Morning Message 11/30/09

Good Morning! Today is Monday, November 30, 2009.
Day 55 of School, 125 days left
Tiger Day: T

Welcome back!!! I’ve missed you! I hope everyone is well rested and full of interesting thanksgiving stories.

This morning we’ll be checking in with our experiments and recording observations. In order to ensure that our data are accurate, you need to have at least one other group member verify your measurement (if you need to take one).

We’ll be talking some more about photosynthesis this morning.

To-Do List:

1. Return your empty Friday Folder to your mailbox.
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack! Everything you need for the day should be unpacked and in your desk.
3. Wish Jenna a Happy Belated Birthday! (Her birthday was last Saturday.)
4. Time to check up on our experiments scientists! Remember: You need to work with your group to record your results. Who is the keeper of the observation sheet? You’ll need to coordinate with them.
5. If you finish early, you may enjoy reading or practicing poetry.

Another Friday Letter on a Wednesday (Recapping 11/16-11/25)

Wednesday, November 25, 2009.

Dear 4th Graders and 4th Grade Parents,

The past 7 school days have been eventful! Please read this recap of the past two weeks together so that 4th graders have a chance to show off their critical thinking skills and new knowledge. Also, parents might learn something new! I learn from the 4th graders every day!

INQUIRY: SCIENCE

• 4th graders are now flower and pollination/fertilization experts. We watched and discussed Bill Nye’s Flowers DVD and we studied our plants flashcards to prepare for our flower dissection. Students worked in pairs to dissect a daylily. Dissection results were displayed in the hall. At the end of the week as more flowers opened up we were able to repeat our dissection. Each 4th grader took a dissection chart home with them last Friday. These are fun to share with family and should help students construct their plant project.
• The plant project is our first major project of the year. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about expectations and managing time. We’ve also looked at examples from last year. Family members can help out by providing supplies and advising on time management and technique (ex: “You know it might be easier to keep your display neat if you type your descriptions and labels and then paste them on.”). It’s extremely important that 4th graders complete the work independently-- all the work should be done by their own hand. RESOURCES:
• The assignment sheet lists all the essentials-- read it carefully and use the checklist.
• All 4th graders have an information sheet about the reproductive parts of a flowering plant.
• Many 4th graders have checked out books from our school library about plants. The city library also has many wonderful books.
• The “Plants” folder on portaportal has many helpful and intriguing websites, images, and video clips.
• After several days of recording observations, we took down our lima bean germinators and examined the germinated seeds up close. This experiment answered some questions for us-- like, Do seeds need sunlight to germinate? 4th Graders: What were our findings? And why do we think we got those results? Some 4th graders decided to take their germinated seeds home and plant them. 4th Graders: Be sure to report on the results of your home plantings. Pictures would be great to share with the class. You could take one every few days to chart your plant’s progress.
• On the 19th, we were treated to a lesson in the outdoor classroom. We went on a habitat hunt and constructed a food web. This lesson was an excellent introduction to our next unit on ecosystems, food webs, and adaptations. Thank you to Mrs. Updike, Mrs. Bossart, and Mr. Trauberman for making this fun fresh-air activity possible.
• Our plants unit will flow flawlessly into our ecosystems unit because plants are an indispensable part of the ecosystem. Mr. Bill Nye demonstrated this for us in his Food Web DVD. We had lots of fun singing and rapping along with the Food Webby Web music video at the end of the DVD.
• To understand why plants are so special, we’ve begun to examine Photosynthesis in detail, using some very interesting links collected on portaportal. We will be starting an experiment next week that will show us evidence of Photosynthesis.
• 4th graders have been working together in groups to design and conduct their own experiment to answer this question: Do plants need light? We saw from our last experiment that seeds don’t need light to begin growing (to germinate). But what about after that? Students composed plans and hypotheses for their experiments. They also determined what should be kept constant to keep the experiments fair.
• Yesterday morning, we spent time in the computer lab completing assignments online. Students watched video clips, played games, and read illustrated texts online. Families can also enjoy these links here.

