Short Week but lots to do.

Hi Everyone!!!

I hope that all of you are gearing up for a great holiday break. We all have a lot to be thankful for so these next couple of days are a great way to show your thanks! ...and with food no less. What could be better?

Eventhough we only have a couple of days, we are still going to be working hard and catching up on some things that might have slipped through the cracks.

Reading: We are still working on the Wishgiver. We are now looking at a new character that is involved with a "treeman." Kinda spooky but we'll have to wait and see what that chapter holds for us. Hopefully we will complete the book the week after our Thanksgiving break.

Math: Once again, division is taking over the math time. We are going to work on dividing with a calculator. This will help prep the students for the EOQ when they are allowed to use calculators. I still want them using their brains and not relying on the calculator so much. The best practice at home is to work on Times Tables and Division facts. Simple facts will make a world of difference.

Social Studies: We are getting LOST...with the Lost Colony. We are going to take a couple of days to look into North Carolina's oldest mystery and see if we can learn any insightful things. Who knows...maybe someone in our class will solve the Mystery of the Lost Colony.

Science: We are working on the Earth....it's a big job. The students are going to being learning about Volcanos, Earthquakes and other natural disasters that shape and change our earth.

There is no spelling this week but we will be working with our Wordbuilders Activity books. This is helping the students get insight to new words and how to use endings such as, --er, --ed, --ing, etc. Wordbuilders is a great program and the students really enjoy working together with each other, discoverying new words.

** REMINDER!!!! We will be having our Terrific Tuesday tomorrow (Tuesday). Please remember to send in Chex-Mix, BBQ Chips, etc. We are making our theme around Thanksgiving.

I'm BAAAAACK!

Hi Everyone,
It has been a wild couple of weeks lately. I've had the flu, which of course turned into pnumonia (which I don't know how to spell). But I'm back in the saddle (so to speak) and we are picking up what was left off and are running with it.

Here's a look at what we're working on for the week of November 16-20!

Reading: Are reading groups are still working hard. We are really into reading to ourselves and working on retelling information to our group leaders. We are also working on finding the facts in the story. This will help the students hunt for their information during the EOG at the end of the year.
We have also shifted gears and are working on a new Chapter Book in class. The title of our story is The Wishgiver by Bill Britian. I have always enjoyed how funny this book is but also tells how you should be careful what you wish for. We will be working with sequencing from the stories that are told from the point of view of the three characters.

Math: We are going to continue working with Division and making sure we have the concepts. We MUST keep working on our multiplication facts. We still have a few people who are struggling with division because they are not sure of their math facts. We are going to work on longer division (dividing 3 digits by 2 digits) and estimating then dividing.

Social Studies: We are wrapping up our lesson on Native American's in NC. The students will be report writing for a grade using the facts and information they find in the chapters. We will continue on with our writing and reading of social studies.

Science: This week we are looking at the layers of the earth. We are going to use our new Science Studies Weekly papers to help get a better understanding. We are going to be working with some measuring, experiments and other cool, hands-on activities.

Spelling List for the week: across, alone, among, brother, again, front, banana, appear, compass, pedal, given, heaven, mountain, ocean, cousin, purchase, often, color.

Remember that all homework is due the day it is assigned.

It is YOUR responsibility to get any late assignments to me. I will not "hound" after you to turn in your work. Any work that is not turned in stays at a 50%. Please me sure you get the work into me!

1st Quarter Writing Menus

REMINDER!!!!!

Writing Menus will be due tomorrow morning.

Each student will be allowed to come up and present what they worked out and show the rest of the class. This has been a writing project that also includes Reading and Social Studies.

Late assignments will not be accepted since the starting date was October the 1st.

I'm looking forward to some great ideas from the students.

Short Week but Full of Learning.

Hi everyone.
I hope you're all enjoying the fall colors and the nice weather that we've been receiving. This is our short week leading into our Fall Break on Thursday and Friday. Just a reminder, School will not be open on Thrusday or Friday. Enjoy your Fall Break and come back rested and redy to go.

Here is a look at what we'll be working on these next three days.

