Busy weeks ahead for 4B!

Next Tuesday is our Grandfriend's hour from 9:30 - 10:30.  Students are encouraged to invite their grandfriends or friends who ARE grand, to join us in 4B!  We will be completing a STEM challenge this morning that is sure to be great fun!

Next up is DECEMBER (can you believe it?)  December brings lots of great activities to our classroom.  First up, is the Hour of Code.  I have included a short video to give you a little information as to what this is.  It takes place during Computer Science Week.  It is an exciting program aimed at introducing our students to the concepts of computer coding and computer science.  The hope is to interest young minds that may one day chose a computer science field.  I participated last year and this year my class will be reaching out to other classes throughout the school as mentors.  Parents are invited to join us during 4B's Hour of Code on Monday, Dec. 8th and 9am.  Please let me know if you would like to come so I can make sure to have enough devices available.

Later, fourth grade will be having our first Innovation Day on Friday, Dec. 19th.  More information will be coming on this.  We are going to organize this a bit differently than in the past (engineering focus!)

The final days before the holidays will find us celebrating, crafting, exchanging gifts and reading great books (of course!)

Now, I need to ask for a few things from families. While you are out to eat during the next few weeks, if you could pick up take-out menus and send those in, I would really appreciate it.  We are going to use them for our multi-digit multiplication math unit.  Also, store flyers and catalogs too!

Finally, thank you to all who took the time to meet for conferences.  It was great to talk to you about your wonderful children.  I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to teach, learn and grow with them each day. 

Have a fantastic Thanksgiving and enjoy your family time!

~Lisa

ps.  If you are looking for some holiday gift suggestions, I have included the link here of a great site suggesting the "best toys for building stem skills.  

October is a WONDERful month!

RJ Palacio visits Exeter and 4B was there!

How WONDERful it was to start the month off with a visit from author RJ Palacio.  So many 4B and former 4B students were able to take the time to listen to Mrs. Palacio speak and some even got a chance to get a book signed.  She was great and shared how she got the idea for writing such an amazing book that we all have come to LOVE!  If you still haven't had a chance to read it, please try to find the time.  It has such an incredible message and was a special way to kick off our year in 4th grade together.


During this month we also continued to work on "Paragraph of the Week" and have now started our unit on narrative writing.  We are using our own small moments to help spark fictional stories.

We are closing in on the end of first quarter and the end of our first book challenge.  Each student picked a challenge number of books they were going to read during the quarter.  We have kept track of both our home and school reading.  Some of us fell short while others underestimated ourselves.  Some of us chose l-o-n-g books, while others selected smaller ones.  It is all part of the process of self-reflection and building reading stamina.  In addition, we are continuing to work on comprehension strategies in small groups and just introduced Reader's Theater to improve our fluency.

Currently we are working on our weather unit and building weather instruments for our weather stations.  We will be wrapping up our NH settlements/geography unit following our trip to Strawbery Banke this week (Yes, we are going in the rain!)

Unit 2 in math is under our belt and we are moving on to Unit 3 Measurement and elapsed time.

Coming up:  Book Character Day is next Tuesday.  Students should dress as their favorite character and try to bring in a copy of the book that day.  Orange and Black Day is next Friday, Oct. 31st.



Thank you to everyone who join us on our trip to Mt. Major.  What a beautiful day!

I look forward to seeing everyone soon as parent conferences are just around the corner.  I am sending a link to our sign-ups for Nov.

Stay dry during the upcoming week!

~Lisa

4B learning extends beyond our classroom walls

Science doesn't get much better than when you get outside and put it into action.

Currently, 2R and 4B are working collaboratively on a science project called, Square of Life.  This is an internet-based project where students observe their local environment and then share that information with students from across the country.


At this time, our classrooms have gone out and staked out 1 square meter areas for observations.  Yesterday we were able to get outside and work together to document what we had found in each of our spots.  Future meetings will involve students organizing data, sharing, creating, and posting.  There has been a lot of great teamwork and learning going on!

