Lunar Eclipse! (We saw it 12-21-10!)

Former 4th Grade Teacher Ms. Lewis took this photo of the lunar eclipse early this morning:

Excellent time lapse video of a lunar eclipse from 2008

Morning Message: 6/18/10 (Last Day of School!)

Good Morning and…. Welcome to the last day of school!
Today is Friday, June 18, 2010.
Day 180 of school! Zero days left.

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• We have a special guest in our classroom this morning. Can you guess who it is?
• Be sure to check the lost and found one more time before you leave today!
• We still have a few things to clean up, organize, and take home. Let’s look around the room and make sure we don’t forget anything.
• Today is our last chance to share our writing as a class… But be sure to continue to write and share your writing over the summer. The first thing you should do when you get home is show your portfolio to your parents.

THIS MORNING:

• After announcements, we’ll have volunteers share their writing in front of the class.
• At 9am, we’ll head down for the awards assembly.
• When we get back, we’ll do our mini-graduation. Have you thought about what you’re going to say about your colleagues?

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine. Last time to put your snack in your desk.
2. Check out your bound portfolio. Then pin on any ribbons that you have.
3. Find a partner and share each other’s portfolios-- read your writing to each other.

Morning Message: 6/17/10

Good Morning and…. Welcome to the 2nd to the last day of school!
Today is Thursday, June 17, 2010
Tiger Day: R (last day for Encore!)
Day 179 of School, only 1 day left!

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Today is the last day to perfect your portfolio! They will be bound after school. We’ll try to take some last-minute photos during clean-up this morning.
• Patrol Party today at Noon in the Science Lab.

THIS MORNING… will be devoted to cleaning out our desks, lockers, and classroom.
After your individual desk and locker have been checked, you will be given one or more classroom clean-up jobs (depending on difficulty). All must be complete in order to earn an ice cream treat!

To-Do List:

1. Make sure that you have a large bag with your name on it. Ms. B brought extras-- see her if you need one.
2. Peel off the labels from your desks and throw away.
3. Empty the contents of your desk. Then organize! See if the contents of your work-in-progress folder can be filed in either you Science or your VA Studies binders. Both binders will be sent to MEH (if you’re going there) because you’ll need them for your 5th grade studies!
4. Put everything you’re taking home in your bag. Leave your 2 binders on top of your desk for now. Return any school books to the front of the classroom.
5. Wipe out your desk with a damp paper towel. Then dry it. Put your binders back in your desk for now.
6. Now it’s time to clean out your locker. You’ll need to remove all pictures, magnets, and tape.

Morning Message: 6/14/10

Good Morning and…. Welcome to the last week of school!
Today is Monday, June 14, 2010
Tiger Day: I
Day 176 of School, only 4 days left!

Has anyone been watching the World Cup? Why are people in South Africa wearing jackets in the stands? I thought it was hot in Africa!

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Today, we will have 4th-grade-wide yearbook and autograph signing from 2:15pm to 3:15pm. If you did not order a yearbook, I will provide you with a nifty autograph sheet.
• Tomorrow there will be a substitute. I will be here (as far as I know), but I will be doing reading testing and attending meetings all day.

THIS MORNING:  We’ll be headed down the to computer lab to work on our writing and to start on another digital story project. Mrs. Richmond and I will be reading testing in the hallway while you work.

To-Do List:

1. If you have paper products for the 4th grade picnic, please put them on the back table.
2. Complete your morning routine. Don’t forget to put snack in your desk.
3. Start to organize your portfolio folder… Think about the order you want things in-- Should it be chronological? Do you want to have sections based on subject?- a Virginia Studies section? a science section? You can start making section dividers now-- use blank sheets of paper. Should you add captions or explanations to any of the photos?-- remember you can use the back of the photo.

Morning Message 6-11-10

Good Morning and Welcome to Market Day!
Today is Friday, June 11, 2010
Tiger Day: T
Day 175 of School, only 1 week left!


REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Bragg’s Mini-Mall will open for business at 1pm. Businesses will be open 1-1:45pm and 2-2:45pm. We’ll break for a 15 minute recess.
• After morning announcements, we’ll decide if the Bragg Mini-Mall layout works for us. Then we’ll see if we can start hanging signs.
• From 9-10am we’ll be running Writing Workshop in the computer lab. We should have 2-3 guest editors today.
• Ms. B will meet with businesses during Writing Workshop so that we can finish up lease agreements and business licenses.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine. Don’t forget to put snack in your desk.
2. Find your Market Day spot and start thinking about how your Market Day business will be set up.

Morning Message 6/8/10

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, June 8, 2010.
Tiger Day: E
Day 172 of School, 8 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Market Day is this Friday! Ms. Bragg will check expense forms today-- they’re due on Friday.
• Businesses will fill out licenses and lease agreements this afternoon. This will cost some Tigerbucks!
• Turn in your permission slip for the 4th Grade picnic!

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll continue working on the writing portion of our portfolios.
• Then, more science!

THIS AFTERNOON:
Visit to MEH!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine. Don’t forget to put snack in your desk.
2. Take out a laptop and continue editing and writing for your portfolio.

Morning Message 6/4/10

Good Morning and Happy Friday!
Today is June 4, 2010.
Tiger Day: I
Day 170 of School, 10 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Market Day is ONLY 1 WEEK AWAY!
• There’s 2 weeks left in the school year and we have lots to accomplish!
• Baby Bragg could decide to arrive any time now (we’re past 37 weeks gestation)... I hope to be here until the last day of school... But we’re all going to have to be flexible in case that doesn’t happen.

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll continue with our light bulb experiments... Soon after announcements, we’ll head down to the gym for a force and motion experiment. We’ll be sharing the gym with Ms. Szachowicz’s class.
• After we finish our experiment in the gym, we’ll go to the computer lab to work on our writing portfolio.

THIS AFTERNOON:
Market Day advertisements and more electricity and force and motion experiments and research!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine. Don’t forget to put snack in your desk.
2. Take out your light bulb experiment sheets from yesterday. Once you have all your predictions done, Ms. Bragg will give you materials to test things out.

Morning Message 6/3/10

Good Morning! Today is Thursday, June 03, 2010
Tiger Day: T
Day 169 of School, 11 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Market Day is fast approaching!
• After announcements, let’s talk a bit about how the band performance went.

THIS MORNING:
We’ll experiment a bit in our classroom to see if we can get our vehicles to move using energy stored in a rubber band. Then we’ll head down to the gym, where there’s more space, to do another experiment.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine. Don’t forget to put snack in your desk.
2. There is an experiment sheet on your desk. I’ll be assigning you a lab partner (or partners). First, read the document carefully for hints... Then begin to explore!

Morning Message 6/2/10

Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Tiger Day: S
Day 168 of School, 12 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Band/Chorus performance this morning! Really looking forward to it!
• Have you been paying your parents and other family members for their labor? There won’t be anyone with enough Tigerbucks to shop at your stores if you don’t.
• Ms. Bragg has an important meeting at M.E.H. and has to leave at 9:45am... After the band/chorus performance, you will have a substitute. Please remember to be super helpful!

THIS MORNING:
Band/chorus performance and Science research.

To-Do List:

1. Band and Chorus members need to check in before they head back downstairs. BE SURE TO MOVE YOUR MAGNET!
2. Complete your morning routine. Don’t forget to put snack in your desk.
3. Choose a library book from the front of the classroom. Enjoy researching Force & Motion and Electricity before the assembly.

Morning Message 6/1/10

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, June 01, 2010.
Tiger Day: R
Day 167 of School, 13 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Welcome to the last month of school!
• Market Day is less than 2 weeks away! If we use our time efficiently, we should be able to work on store signs and/or advertisements this afternoon.

THIS MORNING:
We’ll start researching electricity!

To-Do List:

1. Return your empty Friday Folder to its mailbox. Don’t forget to turn in any important papers!
2. Complete your morning routine. Don’t forget to put snack in your desk.
3. Begin reading the book on your desk.