Questions for Discussion:

• Can humans eat flowers?
• When you dissected the flower what surprised you? What did you find interesting?
• What are the male and female parts of the flower? How do you tell the difference between the two?
• Which part of the flower contains the ovules (eggs)?
• Why is the stigma sticky?
• What is a pollinator and how do flowers attract them?
• What is glucose?
• What can plants do that we can’t?
• What happens to the ovary after the ovules are fertilized?
• How do we know that a tomato is a fruit (a swollen/ripened ovary)?
• Question for the parents: Did you learn anything new about flowers/plants?
• What is your plan for your plant project?
• Describe the germinator experiment to me.
• Why did the seeds in the closet germinate just as well (if not better) than the ones on the window?
• Before the lima bean plants have leaves, how do they get energy? What do they eat?
• When you took them down, what were your germinated seeds like? Did anything about them surprise you? Were your seeds similar or different from others in the class?
• What did you find on your habitat hunt?
• How were plants, animals, and the nonliving environment (air, water, the sun, rocks, etc.) connected? How did the web show that all these things were connected?
• Can you remember any of the Food Webby Web song? Is it hard to rap that fast?
• In the experiment you designed, what is the manipulated variable?
• What do you think will change in response to your manipulated variable? In other words, what do you think the responding variable will be?
• How did you make sure that your experiment is a fair test?
• Where you surprised by the time-lapse videos? Did you know that plants moved that much?
• Which time lapse video was the coolest? Can you show me?
• Can you use any portaportal links to help you complete your plant project?

INQUIRY: VIRGINIA STUDIES

• 4th graders have been doing a great job studying for their upcoming Jamestown test on December 4th. In the mornings, we usually take some time to study with colleagues. This is a highly recommended technique! Not only is it more fun to study with friends, they also remember things from class that our families haven’t experienced. Many 4th graders will benefit from setting up a play/study dates-- study for the test for a half hour, then play for a half hour, so on and so forth.
• Last week we practiced our absolute location skills, using latitude and longitude.
• We reviewed some of the hardships that Jamestown settlers faced. This was no trouble at all because our 4th graders are already so knowledgeable about America’s beginnings in Virginia.
• Finally, we practiced answering short-answer questions in complete sentences, which is much harder to do than answering multiple-choice questions!

Questions for Discussion:

• What does it mean to export a product? What cash crop was exported from Jamestown to Europe?
• What does brackish mean?
• Can you use the word “labor” in a sentence?
• What is an “economic venture”?
• What is the economy? (This is a tough concept to describe for both adults and kids!)
• What are “charters”?
• What is your study routine? How much do you study per day? How much do you think is appropriate?
• Which concepts/flashcards are the hardest?
• Do you feel like you’re ready for the test next week?

READING

• We were lucky to have a guest reader on the 17th. Mrs. Updike (Sam’s mom) brought in a special book, "Roxaboxen" by Alice McLerran, which sparked a discussion about imagination and creativity (one of our PYP attitudes). Parents and Families: Ms. Bragg is still looking for more guest readers. Only 3 topics have been taken (creativity, risk-taker, and integrity).
• In reading our last issue of Scholastic News we were able to make connections to Virginia’s history and culture. In the cover article “A Matter of Pride,” we read about students who are trying to keep the Cherokee language alive. The Cherokee language is a part of the Iroquoian language group that we’ve been studying. You can listen to the Cherokee National Youth Choir here.
• We completed our first written assignment for "Oyster Moon." Each student had to write one comprehension question for each of the first 5 chapters. Students will give these questions to one of their classmates to complete.

Questions for Discussion:

• How did the story “Roxaboxen” illustrate creativity?
• What did you find interesting about this issue of Scholastic News?
• What were some of the “Oyster Moon” comprehension questions that you wrote? Will they be hard or easy for your classmates to answer?

WRITING AND WORD STUDY

• In word study we’ve been studying the patterns to adding -s or -es to make a word plural.
• In writing we’ve been using “All the Places to Love” as a mentor text. We choose mentor texts because the author has done something in it that we admire and we want to learn from or imitate it. In “All the Places to Love” we admired Patricia MacLachlan’s vivid language. Vivid language creates a crisp clear picture/movie in our head (like an HD plasma screen). Some examples: “crows that swaggered like pirates,” “where trout flashed like jewels in the sunlight,” and “where ducklings follow their mother like tiny tumbles of leaves.” After reading, we made a list of the places that we love. From this list we chose one place to write about. We’ve written on this topic two times now and the results have been really impressive! 4th graders are writing with greater ease and enthusiasm. Many have taken journals home to continue writing. The most important part of writing is sharing our work-- because writing is, after all, about communication. Hearing about all these special places, described in vivid sensory detail, has made Ms. Bragg long to visit them and experience them for herself!

Questions for Discussion:

• What was the special place you wrote about it?
• Would you share your writing with me?
• How did you use vivid language?
• Can you think of an author whose writing you’d like to imitate?

ASSEMBLY

• Today we were treated to a dance performance and mini-lesson from Dr. Janaki Rangarajan, who specializes in Bharatanatyam dance, a form of classical south Indian dance. Dr. Rangarajan showed us that this form of dance can be used to tell a story. The movements were both graceful and extremely intricate. 4th graders learned some elementary hand movements including “the swan,” “the dog,” and everyone’s favorite “the fish.”

