Class Update: March 31 - April 4

Hi Everyone,

This week we will be busy wrapping up Term 5.  We have been busy these past few weeks investigating simple machines and how they are used in the everyday world, inquiring and studying the Westward Expansion with a close study on the Oregon Trail and the Gold Rush.  We also brushed up on prior learning of the Annexation of Texas and the Lewis and Clark adventure right after the Louisiana Purchase.  Friday we began completing our study guides for the summative Social Studies and Science tests.  Students also tested on Area and Perimeter in Math Friday and we have finished our problem solving using measurement within the metric and customary unit systems. 

This week we will be focusing on interpreting, reading and creating information with line plots in math.  In social studies we will be learning about manufacturing and transportation, including the invention of the cotton gin, steamboats, steam engine and telegraph.  In ELA students will be completing their UOI summative writing task.  They will produce an informational text, such as a brochure, letter, newspaper article, that uses their past weeks research from multiple sources on their topic.  The topics were chosen based on student interest and includes the driving forces behind their particular topic.  For example, the driving forces behind Trees Atlanta or the driving forces behind local/school movements such as Farm 2 School or Walk and Roll to School.  Students will also be working hard to finish their reading contracts which they have been given ample time throughout the term to complete.

Here is the testing schedule for this week:

Wednesday, April 2nd- Science Test (SG went home Friday and I'll email you an answer key)
Thursday, April 3rd-Social Studies Test (SG went home Friday and I'll email you an answer key)

                              Reading Contract due 
Friday, April 4th- Math test on line plots (NO spelling this week)

'Extras' this week:

Tuesday, April 1st - we join visiting Clairmont Elem. 3rd graders for lunch

Friday, April 4th - we will attend a STEM science assembly at 8am. 

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!

Class Update: March 24-28

Hello everyone!

I hope you enjoyed this past weekend! It was beautiful and showed such signs of warmer spring weather.  What happened today!?!  Our family enjoyed the outdoors as we celebrated my son’s 3^rd birthday with a road rally and picnic birthday party at Cabbagetown park. 

Can you believe that there are only 2 weeks left until Spring Break?! WOW… This year has really been in fast forward. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be wrapping up Term 5.

Here are the topics we will be learning and reviewing:

In math, we have wrapped up our lessons on standard/customary units of measure. We worked on converting, adding and subtracting same and mixed units as well as solving word problems to apply those skills.  This week we have started working with area and perimeter. Students learned the ways to find both area and perimeter before they discussed formulas for each. The last thing we will study this term will be line plots.

Here are some screenshots from today's lesson:

In ELA, we are starting to research about a movement. Our class chose from a large list of movements to research. A few examples are St. Baldricks, Farm 2 School, Trees Atlanta, Humane Society, Walk and Roll to School. There are some other movements that students chose for research, so please ask your student what his/her topic is. All research will be done in class, but if you have access to books or printed resources please send those in for use.

We are working with inferencing and nonfiction/informational texts, and we are integrating reading with social studies and science this term.

Last week in Social Studies we worked on the Texas Revolution and Annexation.  This week will cover the Oregon Trail and the Gold Rush. There is a great and insightful resource that we have explored and will use as a reference for these two topics. The site is http://www.america101.us/trail/Oregontrail.html. On the left side of the page, there is a link to the Gold Rush.

In science last week we finished up our lessons about force and motion and got started with simple machines. We are studying the 6 kinds of simple machines: pulley, lever, screw, wheel & axle, inclined plane and wedge.  We are identifying them, defining them, finding them in our environment and discussing how they help make work easier.

Here are a couple of pictures from one of our 'force' science experiments last week (you may have heard your child mention 'the alka seltzer experiment')

In other news…

We are in need of highlighters, erasers, Kleenex and glue sticks! If you can send in some or purchase some for the class, we will be most grateful for the donation.

Headphones/earbuds - Please check with your student to see if they have a personal pair of earbuds. Several of the students need a new pair because their pair is broken or just needs replacing.

Explorations are this Friday from 1 - 2:30… We will signup at school tomorrow (Wednesday)!

I have not set test dates for the math, science, and social studies tests for next week. It is my hope to not need to test on next Friday, April 4^th. If your student will miss some days next week, please let me know! Also, we are feverishly trying to prepare study guides for your student.

