Lessons & Assignments Friday, December 16th

No homework over break!  Have a relaxing break, and a very merry Christmas!

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, December 15th

Math - None - Due to the late start this morning, we only had time to do a reteach page and a problem of the day.

Science - None - We took our chapter 5 test today.

Language Arts - None - We watched the movie Because of Winn Dixie today since we just finished the novel.

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

Note:  The students do not need to bring their book bags tomorrow 

since we will be going on our Christmas field trip.

Classroom Visitor

Izzy's dad visited our classroom today to tell us all about his job as a farmer.  The kids LOVED hearing about his tractors and crops.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, December 14th

Math - 6.1 - We started lesson 6.1 today on identifying equivalent fractions.  In small groups, we did this by using fraction circles, folding papers, and using dice and multiplication.  Students have dry erase fraction strips and markers to help them with tonight's assignment.

Science - None - We finished reading about how humans can impact ecosystems.  We read about natural resources, and watched a Discovery Education video on resources.  Students had to list the resources they observed in the movie in their science journals.  We will take our chapter 5 open book test tomorrow.

Language Arts - None - We finished up our Winn-Dixie anchor charts today, finished our last brochure, and took our final novel assessment.

Social Studies - None - We used our social studies time today to get some extra science done.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, December 13th

Math - None - We used our math time today to finish up our social studies tests from yesterday.

Science - None - We started our lesson on how humans impact ecosystems.  We watched a Discovery Education video on erosion and pollution to preview this lesson.

Language Arts - None - We did not have language arts today due to our program practice.

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

Reminder:  Students need to arrive for the program at 5:45.  

4th grade is meeting in Mr. McCollough's room.

Player of the Week

Izzy is our Player of the Week this week!

Lessons & Assignments Monday, December 12th

Math - None - We started discussing chapter 6 today on fractions.  Students will learn to compare, order, and find equivalent fractions in this chapter.  We reviewed the basics of fractions today while working with magnetic fraction strips and fraction circles.  We also completed the chapter introduction and vocabulary page together in class.

Science - None - We finished learning about different types of ecosystems today, and talked about the different layers of the rainforest ecosystem.  We made rainforest diagrams in our journals.

Language Arts - None - We finished reading Because of Winn-Dixie today.  We continued adding ideas to our anchor charts, worked on our brochures, and responded to quotes from the text.  We also learned 6 new vocabulary words.  We will take a final assessment over this novel on Wednesday.

Social Studies - None - We took our open book unit 2 test today.

Lessons & Assignments Friday, December 9th

Math - None - We took our 3rd quarter assessment pretest today.

Science - None - We read about non-living factors that affect ecosystems today.

Language Arts - None - We continued our novel unit today, took our spelling and vocab tests, and took our reading test.

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

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, December 8th

Math - None - We took our 2nd quarter assessment posttest today.

Science - None - We read about factors that affect ecosystems today.  We finished a diagram graphic organizer of a population, community, and ecosystem, and completed a cause/effect chart in our journals.

Language Arts - None - We continued working on our novel unit.  We completed a spelling/grammar page in class, added information to our anchor charts, and read two more chapters.  Students completed a writing response today, and researched dogs.

Social Studies - Chapter 4 worksheet - We finished watching our Discovery Education video on the journey of the Declaration of Independence.  We started our chapter 4 review sheet.  These need to be completed at home tonight for homework.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, December 7th

Math - None - We worked on corrections today in class, and also had our SEL lesson.

Science - None - We started our new chapter on ecosystems today.

Language Arts - read ch. 17, brochure - We continued our novel unit today.

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

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, December 6th

Math - None - We took our chapter 5 test today.

Science - None - We used our science time to work on our math test today.

Language Arts - read chapter 14, quote response - We continued our novel unit today.  We completed a spelling and grammar page, summarized events for our chapter titles activity, added to our anchor charts, and completed a graphic organizer.  We also took a quiz over chapters 9-13.

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

Reminder:  SIP early dismissal tomorrow

Hour of Code

The fourth graders walked over to the middle school today to participate an Hour of Code activity.  They spent an hour writing and interacting with code with the 5th graders.  You can learn more by clicking HERE.

Ag in the Classroom

The students learned all about soybeans today!  We got to watch a movie on soybeans, dissect a soybean, and read our Ag Mags on the ipads!

Player of the Week

Grace is our Player of the Week this week!

Lessons & Assignments Monday, December 5th

Math - None - We reviewed chapter 5 today in preparation for tomorrow's test.

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

Language Arts - None - We continued working on our novel unit today.  The students got new spelling and vocabulary words for this week, and completed a spelling and grammar page in class.  We read two chapters, and worked on some reading response activities.

Social Studies - None - Last week the students read about the Declaration of Independence.  We watched a Discovery Education video on this topic today.