Questions for Discussion:

• What was most surprising about the performance?
• Can you teach me the dance movements that you learned?

FRIDAY AFTERNOON CLUB AND OTHER REWARDS

• Students earned a group reward of a mini-dance party this week. We all had a lot of fun listening to pop music, showing each other dance moves, and playing with balloons.
• Each week students have the opportunity to earn Friday Afternoon Club (FAC), which begins around 2:55pm. All students automatically have Study Hall on Friday (same time), unless they earn FAC. To earn Friday Afternoon Club, students must complete all home and classwork and they must exhibit kind and respectful behavior. FAC is a chance for us to enjoy a snack and check out a cool cartoon like Word Girl or play some fun games.
• So far I have been providing snack for the 4th graders who have earned FAC. For the rest of the year, I would really appreciate it if families could donate a snack. I have made out a schedule-- please see paper version or google calendar. If your scheduled date doesn’t work for you, feel free to switch with another family. I ask that you send in snacks (for 23 kids) that are easy for you to make/buy and bring in AND something that is easy for the kids to eat. Some examples of snacks from the past: chips, cookies, brownies, fruit, and bags of popcorn to be popped. REMINDER: We have a peanut allergy in our classroom. So no peanuts please!

I know we’re all looking forward to Thanksgiving and a few days of rest. I hope 4th graders get the chance to visit with family and friends and perhaps share some of what they’ve been doing in class.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!
-Ms. Bragg

Morning Message 11/25/09

Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, November 25, 2009.
Day 54 of School, 126 days left
Tiger Day: S

Can you believe that we’re nearly 1/3 of the way through the school year? On what day will we have 2/3 of the school year left?

Some of our friends went on an exciting outing yesterday. Let’s have them tell us about it this morning.

This morning we’ll spend a little time studying for your Jamestown test with colleagues. Then we’ll break to do some science. We’ll visit with our BrainPOP friends to learn more about photosynthesis.

Quick Question: Have you come up with any games to play with your flashcards? Last year that was a favorite pastime.

REMINDER: Mini-mini-dance party this afternoon. We’ll hurry up from recess for the fun.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack! Everything you need for the day should be unpacked and in your desk.
2. Take out your Jamestown flashcards. Find a buddy and quiz each other. Don’t let your stacks of flashcards get mixed up!

Morning Message 11/24/09

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, November 24, 2009.
Day 53 of School, 127 days left
Tiger Day: R

This morning we will be going down to the computer lab to explore the plants folder on portaportal. This will be a good resource for you as you work on your plant project. You will have a to-do list that you must complete and then you will have free time to finish your story board or explore other plants links.

This afternoon we will be starting an experiment which will show us the byproducts of photosynthesis.

Quick Question: Did you remember to add your new flashcards to your existing stack? They should all be in the same baggie.

Who will wear the bean necklace today?
   
To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack! Everything you need for the day should be unpacked and in your desk.
2. Take out your Jamestown flashcards. Find a buddy and quiz each other. Don’t let your stacks of flashcards get mixed up!

Computer Lab Plant Assignment

Hey 4th Graders!

Here is your assignment:

1. Watch Plants in Motion
2. Read What Plants Need to Grow (1-7)
3. Read the text and watch the time-lapse video at The Biology of Plants: Starting to Grow
4. Read the text and play the Fruit vs. Vegetable game
5. Watch The Reproductive Role of Flowers
   
6. Read the text and watch the videos at The Biology of Plants: Pollination
   
7. Read the text and watch the videos at The Biology of Plants: Seed Dispersal
8. Watch BrainPOP: Pollination (Remember you need to login-- username: tjelem, password: tiger) and then take the Review Quiz.

All of the above links are listed on portaportal-- so use them for fun and for research (to help you with your plant project!). If you finish, you may explore the other links in the plants folder or finish your Jamestown storyboard.

Morning Message 11/23/09

Good Morning! Today is Ben Long’s B-day!
It is also Monday, November 23, 2009.
Day 52 of School, 128 days left
Tiger Day: E

This morning we will be discussing where lima beans come from. Later this afternoon we will be starting a new experiment, which you will design with your teammates. Quick Question: Did anyone plant the seeds we germinated in class this weekend?

Also this morning, we will finish watching the Bill Nye Food Web DVD. Our study of plants really connects well to our next unit on ecosystems, adaptations, and food webs.

Maybe this morning, maybe later today, we will be adding to our Jamestown flashcards stack.

