Dear Families:
We have finished the 4th week of school. I am enjoying meeting you to go over student data and to make sure that homework expectations are clear. Thank you for completing the homework habits survey. The best time to schedule an appointment with me is on a Monday or Tuesday between 3:40 and 4:20.
Dates to Note:
*September 3: Geometry test 1 points, lines, rays, polygons
*September 10: Geometry test 2 angles and symmetry
*Magnetism and Electricity test coming 3rd week of September
*September 10: Geometry test 2 angles and symmetry
*Magnetism and Electricity test coming 3rd week of September
Here are brief blurbs about our current units of study:
During Reading Workshop, we are shifting from Building a Reading Life to Following Characters into Meaning. These teaching points will help students deeply investigate the characters in the books they are reading, which will help them develop interesting characters during the Arc of the Story narrative writing unit.
During Writing Workshop we have finished our first summary, which was a slow and extremely guided process. We now expect students to write at least one summary per month independently.
During class, our teaching points are shifting to Arc of the Story. Students will learn that narratives follow an arc-also know as a plot diagram or story mountain. This arc begins with a small problem and shifts to larger and larger problems, which must be overcome by a protagonist (main character). Grade four writers are going to create a HEART for their story, just like the heart that they are identifying in all of the beautiful realistic fiction novels we have been reading in class.
During class, our teaching points are shifting to Arc of the Story. Students will learn that narratives follow an arc-also know as a plot diagram or story mountain. This arc begins with a small problem and shifts to larger and larger problems, which must be overcome by a protagonist (main character). Grade four writers are going to create a HEART for their story, just like the heart that they are identifying in all of the beautiful realistic fiction novels we have been reading in class.
For science, Electricity and Magnetism continues. We will pull out the circuit boards soon. Science will wrap up around the third week of September and an assessment will be given. The Geography and Culture of South Asia with a focus on India begins as science wraps up. As your son or daughter about BAD DATA.
For math, this is our final week on geometry basics and we are beginning to focus on angles and symmetry in class. Students are drawing angles with protractors and playing Angle Tangle, Angle Race, and Advanced Angle Tangle. These games will prepare students for geometry test 2. We have symmetry mirrors and many fun symmetry activities that we will do in class as well before the 10th of September. Khan Academy and IXL have important symmetry and angle practice games.
For math homework, all students are working on either multiplication or division skills at home, and all students are working on current geometry topics. IXL and Khan Academy are being used both in class and at home. Students may borrow games to use at home: Product Pile Up, Polygon Capture, Angle Tangle, and Angle Race.
MORE LINKS TO USE BEFORE SEPT 3's TEST:
Here is a great tool for polygon vocabulary review, if your son or daughter is having trouble remember polygon terminology and traits:
LINKS FOR THE SECOND GEOMETRY TEST SEPT 10
Introduction to symmetry
http://resources.hwb.wales.gov.uk/VTC/ngfl/maths/greg_morgan_symmetry/index.htm
*Type Symmetry into the SEARCH box to find the game
*Type Symmetry into the SEARCH box to find the game
Sort according to number of lines of symmetry
Symmetry tool
A LINK FOR OUR NEXT MATH UNIT: PLACE VALUE
Practice Reading Numbers: Especially Really Big Numbers
Thanks for reading!
If you have any questions please email me us tbritt@aisch.org and ddeanna@aisch.org.
Ms. T and Ms. Deanna
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