Weekly Resource: Sight Word Practice

Our early elementary teachers are always stressing the importance of learning sight words.  These words don't follow a regular pattern, and can't be sounded out.  The only way to learn these words is to memorize them.  Identifying the words should become automatic.  Practice sight words at 3 different levels by visiting this website.  Kids get to play a fun movie theater themed game.

Article of the Week: Alphabet Knowledge & Word Recognition

Learn about alphabet knowledge and how it develops, as well as how we assess it, and help students learn more by reading this article.

Article of the Week: Book apps

For some kids, the only way to get them to read a book is to use some sort of technology.  But not all apps for reading are created equal!  Check out this article by The Horn Book on how to choose a quality picture book app for your child.

Wednesday Resource: Guys Read

As a child, I was a voracious reader.  I happily sat in my room reading a book while my friends went sledding and played outside.  It rarely took me longer than a day to finish a new book.  Luckily my mom owned a bookstore!  When I became a mom, I read to my son from day one with a full heart as I shared my own childhood favorites with him.  As a toddler, he loved sitting on my lap and listening to stories.  We celebrated when he "read" his first book, Big Egg.  I was convinced that I was raising a book lover.  Then 2nd grade hit.  Baseball, Tae Kwon Do, video games, swimming, and fishing were all more fun than books (insert mom tears here!).  In his words, all books were BORING and DUMB, and he HATED reading!  If you've hear those words at your house, I encourage you to check out www.guysread.com.  This website was started by author Jon Scieszka to recommend books that appeal to boys.  You can search by age or topic, and can even submit your own recommendations!  

Article of the Week: Boys & Books

Does it seem like your son doesn't like to read as much as your daughter?  I know that's a pattern I notice at my house.  Check out this article on the science behind boys and reading, and what you can do at home to help your son enjoy books. 

Wednesday Resource: Free Rice

Freerice.com is operated by the United Nations World Food Programme.  Answer questions about English, grammar, or vocabulary.  Each correct answer helps end world hunger.  10 grains of rice are donated for every correct answer.

Wednesday Resource: Newsela

Do you have a kiddo interested in current events or informational articles?  The website and app Newsela offers free resources for grades 2 and up.  This is a great way to incorporate science and social studies topics along with language arts skills such as fluency, reading comprehension, and informational text features.  Visit https://newsela.com  for more information!

Article of the Week: Metacognition

In almost all college courses for teachers, you learn about metacognition.  Meta what?!?  In simpler terms, it's thinking about thinking.  Learn about how and why this is a crucial skill for kids, and what you can do to help foster this skill in your child.  Click HERE for the article.

Wednesday Resource: ABCya

Play educational games that are organized by grade level at www.abcya.com.  Choose from categories such as letters, numbers, strategies, or skills to target specific areas.  

Article of the Week: RTI definitions

If your child is receiving RTI services, you might be wondering what exactly that means?  This article from Reading Rockets does a nice job explaining some of the terms we use.

Read the article HERE.

Article of the Week: Supporting Early Writers

When my daughter was a toddler, she was constantly grabbing markers, pens, and crayons to scribble on anything she could get her hands on.  Our kitchen cupboards and refrigerator are proof of her early writing adventures with a sharpie!  I was frustrated at the time, but feel much better after reading this article about supporting early writing habits.  Encourage that writing...but hide the sharpies!  :)

Wednesday Resource: Starfall

Practice phonics while playing fun games and using interactive activities at starfall.com.  You can pay for a subscription, but I recommend taking advantage of the free activities instead.  This was a family favorite at my house when my kids were little!

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Article of the Week: Building Vocabulary

When you think about building your child's vocabulary, do memories of flash cards and looking up definitions come to mind?  Authentic learning of vocabulary through reading and conversation is much more effective than memorizing a definition for a test.  Check out this article from Reading Rockets that offers some ideas to help expand your child's vocabulary at home.

Wednesday Resource: Storyline Online

The Screen Actors Guild operates a website called Storyline Online, where famous actors read their favorite childhood stories.  Visit storylineonline.net to find your favorite book or celebrity!

Article of the Week: More on Common Core

More on Common Core...I promise this will be one of my last posts about Common Core.  It just seemed like a logical place to start for the year.  This is a great article from Reading Rockets on how parents can support Common Core Standards at home.  It explains the vocabulary you may have seen in the Illinois Learning Standards, and how you can help your child at home.  Find the article HERE.