In math, we are hard at work on our unit on place value.  The most challenging concept at this time is the relationship between each place value as 10 times the value of the place to the right.  An example of this would be to understand and demonstrate that the 3 in 300 is 10 times the 3 in 30.  Keep practicing those basic math facts at home.

Writing and Reading Workshops are in full swing.  The workshop model consists of a brief mini-lesson, followed by practice or work, and concludes with a share, a debrief, and reteaching time.  We are currently working on "Paragraph of the Week" during writing and using our social studies topic of New Hampshire to focus on guided reading activities.  These reading passages are building our background knowledge for two of our upcoming field trips; one to Mt. Major and the other to Strawbery Banke.  Both trips are scheduled for Oct. and as soon as plans are finalized, forms will come out.

We are continuing with our read aloud of Wonder, by RJ Palacio.  So many great conversations have come from this book.  I highly recommend this read.  It has so much to teach us all!

Again, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at lbrown@sau16.org

Enjoy the day!

~ Lisa

Welcome to 4B!

Hello and Welcome 4B Parents!

I wanted to blog this evening to welcome you to 4B and to remind you that our Open House evening is this Wednesday at 6pm.  We will be meeting in the gym where Mr. Kew will address the group and introduce all the teachers there that evening.  Following this meeting, we will all be heading down to the classrooms where you will get the opportunity to see our room and learn more about the upcoming year in fourth grade.

See you on Wednesday.

~ Lisa Brown

The Countdown to Summer has begun!

It is hard to believe that the end of the year is already here.  This year has gone by so quickly. 

 I wanted to just touch base one more time to let everyone know what exciting things will be going on in 4B (We keep working right to the bitter end!)

First, I would like to start with thanking everyone for making Tacky Tourist Day a great success!

The kids loved sharing their foods with one another.  Everything was so delicious.  Look for their cookbooks to come home tomorrow.

Now, we are off on our journey across the Oregon Trail.  Students are traveling the trail with fellow pioneers in wagon trains.  Journals are being kept and STEM activities include designing wagons and creating rafts for those wagons to cross the river.  Quilts will be created and lots of reading is being done.  Oregon Trail day will be next Friday, June 6th.  Students will dress up again and spend the entire day outside on the trail.  Westward Ho!

In math, we have just completed Unit 12.  We will continue to focus on angles with measurement beginning tomorrow.  Students will be learning how to use protractors to measure angles.  Then, we will end the year with word problems and review of long division and multi-digit multiplication.

Our last science unit returns us to plants.  We will be looking at seed dispersal and parts of the plant and leaves.

Social studies will end with NH Survivor.  We team up and play a friendly game of Survivor for the remaining days of school.  This game requires us to use all our knowledge of NH to compete against one another in games both mental and physical.

4th grade will head to Camp Lincoln on Thurs. June 12th, have Innovation Day on June 13th, travel to UNH on Monday, June 16th, and say goodbye for the summer on Tuesday, June 17th.

Wow!  How much can you pack into 14 days?  4th graders are master packers and we plan to "Do it all!"  

(Cross your fingers that the weather improves for our trip to Concord on Friday.)

Sleepless at Swasey,

~Lisa

Tacky Tourist Day and 4B's American Grub

Here in 4B we are in STATE Overdrive.  Students have just completed their US tests and are now working to complete their state reports and Microsoft Publisher pages for our class cookbook, 4B's American Grub.  

BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP!  Students need to pick a recipe (one that they can make and share with the class next Tuesday) and one that has a main ingredient that grows in their state.  An example would be Apples for Rhode Island.  Apples are RI's number one food crop.  My recipe might be apple fritters. 

I believe that the students should have a good understanding of the agriculture of their state and should be able to share that information with you.  However, they need your help picking a recipe that you feel comfortable making with them and sharing.

I am asking that students check and confirm their ideas as soon as possible (Friday at the latest).  They each have an editable recipe card in their Google Drive that they need to use to write down the recipe and directions.  They will then share this back with me so that I can print them off for our cookbook.  Cookbooks will be organized and distributed to all families on Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday is Tacky Tourist Day in 4B!  Your children are to dress like those crazy tourist we all see when we are on vacation.  Socks and sandals, mismatched clothes, hats, ...the works.  Then, at 2:30 that day, parents are invited to join us for a tasting of all the "4B American Grub."  However, parents will not be allowed through our doors unless they too are dressed as tacky tourists.  It is so much fun!