Reading: We are starting Stone Fox and working on Sequencing. We are also going to touch on Cause and Effect. This is a different genre than the kids are use to. It's realistic fiction, and not really the funny, fantasy type that we started off with. It's a nice change of pace.

Math: We are working on Multiplying bigger numbers, such as 3 digit by 2 digit. This is working pretty well and the students are able to relate the information back to what they learned last week. I"m impressed at how quickly they have learned this new concept.  Below is a picture what what we worked on today.

Science: We are still shocked by our electricity unit. The students did a great job last week of making their batteries work with their lightbulbs. I hope to preform a few more experiments where the students can have some hands on "playtime."

Spelling this week: Our class is working with the vocabulary from Stone Fox. The students are working hard and making a great effort.

** Upcoming Dates:  Field Trip to Heritage Theater on November 10th. Cost of trip is $6.00.

Our "Bright" Students!!!!

Our class worked on electricity during Science. I'm extreemly proud of the way they worked on making their bulbs light up.

Here are a couple of pictures of some successful experiments!

Question of the Week (10/22)

Dear Students,

Here is our question of the week. We will be having one of these each week, so please make sure you answer the question by the end of the week.

Here is our Question!
* Martin has 24 baseball cards in his collection. If he collects the same number of cards for 3 months, approximately how many baseball cards will he have?

Please answer in the comment section. Remember to Sign Your Name so I'll know you answered.

New Way to Look at Multiplying 2-Digit by 2-digit

Hi everyone.
Our class has recently started working on multiplying and we are coming up with different stratigies to help us understand better.

One way discovered yesterday was the Latice Format.
The process:
1) break the two factors (52 and 39) into two seperate numbers. One ending with a zero.
2) Multiply to get answers in the boxes (post-its)
3) Once you have your products, then add across.
4) The final step is to add your remaining numbers for your final product.

The students find this method easier to do and understand because it breaks down numbers visually.

Hope this helps!

What do you think?

Stone Fox takes place in Wyoming. What can you infer is going to happen in the story since there are Dog Sleds and Native Americans?
Remember. No answer is wrong. What is your best guess?

Interactions! (Oct. 19-23)

Hi Everyone,
I hope all of you had a pleasent weekend and rested up for another week of school. We are coming close to the end of our 1st quarter. Hard to beleieve that we've been in school a total  of 39 days...Time does Fly!
Here is a list of what our class will be working on.

**End of Quarter Test. Yes, it's that time of year again where we are having to take the EOQs and assess the students on their reading and math skills for the 1st quarter. Quarter testing will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We will be holding off on Reading and Math instruction since we are going to be working with the test. Please remember to be on time to school during these testing days.

Reading: We started Stone Fox by looking at some differences between North Carolina and Wyoming. The students were introduced to a new state that we really didn't know anything about. On Friday we are going to start reading the story and applying sequenceing and Main Idea.

Math: We are continuing to look at multiplying 2-digit by 2-digit. The students are slowing getting the process and we continue to work on it in class. Keep practicing at home and get better. Practice makes perfect.

Writing: The students are finishing up there Writing menus in class. The final due date for the menus is October 28th. No late projects will be accepted since we've been working on this for the past 2 weeks. I have seem some great items that the students have been working on. I am really impressed by some of their creativity.

Science: This week we will be working on Science and learning a bit about Static Electricity. We will work on different aspects and how it applys to the everyday life. We will try to have a few grades for science to put on the Report Cards for the end of the quarter.

Spelling words for this week are:  follow, matter, summer, million dollar, scissors, cattle, address, office, suppertime, blizzard, penny, wrapper, wallet, occurrence, village, collide, battle
The words this week all deal with double syllables (letters)

I want to know what you thought about...

Hey students,
As you all know we just finished reading "The Twits." I know that all of you enjoyed reading the funny pranks that Mr. and Mrs. Twit played on each other.
In the comment section, please feel free to talk about what you loved about the book. Remember to be specific because other people might enjoy hearing about your opinion.

Till Then, Keep on Reading!

Mr. Twit as he gets ready to use the
Hugtight Glue on the Big Dead Tree!

Check Us Out!

