I will admit that today's title is a bit of a stretch. Today's big surprise was a rewarding cup of hot chocolate. We celebrated our participation in the Winter Reading Challenge with a frothy cup and some "get into the new book" time. Kids received a copy of our next novel, Maniac Magee and we almost finished up The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. We did not take the MAPS test, and will do so on Monday. As soon as the Science scores are in, I will send home Winter Data reports and can make recommendations for your child. Right now, I urge students to spend time on both ST Math and IXL Math at home.
* Kids, did you notice that I made revisions? I added some adjectives to add "zing." I corrected an apostrophe error. I uploaded some pictures and added captions. Editing and revising are life skills!
This weekend at home...
Finish that Animal Project. I am looking forward to receiving 31 reports and 31 dioramas on Monday! This place will be wilder than the White Witch's courtyard!
Read through chapter 5 in Maniac Magee. You may read ahead, but be prepared to reread.
We will be ready for the Chapter 6 Math test on Tuesday!
IF you finish 6.8 homework this weekend, you won't have to do it Monday morning and will be able to go straight to IXL or ST Math. I realize that many will be busy with the Animal Project.
PLEASE spend some time on ST Math and IXL math. On IXL, focus first on the Chapter 6 skills: Comparing Fractions. Feel free to move ahead.
The Sun- Tolerant Sand Cat
Iberian Lynx on the prowl.....
Slow and Steady: The Sloth Claws Really Hang On!
Amazon Adaptor: The Amazing Anaconda
P.S.: Ian J., if you send me the "whale" link, I will post it on the blog.
This week we are working on Main Idea and Supporting Details. We will spend lots of time tomorrow focusing on this important skill.
This evening at home....
complete the homework for Go Math 6.7. If you need a tutorial on comaring fractions using the LCM/LCD, just scroll back to last weekend's post. There are two great videos there.
complete the "Analyze Text" questions for Ecology For Kids. Please use details from the text to support your responses! Show me your best!
Add details to your Adaptation Creation graphic organizer. This was last night's homework. Get specific! How will your animal's features help it survive in the environment?
F.Y.I.
We will NOT have a regular Reading/LA test tomorrow.
We WILL be working on this week's focus skill tomorrow. The content will not be lost, we just don't have time to test!
We will take the Winter MAPS Science Test tomorrow.
Be prepared to turn in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe tomorrow.
Animal Projects are due Monday. The paper should be 8 paragraphs. Please scroll back on the blog to see tips and examples.
How is the Wolvamite uniquely adapted to survive in the Majestic Mountains? This is the question that Ian O. will be answering this evening. Today, we are creating fictional creatures that are adapted to survive in fictional habitats. Some of the ideas are pretty inventive. Ruby's creature has retractable claws that help her creature catch prey.
Check out Jordan's Vocabulary Draw for the word affect :
This evening at home....
complete the Go Math homework and practice for 6.6. Please also complete the classwork. We will go over it all tomorrow.
finish the graphic organizer and a rough sketch for your Adaptation Creation project that we began today.
in the Readers Notebook, complete pages 187 and 188
Today's math problems are difficult. We really had to roll up our sleeves!
This evening at home....
Please use Ecology For Kids to complete the Vocabulary/Comprehension work.
Complete Go Math 6.5. Breathe.
Don't forget that Chapter 5 Math Corrections are due tomorrow. Please rewrite the questions and show me every step needed to reach the solution. Many students have raised their scores dramatically. Please contact me if you are having difficulties!
Read and record!
Do you know where your copy of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe is? If you borrowed a class copy, I will collect it at the end the week. Maniac Magee, here we come!
Don't forget that Animal Projects are due on Monday, January 25. Please see the project packet for guidelines.
AAAAACHOOOO! 201 has a case of the sniffles and we are out of tissue! Help!
It's getting cold out there, but it sure is great to see the sun shining on this Saturday. I hope that 201 families will get a healthy dose of vitamin D today!
There are a few things to do this weekend. Kids should have written down the homework yesterday.
