Week of 11/3/2014

Highlights for the Week of 11/3/14

 in Mrs. Bell's Classroom!

Spelling - None
We will not have a spelling lesson this week due to the short week.




Reading - Courage - Gloria Estefan

Students will take a QUIZ on the Gloria Estefan vocabulary and text on Thursday, 11/6. They will be asked to insert vocabulary words into sentences based on context clues, and to answer comprehension questions based on text proof. Students may click on the following link to access a Quizlet review for the vocabulary:

http://quizlet.com/54342506/gloria-estefan-flash-cards/ 

The culminating activity for this text will require that students write a newspaper article describing how Gloria became a star and why she deserves the title, "a star with a heart". The final copy of the article will be due on Monday, 11/10.

English - Capitalization and Punctuation





We will finish quotations on Wednesday, and move on to titles on Thursday.  Look for the chapter 5 TEST to be scheduled the week of 11/10.

Social Studies - The Narragansett
The Narragansett Village project is due on Wednesday, 11/5. Students will also take a QUIZ that day on lesson 1 of chapter 5 (The Narragansetts). We will begin the study of the Southeast by creating a map of the region. The QUIZ on the SE map is tentatively scheduled for 11/10.

Science -  How are Animals Classified?
Invertebrates are in the spotlight in science this week. The will take an open note/book QUIZ on lesson 1 of chapter 3 on Friday, 11/7.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class -  Topic 4 Addition & Subtraction of Whole Numbers

This week we will tackle estimation of sums and differences and adding whole numbers. A QUIZ on lessons 1-3 of Topic 4 is tentatively scheduled for Friday, 11/7.





Don't forget...

11/3 - No School - Parent/Teacher Conferences
11/4 - No School - Teachers' Institute

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

Week of 10/27/14

Highlights for the Week of 10/27/14

 in Mrs. Bell's Classroom!

Spelling - The "ou" and “ô” sound 
The final test for this week's lesson will be on Friday, 10/31. Cursive and workbook pages or challenge work will also be collected that day.



Reading - Courage - Gloria Estefan

We will finish the close read of the biographical text piece about Gloria Estefan. My goal for this text piece is to have students begin leading their small group discussions by developing their own text-dependent questions. We will also evaluate responses to continue to hone our skills in that area as well. On Thursday, students will begin reading a Time for Kids magazine that focuses on technology and coding. The comprehension QUIZ for the TFK is scheduled for Friday, 10/31.

English - Capitalization and Punctuation
Students will complete a GRADED REVIEW for lessons 1-6 of chapter 5 on Tuesday, 10/28. We will finish out the week with a look at how to use quotation marks.

Social Studies - The Narragansett
We will begin our study of the Native Americans of the Northeast.  Students will learn about the culture and traditions of the Narragansetts. They will also learn about the Iroqouis Americans, and will compare and contrast their culture with the Narragansetts. On Thursday, students will receive guidelines for a project in which they will illustrate a Narragansett Village. The project will be collected on 11/5. The Northeast Feast is scheduled for 10/30. Chef Bell will be serving pancakes with syrup, dried cranberries & grape juice, all of which represent resources from the Northeast. 

Science -  How are Animals Classified?
We will continue our study of the classification of vertebrates by taking a close look at reptiles and amphibians. Students will close read a passage about these types of animals and compare/contrast they two types.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Topic 3 Place Value & Topic 4 Addition & Subtraction of Whole #s

The Topic 3 TEST is scheduled for Tuesday, 10/28. Topic 4 begins on Wednesday with a look at using mental math to add and subtract, and estimation of sums and differences.

Don't forget...

Week of 10/27 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Homeroom Students)

The Halloween celebration will be on Friday, 10/31. The traditional PV parade will begin at 1:15, 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!

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

Week of 10/20/14

Highlights for the Week of 10/20/14

 in Mrs. Bell's Classroom!

Spelling - More Short and Long Vowels
The final test for this week's lesson will be on Friday, 10/24. Cursive and workbook pages or challenge work will also be collected that day.



Reading - "What does it Mean to Show Courage?"
I continue to be impressed and excited over the students' progress with close reading. This week we finished up the close read of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Not only are they gaining confidence in their ability to tackle difficult text, but they are learning that if they persevere there is nothing that they can't decode. Below are some pictures of some our junior archaeologists digging deep into the text of this famous speech:

During the week of 10/20, we will complete the study of Dr. King's speech, and move on to a biographical piece about singer Gloria Estefan.

