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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.

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.

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.

Spelling: We reviewed the idea that some words have silent letters. It’s difficult to sound out these words. They are a spelling suprise; you have to use your eyes!

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

Reading: Students received our shared reading book, Esperanza Rising. We’ll read this book together each week.

Writing: None on Mondays. We’ll start another personal narrative this week. Decorated writing porfolios were due today. 

Math: We reviewed the idea that factors are numbers that are multiplied to get a product. For the problem 2 x 4 = 8, the factors are the numbers 2 and 4. We also learned that the distributive property says that a problem can be broken into pieces to solve. For example, for 5 x 6, the problem can be broken into 5 x 4, and 5 x 2. Those pieces can be added to get the answer (20 + 10 = 30). Homework is to practice these ideas on Journal P1-4.

Science: Students completed an experiment today to test which metals are magnetic. Of the 10 different metals we tested, four were magnetic (cobolt, nickel, iron and steel). Homework is to finish the “Sticy Metal” experiment notes if not done in class.

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

Social Studies: We finished reading Ox Cart Man and writing notes about economic ideas in the book. Homework is to finish the notes if not done in class.

Behavior Update:

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

Notes:

• Decorated writing portfolios are due this week.
• 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.

Spelling: None on Fridays.

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

Reading: Students worked on MobyMax Reading today. You can check on your student’s reading progress by visiting StudentVue.

Writing: We talked about another way to focus a story: focusing on a theme. Writing about a theme helps a writer to focus on one main idea that the enter story is connected to. For example, a writer may choose to write about their sister’s silly questions, and focus on just questions she asks, rather than what she looks like, what her favorite things are, or her sister’s birthday.

Students also continued to work on their personal narrative, due Monday, September 23. The personal narrative should be written about a memory or true event in each student’s life. Your student is using MrHowd.com Google Docs to write the story. They can work from home; have them show you what they’ve got so far. Decorated writing porfolios are also due Monday.

Math: Students praticed math skills using MobyMax and Khan Academy.

Science: None today due to Fall Field Day.

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

Social Studies: We read a book called Ox Cart Man and looked for places where he was buying, selling, producing, consuming and doing other economic activities.

Behavior Update:

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

Notes:

• Decorated writing portfolios are due next week.
• The Energy Fair is 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.