1/23-1/27

Happy Friday!  We were very busy for our first full week back.  Check out what we've been working on this week!

Reading
This week in our Historical Fiction unit we...

• started our historical fiction book clubs
• read closely for details about characters and places
• compared personal timelines to historical timelines

Please remember to read 30 minutes nightly!

Writing
We ended our Informational Article unit by...

• using our learning progression to revise our writing pieces
• editing 
• celebrating!!

Math
In our Multiplication and Division unit we...

• used mental math strategies (place value) to estimate quotients
• interpreted remainders of division to answer word problems
• used partial quotients and the array model to solve division problems

Please remember to practice your math facts nightly.  Basic facts are the foundation for success in this unit.  Students are also assigned a Practice Buddy daily over the day's lesson.  This is optional, but encouraged!

Social Studies
We ended our Westward Expansion unit by...

• identifying and discussing the important cities of Missouri during Westward Expansion
• identifying the hardships travelers faced on the Oregon, Santa Fe, Mormon, and California trails

Upcoming Events

• 1/31: Whole Class Library Checkout
• 2/1: Late Start; 11:05 start

1/17-1/20

This week was filled with a lot of learning, and we were very busy with extra school related activities!  We very much enjoyed our author's visit by James Riley, watching our 1st and 2nd graders perform their musical, and we also enjoyed our Springboard performer, Sacajawea.  Please read below for an update in our academics...

Reading

This week we started to jump into our Historical Fiction unit.  We have begun exploring what we notice about historical fiction texts' plots, characters, settings, dialogue, and problems.  Some texts we have read together include:

• Pink and Say
• A New Coat for Anna
• The Harmonica
• The Butterfly

Next week we will begin our new learning in our historical fiction book clubs.

Please remember to have your child read 30 minutes nightly!

Writing

This week in our Informational Article unit we...

• revised conclusions
• revised for transitions and elaboration
• paraphrased
• edited our pieces

Math

This week in our Multiplication and Division unit we...

• used basic facts and place value to find quotients
• (i.e., 35/5 = 7 so 350/5 = 70)
• used compatible numbers and multiplication to estimate quotients
• (i.e., 48/5 = about 10 because 5 x 10 = 50)

Please remember to have your child practice their math facts nightly!  Math facts are extremely important in order to master fourth grade mathematical concepts.  

Please also remember that students are assigned an Online Practice Buddy as optional homework.  Ask your child and have them show you the Practice Buddy!

Social Studies

This week in our Westward Expansion unit we...

• discussed Missouri becoming a state and the Missouri Compromise

Upcoming Dates

• 1/27: Westward Expansion Assessment
• 2/1: Late Start; 11:05 start

Welcome Back

Good Afternoon!
As I sit down to start to plan for our first week back, I find how excited I am to welcome back our students!  It's been awhile since we've been at school, so we will take next week to ease back into routines and pick up where we left off.  I want to give parents and students a heads up for what to expect our first week back from winter break!

Writing
We are going to jump back into our nonfiction articles.  We will be revising our articles by looking at introductions, conclusions, and transitions.

Reading
We ended our Nonfiction to Become Experts unit before break.  We're in between units at the moment, so this will be a wonderful time to assess reading levels and really focus on engagement.

Our next reading unit is Historical Fiction (so exciting)!!  After careful thought and planning, we are going to try historical fiction book clubs in 4th grade.  Resources are limited, so I have been researching and compiling a list of 4th grade appropriate historical fiction books.  This is a work in progress, of course.  If you would like to help our historical fiction book clubs, please consider donating a book club book or set to our classroom library!  Historical fiction books can be found on our Amazon Classroom Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2NARYZ7H5W3HJ/ref=cm_sw_su_w 
Thank you for considering!

Math
We plan to jump right back to where we left off!  Students will be exploring division strategies through real world context scenarios.

Social Studies
We will be starting our Westward Expansion unit this week (which the students are very excited about)!  We will begin by reviewing the Louisiana Purchase and discuss motives as to why people move.  These discussions will move us into Missouri Statehood and the Missouri Compromise.