Parents may send their child's food to school on Tuesday morning or bring it with them when they come at 2:30.

 I thank you in advance for all your help with this project.

~Lisa

MFA lunch forms

Buying a lunch for the MFA!

If you would like to purchase a lunch from the school for our upcoming trip to the MFA, please visit my homework site and print out a lunch form.  Please return this form on Monday, April 28th so that we can make sure all lunches are ready for our early morning departure.

If you are packing a lunch from home, I suggest packing a little extra.  We will eat before going in the museum and then once again as we get back on the bus.

Thank you in advance,

Lisa

4B and Random Acts of Kindness

My Daily Positive!

Just yesterday I signed up to receive daily emails from a blog called The Daily Positive.  Today's email contained a video about random acts of kindness (here is the link if you are interested in watching LINK).  I was moved by the video, choked up a little, but by then my morning took off and quickly became my afternoon.  

It was during this afternoon that Mrs. Woodward and I had a chance to talk.  We discussed the lessons ahead, work that needed to be accomplished and then she said she had something to share.  

I listened closely as she told me of friends of her family that were struggling with a "parents worse nightmare," a desperately sick child.  Their son Mason, a one year old little boy, is suffering with leukemia.  He is currently in the hospital and the community he lives in, is rallying around his family.  She began to explain how they were looking for donations of orange paper to begin folding…

I stopped her right there.  I knew where this was going.  They wanted to fold cranes; 1,000 paper cranes, just like Sadako.  But WE already had folded.  Our room was just filled with HOPE.

Mrs. Woodward, shared a very simple story of Mason with 4B.  She explained what people were trying to do.  We asked them if they would be willing to share their cranes with Mason and his family so that they would know that there were others who were thinking of them.  Before we were even finished with our question, the class was answering, "YES!"

Mrs. Woodward let the family know what would be coming to them from the children of 4B.  A picture of our cranes was quickly posted on the MASON STRONG Facebook page with the annoucement of what we planned to do.  (You may want to check out his page if you can.)

So…tomorrow the cranes will be taken down carefully, compressed, stacked, clipped and packaged for travel.  They will arrive on Sunday to Mason and his family.  They will be hung up and serve a greater purpose.

On Monday, the children will return to school and enter a classroom that will seem less colorful and empty.  However, I told them that this will be a good thing.  Every time we enter our room, and recognize what we are missing, we will think of Mason.  I think that is pretty wonderful.

Through tear-filled eyes I think back to this morning and I am amazed at how that simple video message came true through the acts of my students.

Your children are amazing!  They are doing something for someone else and expecting nothing in return.

Sometimes the lessons we learn in school ARE greater than we can ever imagine!

~ Lisa

Pencil Shortage!

Please Help!

Believe it or not 4B is in desperate need of…pencils.

We have used up our supply for the year and I just can't seem to keep enough in class.  

If you could send in a pack with your child for their use for the remainder of the year, I would be very grateful.

Thank you in advance for your help with this strange shortage!

~Lisa

A Busy Time of Year!

It is that time of year again!  Report cards will be coming home on Tuesday, April 1st.  Conferences will be on Weds. April 2nd and Weds. April 16th.  I have included a link to VolunteerSpot on Monday's homework (on our class website) as well as here. Conference Link to VolunteerSpot   I look forward to seeing everyone again to discuss how the year has been going and my plans for your child for the remainder of the year.  

4B has been so busy since we returned from our Feb. vacation.  We continue to work on essay writing, reading closely, and our science unit on rocks and minerals.  We were involved in our first 4th grade Innovation Day as well as our first Pi Day Celebration.  FRACTIONS have been the focus of the past month of math.  It is a difficult unit with so many new concepts and multi-stepped problem solving.  We are wrapping up this week as we finish with decimals and move on to measurement.

