Week of 2/2/15

Highlights for the Week of 2/2/15

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, 2/6, and will cover 20 words from the list. Homework will also be collected on Friday.


Reading - Journeys Unit
This week we will begin our new unit themed Journeys.   The students will work collaboratively in small groups to brainstorm ideas to the questions: What does it mean to go on a journey? How can a person be changed by a journey they have experienced?  They will create a passport to keep records of the journeys they go on throughout the unit.  We will read a short nonfiction passage called, Grandfather's Journey, and respond to it in a written paragraph. Later in the week we will close read a passage from the song A Whole New World.  The students will annotate the passage as they dig deeper and deeper into understanding the text.

English- Adjectives

The Monster Paragraph project is due on Monday, 2/2. 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. On Wednesday, students will independently complete a graded review of the first four lessons in the chapter. We will finish the week with a look at comparing with more & most, and good & bad.

Social Studies - The Midwest - The Badlands of South Dakota

We will finish our look at the waterways of the Midwest and move on to the Badlands. We will focus on how the geography of the Badlands has changed over millions of years.

Science - The Human Body - Tissues to Organs

An investigation about how physical activity relates to pulse rates will begin the new unit on the human body. We will also learn about how cells are the building blocks of the body.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Topic 9 - Number Sense: Dividing by 1-Digit Numbers

We will be moving from multiplication to division this week. Concepts that we will cover include using mental math to divide, estimating quotients, dividing with remainders and multiplication/division stories. Below are some pictures of math students collaborating while practicing their 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication.

 

 

Don't Forget...

Week of 2/9 - Parent / Teacher Conferences
2/11 - Early dismissal - Students dismissed at 11:00
2/12 - Valentine's Day celebrations - 1:30
2/13 & 2/16 - No School

Spring conferences are optional, and on an "as needed" basis. If I have not contacted you about about a conference, I have no specific concerns about your child's progress at this time. You are welcome to schedule a conference at the following link:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4aa4af22a5f85-spring3

Congratulations to Dom & Adel, our Fourth Grade Spelling Bee representatives. We're proud of you!

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 1/26/15

Highlights for the Week of 1/26/15

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, 1/30. Workbook pages & the cursive page OR challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - Unit 1 - Courage

Students will complete and present their "Profile in Courage" slide show. They should be able to speak about their chosen hero in depth, and present the information without reading from the screen. They  may use note cards to help them with the presentation. At the end of the week, they will independently close read a passage comparing and contrasting groundhogs and woodchucks, and answer comprehension questions related to the text.

Below are pictures of students collaborating during a partner close read of Lou Gehrig's "Luckiest Man" speech...

English- Adjectives

We will begin the Adjectives unit with a look at the definition of an adjective: Adjectives tell what kind and how many. Then, students will apply what they have learned about adjectives by writing a descriptive paragraph about an imaginary monster.  They will be required to use adjectives to describe the monster. This assignment will be on Google Classroom in the Homeroom English section.  The online assignment includes a project description and a document for typing their paragraph. Students will also be illustrating their paragraph. The project will be assigned on Wednesday, and is due on Monday, 2/2. 

Using a whisper reader and a Chromebook to perfect the Hero Essay.

Social Studies - The Midwest - "A Route to the Sea"

The Midwest map QUIZ is scheduled for Tuesday, 1/27. We will also read and discuss a Time for Kids magazine article about the Great Lakes and the threats they are facing. 

Science - "Adaptations"

The Chapter 3 / Lessons 2 & 3 QUIZ is scheduled for Monday, 1/26. The quiz will be open note and textbook. We will spend the rest of the week reviewing and preparing for the chapter 3 TEST on Friday, 1/30. Look for a study guide for the test to come home on Monday. Tests in Science are not open book/notes.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Topic 8

We will finish out Topic 8 with a look at multiplying 2-digit by 2-digit, 2-digit by 3-digit and 3-digit by 3-digit numbers. We will also review how to solve two-question problems. The Topic 8 TEST is scheduled for Friday, 1/30. Below are pictures of students completing a test review for the Topic 7 test. Using technology for this activity allows them to have immediate feedback about their performance, and highlights areas that need improvement.