FYI:

• I have saved our balloons so that we can continue our mini-dance party on Tuesday.
• Also, we will not be able to vote on our mini-society flag until after Thanksgiving break because we are missing too many people.
• Our observer from George Mason U. has returned-- please welcome Ms. Coalter!

To-Do List:

1. Wish Ben L. a Happy Birthday! J
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack! Everything you need for the day should be unpacked and in your desk.
3. Take out your Jamestown flashcards. Find a buddy and quiz each other. Don’t let your stacks of flashcards get mixed up!

Morning Message 11/20/09

Good Morning and Happy Friday! Today is Friday, November 20, 2009.
Day 51 of School, 129 days left
Tiger Day: G

We’ll take another look at our agenda calendars this morning to make sure that we have everything down for the month of December. Remember to also use your calendar to mark down events that apply just to you. Yesterday, I saw that several people had recorded extracurricular things like Chorus rehearsal or Drama Club. That’s such a good idea! What other clubs/activities could you mark down?

I got the sense yesterday that we still need more time on our storyboards, which is fine. This planning stage is so important! We want to know exactly what we’re going to do before we start recording voiceovers. We’ll finish the storyboards today and then we’ll be ready to use the software next week.

REMINDER: Just like yesterday, we’ll need two people to wear the germinator necklace today. We need to keep it warm if we want it to germinate. I’ve modified the necklace a bit in an attempt to improve it. Let me know what you think.

We had a question yesterday about what a hummingbird’s nest looks like. I found something cool to show you that should answer our questions. I’ll show you after announcements.

Quick Question: Did anyone bring in music for the mini dance party?

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack! Everything you need for the day should be unpacked and put in your desk.
2. Use your issue of Virginia Studies Weekly to complete your Week 10 quiz.
3. If you have completed all of the above, you may enjoy reading or practicing poetry.

Morning Message 11/19/09

Good Morning! Today is Thursday, November 19, 2009.
Day 50 of School, 130 days left
Tiger Day: I

We need to take a look at our calendars this morning. We have a lot coming up and plenty to look forward to. We’ll make sure that we get all of it down in our agendas.

Special Appointment Today:    Outdoor Classroom at 2pm

This morning we’ll be headed down to the computer lab to continue working on our storyboards for our digital story. We will have an hour to complete them today. Tomorrow we want to start working with the program that will allow us to “animate” the photos (pan) and record our voiceovers.

REMINDER: We’ll need two people to wear the germinator necklace today. We need to keep it warm if we want it to germinate.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. Work on any unfinished work in your Work in Progress folder.
3. If all your work is finished, you may enjoy reading or practicing poetry.

Morning Message 11/18/09

Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, November 18, 2009.
Day 49 of School, 131 days left                    Tiger Day: T

I was so impressed with dissecting and observational skills yesterday-- wow!

The SmartBoard has left us for the time being. During 2nd quarter it will be in Ms. Hocutt’s class. We’ll see it again 3rd quarter.

Does anyone have any cool ideas for their plant project yet?

Today we’ll begin working on an exciting new project with the photos we took at Jamestown. You’ll be working in pairs or in a trio to compose a digital story. Have you ever heard of a digital story before? Digital stories use photos and voice-over to tell a story. I’ll show you an example after announcements. The first step in composing a digital story is to storyboard-- that’s what we’ll be doing today. I’ll show you how to make a storyboard and I’ll assign groups before we go down to the computer lab.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. Take out your Lima Bean Data Sheet from your Work in Progress folder. Do one last observation of your beans. Tomorrow we will be dissecting them and perhaps planting a few.
3. If you finish early, you may work on Work in Progress, enjoy reading, or practicing poetry.

Morning Message 11/17/09

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, November 17, 2009.
Day 48 of School, 132 days left
Tiger Day: S

I hope you studied your flashcards well last night because you will need that knowledge this morning for our flower dissection lab. You will also need all your powers of observations today-- the ability to observe well is such an important scientific skill! Remember to use your senses to make the best and most sensible observations that you can. We’ll talk more about this before we get started.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. Take out the plant flashcards you made last night. Study them with a friend while Ms. Bragg gets the materials ready for your flower dissection. Don’t let your flashcards get mixed up with someone else’s. You flashcards should be kept in a baggie with your name clearly written on it.

Morning Message 11/16/09

Good Morning! Today is Monday, November 16, 2009.
Day 47 of School, 133 days left
Tiger Day: R

Welcome back! I’ve missed you! But I have enjoyed chatting with your parents about all your hard work and all the progress that you’ve made so far this year. We’re off to a fantastic start!

It’s time for payday again! But we have such a busy day that we’ll probably have to wait until tomorrow to do payroll.