Ag Mag

Ag Mag

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, November 30th

Math - None - We learned about multiples today.  This was pretty easy for the kids that mastered skip counting last year.  In our small groups, we used stickers, number line tape, and counters.

Science - None - We took our chapter 4 test today.

Language Arts - Setting Writing - We continued reading our novel today.  We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  We did a quote response, and finished our Google Docs project.

Social Studies - None - We started reading about the American Revolution today.  We watched a Discovery Education video on the events that led to the American Revolution.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, November 29th

Math - None - We completed a problem of the day and a reteach page in class today.  We also took the mid-chapter quiz.  This took a bit longer than I anticipated, so we did not get to a new lesson today.

Science - None - We played a review game in class today.  We will take our open book test over body systems tomorrow.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  We read two more chapters in our novel, and answered some comprehension questions.  We also started an anchor chart on all of the events that happen in the novel because of the dog, Winn-Dixie.  Students completed a quote response, and worked on a compare/contrast activity, and some vocabulary word work.  We also started a list in Google Docs to mimic a list that the main character makes in our story.

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

Lessons & Assignments Monday, November 28th

Math - 5.3 - We learned how to find common factors today for 3 numbers.

Science - None - We read about the muscular system today.  We watched a Discovery Education video on the muscular system, added the muscular system to our foldable project, and completed an in-class assignment on muscles.

Language Arts - None - We started a novel unit on Because of Winn-Dixie today.  We will be reading this novel and doing activities until Christmas break.  Students will have a reading test, spelling test, and vocabulary test this Friday over the first several chapters.

Social Studies - None - We read about the French settlers in America.  We read about Roanoke and the French and Indian War.  Students completed a foldable graphic organizer comparing the French and the British for our journals.

Classroom Plays

We finished up our classroom plays today with performances from our final two groups.  

Way to go 4th grade!

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, November 22nd

Math - None - We finished lesson 5.2 in class today on factors and divisibility rules.

Science - None - We made models of bones today in class.

Language Arts - None - We took our unit assessments today and finished the class plays.

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

I hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Bone Burritos

We have been reading about the skeletal system in science class.  Today we built a model of a bone.  The tortilla shell represented the periosteum (or outer membrane of a bone), the cookies represented the compact bone (hard bone), the angel food cake was the spongy bone tissue, and the jelly was the bone marrow.  We topped it off with pull-n-peel licorice as the blood vessels.

Classroom Plays

We have been reading a play called Ranita the Frog Princess in Language Arts class.  I challenged the students to take a trade book, and make it into their own plays.  The students had to practice punctuating dialogue while incorporating elements of a play.  They also had to use persuasive writing skills to make an advertising poster for their plays.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, November 21st

Math - 5.1 #1-12 - We continued practicing and reviewing factors today.  We talked about divisibility rules and using our multiplication charts.  We also talked about a few different ways to organize our work such as using a t-chart or a rainbow diagram while we are working.

Science - None - We read about the skeletal system today.  We completed a worksheet on bones, and added the skeletal system to our foldable diagrams.

Language Arts - cursive spelling - We did a practice vocabulary test in class today, and completed a grammar page.  We had time to work on a cursive spelling page, but those students that didn't finish need to complete it for homework tonight.  We reread our unit story, and discussed the theme.  Some of our groups presented their plays that they've been writing, and the rest of our groups will go tomorrow.  Reminder - spelling, vocabulary, reading tests tomorrow.

Social Studies - None - We finished up our Thanksgiving fact hunt today.

Lessons & Assignments Friday, November 18th

Math - None - We started lesson 5.1 today on modeling factors.  We used Unifex cubes to make arrays that modeled factors of various numbers.  We will finish this lesson on Monday.

Science - None - We watched a Discovery Education video on the nervous system, and added the labels to our foldable project.

Language Arts - None - We reread our weekly story, completed a spelling page, and read an expository story about fairy tales.  We compared and contrasted the main character in our story to Cinderella.  The students also had time to create a poster to advertise their plays.

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

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, November 17th

Math - None - We had a classroom visitor during our math block this morning.  We also practiced a new math review app called IXL.  This app is aligned with state standards, as well as with our math curriculum.  It can also be used to practice at home.  Password information will be sent home soon!

Science - None - We watched a Discovery Education video on the heart and blood today, and started a lesson on the nervous system.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class, reread our weekly story, and finished our group plays.

Social Studies - None - We took a break from the textbook today to research the first Thanksgiving. We watched Scholastic's interactive tour of the Mayflower and had to work on a packet of research questions while we took the tour.

Classroom Visitor

Chloee's mom visited our classroom today.  We got to hear all about her job at the County Clerk's office.  We loved learning about her role in tallying election results earlier this month, and even got some "I voted" stickers!

Thanksgiving Research

Click HERE for your research on the first Thanksgiving.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, November 16th

Math - None - We took our chapter 4 test today.  We also tried out a new online math review program called IXL math.  I am hoping this will work as a great review and practice tool for our class.