Wednesday Resource: Unite for Literacy

What do deserts and books have in common?  According to Unit for Literacy, if a household has fewer than 100 books in the home, it is considered a book desert.  Did you know that in Erie, 50% of homes are considered book deserts?  (http://www.uniteforliteracy.com/corp/esri). Beat the book desert by accessing digital books at http://www.uniteforliteracy.com/. 

Article of the Week: Common Core Standards

Last week I touched on the increased expectations of Common Core Standards.  My entire teaching career has existed in the days of Common Core, so other than my own schooling as a child, I don't know any different!  I would assume most parents would say their only experience with Common Core is through the eyes of their children, not personal experience.

When I put on my parent hat for a moment, what I see my own children doing at school is much more rigorous that I ever attempted as a child.  I think that is wonderful!  As a mom, I want my children to be smarter, kinder, and more successful than their parents.  The downside of this?  It's sometimes hard for me to help them with their homework!  The 6th grade math homework that I see come home is more complicated than what I did in high school - yikes!  My kids bring home homework and tell me that they can't do it my "old fashioned" way.  Sound familiar?  The mom in my wants to say, "If it works, who cares how you get the answer?"  But the teacher in me is thrilled!  Let me tell you why...

I was the kid who could memorize a math formula, but never explain how I solved the problem.  I didn't understand how the Distributive Property worked, but I could solve a problem using the formula.  So one could argue that I really didn't understand math.  Today's students learn several different ways to solve a problem, respond to a story, and explain their thinking.  Each grade level learns fewer concepts, but studies them more in-depth.  We will no longer be producing the "Jack of all trades, master on none."  Today's students will master many concepts!  Common Core Standards tend to get unfair criticism most of the time.  With this week's blog post, I encourage you to take a good look at the Illinois Learning Standards to see just what is expected of your child. https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Learning-Standards.aspx

Classroom Spotlight: Benchmark Testing

The reading/RTI teachers were busy benchmark testing all week, so unfortunately we didn't observe any classrooms.  We did visit every single classroom to test students though, and loved chatting with all of the kiddos!

Wednesday Resource: Epic

We are fortunate to be members of a 1:1 district, where all students have individual access to technology.  Although iPads are sometimes used for fun and games, at Erie Elementary, we use them for learning.  One app that most classroom teachers use is called Epic.  Using the Epic app allows students to have access to tons of digital stories.  Our younger readers can take advantage of the read aloud function, and engage with videos.  This is a free app that you can try at home.  Visit www.getepic.com for more information.

Article of the Week: Journeys Curriculum

Last spring, classroom teachers spent several weeks piloting new curriculum in their classrooms to help choose a new reading series for our school.  Their recommendations were forwarded to the reading committee, where the new Journeys series was chosen.  The vote was unanimous!  We loved the technology resources, support materials, and the comprehensive program.  The increased expectations with Common Core Standards meant we needed to up our game at Erie Elementary (more on that next week!).  Although I won't be using the new curriculum as a classroom teacher this year, I am excited to use the support materials with small groups, and I can't wait to see our amazing classroom teachers implement the program.  My 6th grade daughter has used this program since 2nd grade with outstanding results.  Good things are in store for us this year at Erie Elementary!  Read more about the Journeys program HERE.

Back to School

I hope all of you are enjoying your last few weeks of summer vacation.  I had a fun-filled summer that included trips to soccer tournaments, Adventureland, and an amazing road trip through South Dakota and Wyoming to see Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Devils Tower National Monument, Minuteman Missile National Monument, and Wind Cave National Park.  I also spent my summer as a volunteer literacy and math tutor at GiGi's Playhouse.  I can't wait to hear how you spent your break!

I am looking forward to my new position this year, which will allow me to share my passion for reading with all students as the Title 1 reading teacher.  I received my K-4 reading endorsement in the spring, and will complete my masters in reading with a reading specialist endorsement in May.  We worked really hard to choose new reading curriculum for this year, and I am excited to help implement the series.  I also hope to promote new school wide literacy activities for students, staff, parents, and the community.  Be sure to stop in the new reading room during Open House to tell me all about your summer!

