We are finishing up with the early days of learning routines and beginning of the year assessments and are starting to "settle in" to the very important work of 4th grade. SOCIAL STUDIES: We are establishing a base of skills that will be used all year in social studies. We spent some time reviewing map skills which included the parts of a map, using the scale, and practicing relative location. Then we moved on to reading and using timelines. Discussing the concept of BC and AD with children in always interesting at this age, as they begin to really understand the vastness of time. Also, on Friday, a very important packet came home with your child. This is an at-home project that can be completed any time between now and April 22. Please look for this packet and email me with any questions! QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD: *What does BC stand for? What does AD stand for? *What direction is Michigan relative to Ohio? What direction is Kentucky relative to Ohio? LANGUAGE ARTS: Students enjoyed practicing skills as they read about roller coasters. When reading a non-fiction piece about the Fury 325 roller coaster, students reviewed the process of leaving their tracks of thinking, or annotating, the text. RAP was also introduced, which is a way to help students fully answer written comprehension questions. R=restate the question in the answer A=answer all parts of the question P=prove the answer with evidence from the text We started our spelling routine this week. Each student is placed in a group based on a day of the week. Words will be sorted with the teacher on their day one week, activities will be done throughout the week for practice, and the following week, on your child's "day", there will be a written spelling test. Then we will take a week to work on other types of word and vocabulary activities. The following week the cycle will begin again. Reading the mentor sentence book each Friday is a highlight of our week. Enemy Pie and The Man who Walked between the Towers both led to great discussions in class. Skills covered through our mentor sentences have included propositions and subjects and predicates. Questions to ask your child: *What day is your spelling day? *What was the boy's dad trying to teach him Enemy Pie? *Tell me about The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. SEPTEMBER 11th I feel strongly that our children should know about this tragedy in our nation, but I keep the information fairly brief and not too detailed due to their age. We started the conversation by reading a passage about the events of the day and practiced the skill of annotating, then I shared my story with the kids. On Sept. 11, students shared their interviews in small groups, then created the "one word" art piece. Thank you for sharing your 9/11 stories with your children.
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MATH:We have been exploring the use of several online tools and hands-on tools in math class to help us answer the question: How can you use place value to compare, add, subtract, and estimate with whole numbers?
Students have had the opportunity to work with partners, small groups, and independently. Additionally, it has been great to teach in cooperation with Mrs. Jabir and Mrs. Uptegrove. We are planning and working together to address the needs of all learners in the classroom. Ask your child: How do you compare and order large whole numbers? What are some strategies you can use to round large whole numbers? How can you rename a whole number? MATH-DIGITAL TOOLS:THINK CENTRAL: This is the digital component to our newly adopted Go Math! curriculum. The site provides a location and tools to differentiate learning experiences for students and assess student learning. We have been using this site in class periodically over the last two weeks. There may be times students will need to access this site at home for homework, but please explore the site with your child and encourage your child to go to this site as a resource when help is needed outside of school. There is a link posted on the math page of this site and is titled "Go Math- Digital." *Quick Start Guide was sent home with students in take-home folders on Friday. Please keep this for reference. REFLEX MATH: This site will be used for the purpose of math fact practice. The goal is fluency and this site is motivating and well liked by kids. Practice on this site can be done anytime, but will at times be specifically assigned as part of homework. Looking for a break from the screen? Flash cards work too! Practice is what matters. *A parent letter was sent home with students this past week and Reflex Math was assigned for homework. DIGITAL CITIZENS: Learners completed five modules and missions to acquire their Digital Passport. As a final assessment, students created a newsletter or poster with the purpose of teaching other 4th graders how to be good digital citizens. Students gave tips and advice in the areas of responsible use of cell phones, privacy, effective and efficient searching, cyberbullying, and creative credit. This assessment was a great opportunity for students to get creative with non-fiction text features and showcase their learning. Common Sense Media is an excellent resource for parents. Check it out for tips and advice on navigating the world of parenting in this digital age. Additionally, look for parent information to come home next week that supports what your child has learned through Digital Passport. Ask your child: What advice did you share in your digital citizenship assessment? TERRARIUMSWe are scientists! Table teams worked together on Friday to build a terrarium. We will use them to review scientific processing skills and continue to ask questions, research, and observe these small living worlds throughout the year. The initial work in science notebooks was to sketch and label the terrarium, and then to record questions and make predictions. The slideshow below showcases the process! Rock PainTING...Look at these gorgeous creations! Each Harman student painted a rock this week with Mrs. Kuntz leading the way. Stay tuned for a beautiful display to adorn our school soon!