Science - None - We read about the circulatory system and blood today, and labeled the parts on our foldable project.

Language Arts - None - We finished reading our unit story today and completed our graphic organizer.  We also did a spelling and grammar page in class.  Since this week's story is a play, the students worked in small groups to turn a picture book into a play.

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

Classroom Visitor

Chloee's dad visited our classroom today to tell us all about his job as a police officer.  

The students loved hearing all about his exciting career!

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, November 15th

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

Science - None - We completed a worksheet on lungs today and made a model of a lung.

Language Arts - None - The high school Spanish class visited our classroom during LA time today.  We also completed a grammar and spelling page in class.  We started reading our unit story today, and worked on a graphic organizer to help determine the theme of the story.

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

Spanish Stories

The high school Spanish class came over to visit today to read us animal stories that they wrote in Spanish.  We had a blast hearing their stories and learning new words.

Lung Models

We have been reading about the respiratory system in science class.  Today we made models of lungs to demonstrate how they work.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, November 14th

Math - None - We practiced solving multi-step division problems today by drawing a diagram.  Multi-step problems continue to be a challenge, so we did most of these together in class.

Science - None - We made a model of the digestive system in class, and completed a worksheet on digestion.

Language Arts - vocabulary packet - We introduced our new spelling and vocabulary words today.  Students worked on their vocabulary packets in class.  We also read a story called The Frog Prince to review our new words in context.

Social Studies - None - We continued reading about the French explorers' arrival in North America.  We watched a Discovery Education video on the early French explorers such as Marquette and Jolliet.

Vocabulary Slide Show

Please click HERE for our vocabulary slide show on 

Ranita the Frog Princess.

Digestive System

We have been reading about the digestive system in science.  Today we made a model of the stomach, and practiced "digesting" some crackers.

Player of the Week

Chloee is our Player of the Week this week!

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, November 10th

Math - None - We had our Veteran's Day program during our math block today.  After the program, we finished the back side of yesterday's assignment, and did some division review with a partner.

Science - None - We started a body systems foldable today, adding information about the digestive system, and labeling the stomach and esophagus.

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

Social Studies - None - We read about the arrival of French explorers in North America today.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, November 9th

Math - 4.11 front only - We continued dividing by 1-digit numbers today, and focused on multiplying to check our answers.  Students need to complete the front side of the 4.11 worksheet.

Science - None - We read about the digestive system today.

Language Arts - None - We had practice for the Veteran's Day Program today during language arts.

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

Reminder:  Wear red, white, and blue tomorrow!

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, November 8th

Math - None - We spent the first half of our math block catching up on our missed day of school yesterday.  We made corrections to our science test from last week, and previewed our very busy week.  We had Ag in the Classroom during the second half of our math block, and also completed a reteach page from last week's division lesson.

Science - None - We started our chapter on body systems today.  We did a lab activity on pulse rates.  Students took their pulse while sitting, after one minute of marching, and again after 1 minute of running, then analyzed the results in their journals.

Language Arts - None - We read Dear Mrs. LaRue again today, and completed a spelling and grammar page in class.  We finished up our writing packets as well.  Students had to write about the first day of school using the 5 w's.  We read an expository story about a border collie named Rico, who was able to learn more than 200 words.  We discussed text features such as line graphs, and solved a few math problems using the line graph in the article.  The class used Dear Mr. LaRue as a model to write a letter from Rico to his owner.

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

Reminder:  SIP early dismissal tomorrow

Ag in the Classroom

Today we were talking turkeys!  We learned about how turkeys are raised, and the presidential pardon that 2 special turkeys receive each Thanksgiving.  The students even got to make turkey calls!  Hope you enjoy these at home!  ;)

Lessons & Assignments Friday, November 4th*

Math - None - We completed the odd numbered problems on our division assignment from yesterday, and played some division practice games in class.

Science - None - We took our chapter 3 test today.

Language Arts - None - We reread Dear Mrs. LaRue, studied spelling and vocabulary on Spelling City, and reviewed vocabulary words while previewing our leveled readers in small groups today.  We also had JA with Mrs. Reed during our LA time today.

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

*Please note:  These plans are tentative.  I am out of the building Friday for a doctor's appointment.

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, November 3rd

Math - None - We started long division today using "mom and dad" math.  We focused on where to place the first digit, and the basic steps today.  Students had time in class to complete the even numbered problems on their assignment.  I checked over most of them in class and had students make corrections if needed.  A few students need to finish corrections tonight.

Science - None - We used our science time to keep the momentum going on our math lesson today.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  We also finished reading Dear Mrs. LaRue and finished our graphic organizer on drawing conclusions.  We worked on brainstorming writing details about the first day of school by using the 5 w's (who, what, when, where, why).