Morning Message 5/28/10

Good Morning and Happy Friday!
Today is Friday, May 28, 2010.
Tiger Day: E
Day 166 of School, 14 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY!
• Market Day is only 2 weeks away! Be sure you’re working on your projects and meeting with your business partners, both inside and outside of school-- recess and lunch are good times to chat about your progress. We will have time to make business signs and one advertisement in class. But you need to manufacture your products, make displays, and practice your services at home. Pre-planning and cooperation with business partners (if you have any) is crucial!

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll relax a little and celebrate-- we have a treat brought in by Mrs. Pavela... We’ll wait until after announcements before we start serving. Then we’ll continue to work on our writing pieces. Memory pieces MUST be finished today! Ms. Bragg will be meeting with everyone to edit their work... We might even have some time to start researching electricity!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine. Don’t forget to put snack in your desk.
2. Take out your business plans, meet with your business partners, and go over your progress. If you don’t have a business partner, meet with another solo entrepreneur. Give each other feedback.

Morning Message 5/25/10

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tiger Day: T
Day 162 of School, 18 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Today we rock the reading SOL! Wednesday is Virginia Studies and Thursday is Math.

THIS MORNING:
We’ll prepare for testing in our classroom. Then we’ll head down to the computer lab after announcements.

To-Do List:

1. Have you returned your Friday Folder to its box? We’re missing several. Make sure that you turn in any important papers as well.
2. Snack needs to be eaten before we go down to the computer lab.
3. You’ll need to prepare a clipboard of scratch paper. (I know that most of you probably won’t use scratch paper today... But it’s good to have it just in case.) You get to choose from the scratch paper options at the front of the classroom.
4. Make sure that you have plenty engaging reading material ready for when you finish the test. You may also bring your writing notebook with you.
5. Read quietly until it’s time to head down to the computer lab.

Morning Message 5/24/10

(NOTE: I missed posting a few days of morning announcements... So sorry!)

Good Morning! Today is Monday, May 24, 2010.
Tiger Day: S
Day 161 of School, 19 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Our end-of-the-year SOL exams start tomorrow with Reading. Wednesday is Virginia Studies and Thursday is Math. Remember to eat a good dinner tonight, go to bed at a decent hour, and have a quality breakfast (no sugar!). You’ll need to arrive to school on time. We’ll be testing in the morning.
• How many ribbons did your earn on Study Island this weekend?
• This morning will be the last time that Math classes meet.

THIS MORNING:
We’ll make a map of Virginia’s Native American Language groups... Then Jeopardy!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Work with your timeline group to CAREFULLY remove your timeline from the hallway. Be sure to remove the tape CAREFULLY as well. Roll it up... We’ll take photos later.
3. Locate your issue of Virginia Studies Weekly that talks about Native American language groups. You’ll color the map on your desk to reflect where the language groups lived.

Advice from the SOL Fairy!

Morning Message 5/18/10

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, May 18, 2010.
Tiger Day: I
Day 157 of School, 23 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Tonight is the opening of the Art Show!
• Are you using scratch paper when you work on the Math section of Study Island?
• SOLS are next Tuesday (Reading), Wednesday (Virginia Studies), and Thursday (Math). What should you be doing to prepare? What about the night before and the morning of-- what would be important then?

THIS MORNING:
Kinetic and potential energy! Plus, we’ve got a new song to sing!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. On your desk you have a sort. See if you can identify the difference between kinetic and potential energy. Cut up the examples and make two columns.

Partial Quotients Long Division Demonstration (video)

One day I will make my own video... Until then, this one is pretty good. As the teacher in the video says, the partial quotients method is "forgiving" because you can solve the problem in different ways.

