Happy April, happy snow?!?!? This winter just doesn't want to leave us! It's a shortened week for us due to the holiday this weekend. Here is a look at our week ahead:
* Welcome to Suhani!!!! Suhani joined our class on Friday and we are excited to have her with us!
* This month our genre is award winners or nominees. The kids were asked to bring in their book to be approved by me by Thursday, April 17th. The book doesn't need to be read until May 5th. There is a link to award winner lists and nominees right on our blog to the left. Feel free to use this as a reference if you need to!
* In reading, we will spend one more week working on our inferencing skills. The kids will learn a bit about Mount Everest as we read with a question in mind. We will also do some work inferring theme from old folk tales. We also started a new vocabulary routine. The kids will be given 4 new vocabulary words each week. We will work to listen for, use, and write these words during the week and tally each time one of these words comes our way. The kids will also do different activities during the week with the words, so that they can fully understand the meaning. These words are not words that fourth graders would normally use in their everyday conversations, so it's a great way to use our inferencing skills to come up with the definitions, parts of speech, and emotions that accompany the words. Make sure you ask them about the new words this week!
* We begin our new WEX unit this week! We will move from nonfiction writing to fiction. Some writing will be about themselves, while others will require them to write a fictional short story. The kids will practice creating a believable character, balance their use of dialogue and narration, think about the sequence of plot development, and continue practicing their editing and revising skills. This week we will create a believable character and show our character's personality through various actions/reactions to everyday situations.
* Our new science unit introduces students to the processes that shape our landforms across the planet. Through hands-on explorations, students will discover the slow processes and subtle forces that carve, shape, and weather the earth's surface. They will think of themselves as geologists: observing, analyzing, and drawing conclusions. This week we will take a surface walk and begin to talk about how water can shape our earth.
* In math, we will begin unit 8. A parent letter explaining this new unit was sent home with your child on Monday. This week our focus will be on finding the perimeter of certain shapes, creating "working triangles" in a kitchen, and begin talking about area. We will find the area of irregular shapes and also create floor plans using a map scale. It's very important the kids continue to practice their math facts! The multiplication facts should be mastered by now and division should be almost mastered as well. This is an easy thing to practice at home with flash cards, online games, and just made-up timed tests. Please make sure your child practices his/her facts at home!
* For only being 4 days, this week holds a lot in it! The book fair is next week, April 23rd! The kids will have a chance to preview the book fair this week on Thursday. They will make a short wish list of items to look for in case you want to purchase any new books for your home library! Due to the book fair, there will not be any Scholastic catalogs going home with your child this month. We will have one final over in May for the year.
* MAP testing begins next week! We will take our first test on Tuesday morning during our math time. This will be our math test. The reading test will be taken on the following Monday, April 28th, during our reading time. There is no way that your child can study for these tests, as it's a leveled test that is personalized to your child. Please just encourage him/her to do the best he/she can! Results will be sent home in the final report card in June.
* Have a wonderful week and great holiday to those celebrating this week!
