The "Buzz" from Mrs. Bell's Class: Week of 10/10/16

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

elling - 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!!!