Archive for September, 2013

Class activities for Monday, September 30

Monday, September 30th, 2013

Spelling: We reviewed short and long vowel sounds today. This will be the skill tested on tomorrow’s spelling test.

Cursive: Cursive workbook pp. 18-23 are due on Friday.

Reading: We practiced making connections as a reading strategy. A reader makes a connection the book reminds them of something, such as themselves, another book, a TV show, or another person.

Writing: None today due to our technology time.

The second piece of writing for the year is another personal narrative, which is a personal story or memory that involves the author. It is not fictional or made-up. This personal narrative is due Friday, October 11. Your student should be drafting at this time.

Math: We practiced drawing pictures to help us solve division word problems. Homework is to finish Journal P1-6.

Science: Students worked on a science experiment to test if a magnet’s force can go through different materials.

Social Studies: We started to research economic activities and resources of Michigan.

Behavior Update:

  • Yellow magnets: 0
  • Orange magnets: 1
  • Red magnets: 0
  • STAR Awards: 0
  • Magnets moved this week (goal: TBD): 1

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade online to see if your student moved their magnet.

Notes:

  • The Fall Partnership Fundraiser has started. Orders and money are due October 11. This fundraiser helps fund assemblies, supplies, and small field trips. We’ll have a separate fundraiser for our Mackinac trip.
  • After School Detention is on Monday, September 30 from 4-6 pm for students with missing work or unfinished tasks.
  • Visit our new Links page! Keep track of all the websites we use for learning, or try something new.
  • Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
  • View grades, behavior, assignments, and attendance online.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Class activities for Friday, September 27

Friday, September 27th, 2013

Spelling: None today due to the half day schedule.

Cursive: Cursive workbook pp. 14-17 were due today.

Reading: We used Literture Circles time to discuss some class goals for the year. We set two goals in reading and math: we will increate our reading and math levels as the year goes on and increase them a year by the end of the year. We are still considering a behavior goal of how many magnets should be moved in a week.

Writing: None today due to the half day schedule.

The second piece of writing for the year is another personal narrative, which is a personal story or memory that involves the author. It is not fictional or made-up. This personal narrative is due Friday, October 11. Your student should be drafting at this time.

Math: None today due to the half day schedule.

Science: Today was the Energy Fair! View some pictures of posters and exhibits.

Social Studies: None today due to the half day schedule.

Behavior Update:

  • Yellow magnets: 0
  • Orange magnets: 0
  • Red magnets: 0
  • STAR Awards: 0
  • Magnets moved this week (goal: TBD): 10

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade online to see if your student moved their magnet.

Notes:

  • The Fall Partnership Fundraiser has started (see video above). Orders and money are due October 11. This fundraiser helps fund assemblies, supplies, and small field trips. We’ll have a separate fundraiser for our Mackinac trip.
  • After School Detention is on Monday, September 30 from 4-6 pm for students with missing work or unfinished tasks.
  • Visit our new Links page! Keep track of all the websites we use for learning, or try something new.
  • Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
  • View grades, behavior, assignments, and attendance online.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Class activities for Thursday, September 26

Thursday, September 26th, 2013

Spelling: We reviewed two often-confused words: less and fewer. We learned that fewer is used of the object can be counted; if not, use less. Examples:

  • There are fewer pencils in this pencil box. (pencils can be counted)
  • There is less wind today. (wind cannot be counted)

Cursive: Cursive workbook pp. 14-17 are due Friday.

Reading: We used Literture Circles time to discuss some class goals for the year. We set two goals in reading and math: we will increate our reading and math levels as the year goes on and increase them a year by the end of the year. We are still considering a behavior goal of how many magnets should be moved in a week.

Writing: Today, students practiced a writing strategy called “free writing.” This is a way to start drafting by determing to write for a set number of minutes without stopping. It’s a quick way to get ideas written, even if they aren’t spelled correctly or written perfectly.

The second piece of writing for the year is another personal narrative, which is a personal story or memory that involves the author. It is not fictional or made-up. This personal narrative is due Friday, October 11. Your student should be drafting at this time.

Math: We reviewed using patterns to solve number stories.

Science: We started an experiment to test if a magnet’s force can attract through various objects (paper, plastic, cotton, wood, steel).

The Energy Fair is tomorrow, Friday, September 27 (more details here)!

