“Project work is student-centred and driven by the need to create an end-product. However, it is the route to achieving this end-product that makes project work so worthwhile. The route to the end-product brings opportunities for students to develop their confidence and independence and to work together in a real-world environment by collaborating on a task.” (Fried-Booth, 2002, 6) The Place ProjectWe ventured out in the chilly temperatures on Wednesday to visit our special spots at Elizabeth Gardens! We gathered our quantitative data first. We have been checking the air temperature, water temperature,and the water depth each time we visit. We will be graphing this data toward the end of the year and drawing conclusions about our data. Next, we headed off to our carefully chosen spots for some observing of the changes we are seeing to the environment. Finally, we paired up and went on a hunt for evidence of weathering and erosion. The exploration was enjoyed by all and the walk was refreshing and energizing. Upon arriving back at school, students journaled about their observations and recorded quantitative data. It was wonderful to see and hear students using the vocabulary and content knowledge we have been studying in Science class through our text and inquiry centers. Famous OhioansStudents worked diligently this week to gather research for the Famous Ohioan Project! Two research sessions were provided for students to gather the important information needed for the report and for the Wax Museum presentation. I have asked students to post their report to their blog on Kidblog along with an image of their Ohioan. We will use this tool for sharing our learning with each other! IMPORTANT DATES: DUE Monday, March 18th: Written lines to recite for Wax Museum and Costume planning sheet DUE Wednesday, March 20th: Famous Ohioan Report Wednesday, March 27th: Dress Rehearsal for Wax Museum Thursday, March 28th: Wax Museum Innovation DayAERODYNAMICS, POETRY, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, FIBONACCI'S SEQUENCE, INVASIVE SPECIES, FAMOUS AFRICAN AMERICANS, INVENTING....
Students spent Friday working on their Discovery Quest Projects. I just love the energy on this day! I love being able to provide students with extended time to get into a real flow. Each student taking ownership of his/her learning is an exciting process to witness! Many students used the time for research and others used the time for creating projects to share their learning. Students successfully utilized their time in class balancing hard work with necessary and appropriate breaks. I watched students collaborate over similar topic choices and I saw other students step in to assist classmates with questions. We concluded our day with self-assessments and reflections. I have seen so much growth among this group. The level of drive, confidence, and independence I observed today was truly outstanding!
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It was great to see my class after a week away! Glad to be back to the business of learning in 4W. Below is a recap of our week and a look at some things coming down the pike! This week we completed our work with reading and writing about immigration in the United States. My hope is to have read all student work by early next week so it can be graded and we can put some closure on this unit! Students in 4W are studying narrative writing. Through picture books, discussion, models, and reflection, we are looking at how narratives are structured and how to include appropriate and meaningful dialogue when we are writing. Students have completed the prewriting for a fictional narrative and we are now in the drafting and revision parts of the writing process. Final products will be posted on our blogs. Ask your child to share about his/her writing! Our main focus in math this week has been on fractions. Students explored equivalent fractions and adding fractions with like and unlike denominators. This has been challenging for most students in my math class. We took Friday to review rather than move forward so hopefully students feel more solid in their understanding. I was really pleased with how students performed on the Standards Based Assessment they completed this week which focused on measuring, naming, and creating angles! In Science, we spent this week building background through a variety of print and digital resources. We are looking at the processes that shape our earth's surface Next week, students will be working in rotating centers to gain a better understanding of processes and vocabulary. We had a fabulous Up with Art presentation on Wednesday! Sandy Eisenbies shared about her work as a graphic artist. We saw some cool examples of her work and she shared with us how she thinks creatively. Students experimented with color, lines, shapes, and fonts to develop a personal logo! Check out ABCya.com for fun educational games to reinforce skills and concepts across the curriculum! COMING ATTRACTIONS!MATH MANIA... A letter came home in backpacks with students on Thursday, February 28th regarding some extra time we will be devoting to math during the week. These reteaching/revisiting sessions will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:15-11:35. We are excited to give students some additional time and exposure to practice important 4th grade math skills and concepts!
WAX MUSEUM OF FAMOUS OHIOANS... Students will be introduced to the famous Ohioan project on Monday, March 4th. Please check your child's backpack on Monday for a letter to you regarding the details of this project. I am including a couple things in this post for later reference: Important dates and Important resources: IMPORTANT DATES: DUE Monday, March 18th: Written lines to recite for Wax Museum and Costume planning sheet DUE Wednesday, March 20th: Famous Ohioan Report Wednesday, March 27th: Dress Rehearsal for Wax Museum Thursday, March 28th: Wax Museum IMPORTANT RESOURCES for Student Research: INFOhio Ohio Historical Society Ohio Biographies Ohio History Central INNOVATION DAY... ...is Friday, March 15th! We will work on the planning sheet for Innovation Day next week in class and it will be due the following Tuesday. Students have been made aware of the digital resources I have collected for their use which are located on the Discovery Quest Page of this website. I'm looking forward to another productive work session for students as they study a topic of their interest! I'm so proud of these 4th graders! As a teacher, I place the most importance of this project on the process. I thought students worked very hard throughout the inquiry process. I am delighted by how fantastic the final products were! I love seeing confident, prepared students excel and continue to build self confidence through hard work such as this independent study. Not only were students excellent teachers this week, but they were also excellent learners. As audience members, students gave thoughtful feedback and participated enthusiastically. So proud! Students prepared and used the following for teaching classmates: Poster Displays Powerpoint Presentations Keynote Presentations Small group activities Quizzes (with prizes!) Demonstrations Models Humor Word Searches Games Snacks Music Costumes Video Clips Crossword Puzzles I am equally proud of the self reflections students wrote following their presentations. It was evident that they used their own thoughts along with my feedback and the feedback of their classmates to draw conclusions about their work. What a great way to end school before we break for the holidays! Enjoy the pictures...A little glimpse into the presentations given by students in 4W: Please listen below for information regarding Innovation Day, a "work session" day for Discovery Quest projects. |
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