Here are the photos for the much anticipated Arawaks and Caribs projects! I hope you are as equally impressed and awed at the amount of creativity and attention to detail as I was!
Science Fair Projects Update
February 28, 2013
Dear Parents,
In order to alleviate some of the stress that some students may be feeling right now with having to finalize their Number the Stars book report as well as plan and meet for their Science Fair project, I have decided to do three group science projects in class instead. Most of the Science Fair project work will be completed during class time. Students will be asked to bring in a few items in order to begin our experiments on Monday, March 4, 2013. Each student has written down their materials list in their agenda, as well as on their instructional manuals that will be going home with them today. Please take a few moments to review the experiment procedures and objectives with your child/children so that you can get a full understanding of what we will be doing during science class.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Ms. Suckoo
Long Division Can Be Fun!
Long Division Can Be Fun!
Long division is not bad at all… Once you get the hang of it! At first, though, it’s going to seem like a LOT of steps and stuff to keep track of… But, each step is easy math. You just need to get used to what to do at each step.
Sometimes, students find long division confusing. This is because you’ll be doing division, multiplication and subtraction all in the same problem… This is the first time you’ve had to do something with a bunch of different stuff like this.
But, believe me, if you take your time, you WILL be able to get this!!
One warning: If you are not good at your times tables, this is NOT going to be fun for you at all. The one thing that makes long division really hard is not knowing your times tables very well.
(Please see the handout that went home on February 28 or log on to http://www.coolmath4kids.com/long-division/index.html for the online version)
Science Fair Letter to Parents
Dear Students and Parents,
It’s time to start work on our school’s Science Fair! The science fair will be held on March 15, 2013, so ample time has been scheduled so that students can complete the work at a comfortable pace.
This is a major project and will represent a significant portion of your child’s grade for the next grading period(s). The primary objective of this project is to have students approach a problem scientifically. This includes:
- Asking questions and forming hypotheses
- Creating experiments to test those hypotheses
- Organizing data and drawing conclusions
- Writing about scientific research
Students have selected their project topics and have been given handouts outlining the abstract and objectives.
Students will be working in small groups of three or four. Each group member will be responsible for contributing equally to the project and keep up with the research. To encourage all group members to share equally in the work, grades will be given individually based on the amount of work they have contributed. Here are some ideas on how to divide up project tasks equally so everyone has something to add:
1. Observations: This person is in charge of entering data on a regular basis.
2. Scientific Paper: The Scientific Paper chronicles how the project evolved, how the research was done, the results, and conclusion. This paper must be typed or word processed.
3. Display: This person will be responsible for organizing the display. This includes taking pictures or making sketches of the experimental process, gathering materials, building, and setting up the display for presentation and judging.
In order to do well on these individual tasks, all group members must be engaged in the project from the beginning and not wait until the last minute.
Project guidelines state that all work must be done by the students; however, assistance may be provided by teachers, parents, etc. It is very difficult to work alone without the exchange of ideas, so we encourage you to brainstorm with your child on different ideas your child may want to pursue.
This is a school science fair, so prizes will be awarded to the group/groups with the best presentations.
I am looking forward to working with you to make this a valuable learning experience for your child. I appreciate your support on this important project. As acknowledgement and part of your child’s homework, please sign, date, and return the bottom portion of this letter by February 27, 2013.
Sincerely,
Ms. Suckoo
—————————————————————————————————————————–
I have reviewed the Science Fair information and calendar with my child, ____________________, (Printed Name of Child) and we understand the requirements for a successful Science Fair Project.
_______________________________
(Parent Signature/Date)
_______________________________
(Student Signature/Date)
Objectives and Homework for February 25 – March 1, 2013
English – Capitalize the first word of a quotation.
– Capitalize the first, last and important words in a title.
Homework: Monday: page 90
– Wednesday: page 92
Math – Estimate quotients.
– Use Solve division problems that result in 2-digit quotients.
Homework: – Monday: page 145 (Pegasus: 1-12, Leopards: 1-8 and Dragons 1-5)
– Tuesday: page 146 (Pegasus: 1-5, 13-18, 25-26, Leopards: 1-5, 13-16, 25-26 and Dragons 1-3, 13-14, 25)
– Thursday: Pegasus: page 148 – All, Leopards: page 148 1-10, 21-22 and Dragons page 147)
– Students will be given additional time to practice using Mathletics and http://www.quia.com/mathjourney.html. We will also be playing various math games to increase students’ fluency and speed in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Number the Stars – We will continue reading Number the Stars. Each week we will be reading in class and doing chapter quizzes. Students are allowed to re-read what we have covered in class, but I ask that they do no read ahead unless they have been given special permission to do so. Continue to ask your child/children questions on what we have read in class and allow them to summarize and describe different events in detail and in order.
Homework: Cereal Book Report DUE: March 15
Spelling Homework – There will be no spelling test this week. Instead, every student should be studying their 6 and 12 multiplications tables to recite on Friday, March 1. This will also give everyone extra time to work on their Science Fair projects.
Science – Describe the positive and negative ways humans impact ecosystems.
Homework: Study for Chapter 5 Science Test – March 1.
– Work on Science Fair Group Project (Due March 15)
Bible – Describe the Triune nature of God.
– Read Scriptures that affirms that God is Trinity in unity.
– Study and respond to various passages of Scripture.
