Week of 10/31/2016

Highlights for the Week of 10/31/2016
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling -  Unit 10 - Suffixes -ment, -tion and -ly
This week's list contains words with the suffixes -ment, -tion and -ly.  Students will study the definitions of the suffixes and how they change the root words that they are attached to. We will also look at antonyms of the spelling and vocabulary words. The final TEST is scheduled for Friday, 11/4.

Reading - Unit 1 - "Courage"
Our junior archeologists have been digging deep into the text of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Below are videos of students working together to find meaning in the words that they are reading...

Ashlyn, TJ & Jordan have a conversation using their background knowledge to determine the meaning of Dr. King's words: "...the sons of former slaves". 

Students were asked, What does the word "creed" mean in this quote:  "...I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." 

Lindsy, Ashley & Monika work together with a little help from the "senior" archeologist to find the meaning of the word "creed":

Next week we will finish our work on the speech and move on to writing a response to the prompt, "What lesson about courage is Dr. King trying to share in his I Have a Dream Speech?".

Science -  "How Are Animals Classified?"
How many drops of water will fit on a penny? This was the question that students investigated using the Scientific Method this week. Be sure to ask your child about the results...the answer might surprise you! Below are pictures of students conducting the experiment...

Vertebrates & Invertebrates will be our topic the week of 10/31. There is an open note/book QUIZ on Chapter 1 / Lesson 3 scheduled for Thursday, 11/3. On Friday, I will assign the Invertebrates project. This is a slide presentation highlighting a variety of invertebrates. Students will collaborate in small groups to complete the project. Some time will be given in school, but they should expect to also work outside of class to complete the project, which will be due the week of 11/7.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 2 - Adding & Subtracting Fractions

Fraction story problems will be our focus as we near the end of Unit 2. Students will complete a CHECKPOINT on 11/2 that covers strategies for adding and subtracting fractions. Look for the Unit 2 TEST to be scheduled the week of 11/7.

The Queen & her subjects taking a break from our hard work in math to take a group photo !

FYI...

Week of 10/31 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Homeroom Students)

The Halloween celebration will be on Monday, 10/31. Students will change into their costumes at 12:50, and the parties will begin at 1:10. The traditional PV parade will begin at 2:10. 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 10/24/16

Highlights for the Week of 10/24/2016
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling -  Unit 9 - Prefixes pre-, re- and mis-
Words on this week's list will include the prefixes pre-, re- and mis-. We wills study the definitions of these prefixes and how they change the meaning of the root word that they are attached to. The final TEST is scheduled for Friday, 10/28.

Reading - Unit 1 - "Courage"
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.

Science - The Scientific Method / "How Are Animals Classified?"

The Scientific Method QUIZ is scheduled for Tuesday, 10/25. Students will be allowed to use their notes and textbooks as a resource while taking the quiz. The next unit in Science will be "How are Animals Classified?".

The photos below are from a STEM activity that challenged students to make the longest paper chain possible using one piece of construction paper, scissors, and glue. The conclusion that we reached was that the paper had to be cut in long thin strips in order to make the longest chain.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 2 - Adding & Subtracting Fractions

We will finish our work with "finding the better buy" on Monday. This strategy involves finding the unit cost for two products in order to determine which one has a lower price. A CHECKPOINT is scheduled for Thursday, 10/27. Students should review their spiral notes and homework sheets to prepare for the checkpoint.

This past week, students worked with partners to model fractions of a trail to solve a problem. Below are some pictures of the mathematicians collaborating and problem solving.

FYI...

HOMEROOM parents...Fall conferences are scheduled for November 1st and 2nd. If you  haven't scheduled a conference yet, please click on the link below to select a time.  Thanks!

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4aa4af22a5f85-november22

Enjoy the weekend...Go Cubbies!

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 10/17/16

Highlights for the Week of 10/17/2016
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling -  Unit 8 - Grade Appropriate & Domain-Specific Vocabulary
This week's spelling/vocabulary list will include a variety of words that are appropriate for 4th-grade students. Instead of studying a spelling rule, we will focus on the definition of these words and how they might be used in reading and writing. Part of this week's lesson will also highlight how to use reference materials such as a dictionary, thesaurus, atlas, and encyclopedia. The final TEST is scheduled for Friday, 10/21.

Reading - Unit 1 - "Courage"
The vocabulary QUIZ for Happy Birthday Dr. King is scheduled for 10/18. Students should review their digital vocabulary notebook on Google Classroom to prepare for the quiz. There is also a Quizlet for the vocabulary words that may be used as a study tool. 
We will also spend time looking at the text structure of cause and effect. Text structured as cause and effect explains reasons why something happened or the effects of something. An effect is what happens. To determine the effect, students should ask “What happened?”. A cause is why something happens. To determine the cause, students should ask “Why did it happen?”   Ask your child how we used the picture book at the right to discuss this type of text structure. At the end of the week, we will write our first reading response as a group. 