Karl Roemer's Long Division Song (music video)

Karl Roemer - Long Division: The Song That I Must Sing lyrics
This is the song that I must sing,
In order to divide like a queen or king
This is the song that I must sing,
In order to divide like a queen or king
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down

Division is a most important operation
It has a cousin called multiplication
It involves making groups of an equal size
Or making a given number of groups to organize

This is the song that I must sing,
In order to divide like a queen or king
This is the song that I must sing,
In order to divide like a queen or king
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring or down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down

Its use for making packages and sharing things
Partitioning money and making clothing
Calculating speed, average or given times
It all can be shown equally on number lines

This is the song that I must sing,
In order to divide like a queen or king
This is the song that I must sing,
In order to divide like a queen or king
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down

Division and fractions are like close neighbors
The dividend in the numerator
The divisor is down in the denominator
The quotient’s the answer and the remainder’s left over

This is the song that I must sing,
In order to divide like a queen or king
This is the song that I must sing,
In order to divide like a queen or king
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Divide, multiply, subtract, bring down

Rockin' the Standards: The Place Value Rap (song lyrics and video clip)

THE PLACE VALUE RAP
Music by Ben Jacobs, Lyrics by Tim Bedley

The digits, the digits, they each have a name
Memorize ‘em, Understand ‘em is the game
We start at the decimal, to the left we move
Each place is 10 times bigger, multiply ‘em and we prove

The digits, the digits, they fit in so tight
Greater to the left and lesser to the right
Starting at the decimal, sandwiched in between
Zeroes hold the empty places, haven’t you seen?

The digits, the digits, each one means a lot
You can’t leave ‘em out of the place value spot
Reading big numbers each comma’s a word
“Thousand, Million, Billion,” commas, haven’t you heard? Word!

Ones, Tens, Hundreds, Comma
Thousands, Ten Thousands, Hundred Thousands, Comma
Millions, Ten Millions, Hundred Millions, Comma
Billions, Ten Billions, Hundred Billions, Comma

Let’s take it to the right of the decimal point
We’ve got tenths, hundredths, thousandths, ten thousandths
Smaller than a 1 with a T H

Morning Message 5/17/10

Good Morning! Today is May 14, 2010.
Tiger Day: T
Day 156 of School, 24 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Business plans are due today!
• We get to show off our knowledge next week! SOLS are next Tuesday (Reading), Wednesday (Virginia Studies), and Thursday (Math).

THIS MORNING:
We’re tying up loose ends in order to earn laptop time.

To-Do List:

1. Return your empty Friday Folder to its mailbox.
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
3. Turn in your business plan to Ms. Bragg’s turn-in-work box.
4. Tying up loose ends! In order to earn a laptop, you need to have the following completed:
5. Who am I? Who are we?
6. Virginia History questions-- blue book
7. Once you’ve earned a laptop, you can explore the following areas of portaportal: (a) the ENTIRE Virginia Studies folder, (b) Science > Force, Motion, and Energy

Morning Message 5/14/10

Good Morning and Happy Friday!!!
Today is May 14, 2010
Tiger Day: S
Day 155 of School, 25 days left

I was really impressed with all the business ideas that I heard about yesterday. We’ve got some really creative entrepreneurs in our classroom!

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Market Day business plans are due Monday. Everyone must fill out a business plan. If you’re working with a business partner, your plan will probably be slightly different (Think: How are you dividing the manufacturing/practicing tasks?).
• Market Day Labor and Expense forms aren’t due until Market Day because you will have expenses up until the end. BUT, don’t wait until the last minute to fill out your expense form! Do it when expenses occur. I will be checking it at least once before Market Day.
• We now have 2 sets of flashcards at home in a shoebox or bag (VA Geography & Jamestown).

THIS MORNING:
We’ll start out with some Virginia Studies... Then we’ll check in with Mr. Nye.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Take out your Virginia Colony (not your Jamestown or your Geography flashcards)... Find a partner and enjoy studying together. Which cards are the hardest to remember?

Morning Message 5/13/10

Good morning! Today is Thursday, May 13, 2010
Tiger Day: R
Day 154 of School, 26 days left

Fantastic job yesterday on the Mile Run! TJ is so proud of all of you for pushing yourselves and finishing.

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Because we had twice the Math on Monday and Tuesday, there will be no Math today.
• Market Day Expense and Labor forms aren’t due until just before or on Market Day... You’ll have material and labor costs right up to the end.
• REMEMBER: The due date for Market Day business plans has been moved to Monday... This way you’ll have the weekend to work on them.
• Note that it is not necessary to have a business partner... You can work alone.