Our next social studies unit is a big one; US Regions/States and Capitals.  We will begin by focusing on each region: the states that are included, land features, imports and exports, famous locals, etc.  In addition, students will practice the states/capitals for that region.  Before moving on, we will take a map test for each region.  This continues for the entire country and we finish up with a US map test with states and capitals included.  I always suggest that students start working with the map early and practice a little each night.  The culmination of this unit will find students selecting a specific state to research.  We share our research and some tasty "eats" on Tacky Tourist Day later in April.  More to come on this.

We are beginning our focus on mysteries in reading.  Students will be selecting a mystery reading challenge to complete during this time.  They will also try their hand at writing a mystery.  When visiting the library, you may wish to suggest a good mystery for them to read.

Finally, we are going to be taking part in the Smarter Balanced pilot testing in April.  This is a great opportunity for our students to get to work with the new testing system as it is very different than NECAP and is taken completely on computers.  Our science NECAP testing will take place in May.  I will let you know of those dates as we get closer.

Cross your fingers that springtime weather finally comes to NH.  I can't take much more of this cold!

~Lisa

Togas and Valentines

Next week we will be celebrating Valentines Day and the culmination of our mini unit on mythological allusions.  What this means is that we are going to have a day full of fun, food and ... more food!

The day will begin with breakfast cooked by me.  I will be making the class my favorite pancakes with strawberries, whip cream, syrup, and sausage.  During breakfast, students can pass out their valentines and enjoy opening their notes.  Parents do not need to send in anything for this.  The only thing I ask is that if your child is planning on sharing valentines that they bring one for each student in class.  I will put a list of all the names of students on our homework site tonight.

In addition, on this day, Friday the 14th, we are also going to celebrate in true Greek style.  We ask that students bring in a sheet that they can fashion into a togo for the day.  The entire 4th grade will be wearing them and getting together in the afternoon to enjoy some Greek treats and view a myth or two as we celebrate our learning.

STEM Happenings

(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)

STEM night is coming up next Weds.  This is sure to be a great night for the whole family.  Mr. Kew sent home a flyer last week and information can be found on our website.

4th grade will have it's first Innovation Day of the year.  Students will be brainstorming concepts and ideas they are interested in learning more about.  Then, they get an entire day to research, investigate, and create.  More information about this exciting day to come before vacation.

And then...on March 14th (3/14) ... it is Pi Day in 4B!  This day is all about celebrating circles, circumference, diameters, mathematical formulas and irrational numbers.  Students can start preparing for the day (if they wish) by working on memorizing the digits of Pi.  We will work on it in class and have a fun contest as we look for the students who can memorize the most digits of Pi.  Believe it or not the past two years 4B has had students who memorized more than 100 digits!  And what kind of Pi Day would it be without...pie!  I will ask parents to donate pies on this day for students to sample.

Please cross your fingers that they are SO WRONG about this snowstorm (and possibly Sunday's!)

~Lisa

We are halfway through 4th grade!

Can it be true?  Halfway through 4th grade?

It is hard to believe but we really have just completed the first half of the year.  It is going by so fast!

We have had a bit of a bumpy start to the New Year with the 2 additional days added to our winter vacation and then a teacher without a voice for several days!  However, I'm back and we are ready for a great third quarter.

Coming up within the next four weeks (until our February vacation) we will be working on: more fraction work (addition, subtraction, improper, and mixed numbers), rocks and minerals, mythological allusions ( a mini-unit that introduces students to common mythological references that they may come across in their reading), our first Innovation Day of the year and essay writing.

In addition, coming home on Wednesday is your child's second quarter report card.  As I have reflected on a great deal of their work and completed their reports, I realize that it is important to address the movement of grades from first quarter to second.  First quarter begins with much review of skills from the previous year.  There is a lot of routine being built into the day as well as getting to know one another and returning to the roll of student.  Second quarter brings many new concepts, and in fourth grade that often means multi-stepped processes and the application of new knowledge in different ways.  With that said, you may notice that your child's grades have dropped a bit due to the fact that they were faced with more challenges.  An A to a B represents that a child went from consistently demonstrating, understanding and applying skills, to frequently doing those things.  And that all makes sense.  When we learn new concepts, we often don't do them consistently at first.   Please keep this in mind as you review your child's report card.