Flag designs are due today. We’ll vote on our official flag this week.

Math classes will be reorganizing today. I’ll let you know about your maybe new teacher right before we switch. Math Olympiad tryouts are also today.

This morning we’ll be examining plants and flowers in microscopic detail so that we’ll be prepared for our dissection tomorrow and our upcoming test and project.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. Put your finished flag designs in Ms. Bragg’s turn-in-work box.
3. Take out your Work In Progress folder and your Germinator Data Sheet. Make some quality observations about your lima beans. The description you write is just as important as the picture that you draw!
4. Next, complete the Bill Nye Science Quiz about Flowers on your desk.
5. If you finish early, you may enjoy reading or practicing poetry.

Dear 4th Graders,,, (a Friday letter on a Wednesday) 11-11-09

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Dear 4th Graders and 4th-Grade Parents,

Wow it’s November already! And we have the December calendar up on the wall too! Time is flying, but we’re getting plenty accomplished. We’ve certainly had an eventful week and a half… Here’s the recap:

INQUIRY: SCIENCE

• Our 4th graders are now well on their way to becoming scientists! In preparation for upcoming experiments, we studied and dissected the Scientific Method. We watched short video clips that illustrated the steps in the process (1. Ask a question or make an observation, 2. Formulate a hypothesis, 3. Design and conduct and experiment, 4. Analyze results, and 5. Draw conclusions). We brainstormed how we would design “fair” experiments that would lead to valid results, which we can count on. We made both observations and inferences and differentiated between the two. Most difficult of all, we practiced using some challenging scientific vocabulary/concepts, like hypothesis, constant, manipulated variable, and responding variable. Though our brains hurt a little with the effort, they came out of it stronger. We could tell because we flexed these new brain muscles while watching MythBusters Young Scientists Challenge. Students were able to identify the parts of the Scientific Method in the MythBusters’ methods. We also got to “meet” the winner of the Discovery Education Young Scientists Challenge-- he was only 11… So this years’ 4th graders are only one year away from being able to enter themselves! Good thing we’re exercising our scientific brain cells now!
• On Wednesday the 4th, we dissected a lima bean to see what we could discover. Once we understood the parts of the lima bean seed, we were ready to start our first major experiment- germinators! We followed the example found in this excellent Zoom video clip. Some students chose to put their seeds in the closet, while others chose the window. We wondered, would the placement make a difference? We’ve since been monitoring the results by making observations about every other day. Many students also brought lima beans home to start germinators there. Some students are even trying out different types of beans to see what happens-- a great idea!
• On Thursday 11/5, we went outside to plant, photograph, and experiment with Ms. Jeanette, the environmentalist who told us the “Happenings in Our Habit” story. We worked in 3 rotating groups so that everyone got a chance to do a bit of everything. In planting a rain garden, we got to be a part of creating something lasting on our school grounds that will help prevent runoff pollution. 4th Graders: Be sure to show your parents the garden you helped plant!
• We’re still chatting about watershed issues. This week Ms. Bragg shared this news story about the Chesapeake Bay that she heard yon her commute to work.

Questions for Discussion:

• What is your favorite step of the Scientific Method and why?
• What does “hypothesis” mean?
• What Spanish word is “manipulated” related to?
• What is the difference between a manipulated variable and responding variable? Can you give an example of each?
• What is the difference between an observation and an inference?
• What was the coolest part of the MythBusters video?
• Do you think you might want to enter the Young Scientists Challenge one day?
• What did you find out when you dissected the lima bean?
• How is a lima bean like a baby plant packed inside a lunch box?
• What’s happening with the germinators in the classroom? Why do you think that is happening?
• Explain what happened with the erosion soda bottles? What was in the bottles and why did you get different results?
• What type of plant did you plant?

INQUIRY- VA STUDIES

• Jamestown! Jamestown! Jamestown! It was fabulous! We had a terrific tour guide (Mr. Buddy) and the 4th graders did me proud by conducting themselves respectfully and by showing off their substantial knowledge. Some highlights: seeing the aracheological dig, meeting the Jamestown “witness,’ boarding the Susan Constant and going down to the ‘tween deck, sitting in a dugout canoe, hearing a musket go off, constructing a “waddle,” going inside a yi-haken, scraping leather with a clam shell, seeing historical interpreters making arrowheads and knives out of stone, and (of course!) the bus, where we got to spend lots of quality time with friends. I can’t wait to share photos of our adventures! Thanks to all the parents who came and helped out-- you were great!
• Lately, we have been researching and discussing two new elements of Jamestown: its diversity and its early democratic government. See questions below.