Our first full week of fourth grade was great! Both classes leaped into curriculum and learning, while still working to establish routines. Mrs. Walther and I are so impressed with the children's attitudes and willingness to work hard. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS In the first two weeks of ELA, students completed some "getting to know you" tasks. They completed a reading survey and a survey about how they like to learn. They also worked hard on their "ALL ABOUT ME" towers. Students wrote information about themselves on index cards, which were then built into towers and displayed in the hallway. This week, we brainstormed ideas about friendship: *What is friendship? *Why is friendship important? *How do you make a friend? *How do you keep a friend? Then we listed activities we like to do with our friends, and qualities we like in a friend. After that, students wrote a Friend Wanted Ad, explaining what they are looking for in a new friend. These will be typed and posted in the hallway. Hopefully some new friendships will be formed! We also completed our beginning of the year spelling assessment, which will be used to form spelling groups. We will spend this week working on the routines for spelling, and groups will begin the week of Sept. 8. Finally, students are very excited about two other things we practiced this week...mentor sentences and Mystery Word of the Week. A mentor sentence is taken from a picture book that will be read each week. It is then studied and analyzed in various activities through the week, and a quiz is taken on Fridays. The skills learned and noticed from this mentor sentence can then be applied in our own writing. You may have been asked by your child this to help him or her figure out our mystery work this week. Each day clues are given about a word (synonyms, antonyms, part of speech, etc.), and on Friday we learn the mystery word. Students are VERY excited about this activity! Ask your child:
*What was the mystery word this week? *What qualities are you looking for in a new friend? SOCIAL STUDIES: Students were excited to delve into our OHIO textbook this week. We are beginning the year with some essential skills that will carry us through the rest of our learning. Maps will be a large part of our study this year, so we began with map skills. Students reviewed cardinal and intermediate directions and practiced using a compass rose. Map scale was also introduced and we practiced using rulers to find distances on a map. Ask your child: *Let's look at a map. Show me the compass rose. What direction is _______ from ______? *Now find the scale. How far is it from ____________ to ________________? GROWTH MINDSET: We also spent some time this week discussing growth mindset. People with a growth mindset: *want to learn *see effort as a way to succeed *embrace challenges *learn from mistakes *learn from negative feedback *find inspiration in the success of others The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. Each day we are discussing an idea about the growth mindset and working to foster these behaviors in our classroom. Look for a letter to come home next week with a bit more information about this idea. In the meantime, I leave you with this quote from Carol Dweck, a pioneer in the Growth Mindset movement: Teams 4K and 4W are off to a great start! Learners in both classes are adjusting to our new 4th grade model with great attitudes, kindness, and responsibility. We are thrilled! We will be alternating as authors of this blog each week to highlight student learning and experiences across the curriculum. Look for a blog link to be shared in a weekly email from us! MATHLearners completed a beginning of the year assessment in math this week. I will be using the data from this assessment to determine student needs and plan lessons accordingly. As students problem solved, I was very encouraged by the positive learning behaviors I observed:
For more information about math in 4th grade, and resources learners will be using this year, click here: MATH! Ask your child: What strategies did you use during the math pre-assessment? Did you run into a difficult problem? How did you solve it? SCIENCEWhat is Science? This is the essential question to open our 4th grade year. We did some initial thinking and reflecting on this question and discussed what science looks like and sounds like. Next, students chose a moment from the summer in which each was a scientist. Learners shared through painting and descriptive writing. We will continue to uncover the answer to our essential question throughout the year as we explore: *Processes that shape and reshape Earth's surface *Conservation of matter and the processes of energy transfer and transformation, especially as they relate to heat and electrical energy *Using fossil evidence and living organisms to observe that suitable habitats depend upon a combination of biotic and abiotic factors For more information about science in 4th grade, and resources learners will be using this year, click here: SCIENCE Ask your child: What ideas did your table group have about what science looks like and sounds like? What was your contribution? Tell me about your painting and why you chose that moment. Tell me about your writing. TECHNOLOGYWe spent a good bit of time discussing the ins and outs of using