Social Studies - None - We used our social studies time to catch up on corrections and missing assignments today.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, November 2nd

Math - None - We finished our lesson on modeling division with regrouping today.  We also completed a problem of the day and a reteach page.  We previewed tomorrow's lesson on division with regrouping (mom and dad math).  We did a few problems together and put some notes in our math journals.

Science - None - We read about extinction today.  We also read about the paradise tree snake that appears to fly through the trees.  The students had to write as if they were a parent snake teaching the baby snake to fly by using details in the story.

Language Arts - None - We read a story called Puppy Trouble to review our vocabulary words today.  We completed a spelling word sort based on silent letters, and a grammar page in class today.  Today we practiced making verbs past tense by adding -ed or changing a y to i and adding -ed.  We also started our weekly selection story, Dear Mrs. LaRue.   We discussed the elements of a fantasy story, and used a graphic organizer to help us draw conclusions as we read.

Social Studies - Chapter 3 review sheet - The students had the entire class to work on their chapter 3 review sheet using their textbooks.  Anything not finished in class is homework tonight.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, November 1st

Math - None - We took our 2nd quarter assessment pretest today, and started a lesson on modeling division with regrouping.  We will finish this lesson tomorrow.

Science - None - We read about plant fossils today, and watched a Discovery Education video on fossils.  Students completed a 3,2,1 response while watching the video.

Language Arts - vocab packet - We had JA during our LA time today.  We also introduced our new spelling and vocabulary words.  Students also worked on their vocabulary packets in class today.

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

Happy Halloween

Thank you to all of the parents that donated time or supplies to help make our Halloween party a success.  We appreciate it!  Also, a huge thank you to Mindy Jepson for sharing this picture with me since I had to miss the party!

Vocabulary Slide Show

Click HERE for this week's vocabulary slide show on Dear Mrs. LaRue.

Player of the Week

Max is our Player of the Week this week!

Lessons & Assignments Monday, October 31st

No homework tonight - have a fun and safe Halloween!

We spent our morning catching up on stuff from our missed day of school Friday.  We took our reading, spelling, and vocabulary tests.  This afternoon students will be doing some Halloween themed math review games.  I will be gone this afternoon for a doctor's appointment, and apologize for missing the party!

Junior Achievement

Mrs. Reed talked to the kids today about revenue and expenses while running a business.  The kids played a fun game, pretending they were running a hot dog stand, while calculating expenses and sales.

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, October 27th

Math - None - We finished our lesson on dividing using partial quotients.  We did the assignment together in class, so there is no homework.

Science - None - We listed learned behaviors in our science journals today, and started learning about fossils, and how animals are different today than they were in the past.

Language Arts - None - We had JA during our language arts time today.  We also reviewed a writing project that we did yesterday, and continued identifying details in our writing.  Students took a practice vocabulary test, and completed a spelling and grammar page independently.

Social Studies - None - We read about the Illiniwek Confederacy today.  We discussed the similarities and differences between a wigwam and a longhouse.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, October 26th

Math - None - We started a lesson on dividing using partial quotients.  We will continue practicing this concept tomorrow.

Science - None - We read about instincts such as migration and hibernation today.

Language Arts - None - We reread our weekly story, and completed a spelling and grammar page in class together.  We read an expository article about snakes, and wrote a response to compare the two stories.

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

Classroom Visitor

Madilyn's dad visited our classroom today to tell us about his job with the Village of Erie.  We were really excited to learn about how he is currently flushing the fire hydrants, and what it looks like inside of a water tower.  We also enjoyed hearing about his hobby of racing in demo derbies!

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, October 25th

Math - 4.7 - We learned how to use repeated subtraction to divide today.  We started by modeling the procedure with cubes, then used subtraction.  It took us a long time to divide 93 by 4 when we were subtracting 4 over and over again.  To speed up the process, we used multiples of 4, subtracting 40 instead.

Science - None - We read about how animal behaviors can help them survive today.  We read about instinct, and watched a Discovery Education video on how animals use instincts such as eating to survive.

Language Arts - None - We had JA today during our language arts block.  Afterwards, we spent some time finishing up our snake research projects and posters and reading AR books.

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

Reminder:  Wear red tomorrow

Lessons & Assignments Monday, October 24th

Math -  None - We tossed a lesson in the trash today.  Sometimes you just have to do that.  I explained to the students that the method we were using to divide was a good one, we just didn't have the correct materials to use it properly.  It involved using base 10 blocks, and I don't have enough for the class to use, making it difficult.  But no worries, we will learn several other strategies!  We also took our mid-chapter quiz, and previewed tomorrow's lesson on repeated subtraction to divide.

Science - None - We read about adaptations today and natural selection.  Students taped up their thumbs and tried to write to figure out how thumbs were an adaptation.

Language Arts - None - We reread our weekly story and answered some comprehension questions.  We also rewrote the story from another character's point of view today.  The students worked in groups and shared their stories when they were finished.  We also started researching snakes and making a poster on snake facts.

