Week of 1/2/12 - 1/6/12

Highlights for the Week of 1/3/12 Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Words with the /k/, /ng/ & /kw/ Sounds
The final test for this lesson will be on Friday, 1/6. Workbook pages & the cursive page OR challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - I Can Predict Outcomes
This week, we will be working on predicting outcomes. Readers can often guess ahead of time, or predict, what will happen in a story, based on information the author has given. Additionally, readers can change or adjust their predictions as they read.

English - Expository Writing
We will be taking a break from the English textbook to study expository writing. During this unit we will study the different components of an expository essay, practice together, and eventually write a 5 paragraph essay. This week we will focus on how to brainstorm and organize ideas, and how to write a "hook".

Social Studies - Badlands of South Dakota / Bountiful Midwest Farms

This week we will look at lessons 2 & 3 of chapter 8. These lessons cover the terrain & climate of the South Dakota Badlands, and how the farms of the Midwest contribute to the economy of the region.

Science - Adaptations

Students will be taking the chapter 3 TEST in science on Thursday, 1/5. They will receive a study guide on Tuesday, and we will review as a group on Wednesday. Students should review their notes, quizzes & the textbook to prepare for the test.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Interpret & Graph Data

We will begin chapter 8, which focuses on how to interpret and graph data. We will begin with a look at bar, double bar, and circle graphs. Students will be taking a QUIZ on lessons 1-3 of chapter 8 on Friday, 1/6.

Don't Forget...

January 3 -- Classes Resume after Winter Break

January 17 -- M. L. King Birthday -- No School

When we return from holiday break, we will have a new member in our classroom family. Miss Kristin Johnston, a student teacher from Lewis University, will be joining us until early May. Many of you met Miss Johnston at Open House at the beginning of the year. She will spend her first few weeks at PV observing our classroom, & getting to know the students. Little by little, she will assume teaching responsibilities, under my supervision.

Have a happy, relaxing & safe holiday break!

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 12/12/11-12/16/11

Highlights for the Week of 12/12/11 in Mrs. Bell's Class

Spelling - Review Lesson
This week's spelling list will contain 30 words from the second theme in our reading text. Words will be chosen from lessons 8-13. Students must score 100% on the pretest to earn challenge work for the week. The final test will be on Friday, 12/16, and will cover 20 words from the list. Homework will also be collected on Friday.

Reading - I Can Evaluate Text & Review Strategies

In reading this week the students will evaluate the text. They will think about the author's writing and decide if he/she did a good job of helping them to understand the story. They will also review the strategies used throughout the theme.

English - Nouns
We have finished the chapter on nouns, and the TEST is scheduled for Thursday, 12/15. We will review in class on Wednesday.



Social Studies - The Midwest
The Midwest map QUIZ will be on Monday, 12/12. We will finish lesson 1 of chapter 8 by completing a lesson review in school.

Science - Chapter 3 Review
We will discuss the chapter 3 review on Monday. The test for this chapter will not be given until after holiday break.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class
Students have had a lot of fun exploring the concepts of mean, median, mode & range. These pictures show them working in small groups to manipulate weather data that they collected from the internet.
Choosing a reasonable scale for graphs will be the last topic that we will look at in chapter 7. The TEST for this chapter is scheduled for Wednesday, 12/14. We will finish the week with T-Charts that focus on finding mean, median or mode.











Don't forget...
Winter Break begins on 12/19.

We will be watching the movie "Hachi" on Friday, 12/16. Students may bring a pillow or stuffed animal to sit on during the movie.

Mrs. Karen Bell

Posted by Mrs. Karen Bell at 4:46 PM

Week of 12/5/11 - 12/9/11

Highlights for the Week of 12/5/11 in Mrs. Bell's Class!

Spelling - The ôr/ ür / yŏŏr sounds
The words this week will have sounds like the words, "more", "hurt" & "pure". The final test for this week's lesson will be on Friday, 12/9. Cursive and workbook pages OR challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - Strategies Review
Our reading strategies for this week are questioning, categorizing and classifying. Recognizing the question a story may raise is a good way to make sure you understand it. Also, as people read they wonder about the things they are reading and they form questions in their mind. Good readers usually do this without thinking. The students will practice the questioning strategy this week. Classifying involves grouping like items, and categorizing involves naming the group. Grouping the items makes it easier to remember them. Students will also classify and categorize information in the stories they read this week.

English - Nouns
We will cover the last two lessons in the Nouns chapter this week. The topics we will focus on are Singular and Plural possessive nouns. Students will review how to write each of these types of nouns and how to use apostrophes correctly. Look for the Nouns TEST to be scheduled the week of 12/12.

Social Studies - The Midwest
Our journey through the regions of the U.S. has brought us to the Midwest. Students will create their own Midwest Map, labeling the states and important water areas in the region. The QUIZ on the Midwest Map is tentatively scheduled for Monday, 12/12. We will also look at the impact that the Great Lakes has on this region.

Science - How do Living Things of the Past Compare with Those of Today?
Next week, we will take a look at how scientists use fossils to study plants and animals of the past. We will also learn about extinction. Students will be taking an open note/book QUIZ on Lessons 2 & 3 of chapter 3 on Thursday, 12/8

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class
Classifying data by using Venn diagrams will be our first topic this week. Then we will move on to the study of Mean, Median, Mode & Range. Students will be collecting weather data from cities around the world for an activity scheduled for Wednesday. There will be a QUIZ on lessons 1-3 of chapter 7 on Thursday, 12/8.