English - Capitalization and Punctuation

Abbreviations, commas in a series & other uses for commas are the topics that we will cover in English this week.

Social Studies - The Northeast

The rough draft of the NE Descriptive writing project is due on Monday, 10/20. Students will be typing their final copies in class early in the week. We will also begin creating a map of the United States. This is a year long project in which we add each region as it is studied. The next unit that we will cover in Social Studies is the Narragansett, the Native Americans of the Northeast region.



Science - "How are Animals Classified?"
The worm races were a HUGE success. I was very pleased to see the creativity displayed by students in creating their tracks. However, I was most proud of the good sportsmanship that the children showed when cheering for their classmates during the races. Here are some pictures from that memorable afternoon:

The next topic in Science will be "How are Animals Classified". We will begin this unit with a look at vertebrates.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Topic 3: Place Value
Students will take a QUIZ on lessons 1-4 of Topic 3 on Monday, 10/20. On Tuesday and Thursday, they will be using the sports attendance data that they have created to create spreadsheets and graphs that will provide a visual representation of how to compare and order large numbers. The last two concepts in this topic include rounding whole numbers and the problem solving strategy of making an organized list.  Look for the Topic 3 TEST to be scheduled for the week of 10/27. Below is a picture of our math class making a "human number line" using numbers between 100,000 and 900,000.

Don't forget...

Week of 10/27 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Homeroom students only) 

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 10/13/14

Highlights for the Week of 10/13/14

 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. Students must score 100% on the pretest to qualify for challenge work.  The final test will be on Friday, 10/17, and homework will also be collected that same day.

Reading - Courage
I am so IMPRESSED and AMAZED by the students' perseverance at tackling the challenging text of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. We will finish our close read of  the speech on Monday. On Thursday, students will take a comprehension QUIZ on the story, Happy Birthday Dr. King, and the speech. 

English - Capitalization & Punctuation

Writing correct sentences, and how to write the names of people, places and things will be the focus in English this week.

Social Studies - The Beautiful Northeast
The Chapter 4 TEST is scheduled for Tuesday, 10/14.  Students received a study guide for the test, and should focus on reviewing the textbook pages, workbook pages & notes to prepare. We will also begin a descriptive writing project. 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. Look for the assignment sheet for this activity to come home on Thursday. The rough draft is due on MOnday, 10/20. 

Science - The Scientific Method

Our worm investigations are complete & it's time to go to the races! The WORM RACES are scheduled for Wednesday, 10/15. Students should bring in their tracks, the Worm Track Design sheet and a worm in a habitat that day.  Students will be taking an open note/book QUIZ on this the Scientific Method on Friday, 10/17. The following pictures are from the worm investigations completed this week...

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Place Value

Place value relationships and comparing numbers are the concepts that we will study in math this week. This week, students enjoyed using interactive place value blocks to represent large numbers. The pictures below show them using Chrome books in the classroom to explore this concept.

Don't Forget...

10/13 - No School - Columbus Day

10/16 - PV Book Fair - 6:30 p.m.

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 10/6/14

Highlights for the Week of 10/6/14
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, 10/10. Workbook & cursive pages or challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - Courage Unit - "I Have a Dream" speech
This week we will be digging into an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech". Students will use their close reading skills in the whole group and with partners to interpret the message, language, vocabulary and perspective of the piece.

English - Sentences
The TEST for chapter 1 is scheduled for Wednesday, 10/8. Students should prepare for the test by reviewing the textbook, practice pages, and workbook pages for the unit. There is also a chapter review section in the textbook (p. 56-62) that covers all of the topics on the test. 

Social Studies - "The Beautiful Northeast"
We will finish the last lesson in chapter 4 this week.  The TEST is scheduled for the week of 10/13. Students will receive a study guide for the test, and should focus on reviewing the textbook pages, workbook pages & notes to prepare. 


Science - Scientific Method
We will begin the worm unit this week. On Monday, your child will bring his/her worm to school in the habitat that he/she has made.  We will spend the week making observations about worm behavior that will help students decide how to make their track for the races. Look for the track information for worm races to come home on Thursday.The WORM RACES are scheduled for the week of 10/13.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class

The TEST for Topic 2 is scheduled for Tuesday, 10/7. We will begin Topic 3, Place Value, with a look at how to represent numbers and place value relationships.

Don't forget...

10/8 - Fall Picture Day

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

10/13 - No School - Columbus Day

10/16 - Mark your calendar for the PV Book Fair from 6:30-8:00.  Classrooms will not be open, but you can support your PTO by attending the fair!


Mrs. Karen Bell