Questions for Discussion:

• What was your favorite part of the Jamestown fieldtrip?
• What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
• What were the three cultures that were represented in early Jamestown?
• What is an “indentured servant”?
• How is being a slave different from being an indentured servant?
• When did the first Africans arrive in Virginia and how were they treated?
• How did the arrival of women in Jamestown change the colony? Why did the Virginia Company want to send women?
• What is a “burgess”? Do you have one in your room?
• Who could become a burgess in 17th-century Virginia?

MATH

• All 4th graders took a pre-test on multiplication and division last week so that teachers could determine what they already know. This helps us tailor instruction appropriately. The new math unit will begin with the start of 2nd quarter (Monday the 16th). Students will find out who their Math teacher will be that same day. It’s likely that many students will have the opportunity to work with a different teacher.
• This Tuesday, the whole 4th grade took a “benchmark” multiple-choice math test. It covered all the essential 4th grade math standards that we’ve been learning this past quarter (graphs, coordinate grids, place value, comparing, ordering, rounding, adding, subtracting, estimating, etc.). This was an excellent opportunity for 4th graders to show off all the skills and concepts they’ve mastered.
• Ms. Lang spoke to us yesterday about an exciting opportunity for 4th graders to tackle some challenging math problems… It’s Math Olympiad time! Tryouts will be held on Monday. Ms. Bragg sent 4th graders an Angel-mail message with links to sample problems and more information. 4th Graders: Tell your parents what Math Olympiad is all about.
• Basic facts are so important! We’ve been having fun preparing for this next unit by playing fun basic fact games on portaportal. Many students discovered the multi-player function of these games this week. Several have even made after-school appointments to meet online and enjoy playing/practicing together. We discussed how studying with colleagues is often more fun and more effective than studying alone. This works for VA Studies/Science flashcards too! Parents: Please help your 4th graders by joining in on the fun and giving them time and space to practice basic facts. Unfortunately, many 4th graders have the procedures and the logical thinking skills down pat, but they are slowed down in their computations by gaps in basic facts knowledge. Working on this area will truly help them succeed.

Questions for Discussion:

• How did the benchmark test go?
• Do you think you might want to tryout for Math Olympiad?
• Can you show me the best math fact games? Can we play one together?

READING

• This Monday we began reading our first novel as a group. It combines both historical fiction and mystery. Students were surprised to find that they liked the book because the cover seemed so unappealing. This made me think about that well-worn phrase: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” 4th Graders: What do you think? Can you? Why or why not?
• Mr. Rollins has the honor of being our first guest reader. He brought us a book that helped us to think about intellectual risk-taking. The discussion was very interesting and students shared many examples of famous risk-takers. Ms. Bragg is still looking for more guest readers-- parents can sign up any time!

Questions for Discussion:

• What genre(s) does this book fit in?
• Do you like it so far? Why?
• What did you think about the cover?

WRITING/WORD STUDY

• We studied how contractions are made and learned the basic word study process that we will follow for the rest of the year.
• We finished out our “Me Bags” by doing a fun writing activity. Each student kept back a “mystery item,” which they didn’t reveal or explain. These items were added to the “mystery pile.” Then students chose one item from the pile to use as a seed for a story. We wrote stories about characters who might own the chosen object and used our imaginations to speculate about what the object was for. The stories that resulted were very interesting and many made us laugh. After our “silent gallery walk,” we ended up next to our own item and had the opportunity to share a sentence or two from the story that was written about it. Then we explained what our object (stuffed animal, book, ring, glasses, etc) was really all about and what it said about us.
• Students also wrote about their Jamestown this week-- either chronicling their fieldtrip experiences or composing a piece of imaginative historical fiction.

Questions for Discussion:

• Will you share one of your writing pieces with me? What is your favorite part?

ANGEL MAIL

• Ms. Bragg often sends out interesting links and opportunities to 4th graders over Angel mail. Recent messages have included a book recommendation site (kidsreads.com) and two writing contests (Goosebumps Contest, Flat Stanley Contest). 4th Graders: Be sure to check your Angel-mail for messages from Ms. Bragg, so that you can take advantage of this cool stuff! And share these with your parents as well!

Questions for Discussion:

• Are you going to enter a writing contest? What are your ideas?
• Have you explored the book recommendation site?

GUIDANCE

• Last week we celebrated Red Ribbon Week. Ms. Seaver has been chatting with all TJ students about the reasons for staying drug free. We also stressed making healthy and helpful choices by stating how we “lend a helping hand.” Each 4th grader cut out an outline of their hand and wrote something helpful that they do for others on it. These are proudly displayed on our lockers.

Questions for Discussion:

• How do you lend a helping hand?
• Why are you staying tobacco-free?