Don't forget...

Our BOWLING FIELD TRIP to Brunswick Zone is scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, 12/9. Students may bring money to purchase snacks at the bowling alley. Brunswick Zone is offering a concession special: 2 slices of cheese pizza & a 16 oz. drink for $3.23 (including tax). Please keep in mind that we will be going bowling after lunch.

The Tivoli Movie outing on Friday, 12/16 has been canceled. The fourth grade teachers have decided to show movies in our individual classrooms that afternoon. Our class recently
completed reading aloud the book, Hachiko Waits. This novel is based on a true story, and tells the tale of a dog who shows tremendous honor and loyalty. It is one of my favorite read alouds, and the children truly enjoyed it. For this reason, I have chosen to show the movie Hachi on the afternoon of the 16th. The movie is based on the book, and is rated G. I will be serving popcorn and juice boxes to the children that afternoon. If you would like to send in a bag of popcorn or some juice boxes that day, please contact me.
Thank you in advance !

Mrs. Karen Bell

Posted by Mrs. Karen Bell at 4:46 PM

Weeks of 11/21/11 & 11/28/11

Highlights for the Weeks of 11/21/11 & 11/28/11 in Mrs. Bell's Class!

Spelling
There will be no spelling the week of 11/21. The following week, the rule for the lesson is words with the patterns of îr/är/âr , which are words that have the sounds like the words, "ear" &"glare". Cursive and workbook pages, as well as challenge work for the lesson will be collected on Thursday, 12/1. The final test for that lesson will also be that day.

Reading
Over the next few weeks, we will be reviewing the skills that we have gone over since the beginning of the year. The students will also work on summarizing and making generalizations. In writing summaries, the students will learn to pick out the main points or events of a story or passage and concisely put them in their own words. In making generalizations the students will learn that generalizations are broad statements that are true most of the time, and are based on fact or good reasons, and may include words like always or most. We will finish the novel, Because of Winn-Dixie with a "Friendship Celebration" modeled after the one in the book. Look for the invitation to come home with your child.

English - Nouns
Singular and plural nouns, and spelling rules for nouns that end with the letter "y" will be our focus over the next two weeks.

Social Studies - The Southeast
The Southeast Postcard project will be collected on Monday, 11/21. Students will also be working on completing the Southeast portion of their United States Map. Then, we will take a look at the Native Americans who live in this region, the Cherokee. Students will learn about their history and culture. Look for a QUIZ on this topic at the end of the week of 11/28.

Science - TFK - "Bats on the Brink" / Behavioral Adaptations
We will read & discuss a Time for Kids article that describes how a mysterious disease is endangering the lives of bats in the United States. Then, we will move on to the study of how the behavioral adaptations of animals help them to meet their needs.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class
We have had a lot of fun this week using internet games to practice telling time. If your child would like to play the games at home, try these links:

TIME CLOCK: http://www.primarygames.com/math/timeclock/start.htm

CLOCK RACER GAME: http://justkidsgames.com/play.php?ClockRacer

We will be taking a look at how to measure temperature as we finish chapter 6. Look for the TEST on this chapter to be scheduled the week of 11/28.

Wishing you & yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 11/14/11-11/18/11

Highlights for the Week of 11/14/11 in Mrs. Bell's Class!

Spelling - The /ōō/ & /ŏŏ/ Sounds
The final test for this week's lesson will be on Friday, 11/18. Cursive and workbook pages or challenge work will also be collected that day.


Reading - I Can Make Inferences
This week, we will once again focus on the reading strategy of making inferences. Authors do not always tell the reader everything. They may give clues instead. The reader must use the clues and their own knowledge to make inference about people and events. Students will be taking a comprehension/vocabulary QUIZ on chapters 1-10 of Because of Winn-Dixie on Tuesday, 11/15.




English - Nouns
This week in English we will take a look at what is a noun and common & proper nouns. Students will be introduced to a new Schoolhouse Rock song that we will sing to remind us of how to find nouns in sentences. We will also take a look at "invisible" nouns, which are words that are not normally thought of as nouns, such as the words "excitement" and "honor".

Social Studies - The Southeast
The chapter 6 TEST is scheduled for Monday, 11/14. Students were given a study guide to let them know what facts to focus on while studying. Reviewing notes, workbook pages, and textbook pages is the best strategy to prepare for the test. On Wednesday, students will begin working on a descriptive writing assignment for the Southeast. Look for the project description sheet to come home that day. We will finish the week by working on the Southeast portion of our large United States map.

Science - How do the Bodies of Animals Help Them Meet their Needs?
We will complete our study of how animals' physical adaptations help them to survive. Students will be taking an open note/book QUIZ on chapter 3, lesson 1 on Thursday, 11/17.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class
Chapter 6 begins with a look at telling time and elapsed time. Students will be taking a QUIZ on the first two lessons of the chapter on Wednesday, 11/16. Then, we will move on to elapsed time on a calendar, and changing units of time.

Don't forget...

November 23, 24, 25 -- Thanksgiving Holiday -- No School



Mrs. Karen Bell

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