit related to building fractions greater than one whole.

Note: a free login is required to play past the demo stage.

https://www.splashmath.com/fraction-games-for-4th-graders

Weekly Update March 11-15

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

March 11 - March 15, 2019

Language Arts

This week we will be examining author’s perspectives in non fictions texts. Students will review their main idea statement based on the perspective of their chosen texts. They will continue to put their ordered notes into paragraphs while also identifying ‘gaps’ in their research. They will do this through looking back at what has been done and what still needs to be done in order to move forward in the research process.

Math

This week in math the students will begin to decompose fractions by using connecting blocks, the area model as well a number line. The students will be adding fractions with like denominators. They will be using models to help cement their ideas with the addition.

Science

This week students consider data and inferences they can make about fossils, and help construct a scientific argument about what the environment of Desert Rocks National Park was like in the past. They use data from fossils found in the area to help construct their arguments. Students then use what they discussed in their Evidence Circles to write a scientific argument, which serves as a Critical Juncture through which students demonstrate their understanding of the chapter’s content. At the end of the lesson, the whole class briefly reflects on the Chapter 2 Question: What was the environment of Desert Rocks National Park like in the past?

Announcements

• March 11th - March 15th: ES Library Book Week!
• March 13th: Book Swap - Students bring in their coupons to choose new/used books                         (10 coupons maximum)
• March 15th: Red Hat Book Character Dress Up Day
• March 15th: Author visit-Matt Smith (Comic book illustrator and ISKL Alumni!)
• March 18th: NO SCHOOL - ISKL Faculty Inservice
• March 25th -March 29th: NO SCHOOL - March Break
• ES Dress Up Days: plan your days in advance click HERE for dates and details.

Resources

• Here is a video and a game to reinforce how to decompose fractions:

Video:

https://learnzillion.com/lesson_plans/8474-decompose-fractions-into-unit-fractions/

Game: https://www.classk12.com/grade-4-math/fractions-operations-nf/decomposing-a-fraction-using-visual-fraction-models-eg-38-18-28-2-18-1-1-18/4055

• To further support our exploration of non-fiction text log on to Newsela, which is an online news website that has the capability of breaking down the text into different reading levels that all readers can access.  https://newsela.com/ (focus on Science)

Weekly Update March 4-8

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

March 4 - March 8, 2019

Language Arts

In Language Arts this week, students are continuing to gather different types of visual material, such as diagrams, data and charts to add to their collection of information on their non fiction research topic. Students are continuing to synthesize, which is taking notes from a wide variety of non fiction sources in order to ensure that all information gathered is aligned.  We are using the notes we have collected to begin drafting our non fiction texts, ensuring that information is grouped into sections and paragraphs.

Math

This week the students will be working on decomposing fractions using a number line and the area model. They will then be adding and subtracting fractions with common denominators. The students will continue to use drawings to help make deeper connections while adding and subtracting fractions.

Science

Due to our preparations for our Student-led Conferences this week we have limited science lesson times. However, we will be learning about different rock layers. We will also be using our inference skills about fossils in preparation for writing a scientific argument. The argument will be based on a claim about what past environments used to be like, using evidence from rocks and fossils.

Announcements

• March 7th & March 8th - Student Led Conferences (SLC): Be sure to sign up for a time slot on POWERSCHOOL. If you are unable to attend, please contact your child’s teacher so that an alternative date can be set up.
• ES Dress Up Days: plan your days in advance click HERE for dates and details.

Resources

To further support our exploration of non-fiction text log on to Newsela, which is an online news website that has the capability of breaking down the text into different reading levels that all readers can access.  https://newsela.com/ (focus on Science)

Weekly Update Feb 25 - March 1

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

February 25 - March 1, 2019

Language Arts

This week in language arts students are beginning to explore possible non fiction topics that can be used as part of their research for their own projects. Students will continue to learn how to deconstruct non fiction texts, note taking according to the author’s text structure.

Math

This week we are finishing the unit on fraction equivalency. Next, we will be moving on to adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. The students will continue to use the area model to decompose and show equivalency with fractions.

Science

This week students read about, consider details of, and model sedimentary rock formation in different environments. Students add a new layer to their Sedimentary Rock Formation Models, showing two different kinds of sedimentary rock, to apply what they learned about what makes sedimentary rock different and how different rock forms in different environments. Students will reflect on what they’ve learned by returning to the Rocks and Fossils anticipatory chart and engaging in a short reflective writing activity in response to the question How do rocks provide information about what an environment was like in the past?  Students will then begin to apply their understanding about what rock layers suggest about previous environmental changes.

Announcements

• March 7th & March 8th - Student Led Conferences (SLC): Be sure to sign up for a time slot on POWERSCHOOL. If you are unable to attend, please contact your child’s teacher so that an alternative date can be set up.
• ES Dress Up Days: plan your days in advance click HERE for dates and details.

Resources

To further support our exploration of non-fiction text log on to Newla, which is an online news website that has the capability of breaking down the text into different reading levels that all readers can access.  https://newsela.com/ (focus on Science)

Weekly Update Feb 7-15

Grade 4

Weekly Newsletter

February 7 - February 15, 2019

Last week, 4AG went out to support the ISKL boys Rugby team participating in the IASAS competition against other schools in the South-east asia region. ISKL went on to win the competition, both the boys in Rubgy, and the girls in Touch. GO Panthers!!

Language Arts

This week as we delve into our unit, Research Reading, we continue to examine the different strategies involved in identifying the main idea in nonfiction texts. We will also continue to learn important ways to differentiate between important vs interesting information. We will  revisit familiar tools such as our Research Reading Mat, which allows us to focus on questions we may have from reading the non fiction text. We will also begin to examine different non fiction text structures. Students  will learn strategies to assist them in determining the best ways to gather information from text features and pictures and examine ways to generate relevant questions about the text and goal set for the unit. We will also learn, as researchers, how to take effective notes from non fiction texts.

Math

This week we will continue to use the area model to show fractions and introduce number lines  as an additional visual model to help students better understand how to order and compare fractions.

Science

In the next few lessons students will make a Class Sedimentary Rock  Model. They learn how sedimentary rock layers form. Students will also learn that as scientists learn more and investigate more, they answer some questions but might generate even more questions. They learn about  scientific arguments and how they include a claim that is supported by evidence. As we start the next chapter of our science unit, students will learn about how geologists use observations of, and ideas about, rocks and fossils to make inferences about past environments. They learn that inferences can be made based on what you observe combined with scientific ideas and that science theories are based on a body of evidence and many tests.

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 collection of 5 different Subitizing* Fraction Games you can play at home. The games came from www.BuildingMathMinds.com.

Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gnauE0rjvJFx6cG7_-7lyBSEixBS1xSXbZAzrZylv6U/edit#slide=id.p

*Subitizing: is the ability to instantaneously recognize the number of objects in a small group without the need to count them (example: rolling dice).