Week of 11/7/2011-11/11/2011

Highlights for the Week of 11/7/11 in Mrs. Bell's Class!

Spelling - The "ou" & “Ô” sound
The final test for this week's lesson will be on Friday, 11/7. Cursive and workbook pages or challenge work will also be collected that day.


Reading - Sequence of Events
This week, we will focus on the reading comprehension skill known as sequence of events. Recognizing the order of events in a story makes it easier to understand. Clue words such as first, later, then, and finally signal sequence. We will be working on this skill as we begin our study of the novel, Because of Winn-Dixie.

English - Capitalization & Punctuation

The chapter 5 TEST is scheduled for Tuesday, 11/8. Students should review their practice pages, workbook pages & textbook to prepare for the test. There is a very helpful chapter review on pages 189-190 in the textbook. Also, pages 194-202 contain extra practice for each lesson. Students will be taking the pretest for our next chapter, Nouns, on Wednesday, 11/9. Students who show proficiency in at least 4 concepts for the chapter will have the opportunity to do challenge work during this chapter.

Social Studies - Wildlife & Resources
The wildlife & resources of the Southeast will be our focus this week. Be sure to ask your child why the alligator became an endangered species, and how it has made a comeback. The chapter 6 TEST is tentatively scheduled for Monday, 11/14.

Science - How do the Bodies of Animals Help Them Meet their Needs?

Our week in science will begin with an investigation that will demonstrate how birds' beaks are adapted to their diets. We will also study how adaptations help species to survive.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class
On Monday, we will look at finding patterns, and writing multiplication & division equations to match those patterns. The chapter 5 TEST is scheduled for Thursday, 11/10. Our next unit, Time & Temperature, will begin with a look at how to tell time.

Don't forget...

November 11 -- Veteran's Day -- No School
November 23, 24, 25 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No School

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 10/31/11-11/4/11

Highlights for the Week of 10/31/11 in Mrs. Bell's Class!

Spelling - More Short & Long Vowels
The final test for this week's lesson will be on Friday, 11/4. Cursive and workbook pages or challenge work will also be collected that day.



Reading
Mysteries will be the focus in reading for all fourth grade students next week. We will begin by learning vocabulary words that are typically associated with mysteries, such as “suspect”, “evidence” and “suspense”. All students will read & study “The Case of the Purloined Pachyderm”. While reading this mystery and other mystery stories, students will be studying the format of a mystery, and using the reading strategies of monitoring and clarifying.

English - Capitalization & Punctuation
We will finish this unit with a look at how to write titles. Students will complete a chapter review at the end of the week. Look for the chapter test to be scheduled the week of 11/7.

Social Studies - The Southeast Coastal Plains to Mountains
Our journey through the Southeast will begin with a look at the geography of the region. Students will learn how the land changes as we move from the coast to the mountains. The SE map QUIZ is scheduled for Friday, 11/4.

Science - What are the Life Cycles of Plants and Animals?
The chapter 2 TEST is scheduled for Wednesday, 11/2. Students received a study guide for the test, and should focus on reviewing their notes, quizzes & the textbook to prepare for the assessment. The chapter test is NOT open book. At the end of the week, we will take a look at an issue of Time for Kids that focuses on the migration of the monarch butterflies.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally...Order of Operations is the first topic that we will look at this week! Ask your child what the first letter of each of those words stands for, & if he/she can explain the order of operations to you! We will also look at multiplication and division equations before taking the QUIZ on chapter 5, lessons 1-4 on Thursday, 11/3.

Don't forget...
November 11 -- Veteran's Day -- No School
November 23, 24, 25 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No School

Have a "Spook-tacular" Halloween!
Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 10/24/2011-10/28/2011

Highlights for the Week of 10/24/11 in Mrs. Bell's Classroom!

Spelling - Theme 1 Review

This week's spelling list will contain words from the first theme in our reading text. Included in this group are words with long and short "a","e", "i", "o", "u", and homophones. The final test will be on Friday, 10/28, and homework will also be collected that same day.

Reading

This week, all fourth grade students will read the story of The Parcel Post Kid, by Michael O. Tunnel. This piece is a nonfiction story set in 1914, which tells the tale of a young girl whose parents mail her to her grandmother because it is cheaper than paying her train fare. While reading the story, students will be reviewing the strategies and skills that we have studied so far this year, with particular emphasis on predicting and making inferences.

English - Capitalization & Punctuation

This week's topics in English will include more uses for commas and how to use quotations.

Social Studies - The Southeast

We are traveling south to begin our study of the Southeast region. Students will be creating their own SE maps naming the states and other important landmarks in the region.

