Literacy - We finished our read aloud The Fear Place and discussed characterization and relationship development between the main characters. We went through a story mountain to identify rising and falling actions, climax, problems and resolutions. We have now begun our first novel study called The Tiger Rising, one of the titles written by Kate DiCamillo that we will study this year. Students have began using their literacy binders to answer comprehension questions citing evidence from the text. This is a difficult skill, but practice makes better.
Writing - Our first narrative stories have been completed as rough drafts in our writing notebooks. Students paired up to peer edit and practice their proofreading skills. Once completed, students utilized the Chrome book cart to type up their stories. Every 4th grader has a rubric with a checklist identifying which features are required in their story (setting, characters, problem/resolution, transition words, powerful language, mechanics, etc). I request each student use their rubrics to give themselves a grade prior to handing in the assignment. This is helpful for students to keep them aware of what features I am looking for when grading their writing assignments. Math - We went through our estimating and multi-digit addition and subtraction practice. We already shaved off over 2 minutes from our "I Have, Who Has" multiplication game. Ask your child! Single digit multiplication facts are a must. Students have been using the XtraMath website for quick practice. This website can be accessed at home at www.xtramath.org. Your child can be logged in using their first name and their pin is their date of birth (MMDD). If your child loves spending time on tablets, have them do their Xtra Math drill first! We moved onto measurement conversions and began identifying some geometry terms (point, lines, line segments, rays...) Science - Food chains and webs were completed and students worked on identifying producers, consumers, and decomposers. They then tried their hands at the food chain game (see our photos tab!). We discussed how natural disasters can affect ecosystems, such as the CA wildfires. We ran through a mystery science experiment in which pictures of habitats from today were compared to fossils found in that location. Imagine the students surprise when they learned whale fossils were found in the Sahara Desert and palm tree fossils were found in Antartica! This sparked a rousing discussion of how the Earth changes over time, and they had to explain how fish fossils were found on top of a mountain. We are finishing up our first unit with a comprehensive assessment to come at the end of next week. MicroSociety - Management 101 class began for all MicroCity residents interested in managing a venture or agency this year. 4th graders worked on resumes and practiced identifying characteristics they possess which would benefit their employer. We discussed how to make our resumes stand out and some of my entrepreneurial students submitted their own business proposals for ventures they would like to start at MACS this year.
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April 2018
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