Don't forget about practicing on Compass Learning at home:

https://www.thelearningodyssey.com

Login: your child's lunch number

Password: go

*make sure your child chooses an ELA or Math folder with a 12/13 date on it (most recent info from their winter MAP test)

Thanks for reading!  I hope you a wonderful rest of the week!!!

Class Update: March 10-14

Hello everyone!

We had a busy week on the avenue last week!  Here is a snippet of our week-

In math we continued our work with the metric system.  We were persistent in practicing to show our work multiple ways (tape diagram, mixed unit add/subt, converting before add/subt, using a number line to 'add up' instead of subtracting).  We ended the week with multi-step word problems using metric units then took our metric unit assessment.  Here are a few pics from our week:

In Language Arts we wrapped up our lessons on figurative language through a flip book activity, test, and writing.  We worked in partners to write a narrative using at least 3 examples of figurative language.  The kids had a blast making up their stories together and sharing them with the class.  We loved hearing them and listening out for all the fun figurative language; it really makes a story come alive!  Friday, we did an inquiry lesson about biographies.  We looked through many different biography texts and jotted down notes of things that we noticed about them that makes them unique.  We then came together as a class to make a list of biography features and talked through them, showing examples from the books.  Following our lesson we used our library time to check out biographies on our individual reading levels to use for our reading contracts.

In our Social Studies/ELA lessons we got super involved with the story of the Louisiana Purchase and the expedition of Lewis and Clark.  We had a great time reading passages, sorting events, discussing the driving forces behind the events, retelling the stories behind the Purchase and the Expedition, mapping out the expedition, taking notes and more!  We ended the week discussing Manifest Destiny and doing a photo analysis on the painting and discussing what it was and it's impact on the westward expansion. (We also took a TON of notes!)

In Science we had lots of fun working with force and motion.  We visited the science lab for a fun experiment with 'Sheep in a Jeep' as well as looked at Newton's Laws of Motion.  Sadly, I don't have any pictures to share from Science!

I hope you all had a great week and weekend!  It was fun to see many of you and the Tour DeCatur 5k Saturday!  It was such a beautiful day and fun community event.  :)

Class Update: March 3-7

Hello everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed the Winter break and the nicer weather we have had recently.  Many of the kids shared their vacation adventures and it sure sounded like good times and good memories were made. :)

Back on the Avenue we've been busy catching up and wrapping up Term 4.  Lots of study guides, practice, research and review has gone into the days since we have returned.  This was followed by end of term assessments that we have officially completed.  Thank you for your diligence in helping your fourth grader study and prep with all of the 'choppy' days in and out of school due to the weather.

We are now beginning Term 5, Where We Are in Place and Time.  This term will go through April 4.  We have a lot of ground to cover and will make the most out of those extra 30 minutes added to our school day!  Please see the curriculum tab for our new Unit of Inquiry information.  You can find math resources for Term 5 there as well. (these were both sent home in the red communication folder today)

This week in Math we have started working with our new unit: Measurement.  Our skill focus this week will be identifying, converting, adding and subtracting using meters, centimeters, kilometers, grams, kilograms, liters and milliliters.  We will be using number bonds, tape diagrams and number lines to help us with our practice this week.  Here are some screenshots of some of our work today:

In ELA this week we are working with Figurative Language found in poetry and prose.  We are locating, recognizing and creating examples of alliteration, personification, similes, metaphors, hyperboles and onomatopoeia.  Later in the week we will introduce biographies and look at a checklist and reflect on our Term 3 Informational Writing piece as we will be working with informational writing again this term.  The students also received their Term 5 reading contracts.  They will be reading 2 fiction, 1 non-fiction and 1 biography or autobiography this term  Due April 3.

In Social Studies this term we will be integrating SS and ELA.  We will open our new unit "Westward Expansion" by discussing the driving force behind decision-making.  We will look at some 'local' scenarios to help us get started and then follow up with the driving forces behind historical events related to Westward Expansion.  We will spend 2 days on a close read on Territorial Expansion to determine the driving forces behind territorial expansion in the U.S. between 1801 and 1861.  Through our reading we will be using evidence from the text to determine the main idea, key details as well as summarize our new understanding of these historical events.  Up next will be the adventures of Lewis and Clark and the Louisiana Purchase. 

In Science this week we will start our new unit, Simple Machines.  We will begin by inquiring into the forces that cause movement.  We will do an opening activity investigating these forces as well as some fun (and messy!) hands on explorations to deepen our understanding about how force changes the speed or direction of a variety of objects.  They will love our new unit!

Wishing you a happy week!