Friday, February 20th

News from Fourth Grade...

Reading- This week in reading, students created a unit matrix to summarize our knowledge over ecosystems thus far. Students also learned about the scientific process of inquiry and applied this method of inquiry to an article. Ask your child what a hypothesis is.

Writing- This week students began drafting their fiction stories. Next week, students will finish drafting and begin revising their stories. Ask your child what the resolution of his/her story is.

Math- This week, students began our 5th grade unit. Students learned how to find the factors and prime factorization of a number. Students learned how to add and multiply numbers in exponential notation. Lastly, students learned how to solve multi-operation equations using the order of operations (PEMDAS). Ask your child to explain to you what the acronym PEMDAS stands for.

Social Studies- This week we began our immigration unit as an extension of the Northeast Region. Students have just begun understanding what the experience was like for an immigrant traveling through Ellis Island. This week students also learned about their family's origin and immigration experience. Ask your child what was something new they learned about their own family's history.

Science- This week students used their "mini glaciers" to demonstrate how glaciers change the surface of the Earth by scraping up soil, gravel, and rocks and depositing them as they melt.  Students also discussed the way rocks break down and then examined sedimentary rocks and determined how they were formed.  They learned that sedimentary rocks form under pressure from the ocean over long periods of time.  Some rocks like conglomerates form at the mouth of riverbeds.  Others like limestone form from calcite deep under the ocean.  As we wrap up our unit, we'll begin preparing for our unit science test.  The test is scheduled for Monday, March 2nd.  Study guides will be coming home this week.  Ask your child to list some ways rocks are broken apart.

Important Dates:
Friday, February 27th: No School- Teacher's Institute Day
Monday, March 2nd: Science Test on Rocks and Minerals unit
Wednesday, March 4th: PARCC testing in the AM
Thursday, March 5th: PARCC testing in the AM
March 9-11: PARCC testing in the PM

Important Orchestra Announcement...

Dear Orchestra Parents,

We have our second feeder school orchestra rehearsal coming up next week on Thursday, February 26th.  This rehearsal is in the Madison Elementary gym from 3:30-4:30 pm.  Students are to bring their instrument, music and a music stand.  Just like the January rehearsal, parents drop off and pick up their son or daughter for the rehearsal.

In case you don't have these dates from earlier this year, here is the website again:

https://sites.google.com/a/d181.org/d181-orchestra/elementary-orchestra

(You only need the HMS feeder dates, since thats the school they will eventually attend.)

February 13, 2015

Happy Valentines Day weekend!

Thank you for all the lovely valentines!  No school on Monday - enjoy the 3 day weekend in honor of President's Day.

Here's what's been happening in 4th grade:

Math-
Students took their 4th grade Unit 9 test this week.  These tests were sent home in the Friday Folders.   Next week we will be starting the 5th grade math curriculum.  Our first unit is on factorization, arrays, square numbers, and square roots.  We will also be discussing order of operations and solving multistep word problems.  Ask your child what symmetry is.

Reading-
This week in Reading students learned how to make a concept map, looked for and analyzed cause and effect, as well as synthesized information from a variety of texts.  All this information is being gathered to answer our essential question: What are the roles of plants and animals in a diverse ecosystem?  Next week we'll be adding the information we've collected to a matrix.  Students were also introduced to the computer tools that they will have to use to take the upcoming PARCC tests.  Ask your child how they used their iPad and the Inspiration application to make a concept map.

Writing-
In writing students worked on developing their story outlines or plot diagrams.  They generated ideas for their main character along with the setting and problem.  Then we used our mentor texts to understand personification and talked about other figurative language devices we may want to include in our story.  Next week student will begin drafting their fiction stories.  Ask your child about the problem of their story.

Science-
This week in science students began learning about sedimentary rocks with a look at glaciers.  We read a story about how glaciers change the land and create new land formations.  Then we mixed sediment with water and put it in the freezer so that next week we will have our own "mini-glaciers" to experiment with.  Ask your child what a moraine is.