JOBS, PAYROLL, AND OUR MINI-SOCIETY NAME

• We’ve held our first payday! Each employee had to initial to receive their money. Hannah R., our payroll accountant, did a beautiful job of keeping the process organized. Students discussed safe places for keeping their money because we’re going to make this as real as possible. If Ms. Bragg misplaces a one hundred dollar bill, Mr. Baxter isn’t going to give her another one. Similarly, TJ bucks that are lost will not be replaced. So we’ll need to manage our money well!
• I can also announce our class mini-society name: “The Flaming Pigeons.” Yes, it is unusual… But we’re keeping it happy, fun, and inspirational-- “Flaming” as in we’re “on fire” with success and knowledge... We’re on a “hot streak.” Students are currently working on flag designs, which are due Monday. So far, entries have reminded Ms. Bragg of a rising phoenix-- definitely inspirational!

Questions for Discussion:

• How much do you get paid and how often?
• What are your job responsibilities?
• Are you designing a flag? What is your concept?

AGENDAS, READING LOGS, AND HOMEWORK IN GENERAL

• Let’s make sure that we’re actually using our agendas. 4th Graders: When you set down to do your homework, treat your agenda as a to-do list. As you finish each item, check it off. You’re not done, until you’ve checked everything off. Before putting your agenda away, check your calendar and see if you have anything special to look forward to the next or in the coming week.
• 4th Graders: If you forget/misplace your agenda or reading log, use a piece of scratch paper for the day. Everyone makes mistakes, but that shouldn’t prevent us from being responsible!

Announcement: We welcomed a new student into our classroom this week-- Skyler Gomez. She’s been with us two days and is already fitting in well.

Have a fantastic weekend!
-Ms. Bragg

Morning Message 11/11/09

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday! Today is November 11, 2009.
Day 46 of School, 134 days left
Tiger Day: E

REMINDERS:

• This week is short because of teacher work days and parent teacher conferences-- so you have a long weekend! I’m really enjoying meeting with parents and talking about all the wonderful things you guys have accomplished so far this year.
• You are still responsible for completing your reading log on days when you are off. Remember: 5 times per week!
• Flags designs are due when you return to school on Monday.

This morning we’ll be starting out with Virginia Studies. Then during or right before snack, we’ll be making some more lima bean observations.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. Take out your issue of Virginia Studies Weekly and use it to help you complete the VA Studies quiz.
3. If you finish early, you may enjoy reading or practicing poetry.

Morning Message 11/10/09

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, November 10, 2009.
Day 45 of School, 135 days left
Tiger Day: G

Announcement: We’ll be getting a new student soon-- maybe today, maybe Monday.

Today we have some special appointments...

• The whole 4th grade will be taking a quarterly multiple-choice math test. It will cover all the essential 4th grade math standards (place value, comparing, ordering, rounding, adding, subtracting, etc.). We’ll stay in our homerooms to do it. This test won’t be timed. We’ll need to be sure to use our best test-taking skills: checking over our work, making sure we’re bubbling for the correct number, thoroughly bubbling in, etc.
• We’ll be visiting our Book Buddies at 1:30pm-- right after library check-out.
• We’ll be celebrating the end of the quarter by having a read-in after we get back from Book Buddies.

This morning we’ll be catching up with our textbook and hopefully organizing our binders as well... The things we didn’t have time to do yesterday.

To-Do List:

1. Wish Hope a Happy Birthday! Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. Read-In materials should be piled in the Book Nook. We won’t take them out until this afternoon.
3. Take out your Jamestown writing that you continued last night. Find a partner and take turns reading what you’ve come up with. I can’t wait to hear them myself!
4. If you finish early, you may enjoy reading or practicing poetry.

Morning Message 11/9/09 (posted a day late-- sorry!)

Good Morning! Today is Monday, November 09, 2009.
Day 44 of School, 136 days left
Tiger Day: I

Welcome back from the 17th century! What did you think of Jamestown? Pretty great, right?

We haven’t seen our germinators in several days (3 to be exact). Let’s examine them first thing this morning and see what’s happening-- see your to-do list below.

This afternoon we will have our first guest reader-- Mr. Rollins. He will be reading from a book that will help us think about intellectual risk-taking. It should be cool!

This morning we’ll be adding our issues of Virginia Studies Weekly to our binders and doing some organizing. We will also catch back up with our textbook and see which lessons we’ve already learned about through other means and can skip over. Finally, while we eat snack, we’ll be listening to a news story about the Chesapeake Bay that Ms. Bragg heard on her commute to work (linked online for sharing with parents).