Last Day of School

We celebrated our last day of school today with a frigid field day.  The only thing that I don't like about field day is that I don't get to spend the day with my own class.  Luckily we got to meet up for pony bars before dismissal.  We had a fun day, and ended as 4th grade tug-of-war champs!  Thank you for sharing your kids with me this year (and some of you for 2 years!).  I promise they have taught me more than I could have ever taught them.  I wish them all the best in middle school, and hope they will pop back in to see me next year in my new position as a reading teacher.  Have an amazing summer break!

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, May 23rd

No homework!  We took our math test today, and the students helped me unpack and sort our new reading series for next year.  Reminder - middle school visit tomorrow.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, May 22nd

Math - 13.5 - We practiced problem solving with area today.  We will take our chapter 13 test tomorrow.

Science - None - We finished up our slideshow presentations today.

Language Arts - None - We used our LA time today to watch a video on the National Parks.  This video tied in closely with everything we've studied in social studies this year.  Plus, 4th graders get in free to National Parks - so check one out this summer if you can!

Social Studies- None - We finished up our DG packets today.

Lessons & Assignments Friday, May 19th

Math - None - We learned how to find area and perimeter with a missing side today.

Science - None - Our technology wasn't working today, so we did some brainstorming and prewriting for next week's presentation project.

Language Arts - None - We watched the Cricket in Times Square movie today, and completed a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the movie and the novel.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Egg Drop & Recorder Concert

We had Mrs. Kuhnen's last egg drop today, and our 4th grade recorder concert today. 

 It was such a fun afternoon!

AR Party!

Our school wide reading theme this year was "Under the Sea."  All students that earned 20 points or more were invited to a special celebration today.  The 4th graders got to paint an ocean picture, and have an ocean themed snack.  We had a blast!

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, May 18th

Math - None - We took our midchapter quiz today.

Science - None - Mr. Blair and I continued team teaching a lesson on slideshow presentations.  Today the students started a Google Slides presentation.

Language Arts - None - We took our novel unit test today.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, May 17th

Math - None - We learned how to calculate the area of combined rectangles today.

Science - None - We started a team teaching project with Mr. Blair today on how to use and create slideshow presentations.

Language Arts - None - We finished up our novel unit packet today.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Classroom Visitor

Aidan's dad visited our classroom yesterday to tell us about his job as an electrician.  The best part?  We all got to get in the bucket truck!  Awesome!!

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, May 16th

No homework tonight.  We had a beautiful day for a field trip to the Riverbandits game today.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, May 15th

Math - None - We learned how to use the formula to find the area of a rectangle today.

Science - None - We started watching a Discovery Education video on the states of matter today.  We will finish this on Wednesday.

Language Arts - None - We finished reading our novel today, and completed our comprehension and vocabulary packet.  We took the AR quiz on the story, and will continue working on extension activities later this week.

Social Studies - Chapter 9 review sheet - We worked on the chapter 9 review sheet in class today.  Those that did not finish need to complete it at home for homework.  Students can return in on Wednesday since we have a field trip tomorrow.

Player of the Week

Aidan is our Player of the Week this week!

Lessons & Assignments Friday, May 12th

Math - None - We started chapter 13 today.  Our first lesson was on finding perimeter.  This is a concept that is covered in 3rd grade.  In 4th grade, our responsibility is to teach students how to find perimeter using a formula.  In this case, P= (2xl) + (2xw) or P= 2 (l+w).  The students had a tendency to try to shortcut this today by adding instead.  Although they will get the correct answer, and certainly get it faster, the goal of today's lesson was to teach students how to use a formula.  If you are practicing at home, please, please, please use the formula.  Understanding how to use a formula now will benefit us later in the chapter, and again in 5th grade.

Science - None - We did a secret code chapter review today.

Language Arts - None - We had our Egg Drop kick off activity with Mrs. Kuhnen today.  She read the 4th grade classes a story about eggs, explained the egg drop, and went over expectations for our field trip on Tuesday.  After that, we finished our current read aloud book in class.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Classroom Visitor

Ethan's dad visited our classroom yesterday to tell us about his job with the city of East Moline.  The kids loved asking him questions about how the sewer plant works, and enjoyed hearing about his dedication to coaching baseball.

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, May 11th

Math - None - We introduced chapter 13 this morning, which is on area and perimeter.  We did some examples together on the board, and previewed the vocabulary we will encounter in this chapter.