Here is a glace at what we are working on the week of
10/12-10/16:

Reading: Our guided reading groups has gotten off to a fantastic start. Many thanks to Mrs. Harwell for her working in making the first day of Guided Reading a success. Our Teacher Directed reading focuses on a new (shorter) chapter book entitled, The Twits by Roald Dahl. It is a funny book that shows the kids a new genre of literature. Our focus this week is sequencing within a story along with the meaning behind the text.

The Twits sitting down to a "tasty" meal.

Math: Last week was very successful with our estimation multiplication. The students really found it easy to bring the zeros down and solve simple multiplication problems. This week, we are working on multiplying 2-digit by 2-digit. This is a harder concept but we are using the "break it down method" otherwise know as the Distributive Property. I will post pictures/video of our lessons on this topic to better help you at home. Since this is an essential part of 4th grade math, we will contiune to work on our multiplication. Please make sure you are reviewing facts at home.

The follow shows the steps in the Distrubutive Property  

  

Writing: Our writing menus have taken off and the students are looking for any reason to work on them. As a teacher, THIS IS AWSOME!!! I am extreemly excited that the students are being creative and love writing about topics that they can pick from. Remeber, the due date for the final pieces is October 28th.

Social Studies: We are continuing to work on the Three Regions of NC. The students will have a test on the Unit, Wednesday, October 14th. I will allow the students to use their book to find the information (much like using the text on the reading portion of the EOG).

• http://www.nccommerce.com/en/BusinessServices/LocateYourBusiness/Presentations/NCOverviewVideoPresentation.html This is a great site that shows an 8 minute video of North Carolina and it's regions. Great Video!
  

Spelling Words for this week focus on the short "u" sound as in "Cup" and the long "u" sound as in "Use."
blush, crutch, crunch, grumpy, much, umpire, uncle, none, does, fuel, cute, cubicle, human, future, usual, uniform, used, beautiful, **Factors, **Products (**are extra credit words)

New Month...New Stuff

Hi everyone.
Well, it's October and Autumn is in the air. We are well on our way to learning new information and applying it everyday.

Here is a look at what we will be working on.

Reading: Again, we are working on the Lightning Thief. I hope to have this book completed before the end of the week. The students have really gotten into the novel and some have even read ahead and finished. Great Job guys!
We will also be working on Teacher Directed Reading as well as Guided Reading groups in the coming week.

Math: We are jumping into some bigger multiplication. On Monday and Tuesday we have worked on multiplying with 10s, 100s, and 1000s. We have learned about the "zero shortcut." The students have found that this is a really easy process, but they must know their regular multiplication tables. This is key to their success. We will also start looking at rounding then multiplying double digit numbers. This combines two math concepts that we have already reviewed.

Writing: This week I have introduced our first writing menu. The class can choose their own writing for each selection, Appitizer, Main Course, and Dessert. They must choose one from each. The due date for the final copies is October 28th.

Social Studies: Our class has started learning about the three regions of NC. We are tying our social studies lessons into our writing menu. This is a great way for the students to be creative and decide on their own course of action in their learning.

The Spelling list for this week:
strong, wrong, copy, cloth, problem, October, whole, explode, control, shown, bowl, bottom, smoky, coach, throat, toast, doughnut, foe, **multiply, **division

September is coming to a close.

Hi Everyone.
It is hard to believe that September is drawing to a close and October will be here on Thursday. This school year is truly flying by. Below is the list of topics that we will be working on this week in our classroom.

Reading: We are continuing reading the Lightning Thief. We are halfway through the book and the kids really enjoy reading this novel. I am pleased with the way that they have taken up the interest and are hunting for more books that relate to the topic. Great Job!
We are also working on constructing a Tree Map to help illustrate literary topics from the story. The kids really like creating to learn.

Math: This week we are moving on to Median, Mode and Range. This deals with data and creating Line Plot and Stem and Leaf graphs. This is a simple topic that does not require much calculating on the student's part. We are building them up for success with relatively easy instruction.

Writing/Social Studies: Our class has combined writing and social studies to use our time better and be able to get both subjects accomplished. We are working on comparing the three regions of NC using a Tree Map. This will help them see between Physical, Cultural, and Climate differences in each region. The students will also be writing notes from parts of our lessons to turn into paragraphs in our writing.

