Welcome to a brand new year! We are so excited to have such a great group of students in the 4th grade. We have a lot of really fun things planned this year. As we firm up our plans we will let you know everything!
In math we have been working on place value. Both classes have been working on standard, word and expanded form of numbers. We have been talking about the value of the digit in a specific place. This week we will begin using place value to compare large numbers.
In science we have been talking about "Systems". There are systems all around us. Students have been thinking about all the different types of systems in their every day life. This year 4th grade will be piloting two brand new science kits. We are very excited to try something new! Our first kit will be Living Systems. We will start out with some Red Wiggler worms. Keep looking here for some pictures and information about our new kits.
In reading we have been working on inferencing. Students have been using the "equation" Text Evidence + Schema = Inference. Ask them what this means to them.
A video Mrs. Ornburn's reading class used today to help them with their phonics work is linked below. It's an oldy but a goody! Watch it with them, it's a catchy tune!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gHPaVxkdPA
Monday, September 8, 2014
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Happy New Year
Well, here we are, on the cusp of a new year. First, I'd like to wish you all a happy and healthy new year. I think 2014 is going to be a great year! I know I have a lot of great things to look forward to, including a trip to Washington, DC to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. This is such a huge honor. It's the highest award a teacher can receive. I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have had to become a better science teacher, and for all the support from my colleagues and family.
When we return to school we will beginning all new units. In science we will begin our unit on magnetism and electricity. Our young scientists will investigate magnetic force and the strength of different magnets. They will also learn how create different types of circuits. Finally they will combine both to create electromagnets. I know they will have a lot to share with you as we progress through this unit.
In math we will begin division! STOP! Do not start teaching them the traditional algorithm! We will send home a packet to help you with how they are being taught in class.
In reading both groups are working on poetry and drama. We will be learning about and reading different types of poetry. I know this will get the creative juices flowing for my budding poets to start writing! Also, we will be looking at different types of drama and plays. We will learn about setting, narrators, characters and all the other elements of a play. Students will be creating their own plays from books they are reading, as well as performing some reader's theater. What a great way to start the year!
States and capitals will be our focus in social studies. Students will be learning about the different regions of the United States. It's always fun to learn about our beautiful country!
We are ready to jump into this new year! Have a great couple of days and we will see you on January 2, 2014!
When we return to school we will beginning all new units. In science we will begin our unit on magnetism and electricity. Our young scientists will investigate magnetic force and the strength of different magnets. They will also learn how create different types of circuits. Finally they will combine both to create electromagnets. I know they will have a lot to share with you as we progress through this unit.
In math we will begin division! STOP! Do not start teaching them the traditional algorithm! We will send home a packet to help you with how they are being taught in class.
In reading both groups are working on poetry and drama. We will be learning about and reading different types of poetry. I know this will get the creative juices flowing for my budding poets to start writing! Also, we will be looking at different types of drama and plays. We will learn about setting, narrators, characters and all the other elements of a play. Students will be creating their own plays from books they are reading, as well as performing some reader's theater. What a great way to start the year!
States and capitals will be our focus in social studies. Students will be learning about the different regions of the United States. It's always fun to learn about our beautiful country!
We are ready to jump into this new year! Have a great couple of days and we will see you on January 2, 2014!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Wow...it's been a long time since my last post!
I can't believe how long it has been since my last post. 4th grade has been a flurry of activity, and sometimes it feels like there isn't enough time in the day. Here we are on the cusp of the holiday season...where has the time gone. First trimester report cards go home next week! It's all so hard to believe.
In math we have just finished a unit on fractions. It was fun and very hands-on. We used lots of manipulatives to help our students grasp the concepts of equivalent fractions, comparing and ordering fractions, and adding and subtracting fractions. They really did a great job and it was so apparent that they had a good foundation from third grade. Great job, Mrs. Bliven and Mrs. Vocatura!