Please complete the 6.4 Go Math Homework. We are finding Common Denominators! Yesterday we talked about the LCM and using it to create the LCD. We spent LOTS of time practicing. There was some struggle, but we came out of the fog intact and a bit more knowledgeable. So please, get this practice done by Monday.
Creature Feature and Adaptations Fact Finders are due on Monday. Most kids finished this work last week.
Read something and record on your log.
Don't forget that the Animal Project, which includes both a diorama and written report, are due January 25th. Please refer to the Project Packet for detailed instructions. Scroll back to last Friday's post in this blog to see a sample of the writing and FAQs.
Chapter 6 Math Corrections must be in by Wednesday. I am extending this due date, which was Monday. When you look on Think Central, you will notice that the correct answer is given. To receive credit, rewrite the problem and show me every step needed to arrive at this correct answer. No extra credit will be given for providing answers only. Please let me know if you need help.
We will formally finish The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe next week. Students, be prepared to return your book!
Our next novel will be Maniac Magee. I almost have a full class set. If you able to purchase the book, this would be a great help!
Parents, if you are looking for extra help, please go to IXL Math or ST Math! I have assigned each of the CCore 4th Grade goals to 201 students. IXL is aligned with our Go Math curriculum. So, if you want extra help with fractions, simply go to this IXL section! Why not move ahead to skills we haven't yet formally cover, such as Time, Measurement, and Geometry?
I will have Winter MAPS results for you next week. Students' goals will be reset based on Winter data. Students in 201 want to know their target skills and how to improve. I will share the information with each student and with you.
Are you looking for something new to read? The tabs on this blog are a great resource. Wild Times is one of my favorites. This link takes you to the New Hampshire Department of Natural Resources site for kids. Wild Times is a full color magazine that you can read on your computer or print. If you like animals, nature, or science, your will love Wild Times.
Are you curious about current events, or the way things work? Dojo News,Tween Tribune and Wonderopolis are three other great sources to explore. You can read the articles online, and can even post your favorites to Edmodo. If you think a topic is interesting, chances are that your classmates will too! Please share the link on Edmodo and add your comments.
Check out these two videos from Math Antics. The first shows how to find a Common Denominator quickly. This method is a great one, most of the time! The second video shows how to find the Least Common Denominator. Sometimes, this method is better. Watch both! Remember, keep it simple!
I have to repost this gem from Mr. Lee. Keep Calm and Multiply On!
Sorry about the late post. We wrote down our homework "the old fashioned way" today. The school was experiencing technical difficulties at the end of the day.
Today we....
Logged in a few minutes of ST Math
Took the MAPS Math assessment
Took a break! Kids had about 15 minutes to either read, finish the Creature Feature or Fact Finder, Espark, or do ST Math. We needed to decompress post test!
worked on The Life and Times of the Ant. We traded some facts, shared some ideas, and worked individually on reading comprehension.
Kahooted, 1.5 times. The first Kahoot reviewed this week's vocabulary words. The second was a mix of participle practice and Ant content.
reviewed last night's math homework. Most kids had a few corrections to make. Kudos to the kids who attended the "extra help" review session: Andrea, Giselle, Ian O., Elizabeth, Lydia and Daniel.
Generated equivalent fractions using multiplication.
This evening at home, I hope that you have already.....
completed the Go Math homework for lesson 6.2
read for 20 minutes and written a "just right" summary: not too long, and not too short!
finished up the Ant comprehension questions
Today's Homework Shout Outs go to......
Franco, Mahari, and Giselle! You rocked last night's Science Homework. Your answers were complete and filled with detail. Thanks for going the extra mile!
Notes to parents....
Have you seen your child's 5 weekprogress report? It was sent home Friday. Please sign the bottom portion and return it to me!
Don't forget the the Animal Project is due January 25th. This leaves just two more weekends! Please feel free to write me a note, call, or email if you have any questions about the project.
Seen the results of the Chapter 6 Math Test? They are available on Think Central. I will add points to your child's score if incorrect answers are rewritten. Please show all work and do the problems on a separate sheet of paper. If your child is having difficulty with a problem, please let me know. We will look at it together. Test corrections are due next Monday.
