Week of 5/2/2015

Highlights for the Week of 5/2/2016

in Mrs. Bell 's Classroom

Spelling - Silent Consonants
This week's lesson will contain words that have silent consonants. The final test will be on Friday, 5/6.   Cursive & Google Classroom activities are also due that day.

Reading - A Poetic Journey
Students will take a comprehension QUIZ on Love that Dog on Wednesday, 5/4. This week's Time for Kids features an article about scientist Sylvia Earle who is working to protect the world's oceans. A comprehension QUIZ on the magazine is scheduled for Friday, 5/6.


English - Poetry

Poetry books are due on 5/2 and should be SUBMITTED in Google Classroom by 7:00 a.m. that day.








Social Studies - The Navajo / The West

Our  study of the Southwest finishes with a look at the Native Americans of the region, The Navajo. We will focus on their culture and how they work to continue their traditions in present day society. The last (!) region that we will study on our journey across America is the West.

Science - Invention Convention / How Does Your Body Think & Move?
The Invention Convention was a HUGE hit! I loved seeing the creative ideas of our young scientists. A big THANK YOU to parents for supporting your child's efforts with this project!

"Can Crusher"

"Drool Catcher"

"Fantastic Book Holder"

"Fresh Keeper"

"Car Lighting"

"Couch-Table"

"My Family's Busy Schedule"

"E Tips"

"Secret So Tight Box"

"Scissor Stretch"

"Ball Box"

"Glow in the Dark T-Shirt"

"Motorized Basket"

"The Perfect Pencil Holder"

"Lazy Bird"

"Cricket Dispenser"

"Robo Chores"

"Paper and IPad Holder"

"Contained Legos"

"Sentence Keeper"

"The Gate Opener"

"Sit and Scratch"

"The Speed Feed"

We'll return to our study of body systems with a focus on the skeletal and muscular systems. A QUIZ on chapter 4 / lesson 2 is scheduled for Thursday, 5/5.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 5 - Multiplying and Dividing Fractions
The Unit 5 TEST is scheduled for Tuesday, 5/3. Then, we will move on to Unit 6 which covers graphing, geometry and volume.

Don't Forget...

MAP testing is this week. Students will take the reading test on Tuesday morning, and the math test on Thursday morning. Please see that your child comes to school well rested and having eaten a healthy breakfast. There will not be time to eat a snack before the test begins.

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 4/25/2016

Highlights for the Week of 4/25/2016

in Mrs. Bell 's Classroom

Spelling - Unusual Spellings
This week's lesson will contain words that have unusual spellings. The final test will be on Friday, 4/29.   Cursive & Google Classroom activities are also due that day.

Reading - A Poetic Journey
We are coming to the end of our novel study. I am so proud of the growth that I have seen in the reading skills of the students. Their ability to interpret and make inferences about text has grown in leaps and bounds from the beginning of the year. So many of them have told me that they love this book. Who would have thought that poetry could be so much fun?


English - Poetry
Students will be writing a Cinquain poem, a color poem, a Five "W" Poem and a poem of choice this week. We will also learn about hyperbole...a type of figurative language that involves exaggeration. Poetry books will be submitted on or before 5/2.

Social Studies - The Southwest

Brochures must be SUBMITTED by 7:00 a.m. on Monday, 4/25. Students have the grading rubric that I will use to assess their work. Please ask your child if he/she has used the rubric to check that his/her work meets the project requirements.

The chapter 10 TEST is scheduled for Thursday, 4/28. Study guides have been sent home. We will finish the week by completing the Southwest portion of the U.S. map project.

Science - Invention Convention
INVENTIONS are due on Tuesday, 4/26. Students will be presenting on the 27th and the inventions will be on display at Open House on 4/28.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 5 - Multiplying and Dividing Fractions
We are nearing the end of Unit 5 with a look at how to divide a fraction by a whole number & a fraction. Look for the Unit 5 TEST to be scheduled for the week of 5/2.

Sixth-grade math?  No problem for these mathematicians! Last week we took a break from Bridges to study the Coordinate Plane. Students learned about the four quadrants and how to identify and graph ordered pairs. This lesson led to a discussion about how to find the area of a triangle. Ask your child if he/she remembers the formula (Hint: A = 1/2 BH). Below are some photos of students working with the coordinate plane...

Don't Forget...

4/28 - PV Open House / Book Fair - 6:30 - 8:00

We look forward to seeing you at the Prairieview Open House on Thursday, 4/28 from 6:30 to 8:00. The students have been working hard to create a "Southwestern Fiesta" in the Fourth grade wing. Be sure to ask your child to show you his/her Midwest Look Book, and all of the other work (including inventions) displayed in our room. Don't forget to stop at the book fair in the gym!

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 4/18/2016

Highlights for the Week of 4/18/2016

in Mrs. Bell 's Classroom

Spelling - Final /ər/, /əl/, and /l/ Sounds 
This week's lesson will contain words that end in the  /ər/, /əl/, and /l/ Sounds. The final test will be on Friday, 4/22.   Cursive & Google Classroom activities are also due that day.

Reading - A Poetic Journey
We will continue our novel study of Love That Dog. Ask your child to tell you about the journey of the main character, Jack, and how he learns to love poetry. There are a number of supplemental poems that are included in this book. Ask your child to tell you about the poetic elements that we discussed in Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening poem.


English - Poetry
To coincide with our novel study, students will begin creating their own original book of poetry. They will be writing poems in several formats, and will be including a variety of figurative language that we have studied throughout the year. This project will be completed using the Chromebooks via Google Classroom. 

Social Studies - The Southwest

Students will conduct research to collect information for the brochure, and create their document using Google Docs. 
Work on the brochure will be completed at home and at school.
The final product is due on 4/25.





Science - How Does Your Body Think & Move?
The nervous system and the parts and function of the brain will be our focus this week.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class 
Our math time next week will consist of PARCC testing. On Monday, students will complete a practice test in class. I believe this is important to help them feel confident going into testing the rest of the week. There are four sections to the math PARCC, so the rest of the week will be spent testing. If time allows, we will continue our Number Corners lessons which focus on basic math computation and fluency, but I anticipate that we will have no new lessons in Bridges math this week.

Collaboration in problem-solving and speaking and listening are skills that we frequently practice in math. This past week, students worked in partners to solve a problem that included multiplying fractions, modeling the problem through a drawing or other method and writing and solving an equation that matched the problem. Below are pictures are of some students sharing their work with the class...

Don't Forget...

4/28 - PV Open House / Book Fair - 6:30 - 8:00

During the week of 4/18, students will be taking the math portion of the PARCC test. Please see that your child comes to school well rested and having eaten a healthy breakfast. Fourth-grade testing begins at 8:20, so there is no time to eat a snack before the tests begin.Thank you for your support!

Our classroom motto for the PARCC test is, "Do Your Best!". Please reinforce this idea at home with your child. There is no need to be anxious about the exam. We have practiced and are well prepared to take it!

4/19/16 - PARCC test - Math #1
4/20/16 - PARCC test - Math #2
4/21/16 - PARCC test - Math #3
4/22/16 - PARCC test - Math #4

Mrs. Karen Bell