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. Take out your Germinator Data Sheet (inside your Work In Progress folder). Add another line of quality observations (drawing and written descriptions) to your data table. Then return it safely to your WIP folder. We will add another observation on Wednesday. After that we won’t see our germinators for 4 days and I predict that there will be significant changes in that time.
3. Next, work on completing the issue of VA Studies Weekly we started on Thursday. You’ll need to do the Map Activity and the quiz. Both are on your desk. So get down to business!

Morning Message 11/5/09

Good Morning! Today is Thursday, November 05, 2009.
Day 42 of School, 138 days left
Tiger Day: S

This morning we’ll be headed out to do some planting with Ms. Jeanette, the environmentalist who told us the “Happenings in Our Habit” story. In order to participate in the activities she has planned for us, we need to be broken into 3 groups. I will let you know which group you are in before we depart. We’ll walk down to the lobby promptly at 9am. So be sure to use your time wisely this morning. You have an important assignment to complete! (see to-do list below)

Fitting in snack will be a little tough today. We’ll eat right when we get back from planting outside. Math won’t start until 10am today because of planting. Ms. Hocutt’s and Mr. Evan’s classes need books.

Quick Question: Did anyone start a germinator or two at home? Did you use any different beans (like kidney beans, for example)? Or did you just use the lima beans?

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. If you’ve got your red ribbon, pin it on.
3. Keep your jacket at your desk. You’ll need it this morning when we go outside with Ms. Jeanette.
4. Pull out your Work In Progress folder and take out your Germinator Data Sheet. Today is the day to make your first observations. Be sure to record the date, draw a quality picture, and write an informative description of what’s happening to your bean.

Morning Message 11/4/09

Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, November 04, 2009.
Day 41 of School, 139 days left
Tiger Day: R

As you know we now have a mini-society name: The Flaming Pigeons. We need to start thinking about flag design ideas. Remember we want something inspirational. Even though we have a somewhat unusual name, we want to keep it happy and fun-- “Flaming” as in we’re “on fire” with success and knowledge... We’re on a “hot streak.” Get the idea? There is a blank sheet of paper on your desk, so that you can begin sketching out ideas. Just use pencil at first. There won’t be much time to work on these at school, but you are welcome to continue your flag ideas at home. We’ll be voting on flag entries sometime next week.

This morning we’ll be doing some dissecting and we’ll also start a cool new experiment. We’ll get some ideas for our experiment from a Zoom video clip. I’ll link this video on the blog version our morning message. That way if you want to make a “germinator” at home too-- you’ll have the directions at your fingertips! What’s a germinator, you ask? Well, have you ever heard the word “germinate”?

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. If you brought you red ribbon back to school, pin it on.
3. Work on your flag design.

Morning Message 11/3/09

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, November 3, 2009.
Day 40 of School, 140 days left
Tiger Day: E

This morning we’re going to start payroll! We may not be able to finish however. Don’t worry! Everyone will eventually get paid. We have a chart to make sure of that.

This is how payroll will work:

• Hannah R. will be using the popsicle sticks to call people to pay them.
• When your name is called, you need to bring your Work In Progress folder with you to Hannah R.’s desk. You need to show her your job description and how much you get paid. You will only get paid if you have faithfully completed your duties.
• Hannah R. will fill in your payment amount and you will need to initial that you have received it.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. If you brought you red ribbon back to school, pin it on. From now on, we will be keeping these at school (in our WIP folder) and pinning them on each day this week.
3. Take out your language arts notebook and practice reciting poetry with a buddy. Hannah will call your name when it’s time to pay you.

Morning Message 11/2/09

Good Morning! Today is our first day of class in November!
It is November 2, 2009.
Day 39 of School, 141 days left
Tiger Day: G

This school year is flying by! I can’t believe we’ve already got the December calendar up on the wall. Wow! It’s time to change the Poem of the Month too! We’ll probably need to wait until tomorrow to do that... Because today we have rescheduled Book Buddies and we’re also going to try to hold our first payday.

This is going to be an exciting week! We’ll be preparing for the biggest fieldtrip of the year and we’ll also be starting some exciting experiments.

Our new additions to our sophisticated word collection are now up. Let’s see if we can use these words in conversation. It’d be great to see a lot of students with stickers of word-power pride!

We have a visitor observing in our classroom again today-- a student from GMU. Please welcome her and show her what we do best.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack and Friday Folders (put your empty Friday Folder in your mailbox).
2. If you brought in a mystery item in today, you can add it to the hidden stack on the back table.
3. Take out your red Language Arts notebooks and add the new poem on your desk to your collection. Practice reading it with a friend. Let’s earn some more stars today!