Science - The Scientific Method

Students will work in small groups to complete a STEM activity while practicing the steps of the Scientific Method. Their challenge will be to create the longest paper chain possible using one piece of construction paper, scissors, and glue. They will form a hypothesis, write a plan, carry out their plan and record conclusions. An open note QUIZ on the Scientific Method is scheduled for Thursday, 10/20.

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 2 - Adding & Subtracting Fractions

Problem-solving with fractions will be our focus this week. Students will work with partners to create a poster of a hiking trail that is divided into sections based on fractions that they are given. They will then use their poster to problem solve. On Friday I will introduce the final strategy for adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators...the "Double Number Line".

FYI...

Prairieview students and staff celebrated Mr. Pagel's induction into the ISU Educator's Hall of Fame with an assembly in the gym. Aaqil was chosen to read the reasons that 4th grade believes that Mr. Pagel is a hall of famer. Way to go Aaqil & Mr. Pagel!

Happy Friday!

Mrs. Karen Bell

Week of 10/10/16

Highlights for the Week of 10/10/2016
in Mrs. Bell's Classroom

Spelling -  Unit 7 - "Suffixes "-ness", "-less",  and "-en"
This week's spelling/vocabulary list will include words with the suffixes -ness, -less, and-en.  We will study the definitions of these suffixes and how to determine the meaning of unknown words by breaking the words into base words and suffixes and by using context clues. The final TEST is scheduled for Friday, 10/14.

Reading - Unit 1 - "Courage"

The Courage unit began with activities that focused on the many ways that courage can be shown. Mrs. Krasnodebski began our conversation about this topic by reading aloud the book Courage which sends the message that courage comes in many shapes and forms.

How can one show courage?

Courage is shown in many ways.

Students also brainstormed ideas about how one person can make a difference. Ideas were shared and written as graffiti on our white board.

How can one person make a difference?

No matter how big or small you are, you can make a difference in our world!

Text is found not only on paper but also in other media such as a video. This week, students individually watched a biographical video about Dr. Martin Luther King. Their goal was to gather information to answer text-dependent questions about his life. I was extremely pleased with their ability to close read the video in order to answer the questions. 

Next week's task in reading will be to close read the fiction piece titled, Happy Birthday Dr. King. Students will work in small groups to answer text-dependent questions and to use context clues to find meanings of unknown words. They will also be creating a digital notebook of vocabulary words for the story. Look for a vocabulary QUIZ to be scheduled for the week of 10/17.

Social Studies  - The Narragansett
We will complete our study of the Narragansett People with a small project titled "The Narragansett Village", which is due on 10/12. Students will draw a model of what a Narragansett village of the past would look like based on what we have studied about their culture. There is also a QUIZ on the Narragansett on Wednesday, 10/12. 

Science - The Scientific Method
We will continue looking at the components of the Scientific Method. We will conduct our first investigation to answer the question, "Which floats better, a can of Coke or a can of Diet Coke?".

Mrs. Bell's Math Class - Unit 2 - Adding & Subtracting Fractions
Using clocks as a reference for finding common denominators will be our focus this week. Then students will look at how to decide which model (money or clocks) works best for different denominators. On Friday, students will independently complete a FRACTIONS WORK SAMPLE, which is a small assessment for a grade. 

Whiteboards and models are useful tools that we use frequently in math. Not only do the students have hands-on experience, but observing them at work gives me a quick assessment of their understanding. The students in the first pictures are using whiteboards to find common denominators for unlike fractions. The must follow the steps: list the multiples of the denominators, find the least common multiple (LCM), use the LCM to find equivalent fractions with like denominators. This process is one that will be used throughout our study of fractions. 

Ready, set, show what you know!

Models are being used to understand the relationship between money and fractions. 

Learning responsibility is a large part of what we do in fourth grade. Students in 4th are responsible for bringing required supplies to math on a daily basis. These supplies include the binder, Chromebook, math spiral, both workbooks, pencil bag and a silent reading book. The number of students that regularly forget supplies for our math class has become problematic.  At this point in the school year, I expect that they will remember to bring what is needed for math. Allowing them to return to their homeroom for forgotten supplies is disruptive to that class and not teaching them to be responsible. I have discussed this with the students and they are aware that beginning the week of 10/10, if he/she comes to class unprepared, he/she will not be allowed to return to his/her homeroom to retrieve supplies. He/she will also receive a late slip for being unprepared. 

FYI...

Despite the rain, we had a fabulous time on our Brookfield Zoo field trip! We had fun touring the exhibits and learning about how scientists make observations. THANK  YOU to the parent chaperones who helped out with the field trip. Learning together is FUN!!!

Monday, 10/10: No School - Columbus Day

Thursday, 10/13: Fall Book Fair

Enjoy the Holiday Weekend!

Mrs. Karen Bell