Dear 4th Graders and 4th Grade Parents,
We had another packed week! And I am loving the class of 2010! I feel so lucky to have such a special group of kids in my classroom.
Inquiry: Virginia Studies (Regions) and Science (Natural Resources/Watershed)
This week, 4th graders followed the journey of a raindrop from the schoolyard through several watershed stops. This applet is available online (click here on the blog version of this letter) and should be shared with parents! We also worked together to create our own watersheds using wax paper. Lastly, we watched portions of EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)/Weather Channel video about watersheds: “After the Storm” (also available and clickable online) and made connections to our own watershed, the Chesapeake Bay. The south-western part of Virginia is actually part of the Mississippi watershed, which drains into the Gulf and is discussed in detail in the video.
We took our first open-book test in Social Studies. As the 4th graders know, in real life there will be very few times when you won’t be permitted to look up an answer. For example, Ms. Bragg is allowed to use books and the internet in her teaching. It would be silly for her not too! In the end, the ability to accurately interpret a question and locate the answer is much more important than remembering isolated facts. Many years from now, Ms. Bragg’s former students may no longer remember the names of the 5 Regions of VA. But, they will have developed the know-how to locate that information-- this is the skill we are working on. Open-book test results will be available next week.
In preparation for Virginia Pizzas on Tuesday, we’ve continued our exploration of VA’s regions and landforms from East to West….
- We examined this cool overview of VA’s regions made by kids (see below).
- We played with some of the fun interactive games on the VA Trekker’s site (clickable online), using our SmartBoard. 4th Graders: Why not see if your parents can complete the puzzles and answer the questions?
- We illustrated diagrams of land/water features found in VA, using our classroom Atlases as a guide.
- Finally, we’ve started our collection of VA Geography flashcards, which will help us study for the upcoming, NOT open-book test. Both kinds of tests are important!
Questions for Parent-4th Grader Discussion:
- What was the open-book test like? Was it difficult or easy? How did you go about finding the answers? What test-taking strategies did you use?
- How did you make a watershed using wax paper?
- How are watersheds divided?
- What does this sentence mean to you? “We all live downstream.”
- How would you draw a plateau?
- What is an estuary? How would you draw it?
- Why did cities develop along VA’s Fall Line?
- What is Northern VA’s population density like?
- Where does the name Piedmont come from?
- How would you draw a ridge?
- What larger range are the Blue Ridge Mountains a part of?
- How do you study with your flashcards?
Math
Classes are continuing to work on place value and comparing and ordering numbers and are moving towards addition and subtraction.
Questions for Parent-4th Grader Discussion:
- What is your method for comparing numbers?
- How do you differentiate between the greater than symbol and the less than symbol?
- What does the “in” in “inequalities” stand for? Why is the word “equal” in there?
Reading
We have just taken our first official open-magazine Scholastic News Quiz. (We did a practice one last week.) In this quiz, students must find proof for their answers inside their issue. But not for all questions... Some questions can be answered “on your own.” But we have to think carefully about which questions those are.
New this Week: We started our Poetry Collection and have already awarded several stars for poetry recitations. Congratulations to the poetry performers!
Questions for Parent-4th Grader Discussion:
- Do you answer all comprehension questions in the same way?
- What is a “Right There” question?
- What is a “Synthesis” question?
- What is an “On Your Own” question?
- Which part of the Poem of the Month did you illustrate?
- Could you recite some lines from your poetry collection?
Rewarding Ourselves: Friday Afternoon Club and Study Hall
On Friday Afternoons we reward ourselves for working hard all week, completing all our classwork and homework, and exhibiting respectful, caring behavior to others. We like to call the reward “Friday Afternoon Club,” or FAC for short. We always have a small snack (popcorn today!) a and fun activity: whether it’s going outside for a game, like freeze tag, or watching a short, quality cartoon, like Word Girl (Ms. Bragg’s favorite!). But FAC isn’t automatic… All work must be complete and our behavior must be good in order to earn this treat. We all get automatic “Study Hall” on Fridays, where we can complete unfinished work or additional assignments, unless we’ve earned FAC.
Jamestown
I’ve received most of the Jamestown field trip permission slips and money ($36)- thank you! Receipts are going home in Friday Folders.
If parents would like to come to Jamestown with us, they are very welcome! Unfortunately, we don’t have room on the bus. Some parents have already started discussing carpooling and following the buses. Parents: Please let me know if I can assist you with finding some carpooling buddies.
REMINDERS
- 10/12 – No School: Columbus Day
- 10/13 – Virginia Pizzas- volunteers and ingredients
- Check the attached Conference Schedule
- 10/29 - Pumpkin Math (Each child will need to bring in a pumpkin. More details TBA)
- 10/30 - Halloween Party, 2-3pm (No costumes. More details TBA)
- 11/6 - Jamestown Fieldtrip!
Have a great long weekend! -- Ms. Bragg
PS: Thanks to all my proofreaders for helping me find and correct mistakes in this letter! Bravo for having a careful eye!
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