Science - None - We read about mixtures and solutions today.

Language Arts - None -We continued working on our novel unit today.  We studied vocabulary, and discussed the various types of conflict found in a story.

Social Studies - None - We learned about the history of labor unions today, and the reforms they brought on during industrial growth in Illinois.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, May 10th

Math - None - We took our chapter 12 test today.  We will start our final chapter of the year tomorrow.

Science - None - We started reading a new chapter about states of matter today.  We also explored the concept of density, by floating various objects in oil and water.

Language Arts - None - We continued on our novel unit today.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, May 9th*

Math - None - We reviewed in class today in preparation for tomorrow's test.

Science - None - We read a Scholastic News article today.

Language Arts - None - We continued working on our novel unit today.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

*Please note:  These plans were tentative.  I had a sub today while I attended training.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, May 8th

Math - None - We looked for patterns in measurement units today.  This was our last lesson in chapter 12.  We will review tomorrow, and take our chapter 12 test Wednesday.

Science - None - We took our quarterly assessment posttest and pretest today.

Language Arts - None - We used our language arts time today to play catch up.  We needed to finish up our quarterly assessments, complete our Star reading and Star math assessments, and finish our math reflection sheets.  Whew!

Social Studies - None - We read about industrial growth in Illinois after the Civil War today.

Player of the Week

Ethan is our Player of the Week this week!

Lessons & Assignments Friday, May 5th

Math - None - We practiced adding and subtracting with mixed measures today.  For example, we subtracted 1 pound 8 ounces from 3 pounds 4 ounces.  This was a challenging lesson, so we did most of it together.

Science - None - We took the chapter 10 test today.  Results were sent home today - great job 4th grade!

Language Arts - None - We continued working on our novel unit today.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, May 4th

Math - None - We practiced figuring elapsed time today.

Science - None - We played a review game in preparation for tomorrow's test.

Language Arts - None - We continued with our novel unit today.  We discussed analogies, vocabulary, character traits, and answered comprehension questions.

Social Studies - None - We completed our daily geography, and watched a few Discovery Education video clips on the industrial movement after the Civil War.

Interactive clock

Clock

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, May 3rd

Math - None - We learned about converting units of time today between minutes and hours, hours and days, days and weeks, etc.  

Science - None - We read about other objects in the solar system, such as galaxies, universes, and stars.  We will take our chapter 10 test on Friday.

Language Arts - Read chapter 6 - We continued working on our novel unit today.  We discussed chapters 3-4 today, and read chapter 5 in class.  We discussed vocabulary words, verbs, and characterization.

Social Studies - None - We previewed unit 5 today on the growth of Illinois.  We will be reading about the industrialization of our state in this unit.  We also completed a vocabulary preview page in class.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, May 2nd

Math - None - We learned about making conversions with metric units of mass and liquid volume today.

Science - None - We had Ag in the Classroom today.  We learned all about pigs.

Language Arts - read chapters 3-4 - We discussed chapter 2 today, and worked in groups for discussions.  We also talked about similes and personification.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, May 1st

Math - None - We learned about metric units of length today.  We all decided that the metric system was way easier than the customary units!

Science - None - We finished our planet packets today.

Language Arts - Read chapter 2 - We started a novel unit on The Cricket in Times Square today.  This will take us to the end of the school year.  Today we read chapter 1, and worked on our comprehension and vocabulary packets.  We discussed character traits, vocabulary, hooks, and cliffhangers.

Social Studies - None - We started our unit 4 test today.

Lessons & Assignments Friday, April 28th

Math - None - We took our mid-chapter quiz today, and completed our problem of the day and reteach page.  We also had field day team meetings during our math block today.

Science - None - We continued working on our planet packets today.  Students were assigned groups, where each group studied one planet.  The groups were responsible for teaching the class about their planet.  We will continue this on Monday.

Language Arts - None - We took our unit assessments today, and presented our founding fathers reports.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, April 27th

Math - 12.5 - We learned about line plots today.  Students need to finish the 12.5 worksheet tonight.

Science - None - We finished up the comprehension passages on the inner planets today.

Language Arts - None - We continued working on our founding fathers research today.