technology in the classroom this week, and addressed the following points: Technology is a tool to be used in school for educational purposes only. The use of technology is a privilege, not a right. Devices should be kept in designated spaces in both classrooms when not in use. Devices will not be used in the event that weather keeps us indoors for lunch recess. We will use that time to engage with others and enjoy the company of friends. ---Of course, this conversation will be ongoing! --- Next week, learners will be earning their Digital Passports! Students will complete several digital modules that will address digital citizenship. And then...we are off! I'm so excited about the possibilities we have to enhance learning and promote collaboration through technology! Bring Your Own Device I have had some great questions about BYOD. Here are some additional details parents may find helpful: 1. I have 13 devices available for student use in my classroom. Additionally, Harman has an iMac Lab, a Chrome Lab, and two iPad labs. 2. Many of the digital tools we will be using are web-based and will in many cases not require additional apps or applications. 3. If it is important for students to have specific apps or applications on their own devices, you will hear directly from me. I will not ask students to address these issues at school or on their own. 4. A device with a keyboard is ideal. This will help to promote positive keyboarding skills and will be easier for little fingers. 5. I have no expectation for families to make special purchases for new devices. I am excited about the possibility of learners using their own digital tools at school, but I have plenty of devices available to meet the needs of my learners. 6. I greatly appreciate your patience as our SAMR pilot gets off the ground. Your feedback is important. Please contact me at any time with questions or concerns. And if you see positive things happening, I'd love to hear about that too! Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Build Relationships! All hands are on deck with this common language to promote positive behavior throughout all parts of our day throughout the Harman community. Much discussion was had this week as we began the school year. BRAVO 4th GRADERS! You set a wonderful example this week! Ask your child how he/she can do these things in the cafeteria, hallway, restroom, and playground! Only One YouMrs. Patterson and Mrs. Harris shared this special book with Harman students last week. Stay tuned for more connections to this story throughout the year. ENJOY! Did you know that 4th graders are allowed to go to Ashley's during the lunch hour? If you would like your child to walk to Ashley's with a friend for lunch one day, please send in an email or a note that morning stating that you give your child permission to walk to Ashley's. We will not be calling or emailing parents if students forget their note; they will stay at school and eat lunch that day. A note is also needed if your child is going to another person's home for lunch, but NOT if going to his or her own home. Questions? Just send one of us an email so we can clarify.
It's going to be a great year! This blog will be updated weekly with details about 4th grade learning experiences in 4K and 4W. Enjoy the last days of summer! ----Mrs. Kenney and Mrs. Walther
People always ask me how I spend my time in the summer. They are shocked when I tell them that I spend a good bit of time working. "But there are no kids! What do you need to do?" they ask. Summer is a gift. For teachers it is a break from the constant thinking, managing, and planning that is unrelenting during the school year. It is a time to sleep through the night without waking and wondering if your lesson was good enough, clear enough, engaging enough. Summer allows teachers to slow down and distance themselves from the work a little bit. But, it is also a time to be reflective. It's a time to study, research, collaborate with colleagues, and build the excitement to begin again. I feel so lucky to have the time summer provides to focus on the planning of projects. For example, there is a large group of us who are using time this summer to work on bringing outdoor education to our elementary students. Also, our fourth grade team is spending several days this summer exploring possibilities and planning for a new departmentalized model for instruction. Another group of us is discovering how to best utilize technology in the classroom so we may enhance learning, differentiate instruction, and promote collaboration. Summer is a gift of time. When one has a love of learning, a teacher's summer work is not a punishment. It's exciting. It's inspiring. And when summer work is mixed in with relaxing mornings on the patio, walks with friends, time with family, and a schedule that is flexible...it's the perfect end to the hard work of the school year and a perfect beginning before the challenge ahead. Here's the link to another summer project of mine: A Year in the Life of My Backyard Summer BulldogsThese bullies believe that my time in the summer should 100% revolve around their needs and wants. They cannot and will not be convinced otherwise.
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AuthorAnne Kenney Archives
May 2016
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