We are wrapping up Unit 6 in math class. This has been a challenging unit as students have been working hard to master long division and using a protractor to measure and construct angles. These are new skills and concepts for fourth graders. I'm really proud of the effort and enthusiasm I have seen from students in class. These kids love to learn! We will review coordinate grids at the beginning of next week and will review the entirety of the unit prior to our test on Thursday. TECHNOLOGY TIP! Looking for a review or re-teach of math skills and concepts at home? Check out Study Jams from Scholastic! Here you will find step-by-step tutorials, skill practice, and songs to accompany many math concepts. I have used these in class and the kids LOVE them. Check out the science topics also! Introducing our newest class read-aloud! Danger Along The Ohio , by Patricia Willis, is a work of historical fiction. The story takes place in along the Ohio River in 1793. Three siblings, under the age of thirteen are separated from their father during a raid by the Shawnee Indians. The children and their cow are swept down river and decide to make the journey back toward the Marietta, Ohio settlement to try to find their father. We have only just begun to read this book, but the class is hooked! Ask your child to share his/her thoughts so far! NON Fiction Reading...We have been working hard on reading and comprehending non-fiction text. Our topics this past week tie nicely to our science and social studies curriculum. We read about various types of invasive species and the traits and discussed the traits they have in common. We read about the lives of American immigrants and their experiences of beginning new lives in America. Lastly, we read articles about fossils and how they help us understand the history of our planet. We practice active reading strategies in class which include leaving the tracks of our thinking and annotating. We practice re-reading for details and evidence to support our inferences. We discuss, summarize, and share our learning with each other. Students are learning that making meaning of text involves quite a bit more work than simply reading a piece of text one time through. Proficient readers do the following:
These behaviors are modeled regularly for students. I encourage parents to model at home as well so students see that these behaviors are life skills, rather than simply tasks required in school. Thanks so much for your support in helping your child become a more proficient reader. I am lucky to have a class filled with students who love to read! Students are really looking forward to Market Day! This experience will take place on Wednesday afternoon, February 6th. Students will be selling, shopping, and then shopping a final time with the profits they make from sales. Thank you for your help in making learning about the factors of production a meaningful and engaging experience for students! We appreciate all of your help on the home-front in preparing your child for this day. We have begun a correspondence adventure with a group of fourth graders from Indiana! We wrote and sent our initial letters of introduction, and are eagerly waiting to hear back from our new friends. We look forward to sharing our learning, and learning from our pen pals. This is another opportunity for students to write to communicate, and provides an opportunity for students to learn about others outside of the Oakwood community. Thanks to all of you who made it out last Thursday for Fourth Grade Family Science Night! We had a great turnout and appreciate your efforts to brave the weather and enjoy the evening. We are grateful to the Oakwood Schools Foundation for funding this event, and to the fabulous OHS volunteers who came out to share their enthusiasm for science with fourth graders and their families.
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