Social Studies - Chapter 8 review sheet - We used our class time to complete the chapter 8 review sheet.  Those that were unable to finish in class today need to do this for homework tonight.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, April 26th

Math - None - We used our math time to catch up on some corrections, reteaching activities, and IXL lessons.

Science - None - We watched a Study Jams video and took a fun quiz over the inner planets today.

Language Arts - cursive spelling - We had a classroom visitor today during LA, completed a grammar page, and started our spelling page.  We also started a research activity on the founding fathers.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Classroom Visitor

Jolene's sister visited our classroom today to show us all of the amazing products that she crochets.  We got to see a teddy bear, octopus, blanket, and scarf.  She is so talented, and we loved hearing all about her skills!

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, April 25th

Math - None - The students learned about customary units of liquid volume today.  They used Gallon Bots to help remember the conversion amounts.

Science - None - We continued working on our planet packets today.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page today in class, reread our weekly story, worked on our Read Works digital articles on the founding fathers, and finished our invention writing.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Friday, April 21st*

Math - None - We completed a lesson on customary units of weight today.  We converted ounces, pounds, and tons.

Science - None - We read about the inner and outer planets of the solar system today.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today, and reread our weekly story.  We also worked on a digital article of the day activity to study the founding fathers of our country.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

*Please note:  These plans are tentative.  I took a personal day to attend an awards ceremony for my daughter. 

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, April 20th

Math - None - We learned how to convert customary units of length today.  We worked on converting measurements between inches, feet, and yards.

Science - None - We finished up our Mystery Science activity today by making models of moon phases.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  We watched a Discovery Education video on the history of Benjamin Franklin, and finished reading and discussing our weekly story.

Social Studies - None - We reviewed our last lesson, and watched a few Discovery Education videos on battles of the Civil War and the life of Abraham Lincoln.

Moon Phases

We have been reading about moon phases in science class, and wondering why the moon appears to change shape.  We completed a Mystery Science investigation today.  Check out our video below to see how we modeled the phases of the moon.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, April 19th

Math - None - We completed our first lesson in chapter 12 today, on measurement benchmarks.  We learned about both customary and metric units today for length, weight, mass, liquid volume.

Science - None - We started a Mystery Science activity today on what makes the moon appear to change shapes.  Students worked in groups to design a plan to model the moon during tomorrow's activity.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  This unit's spelling words all have prefixes or suffixes, and we are still working with prepositional phrases.  We also started reading a biographical story about Benjamin Franklin.  We are working on identifying the author's perspective, so we worked on a graphic organizer as we found clues in our text.  We also tried to watch a Discovery Education video with background on Benjamin Franklin, but our technology just wasn't having it today.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Classroom Visitor

Alexis's mom visited our classroom today to tell us all about her job at Dollar General.  We loved hearing about how she likes working with customers, and her friendly boss!

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, April 18th

Math - None - We finished up our chapter 11 test today, and previewed chapter 12.

Science - None - We read about moon phases today.

Language Arts - vocab packet - We introduced our new spelling and vocabulary words today, and worked on our vocab packets in class today.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Reminder:  SIP early dismissal tomorrow!

Vocabulary

Click HERE for this week's vocabulary slide show.

Player of the Week

Alexis is our Player of the Week this week!

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, April 13th

No homework this weekend.  We took our final PARCC assessment today - whew!  We also had some time to review chapter 11 in math, and take our math test in groups today (I didn't want to wait until after the long weekend).  We also finished up our long week by visiting the other 4th grade teachers for some fun science and math activities.  In Mr. Tenboer's room, the students tested buoyancy by making aluminum foil boats, Mrs. Melton did jelly bean graphing, and in my room we explored eggs.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, April 12th

No homework!  

We took our final ELA PARCC assessment, and our Unit 3 Math PARCC assessment today.  

We had a bit of time to continue working on our regular math lessons, and we had SEL and PE today.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, April 11th

No homework tonight.  

We took our PARCC Unit 2 ELA, and Unit 2 Math tests today.  

We also had music and computer class today.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, April 10th

We took our first Language Arts and Math PARCC assessments today.  We also had PE, Computers, and Art.  No homework this week!  Enjoy!

PARCC Kick-Off

We kicked off our PARCC testing this morning with a few special surprises.  Miss Wagenknecht's class made some awesome posters and door decorations to cheer on our class this week.  They also left some notes of encourage"mint" on our desks today too!  Along with the special treats from the 2nd graders, students had supportive notes from their parents, and a special treat from me.