One thing that I have been discussing with all the children is that as we move forward into our second half of the year (and begin heading towards their lives as fifth graders) that the QUALITY of their work needs to become more important.  Neatness does count.  Capital letters are important.  The way their work "looks" represents a part of them as a student and this needs to become more a priority.  I am asking for your help with this one.  As your child completes nightly homework, reminding them of quality, neatness and accuracy can really help us strengthen our focus.  Please note, this is all part of maturing into "a student" but I think that if we work together, a united front helps to support their efforts.  Thank you in advance!

Finally, our classroom is in need of tissues and wipes.  Any donations would be greatly appreciated.  Also,  please check with your children to see how their own supplies are holding out.  Many dry erase markers are running out and they may need a few more pencils and correcting pens.

Sorry for so much.  Being unable to talk for a week has left me with much to say!  Take care,

~ Lisa

Technology integration in 4B!

What a week!

The Hour of Code was an AMAZING success yesterday.  17 fourth graders, 4 students from CMS, 6 parents and two administrators all working to learn the basics of coding.  We watched videos and helped Angry Birds.  We helped one another and didn't give up when it got challenging.  Collectively, we were part of the 12 MILLION people who have participated in the Hour of Code this week.  According to their latest email, "In its first three days, more students used the Hour of Code than Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram combined in their first three months. And it’s not a photo-sharing app or a game, it’s learning computer science."

If your child hasn't done so already, ask them to take you to the website and show you how to code.  For ipads and iphones, there is a coding app called Lightbot Hour of Code.  It is a free app that is based on writing patterns and loops found in code.  Warning:  It is VERY addictive!

In addition to coding, we participated in our second Mystery Skype.  Our first class was from Texas.

This class was from Utah.  4B asked great questions and worked very well together to pinpoint the location of our mystery class.  The students have decided that they need to improve their questions and revise the "jobs" that we fill for this activity.  They want to add longitude and latitude questions.

It is really amazing to watch as they decide what questions to ask next, eliminate states as a result of the answer to their questions, and determine the location of our mystery class.

We added a new feature to our Skyping.  We have a large US map that rolls down from on the wall.  Two students used it to mark our eliminations and the whole class was able to see our information.

Up for Friday, we will joining the other 4th grade classrooms in a City of Ember activity.  We are all reading this book aloud to support our electricity unit.  Tomorrow, students will be placed in teams of 3 and will be faced with the challenge of creating "mobile light."  This is something that they did not have in Ember.  Some groups will have to create lanterns.  Others will create flashlights or headlamps.  They will begin by creating their simple circuits and then using their creative ideas, design their lights with the materials they have brought in or that are in the classroom.  All light designs will be tested in a dark room to assess their successful design engineering.

PHEW!  Now you know why they are tired at the end of the day!
                      It's been a busy week.  Enjoy the snow that is coming on Saturday night.

~Lisa

What Most Schools Don't Teach (The Hour of Code is coming to 4B!)

What is going on in 4B NOW?

Next week, your children will be joining nearly 5 million students from around the world as they partake in an event called the Hour of Code.  It is Computer Science Education Week next week and part of their initiative is to introduce coding to a whole new generation of students ages 4 - 104.  

Our class will be participating next Weds., Dec. 11th from 1 - 3pm.  Each student will follow along at their own pace using a chromebook in our class.  I need to ask that each one of them bring in a pair of earbuds for this day.  This will allow them to listen to video tutorials while not being distracted by their neighbor's computer.  These can be sent in as soon as Monday so that I can make sure everyone has a pair by Weds.

Also, if their are any interested parents who would like to join us, to help or to learn, please just let me know.  

Finally, if you would like more information about this program, please visit  http://code.org to learn more.

Mystery Skype SUCCESS!

What an experience!

 

I am hopeful that you will have heard all about our Mystery Skype before I am even finished writing this post.  What an exciting afternoon we had!  Each student had a job to do and they worked so well together. Look for our imovie next week that a few of our students will be creating.