Social Studies-
This week in social studies, students learned about the climate and environment of the Northeast region. Students learned why the Northwest has four seasons and the different kinds of trees (broadleaf and needleleaf) within the region. Next week, we will begin our immigration study! Students will be researching about immigrants' experiences traveling through Ellis Island. Ask your child how the foliage on a broadleaf tree is different from the foliage on a needleleaf tree.

*Don't forget to sign your daughter up for Girls on the Run.  Information about this new running club is in the Hootie Backpack and extra forms are available at school.

Coming home this week in your child's Friday Folder:
-Information on PARCC testing
-Math Unit 9 test
-Reading log

Have a Great Weekend,
Mrs. Ingstrup and Miss Hathaway

Friday, February 6th

Happy Friday!

Reading- This week students continued our science content-area nonfiction reading unit. Students have deepened their understanding of the food chain and how energy is passed among living things in our ecosystem. Students have practiced summarizing the main idea and supporting details, note taking to strengthen our comprehension, and generating questions before, during and after reading. Ask your child how energy is passed through our ecosystem.

Writing- Students are in the prewriting/brainstorming process of writing their fiction narratives. Students have selected a topic and are working on outlining their problem and attempted solutions. Next week, we will be begin drafting our stories.  Ask your child what is going to be the problem in his/her story.

Math- This week we learned how to calculate percents from a class data survey, solve multi-step & operation word problems, and multiply and divide a whole number by a decimal. Next week, we will be reviewing for our Unit 9 math test, which will be on Wednesday, February 11th. Ask your child to tell you the product of 13.6 x 8.

Social Studies- Students learned how the Atlantic coast helps the northeast's economy by providing harbors where goods can be imported and exported. Ask your child to define what a 'bay' is.

Science- Students took a look inside the Earth this week and learned about the crust, mantle, and core.  Then we traveled inside a volcano.  We compared the similarities and differences of Composite, Cinder Cone, and Shield volcanoes and took a look at how viscosity and gas effect the types of eruptions volcanoes have.  Ask your child about his/her virtual volcano in the next week.

**Important:  In order to back up our iPads and update to the latest iOS versions students need to know their apple ID and password.  Please send your child to school with this correct information so that they can preform these updates.**

Coming home in your child's Friday folder...
-Graded nonfiction ibook rubric
-Winter MAP reading & math reports
-Valentine's Day bag to decorate and return on 2/13
-BLAH Buster information
-Northeast states and capitals sheet to start practicing!
-New reading log
-Girls on the Run Information

Have a great weekend!
The Fourth Grade Teachers

January 30th, 2015

Happy Tuesday!

Reading- Last week we began our science content area reading unit. We have learned how to generate questions using the headings and illustrations of a text. Students also practiced decoding unfamiliar words by using their context clues. Ask your child what the difference between a carnivore, herbivore and an omnivore is?

Writing- Last week in writing we started to narrow our possible fiction writing topics down. Students brainstormed what the 'problem' of their story would be, along with possible solutions their character would attempt, but not always succeed. Ask your child what is the problem in their fiction story?

Math- Students learned how to convert a fraction to a decimal to percent. They also determined when it is appropriate to use a calculator to convert a fraction to a decimal to percent. Students used survey data to create percents.  Next week, we will be multiplying and dividing decimals. Ask your child what 2/5 is as a percent?

Social studies- Last week, students were introduced to the Northeast region. Next week, students will be learning about the the unique features of this region! Ask your child one fact they know about the Northeast region.

Science- Last week students watched a video on Mt. Saint Helen and its eruption.  We also made baggies of cornstarch and water to simulate the pressure under the earth and how it effects igneous rock formation and volcanoes.  This week we will discuss the different types of volcanoes and how they effect the Earth.

-We hope you discovered and enjoyed your child's class picture.  It was in their Friday Folder.

-Due to our snow day - we will delay our spelling test until next Friday.  Please keep the words sent home today for the next two weeks and encourage your child to study a little each night.

Thanks,
The Fourth Grade Teachers