Classroom Visitor

Dakota's mom visited our classroom today to tell us all about making donuts at Casey's.  The best part was that she brought in samples of her work - YUM!!

Lessons & Assignments Friday, April 7th

Math - None - We reviewed measuring angles today with our protractors.  We moved from station to station to measure angles and record our measurements.  We also reviewed yesterday's lesson together in class.

Science - None - We had a classroom visitor during our science time today.

Language Arts - None - We finished our read aloud book today, and worked on our spelling, vocabulary, and reading tests.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, April 6th*

Math - None - We completed a lesson on joining and separating angles today.

Science - None - We read about what causes the seasons today, and completed a worksheet on the moon.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling & grammar page in class today, worked in guided reading groups, and reviewed spelling and vocab for tomorrow's test.

Social Studies - None - We continued learning about the Civil War today.

*Please note:  these plans are tentative. I am gone Thursday to take a certification test for my reading endorsement.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, April 5th

Math - None - We practiced measuring and drawing angles with a protractor today.  We will be reviewing this on Friday, as today was a bit of a struggle.  If you have a protractor at home, please practice!

Science - None - We had Ag in the Classroom today.

Language Arts - None - We completed a grammar and spelling page in class today.  We finished reading Snowflake Bentley and completed our graphic organizer.  We practiced identifying prepositions on Kahoot, and visited the Snowflake Bentley museum website.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, April 4th

Math - None - We continued talking about degrees today, and worked on using common denominators to find the measure of an angle.

Science - seasons worksheet - We finished up a Mystery Science activity, and students have the reflection sheet to complete at home tonight.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  We reviewed our vocabulary words, and watched a few Discovery Education video clips to build some background knowledge on the science of snowflakes.  We started reading a biographical story today about Snowflake Bentley while drawing conclusions about the story using text evidence.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, April 3rd

Math - None - We started chapter 11 today which is on angles.  We learned to use a protractor to measure angles, and discussed the degrees in a circle.  We also talked about the difference between clockwise and counterclockwise.

Science - None - We started chapter 10 today on space.  We started a Mystery Science module on seasons, and will finish it tomorrow.

Language Arts - None - We introduced our new spelling words (suffixes) and vocabulary words today.  We completed a grammar page (prepositions) in class, and worked on our vocab packets.  We will only be spending one week on this story due to PARCC testing next week.

Social Studies - None - We continued reading about the beginning of the Civil War, and the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.  We completed a timeline worksheet in class.

Vocabulary

Click HERE for our vocabulary slide show for Snowflake Bentley.  

Lessons & Assignments Friday, March 24th

Math - None - We took our chapter 10 test today.

Science - None - We watched a Magic School Bus video on the Solar System today.  This will be the topic of our next chapter after spring break.

Language Arts - None - We took our unit assessments today.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, March 23rd

Math - None - We reviewed for tomorrow's test in class today.

Science - None - We rotated through science centers today.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  We reread our weekly story, and had some time to practice spelling and vocab on Spelling City.  We worked on our writing packets, and played a spelling review game.

Social Studies - None - We continued to discuss Fort Sumter, and it's importance in the Civil War.  We watched a Discovery Education video tour of Fort Sumter, and visited the National Park Service website to see pictures and videos of the National Monument.

Science Centers

Instead of starting a new chapter before spring break, we spent our science time today rotating through some science center activities.  Students worked with a partner to learn about animals, body systems, space, plants, and simple machines, while interacting with fun, game-like activities.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, March 22nd

Math - None - We reviewed for our chapter test today.  We will continue our review tomorrow, and take our test on Friday.

Science - None - We took our chapter 9 test today.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  We read an expository article about gold, and studied timelines as a text feature.  We also started a book of knowledge activity using digital articles.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Snoopy Sneak Peek

The elementary students had a chance to get a sneak peek of the high school musical, Snoopy.  We had so much fun watching the performance!  Be sure to check it out this weekend if you have time!

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, March 21st

Math - None - We completed lesson 10.7 today on finding shape and number patterns.  This was a tricky lesson, so we reviewed it together in class today.  We will review chapter 10 in class tomorrow and Thursday, and take our test on Friday.

