Week of 2/3/14 - 2/7/14

Highlights for the Week of 2/3/14

in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - More VCCV Words
This week's spelling lesson contains words with the VCCV (Vowel-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) pattern. The cursive/workbook pages OR challenge work will be collected on Friday, 2/7. The final test for the lesson will also be that day.


Reading- I Can Identify Problem and Solution & Draw Conclusions

The comprehension skills that we will be focusing on this week are identifying problem and solution & drawing conclusions. Good readers use details in a story to draw conclusions about characters and events. They will learn that it is possible to draw more than one conclusion from the same details. We will continue reading the novel, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, as we work on these skills. There is a comprehension/skill check QUIZ on chapters 1 & 2 of the novel scheduled for Tuesday, 2/4 & another QUIZ on chapters 3 & 4 on Friday, 2/7. Click on the following link for practice with the vocabulary words:
 http://quizlet.com/35393749/tales-of-a-fourth-grade-nothing-ch-1-2-flash-cards/

English- Adjectives
Making comparisons with adjectives, and comparing with more and most are the topics for English this week. Students will be completing a lesson review in class on Wednesday to "show what they know".


Social Studies - The Midwest
The Chapter 8 TEST is scheduled for Thursday, 2/6. A study guide was sent home with your child. We will finish the week by working on the Midwest region portion of our United States maps.


Science - How Does Your Body Think & Move?
On Monday, 2/3, students will take an open note/book QUIZ on lesson 2 of chapter 4. Then, we will take a break from the human body this week to read a Time for Kids magazine that focuses on how the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are working to save the gorilla. Students will take a comprehension QUIZ that will cover only the main article of the TFK on Friday, 2/7.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 6 - Divide by a 1-Digit Number

Quotients with zeroes and solving multi-step word problems with division are the last two lessons in Unit 6.  Students will take the Unit 6 TEST on Thursday, 2/6. 

Don't Forget...

February 4 - Early Dismissal - Students dismissed at 11:00
March 3 - In-school presentation, "Wheels, Levers & Pulleys"

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 1/27/14 - 1/31/14

Highlights for the Week of 1/27/14

in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Theme 4 Review

This week's spelling list will contain 30 words from the 4th theme in our reading text. Words will be chosen from lessons 15-17. Students must score 100% on the pretest to earn challenge work for the week. The final test will be on Friday, 1/31, and will cover 20 words from the list. Homework will also be collected on Friday.

Reading - I Can Identify the Problem and Solution
This week, we will continue working on the reading target of identifying the problem and the solution. Most stories involve a problem for the character to solve, and the solution to the problem may come after many others have been tried. We will be reading the novel, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (a favorite of mine!), as we practice this skill, and many of our reading strategies over the next few weeks.

English- Adjectives

The Monster Paragraph project is due on Monday, 1/27. We will continue our study of adjectives with a look at the correct usage of the adjectives, "a, an & the", & how to make comparisons using adjectives. 



Social Studies - The Midwest - Beautiful Midwest Farms
We will continue to focus on how agriculture impacts the economy in the Midwest. The chapter 8 TEST is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, 2/4.

Science - The Human Body / How Does Your Body Think & Move?

Dem bones, dem bones...the skeletal system & muscular system will continue to be our focus this week. Students will be taking an open note/book  QUIZ on lesson 2 of chapter 4 on Thursday, 1/30. 

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 6 - Divide by a 1-Digit Number

We will begin the week with a look at dividing greater numbers (three & four-digit numbers). Students will take a QUIZ on lessons 7-9 of Unit 6 on Wednesday, 1/29. At the end of the week we will take a look at quotients with zeros and solving multi-step word problems. We will also be implementing a new approach to learning called "Flip the Classroom". Flip teaching (or flipped classroom) is a form of blended learning in which students learn content online by watching video lectures at home, and what used to be homework (assigned problems) is then done in class with the teacher providing personalized guidance and interacting with students. I plan to implement this technique slowly, working towards using 1-2 video per week when students are familiar with the process. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Don't Forget...