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll start out with some Virginia Studies... Then if we have time, we’ll do some Science.
• We’ll be headed down to the Computer Lab at 10am to work on our writing pieces (especially our Memory Pieces!)... Ms. Bragg will be meeting with business partners during this time.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. It’s time to pull out another blast-from-the-past set of flashcards-- Virginia Colony!... Find a partner and enjoy studying together. Tonight we’ll add our Jamestown flashcards to our baggie or shoe box at home. It’s time to keep your Virginia Colony flashcards in your homework folder.

Morning Message 5/12/10

Good morning! Happy Mile Run Day!
Today is Wednesday, May 12, 2010.
Tiger Day: E
Day 153 of School, 27 days left

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• 4th grade buses will depart for GM at 9:20am. This means that we have some time to do a bit more decorating!There will be no Encore today.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. You have two choices... You can either work on decorating your t-shirt some more... Or you can pull out your flashcards and study with a friend.

DECORATING:

• Don’t forget to use the clipboards so that the ink doesn’t bleed through.
• You may only use one marker at a time. If you want to get a different color, you have to return the color you were using first.
• Use the maps that we made and the textbook to get ideas for your VA t-shirt!

Morning Message 5/11/10 (posted one day late)

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Tiger Day: G
Day 152 of School, 28 days left

WOW! All I can say is “WOW!!!” and “THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! The party you threw for me yesterday was amazing and the gifts were so generous! Mr. Bragg and I had fun last night looking at all the stylish clothes that Cora will wear and playing with all of her new toys. Thank you so much for sharing in the baby excitement with me... It makes it that much more special.

REMINDERS!/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Today we again have math all morning. The other half of the 4th grade will be taking the Math practice SOL test today (Evans’s, Kelly’s, and Szachowicz’s classes). We’ll eat snack before we switch at 8:50am.
• If you brought a white t-shirt to decorate, just leave it in your locker for now... We’ll get creative this afternoon!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Same as yesterday because we need the review and don’t have much time. Take out your Jamestown flashcards and study with a partner. Have fun playing games!

Perimeter Area Song-- dance moves!

Perimeter Area Song
(The More We Get Together)
To find a shape’s perimeter, perimeter, perimeter
To find a shape’s perimeter, just add all the sides
‘Cause rectangle area, yes rectangle area
Is one side times the other, and area you’ll find

Morning Message 5/10/10

Good morning! Today is Monday, May 10, 2010
Tiger Day: I
Day 151 of School, 29 days left

Thank you so much for being so flexible on Friday when I wasn’t feeling well. I really appreciate your helpfulness! I’m feeling much better today-- the midwives checked me and the baby out and everything’s OK... It’s just a minor problem that is nevertheless very uncomfortable... But I should be fine if I drink enough water.

REMINDERS!/Announcements:

• Today and tomorrow we’ll have math all morning. Half of the 4th grade will be taking the Math practice SOL test today and half tomorrow. We’ll eat snack before we switch at 8:50am.
• Don’t forget about white t-shirts for Wednesday’s Mile Run... If you brought one in today, you can store it in your locker for now. I’ll see what I can do for some last-minute decorations... More details tomorrow.
• Business plans are due this week! I’ll make time to talk with each of you about your ideas this afternoon.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Return your empty Friday Folder to its box. Be sure to turn in any important papers first!
3. Take out your Jamestown flashcards and study with a partner. Have fun playing games!

Morning Message 5/6/10

Good morning! Today is Wednesday, May 05, 2010.
Tiger Day: S
Day 149 of School, 31 days left

Thank you so much for the lovely books! They’re such thoughtful gifts! I’m really looking forward to meeting my little one and to reading with her! I started to bring the books home because I was really excited to share them with Mr. Bragg... But then I thought, wait! The 4th graders should add inscriptions, so that when I read the books to Baby Bragg, then I’ll remember the 4th grade class of ’09-’10. Do you know what an “inscription” is? I’ll explain later.