We have finished up our Land and Water kit in science. We investigated how land affects water and how water affects land. Students built dams to protect towns, grew vegetation to prevent erosion and discussed how different land forms can affect the way water flows. It was a very wet and muddy time in grade four.
We have been focusing on both fiction and nonfiction texts in reading, working on character development as well as summarizing. We have written several research reports about animal adaptations. Both reading classes are reading the book Poppy, by Avi. We have been focusing on the ways an author develops characters.
We are so excited that one of our fourth graders, Mia C., won the safety poster contest from the bus company. She won a $300 bus voucher for us to go on a field trip! We are in the process of planning a trip to the Rhode Island State House with the help of Representative Donna Walsh. It's always a great trip!
Both classes are collecting chocolate for the basket raffle. Don't forget to send in yours.
We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We look forward to seeing you all at conferences on December 9th and 10th. Please return your slips ASAP so we can schedule everyone. A confirmation slip will be sent home the first week in December.
In math we have just finished a unit on fractions. It was fun and very hands-on. We used lots of manipulatives to help our students grasp the concepts of equivalent fractions, comparing and ordering fractions, and adding and subtracting fractions. They really did a great job and it was so apparent that they had a good foundation from third grade. Great job, Mrs. Bliven and Mrs. Vocatura!
We have finished up our Land and Water kit in science. We investigated how land affects water and how water affects land. Students built dams to protect towns, grew vegetation to prevent erosion and discussed how different land forms can affect the way water flows. It was a very wet and muddy time in grade four.
We have been focusing on both fiction and nonfiction texts in reading, working on character development as well as summarizing. We have written several research reports about animal adaptations. Both reading classes are reading the book Poppy, by Avi. We have been focusing on the ways an author develops characters.
We are so excited that one of our fourth graders, Mia C., won the safety poster contest from the bus company. She won a $300 bus voucher for us to go on a field trip! We are in the process of planning a trip to the Rhode Island State House with the help of Representative Donna Walsh. It's always a great trip!
Both classes are collecting chocolate for the basket raffle. Don't forget to send in yours.
We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We look forward to seeing you all at conferences on December 9th and 10th. Please return your slips ASAP so we can schedule everyone. A confirmation slip will be sent home the first week in December.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Waiting for Superman...Nope, we Have plenty of our own super heroes!
Well, NECAPs are finally over and the 4th graders really worked hard. We are so proud of the effort and perseverance that they exhibited throughout the past two weeks. We celebrated today with a visit from author/ illustrator Dan Santat. To prepare for his visit each 4th grader created their own super hero mask, a theme that goes along with Mr. Santat's book, Sidekick's.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Columbus Day Parade Fun
Ashaway Elementary School PTO put together an amazing float for the annual Columbus Day parade. The theme was "Reading Oasis", and they truly created a beautiful oasis! Mr. Ornburn and I were in the truck towing the float. It was so much fun people watching our way down the parade route. I saw so many Ashaway friends along the way. The Ashaway kids did a great job handing out books and dancing their way down the streets. Here are a few pictures of the float and the friends I spotted along the way. What a great day!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Fun in Math
This week we have been learning about factors and multiples using the area model. Students used colored tiles to create all the possible rectangular, area models to represent a given number. This helped them find the factor pairs of that number. Once they discovered the factor pairs they were able to determine whether the number was prime or composite.
They were able to see the relationship between factors and multiples by creating area models to help them skip count by a given number. They realized that the multiples of a number were actually the multiplication table of a given number. For example, one set of three is three, two sets of three is six, etc.
They played several different games, Prime or Composite, Factor Flip and Buzz, to help them practice the skills they worked on all week. Math can be fun!
They were able to see the relationship between factors and multiples by creating area models to help them skip count by a given number. They realized that the multiples of a number were actually the multiplication table of a given number. For example, one set of three is three, two sets of three is six, etc.
They played several different games, Prime or Composite, Factor Flip and Buzz, to help them practice the skills they worked on all week. Math can be fun!
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