January 24 - PV Bingo Night
January 27 - In-school presentation, "Wheels, Levers & Pulleys"
January 27 - Classroom Spelling Bee (Practice)
January 28 - Classroom Spelling Bee (Winner & First Runner Up compete in 4th Grade Bee on 1/30)



Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 1/20/14 - 1/24/14

Highlights for the Week of 1/20/14

in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Words with the "VCCV" Pattern
Words this week will have the "VCCV" (Vowel/Consonant/Consonant/Vowel) pattern. The final test for this lesson will be on Friday, 1/24. Workbook pages & the cursive page OR challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - I Can Identify the Problem and Solution


We will finish our study of  the problem/solution framework and Marven of the Great North Woods. Students will work in pairs to apply what they have learned about this structure to another piece of text.  A QUIZ is scheduled for Thursday, 1/23. Students will read a passage, then answer multiple choice questions about how the problems in the text were solved. We will also be reading a Time for Kids magazine that features an article about cheating in school.  The comprehension QUIZ for the TFK is scheduled for Friday, 1/24.

English- Adjectives

Students will apply what they have learned about adjectives by writing a descriptive paragraph about am imaginary monster.  They will have to use adjectives to describe the monster.  The project will be assigned on Tuesday, and is due on Monday, 1/27. We will also learn about adjectives that follow the the verb "be" (am, is, are, was, were).

Social Studies - The Midwest

This week we will look at lesson 2 of chapter 8. This lesson covers the terrain & climate of the South Dakota Badlands. We will also begin lesson 3 which focuses on the farms of the Midwest.

Science - The Human Body / How Does Your Body Think & Move?

The nervous and skeletal systems are next on our agenda in Science. Students will learn how the brain controls the rest of the body, and the names and functions of our bones.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 6 - Divide by a 1-Digit Number

Students will take a QUIZ on lessons 1-6 of chapter 6 on Tuesday, 1/22. We will continue our study of division with a look at interpreting remainders, placing the first digit in division and using the distributive property with partial quotients.

Don't Forget...

January 20 - No School - Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday
January 24 - PV Bingo Night
January 27 - In-school presentation, "Wheels, Levers & Pulleys"




Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 1/13/14 - 1/17/14

Highlights for the Week of 1/13/14

in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Words with the final /j /& /s/ Sound
The final test for this lesson will be on Friday,1/17. Workbook pages & the cursive page OR challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - I Can Identify the Problem and Solution

Our schedule in reading has been pushed back due to the snow days. I had planned to begin the story Marven of the Great North Woods the week of 1/6, but instead, we will start it the week of 1/13. While reading the story, we will be working on the reading skill of identifying the problem and the solution. Most stories involve a problem for the character to solve, and the solution to the problem may come after others have been tried.  After several close readings of this story, students will practice answering text dependent questions. They will also focus on developing the meaning of vocabulary words as they reread the story.

English - Nouns / Adjectives

The Nouns TEST is scheduled for Tuesday, 1/15. We will review for the test on Monday.  To prepare for the test, students should review all of the lessons in the textbook, found on pages 64-94. Your child should be able to tell you the difference between a common noun and a proper noun, and how to write both types. Spelling rules for writing plural nouns will also be on the test.  Finally, ask your child the rules for making singular and plural nouns possessive. Textbook pages 82-85 and 88-94 have excellent review exercises for test preparation. The next unit that we will study in English is Adjectives, which are words that describe nouns.  The pretest for this unit is scheduled for 1/17.

Social Studies - The Midwest - The Badlands of South Dakota

We will finish our look at how the Great Lakes impact the Midwest Region, and move on to a look at the Badlands of South Dakota.

Science - The Human Body / How Does Your Body Get Oxygen and Nutrients?

We will finish lesson 1 with a look at how blood circulates through the body.  Students will take an open note/book QUIZ on lesson 1 of chapter 4 on Friday, 1/17.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class

Division is our new topic in math.  This week we will focus on how to estimate quotients, use place value to divide and division with remainders.  

Don't Forget...

January 15 - Early Dismissal - Students dismissed at 11:00
January 20 -- M. L. King Birthday -- No School

Our first Marble Celebration of the year is scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday, 1/16. Students voted to have a slumber party / movie / ice cream sundae party to celebrate their good behavior.  They may bring blankets, pillows, sleeping bags & stuffed animals for the event.  They have chosen the movie "Despicable Me 2" to watch during the celebration.  Watch for a permission slip to come home on Monday.  I will be providing ice cream and the toppings for sundaes. 

Mrs. Karen Bell