Science - Life Cycles of Animals

We will wrap up our study of the life cycles of animals with a look at metamorphasis. Students will be taking an open note/book QUIZ on lesson 2 of chapter 3 on Tuesday, 10/25.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class
The TEST on chapter 4 is scheduled for Monday, 10/24. As we move on to chapter 5, the concepts that we will focus on this week are multiplication properties and multiplication and division expressions. It is imperative that students continue to practice their multiplication and division facts.

Don't Forget...

10/27 - Early Dismissal - Students dismissed at 11:00

The Halloween celebration will be on Friday, 10/28. The traditional PV parade will begin at 1:00, and parties will start at 1:30. Students must be able to put on their Halloween costume in 5-10 minutes by themselves. Fourth grade will have designated classrooms for girls to change in and for boys. They will NOT be allowed to change in the bathroom. No props that resemble a weapon should be brought to school.

THANK YOU to all the parents who are helping to make this a special afternoon for our classroom!

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 10/17/11-10/24/11

Highlights for the Week of 10/17/2011 in Mrs. Bell's Classroom!

Spelling - Homophones
This week's spelling list will consist of homophones, which are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently & have different meanings. The final test for the week will be on Friday, 10/21. Workbook & cursive pages or challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - "I Can Question & Note Details"

In reading this week, the students will focus on noting details in a story. They will learn that details may give information, explain ideas, and reveal characters' feelings. They will also work on the "Questioning" comprehension strategy. Good readers ask themselves questions about important ideas as they read. The students will practice asking questions about a passage as they read the passage to the end.

English - Capitalization & Punctuation

We continue our study of capitalization & punctuation with a look at abbreviations and using commas in a series.

Social Studies - People of the Northeast

The descriptive writing piece for the Northeast will be collected on Monday, 10/17. Be sure to ask your child to share their passage with you & to show you the grading rubric that I will be using to assess their project. Then, we will move on to chapter 5, which focuses on the Native Americans of the Northeast Region, the Narragansetts. Students will learn about the culture and traditions of the Narragansetts. They will also learn about the Iroqouis americans & will compare & contrast their culture with the Narragansetts. On Friday, students will receive guidelines for a project in which they will illustrate a Narragansett Village. The project will be collected on 10/25.

Science - Life Cycles of Plants and Animals

There will be an open note/textbook QUIZ on lesson 2 of chapter 2 on Tuesday, 10/18. Students should review their notes and text to prepare for the quiz. At the end of the week we will move on to the study of the life cycles of animals.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class

Our study of multiplication and division continues with a look at facts through 12. Students will be taking a QUIZ on lessons 1-5 of chapter 4 on Wednesday, 10/19. We will be finishing up chapter 4 by focusing on the problem solving strategy of "choosing an operation", and how to find missing factors. Look for the chapter 4 TEST to be scheduled for the week of 10/24.

Don't Forget...

October 27 - Early Dismissal - 11:00
November 11 - Veterans' Day - No School

The Prairieview Book Fair is scheduled for Thursday, 10/20 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Classrooms will not be open that evening.

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 10/10/11-10/14/11

Highlights for the Week of 10/10/11 in Mrs. Bell's Classroom!

Spelling
Due to the 3 day week, there will be NO spelling lesson this week.

Reading - Review of Story Structure, Author's Viewpoint & Text Organization
We will continue focusing on the reading strategy of text organization. Many non-fiction authors organize their selections in time order. They also use features such as headings, pictures, captions, and charts to help the reader better understand the information.

English - Capitalization & Punctuation
Capitalization of the names of places & things is the topic for the week !

Social Studies - "The Beautiful Northeast"
Students will be doing some descriptive writing in Social Studies this week. They will be imagining what it would be like to take a "road trip" through the Northeast, and writing a descriptive paragraph about the experience. The assignment will also require two illustrations to go with the paragraph. Look for the assignment sheet for this activity to come home on Wednesday. The rough draft is due on Friday, 10/14, and the final copy will be collected on Monday, 10/17.

Science - "What are Some Life Cycles of Plants?"
Students will make their last observation for our "Sprouting Seeds" investigate on Wednesday. The lab report for that activity will be collected on Thursday, 10/13.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class
We will begin chapter 4, "Multiplication & Division Facts", this week. The concepts that we will cover include relating multiplication & division and multiplication & division facts through fives.

Don't forget...
10/10 - No School - Columbus Day
10/11 - No School - Teachers' Institute

Enjoy the long weekend!
Mrs. Karen Bell