Social Studies - None - We finished a DG packet, and created our timeline foldables for the arrival of humans in Illinois.

Humans Arrive in Illinois

We been reading about the first humans to arrive in Illinois.  We learned that they started as hunter-gatherer societies, then developed permanent settlements, and finally created societies with governments and laws.  Today we made timelines of the arrival of humans.

Point of View Stories

We've been reading the story When I Went to the Library by Ken Roberts.  This is a humorous story written from a young girl's point of view as she is apologizing for bringing a snake into the local library.  Our class worked in groups today to rewrite the story from another point of view.  They wrote it from the point of view of the other kids in the library, Mr. Winston (library employee), the ambulance driver, Cara's parents, and the snake.  Each group presented their finished stories to the class.  I was impressed by their creativity and use of details in their stories.  Way to go 4th grade!

Adaptations

We've been reading and learning about animal adaptations in science.  Today we taped up our dominant hands, and tried writing and eating.  We learned that thumbs are an adaptation that help us meet our basic needs.

Player of the Week

Madilyn is our Player of the Week this week.

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, October 20th

Math - 4.4 - We practiced dividing by tens, hundreds, and thousands today.  The easiest way to do this is to identify the basic fact, and count the number of zeros.

Science - None - We did a lab activity on adaptations of bird beaks today.  Students took different tools (pliers, forceps, pencils, spoons, clothespins) and tried to pick up various types of food (rice, spaghetti, gummy worms, raisins, sunflower seeds).  They were able to figure out that birds' beaks are adapted to the types of food that they eat.

Language Arts - None - We had JA during our language arts time today.  We also completed a spelling and grammar page in class, and reread our weekly story.  We practiced identifying when, where, and why details in writing, and wrote our own sentences that included those details.

Social Studies - None - We worked on our DG, and read about the early inhabitants of Illinois.  We read about the Cahokia Mounds, and watched a quick Discovery Education clip about the history of the mounds.

Junior Achievement

Mrs. Sara Reed from Country Insurance visited our classroom today for a Junior Achievement (JA) lesson.  She will join us for lessons over the next 5 weeks.  Students will learn about regions, including entrepreneurship skills.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, October 19th

Math - 4.3 - We practiced interpreting the remainder in division word problems today.  We learned about problems that could be answered in fraction form, those using just the quotient, those using the quotient plus one, and those requiring just the remainder.

Science - None - We took our chapter test today.

Language Arts - None - We used part of our LA time to finish our science tests today.  We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today, and finished our selection story and graphic organizer.

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

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, October 18th

Math - None - We had reviewed division with remainders today, and had Ag in the Classroom.

Science - None - We played a review game for tomorrow's open book test.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  We learned about Memory Moment Signposts today, and practiced identifying them in a few picture books.  We read the first half of our selection story, and started an inference web graphic organizer.  We also started working on a new writing packet, where we will focus on adding "who" and "what" details to our stories.

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

Reminder:  SIP early dismissal tomorrow.

Ag in the Classroom

Mrs. Clodfelter visited our classroom today to teach us all about pumpkins!

Lessons & Assignments Monday, October 17th

Math - 4.2 - We started chapter 4 today on division.  Today we learned about remainders.  We practiced drawing models to represent equal groups and remainders, but eventually the students will be doing this more fluently, and won't need the drawings.

Science - None - We read about metamorphosis today, and completed a booklet on the life cycle of a frog for our science journals.

Language Arts - vocabulary packet - We introduced our new vocabulary and spelling words today.  Students that were not able to complete their packets in class today need to finish it for homework tonight.

Social Studies - None - We previewed unit 2 today on the early people of Illinois.  We completed a vocabulary worksheet together in class, and continued working on our daily geography packet.

Please note - PARCC score sheets from last year's tests were sent home today.  Please check your child's folder, and let me know if you have any questions.  

Vocabulary Slide Show

Click HERE to view this week's vocabulary slide show for When I Went to the Library.

Lessons & Assignments Friday, October 14th

Math - None - We had fire safety presentations during our math time this morning.

Science - None - We used our science time to finish our social studies test from yesterday.

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

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

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, October 13th

Math - None - We took our chapter 3 test today.  I was so proud of the results on this test - way to go 4th grade!

Science - None - We read about human growth and development today, and drew pictures to predict what we would look like at age 50.

Language Arts - None - We reread our selection story, and studied spelling and vocab on Spelling City.  We also wrote a paragraph to describe our favorite place to read.  Students switched papers, and drew a picture of the description so we could determine whether or not we added enough details.  We also played Sparkle to review spelling words.