 

 We should have gotten their location a bit sooner when they kept saying, "Y'all."  They ended up being from Port Neches, Texas.

 

With our new knowledge of how this process works, we are already looking for our next class to Skype.  

 

What a great way to bring geography to life!  Have a super weekend!

 

~Lisa

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Brrr!  The cold days are finally upon us.  4B is still getting used to the weather change and forget jackets at home and sometimes at school.  We will get better at reminding them at the end of the day.  Thank you for your patience.

 

I am sure everyone is busy planning for the upcoming holidays.  It gets a bit hectic but always exciting.  Especially for 4th graders.  We are very busy in class working with lots of new concepts and developing stamina for longer assignments.  One example is the Thanksgiving project that is being worked on at home right now.  This is an example of a performance task that students will be asked to complete as the take the new Common Core assessments a year from now.  It is a very different type of test where students are asked to apply their skills and knowledge in different ways.  It also requires them to "stick with it" when it gets challenging and hard.  It is supposed to be hard.  I am excited to see them share their work this Friday.

 

Currently in math we are working on multi-digit multiplication and division.  Your child had work this week that required them to use a new program called IXL.  We have a trial subscription at this time, but it is great for allowing me to differentiate what the students are working on when they practice.  I still need to teach the skills but then they can practice independently with feedback.  I had several students come in the next day asking me to teach them something new because they wanted to move forward! How fantastic is that.  I plan to use this program to supplement our practice for as long as I can.  You may want to have your child log in and then take a look at the reports.  You will be able to see what they are doing and how well they are doing it.

 

In writing, we are working on personal narratives and using dialogue.  We continue to integrate paragraph of the week as well, to strengthen and develop our paragraph structure.  During December we will be writing persuasive pieces as we will test and review toys and books for the holiday season.  How fun ( and secretively motivating!!)

 

As for reading, we are coming to the completion of our first round of book clubs.  Some groups are reading electronically while others are reading paper copies.  Each group set their reading amounts, meet weekly to discuss thoughts and ideas based on my questions or assignments and will finish up with a project that shares their book.  These projects will be completed in class.

 

In science we have begun our units on magnetism and electricity.  These are great units for this time of the year because they are very hands on and extremely interesting.  We will be reading City of Ember when we return and will try to build our own "mobile lights" with our supplies and batteries.

 

And finally, after much anticipation on our part, we will be having our FIRST Mystery Skype this Friday.  I have connected with another teacher in a different part of the country and our classrooms will meet via Skype.  Each student in 4B will have a job to do during our meeting as we ask questions, eliminate states and regions, use atlas' and Google Earth, analyze answers and then finally guess where they live.  All of this supports our learning of geography and landforms, as well our desire to work with others around the country and the world.  We are hoping to make this a bi-monthly activity and hope to meet many wonderful kids from all over!

 

 Looking forward to Grandfriend's Day on Tuesday from 10-11.  We have great plans for the morning and are excited to show our room and friends to our families.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

~Lisa

 

Time to schedule Conference for this November!

Below you will find the steps to signing up with VolunteerSpot.  It is quick and easy.

I am looking forward to getting together to discuss what I am seeing in the classroom and to share goals for the upcoming months.  Thank you in advance for taking time to schedule a meeting.

Please sign up for Fall Conferences - here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

   1. Click this link to go to my invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/zUtrqX
   2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot) 
   3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

October's Tech Connection

This is the first "tech connection" post of the year.   My hope is to share what we are doing in the classroom in regards to technology.  I also hope to provide you with enough usable information that will help spark conversations at home.

 Read and Write Extension for Google Docs

Found at the Chrome store

This is an extension that we added to our Google Docs today.  It allows any doc to be read aloud to the students.  It can be their own writing as well as any document shared with them.  It will be a great tool for revising their writing as they will be able to listen carefully to what they have typed.  Students enjoyed selected the voice that would read their work.  We especially liked the English accents.  It makes our work sound rather fancy!