Homework: – Study Bible Verse for Friday. (Parents, please encourage your child/children to study and memorize his/her Bible verse. This counts towards their end of term Bible grade.)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, but it is a gift from God, not by works, so no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Buddy Reading
Grade 4 read to Kindergarden today for Buddy Reading. Here’s a pretty cool photo to see them in action!
Observing Ecosystems
Objectives and Homework for February 18-22, 2013
English – Use commas after the introductory words “yes, no and well”.
– Identify direct quotations in sentences.
Homework: Monday: page 86
Math – Divide with and without remainders.
– Use basic facts and patterns to divide mentally.
– Solve problems by using the guess and check method.
Homework: – Tuesday: page 137
– Wednesday: page 138 (Pegasus: All, Leopards: 1-10 and Dragons 1-5)
– Thursday: page 140 (Pegasus: 1-15, Leopards: 1-10 and Dragons page 139)
– Students will be given additional time to practice using Mathletics and http://www.quia.com/mathjourney.html. We will also be playing various math games to increase students’ fluency and speed in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Number the Stars – We will continue reading Number the Stars. Each week we will be reading in class and doing chapter quizzes. Students are allowed to re-read what we have covered in class, but I ask that they do no read ahead unless they have been given special permission to do so. Continue to ask your child/children questions on what we have read in class and allow them to summarize and describe different events in detail and in order.
Homework: Cereal Book Report DUE: March 15
Spelling Homework – There will be no spelling test this week. Instead, every student should be studying their 7, 8 and 9 multiplications tables to recite on Friday.
Science – Describe how climate affects ecosystems.
– Explain how humans use resources.
– We will be also discussing Science Fair Project Options.
Bible – Bible Sword Drill
Homework: – Study Bible Verse for Friday. (Parents, please encourage your child/children to study and memorize his/her Bible verse. This counts towards their end of term Bible grade.)
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
Author Study – Lois Lowry
Reading Week has kicked off with a bang!
Yesterday we were all excited to get extra silent reading time (yes, this is something that THIS teacher was very happy about as well because I also got to indulge in some extra reading)! 🙂
Today, we learnt a lot of information about the author of Number the Stars; Lois Lowry. We even got to listen to one of her interviews online! We also took a few minutes to discuss just what it meant to be placed in a concentration camp and listened to a few short interviews with actual Holocaust survivors.
The next few days will also be exciting around here with tomorrow being Buddy Reading, Thursday being You’re Underst Arrest (arrest someone to read for your class) and the last oorah…Dress Up as a Book Character Day. Fun days are certainly ahead! Be sure to send an extra book/books with your child/children so that they can truly enjoy their extra silent reading time.
Cereal Box Book Report
Cereal Box Book Report
As we read the last few chapters of Number the Stars, students need to begin to think about their book report. This quarter, students will need to create a cereal box book report at home. Students will decorate a real cereal box with illustrations and information related to Number the Stars using the directions below.
FRONT OF THE BOX: Use a piece of white or light colored paper to cover the front of your cereal box. (You will probably want to create the cover before gluing it on your box. Invent a name for the cereal that is related to the title of the book and sounds like a cereal.) Do not use the exact title of the book. You may want to look at some real cereal boxes to get some ideas. Choose a shape for the cereal as well as colors and ingredients that all relate to the book. For example, for the book Because of Winn-Dixie, you might invent a cereal called Winn-Dixie Crunch, a toasted oat cereal in the shape of miniature dogs.
RIGHT SIDE OF BOX: Make a list of ingredients that includes the story elements Characters and Setting. Under the heading “Ingredients,” list the main characters and write a sentence about each one. Then describe the setting. You can use the template on the attached sheet or cover the side with white or light colored paper and do it in your own way. Just make sure you include the main character and the setting.
LEFT SIDE OF BOX: Write a summary that describes the main problem and the solution of the book. Try words that will “grab” readers’ attention and make them want to buy your cereal. You can use the attached template or do this your own way.
BACK OF BOX: Design a game that is based on the story. It can be a puzzle, a word search, a word scramble, a maze, a crossword puzzle, a hidden picture illustration, or any other fun activity that might be found on the back of a cereal box. Make sure it includes information from the book.
TOP OF BOX: Include the title, author, number of pages, and number of stars you would give this book if you were a book critic. The maximum number of stars you would be 5. You can use the template or create the top of the box yourself as long as you include all of the things listed above.
PRIZE: Cereal boxes often include a prize. Your prize must be something the main character could have used in the book or something that reminds you of the main character. You can even include a picture of the prize on the front of your box to let the reader know what is inside the box.
ORAL PRESENTATION: This is due on March 15th and you will also be doing oral presentations on this day. Your presentation will be a 30-60 second ‘television commercial’. Practice your commercial to make sure of the wording and the timing. Do not just encourage the audience by using opinion words (exciting, great, interesting, best, good, etc.), but also by featuring elements of the book- scenes, facts, etc. Be dynamic and try to convince the audience (your classmates) to buy the cereal whether you liked the book or not. Optional: Be a character from the book when you present your commercial.
*I’m attaching templates for this cereal box book report. This will be helpful for students who want to write rough drafts for the sides of their box before doing the final copies. You can also find these templates on the class blog. If students need any white paper, colored paper, or construction paper from school, they are more than welcome to ask me for some. (Thank you to Beth Newingham of the Troy School District for sharing this great project!)
