It is hard to fathom the speed at which the school year is quickly coming to a close! As I sit it plan it feels like I am running out of days way too quickly!Please be sure to read this blog and check your emails for updates and reminders about special events going on.
This week in Reading Workshop we continued with book clubs. We switched our book club partners so that we had new groups to work with. Students in each book club were given a different book to read about the same topic. Some topics were The Titanic, Penguins, and Volcanoes. Each student was responsible to read their own book and take notes about their thinking that would then be shared when their book club met. Ask your child to share what he or she learned about the topic they read about.
In Writing Workshop we are continuing to work on our animal research projects. Students have each chosen an animal that is at The Lincoln Park Zoo. Then students used their ipads and books from the library to research information about their chosen animal’s habitat, behavioral and physical adaptations. After collecting this information students then designed a poster to present their information in an easy to read way. 4th graders will be taking a “Gallery Walk” to critique the posters from other 4th grade classrooms. This also helps the students to learn more about the animals we will be seeing at the zoo.
We have started our LAST math unit! We started our Geometry unit on Monday and began with a review of concepts that were learned in 3rd grade (line, ray, point, vertex, line segment, angle etc.). Then we started on our 4th grade concepts. Students learned how to use a protractor to measure angles, how to identify angles as acute, obtuse, right, straight or reflex and we have started to compose (add two angles together to make one angle) and decompose angles (make one angle in to two angles). This was done by adding angle measures together or subtracting angle measures.
We are wrapping up our social studies unit on ways that humans change and modify the environment by talking about public issues that stem from humans modifying the environment. We briefly talked about sand mining and wind turbines in the lake. We focused on the arguments for and against diverting Great Lakes water to the desert southwest. Ask your child about what they think about these issues. Monday we will start on our Economics unit. As a part of our economics unit all 4th graders will be participating in Market Day! Look for information to come home on Monday!
This week we also had the opportunity to work with the Kindergarten students in Mrs. Highhill’s and Ms. Melton’s class. 4th graders helped the K students find text features in non-fiction books and the K students created their own non-fiction text features books using Book Creator.
Important Dates
Thursday, April 21 – Bike Path Clean Up
Friday, April 22 – Jungle Book field trip
Tuesday April 26 – Cool School Day at Front Porch
Wednesday and Thursday, April 27-28 – Swimming (swimsuit and towel)
Friday, May 6 – Holmes Art Show 5-7pm
Wednesday, May 11 – Link Up Concert
M-STEP TESTING DATES:
May 10, 12, 17, 18, and 19 – Please try not to schedule any appointments for those days.