Voicenote speech to text app at the Chrome store

This is an app that students can use to record their speech and it will type for them.  They can then copy and paste their work into their Google documents.  Similar to Dragon speak but with better voice recognition.  I think it works really well and can be extremely useful when looking to get a story or writing down quickly.  Then students can go in and revise and edit their work.

The Chrome store is loaded with a lot of great apps and extensions for the Chrome browser.  In order for your children to access these, you will need to download the Chrome browser to your desktop.  Lots of apps and extensions are free and quickly downloaded.  Students found flashcards, typing programs and math games today.  We will continue to look at the Chrome store has to offer throughout the year.

*We are currently working on a global project with our second grade buddies from Mrs. Rushia's class.  3' x 3' squares were marked out just off the trails behind school.  Together teams worked to identify and record data regarding what they found and observed.  That data was entered onto the "Square of Life" online project where our teams will be able to compare/contrast their data with that of students around the country and world.  Together they will choose an online tool to create a visual representation of their findings.  Lots of great collaboration going on.

Upcoming:  We are anxiously awaiting a connection with a classroom somewhere within the US to match up with us for our first Mystery Skype.  This is a great program where classrooms ask each other yes and no questions in order to identify where each classroom is located in the US or World.   Students each have specific jobs during our skype meeting and together work to solve the mystery.  They use their social studies and science knowledge, as well as maps, ipads and computers to prepare questions and pinpoint locations.  We can't wait for our first Mystery Skype.  I'll keep you posted.

Calling all recycled pizza boxes!

As our unit on weather is winding down, we have been talking about the power of the sun and the energy it produces.  I would like to have the students create a "pizza box oven" tomorrow that will utilize the sun's power (solar energy) to cook s'mores outside.  (It will also be a great way to celebrate our first completed week of testing! Yeah!)

If you have a pizza box sitting in your recycling bin, would you help us by sending it in tomorrow.  We will be lining them with tin foil, so a little grease won't bother us.

Thanks for your help with this fun, (tasty) and educational  learning opportunity!

Our final week of September!

Can you believe that this is the last week of September?  It has gone by so quickly.  We began the month with incredible heat and are waking up this morning to quite a "chill".  With that said, this is just a reminder to send in your children with sweatshirts or jackets each day as we never know what the weather will be like for recess or even as we send them home.

In 4B, we have been building a strong classroom community.   We have started our Open Circle meetings where we are learning about what we have in common, how to listen to one another and how to share our own thoughts and ideas in a safe and welcoming group.  It is in building this foundation that our classroom becomes a place where children feel safe to ask questions and take risks with their learning.

In math we have been reviewing different concepts; place value, addition and subtraction of multi-digit numbers (with and without regrouping),  as well as area and perimeter.  Math time includes math stations, ipad integration, small group work as well as "Flipped Friday's" where students are working on Khan Academy.  

Our writing workshop is developing nicely.  We are learning how to develop our paragraphs through "Paragraph of the Week."  We are focusing on brainstorming, developing 3 ideas with explanations, as well as creating topic and concluding sentences.  In addition, we are looking at transition and concluding words and phrases to strengthen our work.

Reading workshop routines are also getting developed.  We meet each day for a mini-lesson on a skill or to discuss a reading habit and then we go off to practice; independently or in small groups.  This workshop concludes with all of us meeting back together to debrief, discuss and review the lesson.  Our current read aloud is Wonder, by Patricia Palacio.  It is a fabulous book with a wonderful theme.  Ask your children about it.

In addition to our reading workshop, your children are also participating in our first "book challenge." All of us pick a number of books we believe we can read during the first quarter.  We post this number for all to see and then we document each book along the way.  The number selected should challenge each reader but not be unreasonable.  Those students who chose a low number most likely will surprise themselves by surpassing it!  That always feels good!

Science - Continuing with weather and then we will move on to photosynthesis and our Part 1 of

plants.  Students have completed their first group projects on "wild weather."  This is the first of many projects this year.

Social studies - focus on the history of New Hampshire and prepare for our trip to Strawbery Banke.

As you can see, we are certainly busy in 4B!  Take care and enjoy this beautiful fall week!

~Lisa