• http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/kidspg/
• http://www.governor.state.nc.us/NCKids/default.aspx

Science: This week our kids are going to be "shocked" by the science lessons on Electricity. We are going to work on using batteries, wires and lightbulbs to create a current, as well as illustrate how electricity works in different areas. I will be doing simple demonstrations for them with Static Electricity, Currents, Circuits, etc.

• http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/revision/Science/electricity.htm (great site with interactive items on Electricity)
• http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/electricitycircuits.html

Spelling: The words for this week: since, which, inch, string, title, shrimp, picnic, mind, wild, decide, why, skyscraper, buy, right, lightning, write, cypress, bicycle.
The words this week deal with the long "i" and short "i" sounds. Help them remember that not all the "i" sounds will come with the letter "i."

9/21 - 9/25 at a Glance

**REMINDER!!! 4th Grade FUN FRIDAY is the 25th. The theme is tailgating so please send in a towel for your child to sit on since we will be outside "tailgating." Also, please send in a bag of chips/dip, popcorn, cupcakes, etc. Also, please make sure your child has a juice box to drink...HiCi or Capri Sun will work just fine.
Thanks!!!!!!

Hi there Everyone.
This week has a lot of different things happening with our schedule. We are working hard this week on the writing process to get us prepared for Thursday Writing Test.
Here is what we will be working on:

Reading: Our class is continueing the Lightning Thief. They have started working on their brochures for Camp Half-Blood or Mt. Olympus. I have seen some great creative thinking in the process. I have also noticed that the students are getting into the story and anticipating what is going to happen next.

Math: This week we are wrapping up using graphs, specifically Bar Graphs and Line Graphs. The students will have an assessment on Wednesday. This will lead us into learning about data and how to find the Median, Mode, and Range.

Writing: We are currently working on our Haunted House story. The students are working hard and following my guide that we use in class to construct our story. This guide allows them to see how to form sentences but also to change words and make it their own.

• Thursday is our Writing Test. Please make sure your child is on time to class with a good breakfast and ready to learn.

The spelling words for this week are: then, else, edge, when, tenth, empty, sketch, easy, eager, sneakers, mean, fifteen, receive, piecem believe, spelling, people, squeeze.

9/14-9/18 at a Glance

Hi Everyone!!
This week is going to be packed with some fun science, engaging math and fantastic reading. Our full week or work is sure to get some great ideas and responses from our students.
Here it is:

Reading: We have started looking at The Lightning Thief by Rick Roridan. It tells the story of a boy who discovers more about himself and leads him on a great discovery of friendship, hardship and sticking with what is right no matter what. Check out the link below to get more information on Rick Roridan and his novels.

• http://www.rickriordan.com/children.htm
• http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/0786838655.asp

Math: This week we well be working with Ordered Pair, which students have learned in 3rd grade. I am looking for this to be a pretty easy topic for the kids. We learned our jingle, "Over and Up!" to help with remember our directions. Middle of the week will find us working on graphing with Pictographs, circle graphs, and line graphs. By Friday, we are going to work on double bar graphs...comparing data and information. This will involve a lot of hands on work that the students can be creative with. Below is a graphing site for kids that allows them to create their own graphs from information.

• http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/default.aspx
  

Writing: We will start a menu that gives students selections regarding The Lightning Thief, Math instructions, and Science. All of this will be incorperated into our Writing studies. The menu will allow the students to select different writing parts from Appitizers, Main Course and Desserts. I am looking forward to some great ideas and great collaboration from the students.

Science: Our class is working on creating an electromagnet. This is going to happen on Friday while we continue to learn about magnets and their properties. Later in the week we are going to see how magnets tie into electricity. Science is going to be a great way for the students to have hands-on experience with materials that will help them understand better.

Spelling: Words for this week are: fact, began, clasp, rapid, able, later, space, stranger, grade, display, main, explain, freight, neighbor, weigh, vein, April, ankle
The students have their Spelling practice for the week. This will be collected on Friday for a participation grade. If the assignment is incomplete they will have to finish it the following Monday during their lunch period.