Social Studies - None - We started our unit 1 test today.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, October 12th

Math - None - Part of our math block today was spent taking our Star Math benchmark test, and doing our vision and hearing screenings with the school nurses.  The other part was spent reviewing chapter 3.  Our chapter 3 test will be tomorrow.  An extra review sheet was sent home with students.  This is optional, but students that complete it at home will receive a prize from the prize box.

Science - None - We read about plants that come from bulbs and tubers, finished our sprouting seeds lab, and started reading about the life cycles of animals.

Language Arts - None - We completed a grammar page in class, reread our selection story, and studied spelling and vocab on Spelling City.  Since today was the last day to take AR quizzes for 1st quarter, the students were given time to finish up books, visit the library, and take quizzes.

Social Studies - Chapter 2 review sheet - We recently finished chapter 2.  Students had time in class today to work on the chapter 2 review sheet.  They need to finish this for homework tonight.  Page numbers are included on the worksheet, and they need to use their books to look up the answers.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, October 11th

Math - 3.7 - We worked on solving multi-step word problems today.  For most word problems, we had to solve two 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication problems, then add or subtract to compare.  This was our last lesson in this chapter.  We will review tomorrow and take the chapter 3 test on Thursday.

Science - None - We read about plants that come from spores today (moss, ferns), and created a life cycle diagram for our science journals.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today, and reread our selection story.  We also read two versions of the tall tale Pecos Bill.  We continued our writing packets today, focusing on using a web graphic organizer to determine a topic sentence and supporting details.

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

Reminder:  Crazy sock day tomorrow

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, October 6th

Math - 3.6 - We combined both multiplication methods today, and students were allowed to use the one they were most comfortable with.  Those students that weren't able to complete the assignment in class need to finish it over the weekend.

Science - None - We continued observing our plant project, and made a foldable life cycle diagram on plants that grow from seeds for our science journals.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class, and the students reread their unit selection story.  We answered some comprehension questions, and worked on identifying the main idea in our writing.  In small groups, we reviewed vocabulary with our leveled readers.

Social Studies - None - We completed a foldable graphic organizer for our last lesson, and started our daily geography packet.  Our current packet focuses on using a map grid.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, October 5th

Math - corrections & word problems - We continued reviewing 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication today.  Students have 6 multiplication word problems to solve for homework tonight.

Science - None - We continued observing our seeds in the light and dark today.  We also read about the life cycle of plants that come from seeds.

Language Arts - None - We finished reading our selection story today, and completed our cause & effect graphic organizer.  We also completed a spelling and grammar page in class.  We played an "I have, who has" cause and effect game today too.

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

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, October 4th*

Math - None - We continued reviewing 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication using regrouping today.  Students should have had plenty of time in class to complete their assignment for lesson 3.5.

Science - None - We started reading about life cycles today, and started a lab activity on sprouting seeds.  We will be monitoring seeds in the light and seeds in the dark to compare the results over the next week.

Language Arts - None - We completed a spelling and grammar page in class today.  We read the first half of our selection story, and started a cause and effect graphic organizer.  In guided reading groups, we reviewed vocabulary words and previewed our books.

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

*These plans are tentative.  I am in the Chicago area today for a reading workshop.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, October 3rd

Math - None - I introduced 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication using "mom and dad" math today, or regrouping.  This was very difficult for us, and we will continue to review it tomorrow.

Science - None - We skipped science today to practice multiplication.

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

Social Studies - None - We read about the hills and valleys in Southern Illinois today.

Vocabulary Slide Show - Wild Horses

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

Language Arts 10/3-10/14

Reading:  determine cause & effect - We will be doing repeated readings of the story Wild Horses by Cris Peterson over the next two weeks.  This is an expository story about the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota.  We will be discussing cause and effect in this story, and using evidence from the story to support our decisions.  You can practice this at home by asking your child questions such as "Cause:  You didn't tie your shoes...What is the effect?"  (Possible answer, "I tripped.")

Phonics/spelling :  r-controlled vowels /ar/ and /or/ - all spelling words for this unit are words with r-controlled vowels, or bossy r.   Have your child look for these patterns in each word, and sort the words according to the pattern.

Grammar: possessive nouns - for this unit, we will be discussing possessive nouns, or nouns that show ownership (example:  Kyle's dog, Alyssa's book).  These are easily confused with plural nouns and contractions, so we will work on distinguishing them from other types.

Vocabulary:  Our vocabulary words for this unit are descendants, sanctuary, threatened, fragile, habitat, and emerge.  Students can review using Spelling City, their vocabulary packets, or the slide show posted on my blog.

Writing:  We will be using writing packets for this unit to help develop ideas in our writing.  

Our assessments over this unit will be on Friday, October 14th.

Lessons & Assignments - Thursday 9/29, Friday 9/30

I will be out of town for the Illinois Reading Council conference Thursday and Friday.  Most work will be done in class.  Here is a summary of what your child will be doing while I'm gone:

Math - Students will continue to practice using area models and expanded form to multiply 2-digit by 2-digit numbers.  Don't worry, we get to "mom and dad" math next week!  They will also be playing some fun multiplication review games in class.