REMINDERS!/Announcements: Please bring in a white t-shirt by Monday. Our color for the Mile Run will be white.

THIS MORNING:
We’ll see exactly how much we know about Virginia Studies! We’ll be taking a practice test.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack
2. Take a look at your regions flashcards-- remember those?! It’s a blast from the past! Find a partner and enjoy studying together... You’ve come up with so many creative games!

Morning Message 5/5/10

NOTE: There was no school on Monday, 5/3/10 and Ms. Bragg was out of the classroom at training on 5/6/10.

Good morning! Today is Wednesday, May 05, 2010.
Tiger Day: R
Day 148 of School, 32 days left
(NOTE: Looks like we got a little off on our day count. Now we're back on track.)

REMINDERS!/Announcements:

• Please bring in a white t-shirt by this Friday. Our color for the Mile Run will be white.

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll be doing some Virginia Studies-- finishing up our Virginia Studies Weekly quizzes from yesterday-- and some language arts. We’ll start (and probably finish) a short new book.

THIS AFTERNOON:

• Fun VA Studies review! We’ll talk about planning what we can do with the time we have left.
• We'll talk about Market Day!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Take out your Virginia Studies binders to help you with your quizzes.

SONG: "How to Read a Map" by Teacher and the Rockbots

LYRICS:

I'm lost.
What should I do?
You need a map.
I need a clue.

Flower shape - easy to see,
Letters N, W, S and E.
Why does this help and tell me now what does it mean?
It's a COMPASS ROSE.
The compass rose shows North, South, East and West.

North and South - well now I know,
East and West - which way they go.
What do you call these four main directions?
The CARDINAL DIRECTIONS.
Intermediate directions would be northeast, southeast and so on.

How far is it from here to there?
Can we measure distance to anywhere?
The map size is smaller than the real world.
Look for the SCALE.
The scale is like a little ruler that helps you measure distances between places.

A little lost.
I'm getting clues.
From a map.
That I got from you.

Dots, triangles, colors and many lines;
What do all these things define?
I see a tiny airplane and what is this star?
These are SYMBOLS.
An airplane shows the airport; a star is a Capital city.

How did you know what the symbols are
When you're driving around like in a car?
Can you find it on the map and where will it be?
Use the MAP KEY.
The map key tells you what the symbols mean.

This map doesn't show the entire place.
I know that it's part of a bigger space.
Could it be from England, Iraq or Mexico?
Look for the INSET.
The inset is a small map that's a more detailed view of part of the main map.

I was lost.
But I learned something new
How to read a map.
And I thank you

SONG: "Electricity" by Teacher and the Rockbots

LYRICS

Robot: What has no color, weight or smell, and is all around us?
Electricity, electricity

Iron, steel or nickel, it's made with one of these
Makes the dial of a compass point North with ease
It has two poles: positive and negative
The Earth is one too and they're everywhere we live
Teacher: It's a MAGNET. You can find one in a speaker.

Electrons and ions attract and repel
Positively shocking; the negative's a yell (yow!)
Chemicals can do the same in a battery
The world is a better place with this discovery
Teacher: It's an ELECTRIC CHARGE!

The electric company uses this machine
Powered by coal or other source of energy
Moving wires and magnets in a big way
Supply electric current every single day
Teacher: It's a GENERATOR!

Robot: Let's review

The natural force of a magnet is free,
But how does this metal make electricity?
Wrap wires around it move it with a machine,
This can generate electricity!

Did you know that your brain and muscles need a very small amount of electricity to work?
Robot: I need electricity too!
But be careful with the large amounts of electricity around your house
Robot: It will cook your goose!

He flew a kite with a metal key in 1752
He was interested in what lightning could do
Inventor of the lightning rod, a safety device
Protecting people from electric shock was very nice
Teacher: Thank goodness for BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

A famous inventor that made a better light
A bulb with carbon filament that burned nice and bright
He designed a power system first used in New York City
Electric wires into homes, a brand new industry
Teacher: He also invented the phonograph... it's THOMAS EDISON.