I am looking forward to a great week of learning.

Week of 9/8-9/11

Hi There.
I hope that everyone has had a restful and fun-filled Labor Day Holiday. Mine was very exciting but I was also ready to get back in the classroom and jump into our week of learning.
Here are a few things we will be working on this week:

• Reading: Frindle. We will continue to look at Main Idea and summary within the story. The students are getting into the novel and are asking great questions that stem outside the novel.
• AR is up and running so we are going to start working on our goals for the remainder of the quarter.
• Math: We are going to continue working on rounding numbers. Once I feel that this is under our belt, I hope to move on to ordering and comparing numbers. I think this will be a easier concept and be a better success for the students.

Here is a link to a website that might help you and your child understand rounding. http://www.aaamath.com/est27a-rounding.html

• Writing: The class is working on finishing their "Bad Case of Stripes" stories. We are working together and using a template that I am showing the students. This way we are all working with the same pace and mindset. The cool thing is that this allows them to change some wording to make it their own and develop their vocabulary.
• Social Studies: We are going to wrap up our unit on NC and its location, the cultures, regions and history in our state. The students will be tested on their knowledge on Friday.

The Spelling words for this week are: attach, where, sandwich, change, watch, singer, slippery, spring, gather, these, thread, athlete, worth, thirsty, whisper, whistle, awhile, nowhere.
The words this week all have either a "ch", "tch", "wh" or "th" sound. We will be having our spelling test on Friday, so make sure you are studying your words.

Here is a Video Clip on rounding numbers. Enjoy!

8/31-9/4 at a Glance.

Hello!!!
We have gotten off to a great start this week and I am looking forward to another successful time at Gibson Elementary. Speaking of "success" our class has filled in the Paw Prints for our specials with all the signatures that we needed. This is great because it shows that our students are listening and havning P.R.I.D.E. in their school.
This week at a glance:

• Math: Rounding, place value, ordering & comparing numbers, standard & expanded forms
• Reading: Main Idea and Summarizing. Reading "Frindle" by Andrew Clements
• Writing: Bio-Poems and Bad Case of Stripes Story
• Social Studies: North Carolina and it's location on earth, North America and in relation to other states. The ethinic and cultural differences in the state.
• Spelling words for this week are: bridge, gravity, hungry, eclipse, secret, applaud, laundry, trouble, attract, twilight, between, describe, snowflake, freedom, slimy, glance, burglar, switch

We are hoping that the AR testing will begin after Labor Day so remember to keep reading those books!!!!!!!!

Homework for 8/27

Math: "Getting Ready" Worksheet
Reading: 20 Mins
Social Studies: Page 16; #1-7

We are working on counting using base ten block in math. The students have been introduced to this in 3rd grade so we will only be reinforcing what they already know.
Next week, our class will look at Place Value, Comparing & Ordering Number, Standard and Expanded forms and rounding.
We will being reading from "Frindle" next week in reading. This is a shorter chapter book to introduce Main Idea as well as summarizing what is read.
Writing will focus on the Writing Menu. Students will start our with short "appitizers" then move on to the "main course." The dessert will be something artistic that will help promote their writing.
Social Studies will continue to look at North Carolina and how it has changed over time. Homework will be issued throughout the week.

This has been a great week of school. I am very please with the class in their behavior. Keep up the great work!

PBS + PMA = Successful 1st day

Today was a great start to our school year. I was impressed with the way our students took to the new PBS system. I feel that this year is going to be amazing.

As we progress into the remaining days, we will continue to look at PBS rules for both school and classroom.
We are going to start a little instruction tomorrow by reading "Bad Case of Stripes" and doing mini lessons along with the story.
Our math will look at simple addition and place value.
I look forward to another great day.

Till Then....

Gearing up for School

As we approach the new school term, I want everyone to think about what they are hoping to get out of this school year. Remember, that we are all starting off on the same page. Each of you will be brand new to this 4th grade year.
Things I would like for you to remember:
1) Each of you are equal.
2) All of us have the right to learn and be educated.
3) Respect is not just a song, it's something that we need to show each other.
4) Above all, have fun learning.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you on the first day!
Till then....