Science - Students will be taking a heredity survey to see what traits they have inherited from their parents.  They will be looking at stuff like detached earlobes, freckles, curly hair, and eye color.  They will work in groups to tally and graph the results.

Language Arts - Students will be reviewing spelling and vocabulary words, writing a persuasive paper, and working on comprehension skills during guided reading.  They will also take their unit test on Friday.

Social Studies - Students will be finishing their daily geography packets, and will be reading lesson 2.  They will also be making a foldable organizer for their social studies journals.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, September 28th

Math - 3.2 - We learned to multiply 2-digit by 2-digit numbers using place value and area models today.

Science - None - We continued reading about genes, traits, and heredity.

Language Arts - None - We read our selection story, practiced our spelling words, and continued working on our writing packets.  We also reviewed plural nouns using Kahoot.

Social Studies - None - We completed a review sheet on lesson 1.

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, September 27th

Math - lesson 3.1 - We started chapter 3 today.  We will be multiplying 2-digit numbers by other 2-digit numbers.  We started by multiplying by tens today.  The students learned several different strategies, and are free to use their favorite one.

Science - None - We started chapter 2 today on life cycles.  Students completed an anticipation guide to preview the chapter, and we started reading about heredity.

Language Arts - None - We reread our selection story, and studied spelling words on Spelling City.  We reviewed words that are spelled with digraphs by having a friendly contest to see who could make the most digraph words.  We finished our Jackie Robinson biography projects, and learned a new "Signpost" today.

Social Studies - None - We didn't have social studies today.

Lessons & Assignments Monday, September 26th

Math - None - We took our chapter 3 pretest today.  We also used our math time to have classmates catch up on a growing pile of corrections.

Science - None - We used our science time to work on corrections today.

Language Arts - None - We listened to and read along with our weekly story today.  We completed a spelling page and grammar page in class.  In small groups today, we reviewed vocabulary words, and read about famous athletes.  Students started a research biography project on Jackie Robinson.

Social Studies - None - We continued our Daily Geography packet, and our listened to our Player of the Week presentation.

Lessons & Assignments Friday, September 23rd

Math - None - We reviewed in class today, and took the chapter 2 test.

Science - None - We used our science time to work on our math tests today.

Language Arts - None - We finished reading Mighty Jackie today, and completed our graphic organizers.  We answered some comprehension questions about the story, then compared and contrasted that to our vocabulary story in writing.  We also worked on our writing packets, focusing on coming up with strong ideas for our writing.

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

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, September 22nd

Math - None - We practiced solving multi-step problems using equations today.  These problems require a lot of steps, and a lot of endurance to keep working!

Science - None - We took the chapter 1 test today.

Language Arts - None - We completed a grammar and spelling page in class today.  In writing, we continued working on choosing specific ideas.  We also started reading our selection story, Mighty Jackie.  We read the first half of the story, and started a graphic organizer to help us determine the author's purpose.  We also read some student writing examples from science earlier this week, and practiced determining the author's purpose.

Social Studies - None - We started chapter 2 today.  We read about how glaciers shaped the land in Illinois.  We also read about some of the landmarks in our state such as Starved Rock State Park.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, September 21st

Math - 2.11 - We continued multiplying with regrouping today, only today we used 3 and 4-digit numbers.

Science - None - We played a review game in class today.  Tomorrow we will take our open book test over chapter 1.

Language Arts - None - We spent some of our LA time today getting to know Google Classroom.  Students added themselves to my class, and practiced a few online assignments.  We will be adding more and more projects to Google Classroom as the year continues, which means we need to learn how to use it and have time to practice.  We also completed a spelling and grammar page in class.  We finished up by starting on a writing packet.

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

Lessons & Assignments Tuesday, September 20th

Math - 2.10 - We continued learning about multiplication strategies today, and finally learned 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication the "mom and dad" math way.  We call this multiplication with regrouping, and is more than likely the same way you learned as a kid.

Science - None - We read an article in our science books, and practiced close reading strategies and annotation of the article using our iPads.  We were reading about the BioBlitz program.  Learn more here!  BioBlitz is a program that aims to identify as many species as possible in a park in 24 hours.  Speaking of parks...Did you know that your 4th grader can get free admission to National Parks?  We took advantage of this program over the summer before my daughter entered 5th grade.  Click here for more information, and take advantage of it this summer!

Language Arts - None - We extended our science activity today by writing a response to the article.  Since we are studying author's purpose in this unit, students chose from 3 prompts on the board, all with a different purpose.  Later this week, we will practice identifying the purpose of writing by using student work samples.  We completed a spelling word sort page, and a grammar page in class.  We read a vocabulary review story about women's baseball during WWII, and previewed this unit's story, Mighty Jackie.  We watched a video preview about Jackie Mitchell, which you can find here.