Science - None - We played a review game in preparation for tomorrow's test.

Language Arts - None - We completed a grammar page and spelling page in class today.  This week we are talking about adverbs that compare (fast, faster/more, most).  We reviewed our vocabulary words today, and watched a quick Discovery Education video clip on the Gold Rush to build some background knowledge.  We read our story, The Gold Rush Game, and discussed the elements of science fiction text, as well as cause/effect relationships.  We also started a new writing packet today, which focuses on organization.  Today we discussed starting our stories with a hook.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Flora and Ulysses

Book review by Jolene:

I thought Flora and Ulysses was a good book. Sometimes it was funny, and sometimes it was sad. In the beginning of the book, Flora said she was a natural born cynic, but at the end she had feelings.( Fact a cynic is a person that has no feelings). What happened was Mrs. Tickham ( also called Tootie) got a vacuum for her birthday. It was super powerful, and it pulled her to Flora’s house and sucked up a squirrel. Apparently the squirrel got powers after Flora saved his life. After that, he learned to write poetry on his own. Then Flora knew her mom was his enemy. You should read it if you like superheroes and funny things. That's the book.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, March 20th

Math - None - We completed 2 lessons today, 10.5 and 10.6.  Both lessons were on line symmetry, so we decided to combine them.  This will also allow us to get finished with chapter 10 before spring break.

Science - None - We skipped science today to squeeze in an extra math lesson.

Language Arts - None - We introduced our new spelling and vocabulary words today, and completed our vocabulary packets in class.  We will only be spending one week on this unit, so tests will be on Friday.

Social Studies -None - We started chapter 8 today, and completed a vocabulary page in class.  We also started reading about the Civil War, and watched a Discovery Education video about the war.

River Bandits Reading Program

The River Bandits' team mascot Rascal visited our school on Friday to get us excited about reading!  Today we kicked off our Book Buddies reading challenge.  Students need to read 75 minutes a week for the next 4 weeks to earn a free ticket to the baseball game.  All 4th graders that meet the challenge will attend a River Bandits game together.  Information was sent home with your child today.

Player of the Week

Brenden is our Player of the Week this week!

Vocabulary Slide Show

Please click HERE for this week's vocabulary slide show.

Lessons & Assignments Friday, March 17th

Math - None - We took our chapter 10 quiz today, and reviewed yesterday's assignment.

Science - None - We read about weather instruments today, and researched instruments and their purposes with partners.

Language Arts - None - We took our unit assessments today.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, March 16th

Math - None - We completed lesson 10.4 today on classifying quadrilaterals.  We learned all about the characteristics of a trapezoid, square, rectangle, rhombus, and parallelogram.

Science - None - We talked about weather maps today, and how weather is predicted.  We watched our local weather report, and identified symbols in the report such as a warm front and a cold front.  We also looked up today's current weather, and recorded our high/low temps, weather, wind speed, and chance of precipitation.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class, reviewed spelling/vocab on Spelling City, and finished up our article of the day.  We also played Sparkle to review our spelling words.  Our reading, spelling, and vocabulary tests are tomorrow.

Social Studies - Chapter 7 review sheet - We worked on our chapter 7 review sheet in class today.  Those students that were not able to finish in class need to complete it for homework tonight.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, March 15th

Math - None - We completed lesson 10.3 today on parallel and perpendicular lines.  In small groups, we created lines with toothpicks, folded paper, and with the creation of maps.  We used our iPads and the Doodle Buddy app to find examples of parallel and perpendicular lines around our classroom.

Science - None - We read about air masses and fronts today, and watched a Study Jams video on these topics.

Language Arts - None - We watched a Discovery Education video on the Dust Bowl, and read an expository article about it as well.  We continued working with adverbs, and completed a cursive spelling page.  We also continued working with Digital ReadWorks to read and respond to an article of the day.

Social Studies - None - We watched a few Discovery Education videos about the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the election of 1860, and the history of Abraham Lincoln's life.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, March 14th

Math - None - We finished lesson 10.2 today on classifying triangles.  In small groups we made right, acute, and obtuse triangles with toothpicks, and created and classified triangles out of grid paper.

Science - None - We read about how landforms such as oceans and mountains can change the water cycle.