Don't Forget...

2/12 - Valentine's Day Celebrations - 1:30

Please take a few moments to complete the I-5 PARENT survey at the following link: https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/survey/parent/login/)

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 1/19/15

Highlights for the Week of 1/19/15

in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - None
Due to the short week, we will have no spelling lesson this week. We will be conducting the classroom spelling bees to determine which student will participate in the 4th grade spelling bee on 1/28. The classroom bees will be on 1/20 and 1/22. The first and second place winners from the bee on 1/22 will represent our class in the 4th grade bee. 

Reading - "Courage" Unit Culminating Project
We are nearing the end of our Courage Unit. The final activity in this unit is a project in which students choose a person who has shown courage from a provided list. They will conduct research and create a slide show that will ultimately become a flip book. Projects will be presented to classmates the week of 1/26. I will be giving time in class to work on the project, but work must also be conducted at home.

English- Explanatory Writing / Adjectives

The rough draft of the hero essay is due on Tuesday, 1/20. Students will have two class periods to revise and edit their rough draft. They may also work on it at home. The final copy is due at the end of English on 1/22. The pretest for our next unit, Adjectives, will be given at the end of the week.


Social Studies - The Cherokee / The Midwest

The quiz on Chapter 1 / Lesson 1 (The Cherokee) is scheduled for Tuesday, 1/20. Students may use

their NOTES only for this quiz. The next region that we will visit this year is the good old Midwest. We will begin by creating a map of the region and studying how the Great Lakes were formed. Look for the Midwest map QUIZ to be scheduled the week of 1/26.

Science - "How Do Behaviors of Animals Help Them Meet Their Needs?"

We will delve a little deeper into the behavioral adaptations of hibernation and migration. Be sure to ask your child if bears actually sleep when they hibernate!

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Topic 8 - Developing Fluency: Multiplying by 2-Digit Numbers
The Topic 7 TEST is scheduled for Tuesday, 1/20. The first few lessons in Topic 8 focus on using arrays for multiplication when using the standard and expanded algorithms. 

Don't Forget...

January 19 - No School - Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday
January 20- Classroom Spelling Bee (Practice)
January 22 - Classroom Spelling Bee (Winner & First Runner Up compete in 4th Grade Bee on 1/28)

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 1/12/15

Highlights for the Week of 1/12/15

in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling - Words with the final /j /& /s/ Sound
The final test for this lesson will be on Friday,1/16. Workbook pages & the cursive page OR challenge work will also be collected that day.

Reading - Courage Unit - Lou Gehrig - The Luckiest Man
Students will close read the passage with a partner, responding to and creating their own text-dependent questions. A vocabulary and PARCC based comprehension QUIZ on the story is scheduled for Thursday, 1/15.

English - Explanatory Writing

Partners will complete the rough and final drafts of the robot essay early in the week. On Wednesday, they will receive their third and final prompt, "Who is a Hero in Your Life?".  Students will use their knowledge of heroism from our reading unit and write about someone who is a hero to them. They will individually follow the writing process of brainstorming and organizing ideas, writing and editing a rough draft and creating a final draft  with guidance from the teachers. Please enjoy these pictures of your child collaborating with his/her partner during our writers' workshop sessions in class.

Social Studies - The Cherokee

We will complete our study of the Cherokee with a look at how the Cherokee continue their traditions and cultures in modern times. An open note QUIZ on this lesson is scheduled for Tuesday, 1/20.

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

Students have already explored why birds' beaks are shaped differently. This week we will delve into other animal adaptation such as fur color, and types of claws. An open note/book QUIZ on this topic (Chapter 3 / Lesson 1) is scheduled for Wednesday, 1/14.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Topic 7 - Number Sense: Multiplying by 2-Digit Numbers
Using compatible numbers to estimate, and solving multi-step problems will be our focus this week. Look for the Topic 7 TEST to be scheduled for the week of 1/19.

Don't Forget...

January 16 - Early Dismissal - Students dismissed at 11:00
January 19 -- M. L. King Birthday -- No School






Here are some photos from this week's "Goo, Globs & Guts" field trip...

Mrs. Karen Bell