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

Reminder:  SIP early dismissal tomorrow

Lessons & Assignments Monday, September 19th

Math - None - We worked on multi-step multiplication problems today, and focused on drawing diagrams to help visualize the problem.  This was a challenging lesson, so we did the independent practice together.

Science - None - We read about invertebrates today.

Language Arts - Vocabulary Packet - We went over our new spelling lists today, and found the digraph patterns in each word.  We also learned our new vocabulary words, watched the vocabulary slide show, and worked on our vocabulary packets.  We completed our grammar page on identifying singular and plural words in class.

Social Studies - None - We skipped social studies today.  I had quite a few kiddos needing to make corrections on various assignments, so I spent our social studies time working with small groups today.

Player of the Week

Grace is our Player of the Week this week!

Language Arts 9/19-9/30

Reading:  determine author's purpose - We will be doing repeated readings of the story Mighty Jackie by Marissa Moss over the next two weeks.  This is a biography about a young girl Jackie Mitchell that struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.  We will be discussing the author's purpose of this story (persuade, inform, or entertain) and using evidence from the story to support our decisions.  You can practice this at home with any fiction or non-fiction story by trying to figure out why the author wrote the story.

Phonics/spelling :  multi-syllable words with digraphs - all spelling words for this unit are multi-syllable words that contain digraphs (2 letters combining to make 1 sound).  We will work with -ch,   -tch, -sh, -th, -ph, and -wh.  Have your child look for these patterns in each word, and sort the words according to the pattern.

Grammar: singular/plural nouns & commas in a series - for this unit, we will be discussing singular nouns (one - example: child) and plural nouns (more than one - example: children).  We will also be working on using commas in a series.  When three or more items are listed, commas need to separate the items in a list.  Example:  I bought milk, eggs, and cheese at the store.

Vocabulary:  Our vocabulary words for this unit are legendary, muttered, gaped, snickering, insult, and flinched.  Students can review using Spelling City, their vocabulary packets, or the slide show posted on my blog.

Writing:  We will be using writing packets for this unit to help develop ideas in our writing.  

Our assessments over this unit will be on Friday, September 30th.

Vocabulary Slide Show

Click HERE for this week's vocabulary slide show.

Lessons & Assignments Friday, September 16th

Math - None - We completed our lesson on multiplying using partial products today.  This is just an extension of the lessons we have been working on all week.

Science - None - We started reading about the way that animals are classified today (vertebrates/invertebrates).  We watched a podcast of a lab activity, and a Study Jams video on vertebrates.

Language Arts - None - We took our unit assessments today, and had some time to read AR books.

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

Lessons & Assignments Thursday, September 15th

Math - none - I was at technology training this morning, so I had my sub play math review games with the students.

Science - none - The class read about how plants are classified (vascular/nonvascular), and did a quick lab on how moss absorbs water.

Language Arts - none - We reviewed our spelling words and vocabulary words in class today.  In small groups, we worked on comprehension skills, and students had a chance to visit the library.  Tomorrow we will take our tests over our selection story, skills, spelling, and vocabulary.

Social Studies - chapter 1 review sheet - We worked on the chapter 1 review sheet in class today.  Students that didn't finish need to do it at home tonight.

Lessons & Assignments Wednesday, September 14th

Math - 2.6 - We learned how to multiply using expanded form and distributive property today.  We crated our own practice problems today by rolling dice and using those numbers to make 3-digit numbers.  The students felt much more comfortable than this strategy than the one we used yesterday.

Science - None - We previewed our lesson on vascular and nonvascular plants, and watched a short lab video on changing the colors of carnations.

Language Arts - None - We reread our selection story today, and reviewed subjects and predicates.  We watched a School House Rock video on Mr. Morton, and created silly sentences.  In small groups today, we reviewed our vocabulary words and read a mystery story.

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

Multiplying Using Distributive Property

Today we learned how to multiply using the Distributive Property.  This is probably a new concept for parents, but not as complicated as it seems.  We will eventually learn to multiply 2-digit numbers the "mom and dad" way, so please be patient!  If you have any questions about this method, or the reasoning behind it, please feel free to stop in.  It might make more sense if I show it to you in person.  :)

Step 1:  We are going to solve 5 x 17

Step 2:  Draw a box on grid paper to show 5 x 17 (5 down, 17 across)

Step 3:  Break apart 17 into smaller numbers that are easier to multiply (I used 10 + 7)

Step 4:  Separate the rectangle to break apart 17 (we now have 10 on one side, and 7 on the other)

Step 5:  (optional) Shade the rectangles

Step 6:  Find the area of each rectangle by multiplying (5x10 yellow and 5x7 orange).  

The answers are called partial products.

Step 7:  Add your partial products (50 + 35)

Step 8:  You are done!  5 x 17 = 85