Language Arts - None - We completed our grammar and spelling page together in class today.  We continued our writing focus of staying on a topic by writing about a birthday party.  The students used Google Docs to write their response, and submitted it to me online.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, March 13th

Math - None - We completed lesson 10.1 today on lines, rays, and angles.  We talked a lot today about the definitions of each of these terms, and how to name and label them.  In small groups we created angles using toothpicks, and found pictures of angles, rays, points, and lines in old magazines.

Science - None - We read about weather safety today, and watched a Discovery Education video on what to do during weather emergencies.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  We reread our weekly story, and answered some comprehension questions using Google Classroom.  We also had some time to listen to our current read aloud, and visit the library for AR books.

Social Studies - None - We read about the Lincoln-Douglas debates today, and completed a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.

Player of the Week

Lilly is our Player of the Week this week!

Team Buck Incentive

As one of our team buck incentives, we got to help Mrs. Livengood with morning messages this morning.  Way to go 4C!

Lessons & Assignments Friday, March 10th

Math - None - We continued working on a math vocabulary packet today.  We will be doing this in the coming weeks to prepare for the PARCC test.  The goal of this packet is to help students better understand what test directions are asking them to do.  We also used our math time to take care of 4th quarter business.  We set our new AR goals, switched locker partners, switched classroom librarians, and took a quarterly assessment.

Science - None - We read about how weather is related to the water cycle, and did a weather fact scavenger hunt.

Language Arts - None - We reviewed spelling and vocabulary, worked on a writing packet, and practiced grammar skills on IXL.  We also spent some time reading for AR and listening to our new read aloud book, The Westing Game.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Classroom Visitor

Kiera's aunt visited our classroom today to tell us about her job at Sprint.  She explained how phone calls and text messages get from one caller to the other.  The students got to move around and model how calls move from a phone, to the phone company, and the towers.  We also learned how birds, trees, and buildings are involved.  She gave everyone a notebook, pen, and snacks!  We had a great time learning about something new!

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, March 9th

Math - None - We took our 3rd quarter assessment posttest today, and did the chapter 10 introduction.  We are moving on to geometry, and the students had a chance to pretend they were landscape architects today while designing a city park.

Science - None - We started our next lesson on how weather is related to the water cycle.  We will continue this lesson tomorrow.

Language Arts - None - We completed a grammar and spelling page in class today.  We also reread our weekly story.  Mrs. Jacobs' class did a mock trial for our classroom during our LA time today.

Social Studies - None - We took a quarterly assessment posttest today.

Goldilocks on Trial

Mrs. Jacobs had her enrichment group conduct a trial today in our classroom for Goldilocks.  Her group has been working on writing questions, providing evidence, and using text evidence.  They had prosecutors, defenders, and witnesses (including a DNA specialist and a security expert).  Mrs. Livengood served as the judge, my class served as the jury, and Chloee got to be our bailiff!  We had so much fun!  We decided Goldilocks was guilty of breaking and entering the bears' house, and sentenced her to 3 years in jail.

A.R. All Stars

Congratulations to Jolene and Grace W. for earning over 100 AR points so far this year!  As a reward, they both got to have lunch with Mrs. Livengood today.  Keep up the good work ladies!

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, March 8th

Math - None - We took our chapter 9 test today.  I was very proud of the results!

Science - None - We read an article about the water cycle, and completed some comprehension questions in class.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today (in the dark!).  We read our selection story, Leah's Pony, and completed a problem/solution graphic organizer.  We also reviewed our new vocabulary words.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, March 7th

Math - None - We did our end of the chapter review today.  We will take our chapter 9 test tomorrow.  Students have an optional review sheet that they can do tonight for a classroom incentive.

Science - None - We finished up our water cycle diagrams and put them in our journals today.  We had Ag in the Classroom today.

Language Arts - None - We used our LA time today to catch up on some unfinished business!  We read our Ag Mags, and answered some comprehension questions. We spent some time doing IXL math review lessons, and we finished up our Discovery Education video on slavery.  We also spent some time listening to our current read aloud story, Esperanza Rising.

Social Studies - None - We did not have social studies today.

Ag in the Classroom

We had Ag in the Classroom today, where we learned all about soil!  The students learned about how limited this resource is, and got to make observations about sand, silt, and clay.  Afterwards we read our Ag Mags, and answered comprehension questions on the material.