Upcoming Dates

• 1/9: Students Return
• 1/11: Late Start, 11:05 start
• 1/16: No School

12/19-12/22

Happy Holidays!  Thank you all for helping us to put on a successful and fun winter party.  Our week was so busy while we finished stuff up before break.

Writing
This week in our Informational Article unit we...

• drafted our articles
• revised topic sentences
• elaborated upon our details

Reading
In our Nonfiction to Become Experts unit we...

• used glossaries to identify the meaning of unfamiliar words
• spotted clues in context to identify the meaning of unfamiliar words

Over break it will be very important to keep up the reading minutes!  Please have your child read 30 minutes at least five times a week!

Math
In our Multiplication and Division unit we...

• solved real world division problems by multiplying up and using partial products

Please remember to keep practicing math facts!

Upcoming Dates

• 12/22: Winter Break starts
• 1/9: Welcome Back Students
• 1/11: Late Start
• 1/16: No School; MLK Day

12/12-12/16

Good afternoon!  Here is what we've been learning in our classroom this week...

Reading
In our Nonfiction to Become Experts unit, we work to...

• identify first hand vs second hand accounts
• identify bias in sources
• write knowledgeably about a topic

Please remember to read 30 minutes nightly!

Writing
In our Informational Article unit, writers worked to...

• use pre-research strategies
• research what's important to their focus questions and subtopics
• plan our articles

Math
In our Multiplication and Division unit, mathematicians worked to...

• solve multi-step word problems and persevere when stuck
• assessed our learning
• started to think how to solve real-world division scenarios

Please remember to practice your math facts nightly!  The Online Practice Buddies are also avaliable as optional homework.

Science
This week we ended our Motion and Design unit by reflecting on our learning by identifying strengths and setting goals.

Upcoming Dates

• Next week is Spirit Week!
• Monday: Crazy Hair Day
• Tuesday: Crazy Sock Day
• Wednesday: PJ Day
• Thursday: Winter Wardrobe Day
• 12/20: Mrs. Nagy out
• 12/22: Half Day; Early Dismissal at 1:05
• 12/22: Winter Parties
• 12/23: Winter Break begins

12/5-12/9

It has been another productive week in our classroom.  Check out what we've been working on...

Reading

This week in our Navigating Nonfiction unit, readers worked on...

• paraphrasing research
• taking notes using the boxes and bullets strategy
• identifying facts vs opinions in research

Please remember to read 30 minutes nightly!

Writing

This week in our Informational Article unit, writers worked on...

• developing a focus question for their articles
• creating subtopics to go along with their focus questions

Math

In our Multiplication and division unit, mathematicians worked to...

• learn multiplication strategies to multiply 2-digit by 2-digit numbers
• strategies include:
• expanded algorithm
• open array
• traditional algorithm

Please remember to practice your math facts nightly!

Science

This week we wrapped up our Motion and Design unit by...

• designing a fair test
• reviewing for our assessment

Upcoming Dates

• 12/20: Mrs. Nagy out
• 12/22: Half Day/Early Dismissal; 1:05 & Winter Parties
• 12/23: Winter Break; No School

11/28-12/2

Happy Friday!  Check out what we've been working on this week...

Reading
This week we began our Nonfiction to Become Experts unit.  Students will choose topics they wish to become experts on.  This unit is aligned with our Informational Article unit.  Students will be writing an informational article about their nonfiction expert topics.

Remember to read 30 minutes nightly!

Writing
Before we begin our Informational Article unit, we went through grammar boot camp to prepare ourselves!  We focused on complex sentences and learned how to write:

• compound sentences
• prepositional phrases

Math 
This week in our Multiplication and Division unit we...

• estimated products for 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication
• used open arrays and the distributive property to help us solve 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication problems

Remember to practice your math facts nightly!

Science
In our Motion and Design unit we...

• observed the effects friction has on our vehicles
• observed the effects rubber band energy has on our vehicles

Upcoming Events

• 12/7: Late Start; 11:05
• 12/9: Motion and Design Assessment