Social Studies: Students worked in groups to complete a flowchart about how limited resources and unlimited wants create scarcity, lead to choices and create an opportunity cost.

Behavior Update:

  • Yellow magnets: 1
  • Orange magnets: 0
  • Red magnets: 0
  • STAR Awards: 3
  • Magnets moved this week (goal: TBD): 10

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade online to see if your student moved their magnet.

Notes:

  • The Energy Fair is this Friday, September 27.
  • After School Detention is on Monday, September 30 from 4-6 pm for students with missing work or unfinished tasks.
  • Visit our new Links page! Keep track of all the websites we use for learning, or try something new.
  • Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
  • View grades, behavior, assignments, and attendance online.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Class activities for Wednesday, September 25

Wednesday, September 25th, 2013

Spelling: None today.

Cursive: Cursive workbook pp. 14-17 are due Friday.

Reading: We read some of our shared reading book, Esperanza Rising, and practiced forming good, open-ended questions as a reading strategy. We also practiced discussing the questions in a group, sharing ideas and staying focused on the questions asked.

Writing: Students completed prewriting conferences today using the Checklist for Good Writers. Homework is to finish the prewriting conference if not done in class.

The second piece of writing for the year is another personal narrative, which is a personal story or memory that involves the author. It is not fictional or made-up. This personal narrative is due Friday, October 11. Your student should be prewriting and thinking of ideas at this time. We’ll start drafting tomorrow.

Math: None today due to distractions caused by some poor behavior choices made in our class. You might ask your student to work on Khan Academy or MobyMax Math as a little math practice tonight.

Science: None today due to extra time with social studies.

The Energy Fair is on Friday, September 27 (more details here).

Social Studies: Today, we reviewed the Literature Connection assignment about economic activities.

Behavior Update:

  • Yellow magnets: 3
  • Orange magnets: 1
  • Red magnets: 1
  • STAR Awards: 3
  • Magnets moved this week (goal: TBD): 9

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade online to see if your student moved their magnet.

Notes:

  • The Energy Fair is this Friday, September 27.
  • After School Detention is on Monday, September 30 from 4-6 pm for students with missing work or unfinished tasks.
  • Visit our new Links page! Keep track of all the websites we use for learning, or try something new.
  • Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
  • View grades, behavior, assignments, and attendance online.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.

Class activities for Tuesday, September 24

Tuesday, September 24th, 2013

Spelling: We reviewed common spelling patterns for the short /o/ sound: o, aw, al, au. Identifying short and long vowel sounds will be the skill tested on the upcoming spelling test.

Cursive: Cursive workbook pp. 14-17 are due Friday.

Reading: We read some of our shared reading book, Esperanza Rising, and practiced forming good, open-ended questions as a reading strategy.

Writing: Today was a prewriting day for students to plan for the next piece of writing. The second piece of writing for the year is another personal narrative, which is a personal story or memory that involves the author. It is not fictional or made-up. This personal narrative is due Friday, October 11. Your student should be prewriting and thinking of ideas at this time.

I also asked students to completed a Portfolio Piece Reflection to think about their last piece of writing. The reflection is something I’ll ask students to complete for each piece of writing. Most students started this in class. Homework to finish the reflection.

Math: We practiced looking for patterns while solving problems. Homework is to finish Journal P1-5.

Science: We reviewed our last experiment about magnet metals. We also tested several other metals to see if they were magnetic. We learned that there are only four pure metals that are magnetic:

  • Iron
  • Cobold
  • Nickel
  • Gadolinium

Many other alloys or metal mixtures are magnetic, including steel and tungsten carbide.

The Energy Fair is on Friday, September 27 (more details here).

Social Studies: None today due to extra time with science. We’ll have an extra social studies time tomorrow.

Behavior Update:

  • Yellow magnets: 3
  • Orange magnets: 0
  • Red magnets: 0
  • STAR Awards: 0
  • Magnets moved this week (goal: TBD): 4

Notes:

  • The Energy Fair is this Friday, September 27.
  • Visit our new Links page! Keep track of all the websites we use for learning, or try something new.
  • Students have been asked to bring in, or purchase from me, three poly envelopes (three for $2.50) and at least one dry erase marker ($0.50).
  • Check out our class calendar to stay up-to-date.
  • View grades, assignments, and attendance online.

Our Mission:
All students in Room 130 will do their best and get ready for 5th grade.