It starts to flow when you switch on a light
If the circuit's path is closed and wired up right
It passes through conductors like metal or water
But not through plastic or another insulator
Teacher: That's an ELECTRIC CURRENT... I don't want that in my body.

Robot: Let's review again

Electricity - Ben Franklin and a kite
Electricity - Thomas Edison and a light
Electricity - you need to treat it right
Electricity - a shock with a killer bite

Morning Message 4/30/10

Good morning! Today is Friday, April 30, 2010.
Tiger Day: G
Day 148 of School, 32 days left

REMINDERS!/Announcements:

• You get a 3 day weekend-- lucky you! Monday the 3rd is a teacher work day (“professional day”), so kids don’t have school.
• Tuesday the 4th, there will be a substitute. Excellent behavior and extraordinary helpfulness is expected and required!

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll be doing not one, but TWO, Virginia Studies Weekly quizzes! You all are so advanced, you can handle it.
• Then we’ll do a little bit more probability!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Take out issues 25 and 27 to help you with your quizzes. Then get to work!

Morning Message 4/29/10

Good morning! Today is Kirsten’s Birthday!
It is Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tiger Day: I
Day 147 of School, 33 days left

REMINDERS!/Announcements:

• We will welcome a visitor from Jamestown today! We look forward to meeting her at 9:50am.
• Ms. Bragg will have to be away from the classroom starting at 9am for a special meeting. I hope to be back in time to enjoy most of the Jamestown presentation.
• There will be a special math lesson in homeroom this afternoon.
• Two more dates to add to your agendas-- Next Monday (the 3rd) is a Professional Day... So kids don’t need to come to school that day. Tuesday, the 4th Ms. Bragg will be away at another special meeting, so there will be a substitute. Excellent behavior and extraordinary helpfulness is expected and required!

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll be learning more about important Virginians in Virginia’s recent history. Why do you think the title of the Chester comic is “Vital Virginians”? What does “vital” mean?

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Wish Kirsten a “Happy Birthday!”
3. There’s a new Chester the Crab on your desk. Enjoy reading it quietly until after announcements.

Morning Message 4/28/10

Good morning! Today is Wednesday, April 28, 2010.
Tiger Day: T
Day 146 of School, 34 days left

REMINDERS!/Announcements:

• Assembly today!
• NO math today. Tomorrow we’ll have a special math lesson in homeroom.
• Tomorrow there will be a substitute for part of the morning because Ms. Bragg has to go to an important meeting.

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll be doing some Language Arts this morning as well as Virginia Studies.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. There’s a new issue of Scholastic News on your desk. Begin reading.

Flocabulary- MLK Rap ("Let Freedom Ring")

LYRICS

So even though we face the difficulties
of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.
It is a dream deeply rooted
in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation
will rise up and live out
the true meaning of its creed:
We hold these truths to be self-evident
that all men are created equal.
I have a dream…

It would take a nation of millions to hold us back.
Brown v. Board opened some doors.
Back then they called all blacks Negroes.
We kick it off of the top sort of like cerebrals.
Separate isn’t equal, when in practice.
My school is a shack. Mine is a palace!
Do I have to sit in the back of the bus? That’s wackness.
Second class citizen on account of my blackness.
They say to change the world, you’ve got to take a stand.
Rosa Parks took a seat, changed the face of the land.
Martin had a plan that even if you want to change the world
that don’t mean you’ve got to kill another man.
Inspired by the people like Thoreau and Gandhi,
a pacifist in the war without an army.
‘Cause they can’t harm me, no matter how the end seems.
I wonder if Mr. King is still having dreams…

Let freedom ring…
I have a dream…
Let freedom ring…
This must become true...
So let freedom ring…

MLK had a dream, took it mainstream.
Civil Rights Bill, Voting Rights Acts, they passed.
Modern day Jesus, turning the other cheek,
some blacks like “dog, that’s weak.
I’m not looking to get beat deep into next week,
my everyday life is police brutality.”
Malcolm picked up X and dropped his slave name,
radical change, “defense by any means.”
Went on hajj to Mecca, said ‘let God protect ya,
Whites and Blacks, yeah, we’re in this together.’
But there are race riots, people are dying,
Warfare in Watts, tear gas, bullets are flying.
So JFK?
He got assassinated.
MLK?
He got assassinated.
Malcolm X?
He got assassinated.
So it’s up to us to keep that dream alive…

Let freedom ring…
I have a dream…
Let freedom ring…
This must become true...
So let freedom ring...

Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom
by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

Morning Message 4/27/10

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, April 27, 2010.
Tiger Day: S
Day 145 of School, 35 days left

REMINDERS!:

• Report cards!-- still need a couple returned.
• Tomorrow we have an assembly and early release! Thursday we have Jamestown outreach, which will start our review of all 400 years of Virginia history-- and let’s not forget about geography! We’ll review it all before the SOLs... When are those? Let’s take out our calendars today after announcements.

THIS MORNING:

• It’s the last 50 years on our timelines! And maybe a little more?-- Can you fit your B-day on there? REMEMBER: You need to explain the dates that you include so that someone who hasn’t studies Virginia history will be able to learn from your timeline.

To-Do List:

1. Turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like report cards and signed tests).
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
3. Find your timeline partner(s) and get to work! Remember where your spot to work in the classroom is? You’ll need to add 2 more pieces of paper and find important dates from 1950-2000 (and a little beyond?-- maybe a partial piece of paper?).

What is "technology"?

Is "technology" just computers and electronics? Is technology only new stuff?

Our issue of VA Studies Weekly says this: "Industrial economies are made possible by technology. Cities had new technology like paved roads and streetcars."

So "paved roads" is an example of technology? What else can be considered technology?

Check out this funny video... It may surprise you!

Morning Message 4/16/10

Good morning! Today is Monday, April 26, 2010
Tiger Day: R
Day 144 of School, 36 days left

REMINDERS!:

• You made it through Turn Off the TV Week! So your creative muscles should feel supple and strong! This is good news for our poetry recitations... I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
• We have a short Wedensday this week-- with an assembly! There will be no math that day.
• Report cards!-- still need a few returned.

THIS MORNING:

• We’re going to add another 50 years to our timelines! How many sheets of paper is that? We’re only 50 away from 400 total!

To-Do List:

1. Turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like report cards and signed tests). Return your empty Friday Folder to its mailbox.
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
3. Find your timeline partner and get to work! Remember where your spot to work in the classroom is? You’ll need to add 2 more pieces of paper and find important dates from 1900-1950.

Tornadoes in the News!

The things that we learn in school apply to the outside world!

Has anyone heard about tornadoes recently? We were just looking a graph the other day that showed us that the incidences of tornadoes had decreased over the past few years... In other words, there were fewer tornadoes in 2009, than there were in 2008... But, I wonder, is that still the case?

Let's check out these news reports...

Morning Message 4/23/10

Good morning! Today is Friday, April 23, 2010.
Tiger Day: E
Day 143 of School, 37 days left

REMINDERS!:

• Today is Day 5 of Turn off the TV Week! Last night was the 4th night without screens... Has anyone used all this time to work on an interesting project?
• We ran out of time yesterday... Let’s be sure to organize our Secretary Appreciation Week this afternoon.
• You need to return 3 pieces from your report card packet (the yellow envelope, the blue cover, and the parent comments/signature). The rest is for you to keep!

THIS MORNING:

• Let’s hear from our friends who went to work with their parents yesterday. Was it interesting?
• Similar to yesterday! We’ll practice our poetry... Then....
• We’ll continue with our Virginia textbook. Let’s see if we can make it to the 20th century today! I have some more interesting videos to share with you.

To-Do List:

1. Turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like report cards and signed tests).
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
3. Take out the poem that you have chosen to recite in front of the class. Find a partner and take turns reading it with expression. Discuss how you will make your poem recitation theatrical. REMEMBER: The copy of your poem must live in your homework folder. We’ll start “dress rehearsal” practice next week... You’ll want to be taking it to and from school so that you can practice in both places.

Box Method Tutorial

I like the way she sets up the boxes to show the numbers in expanded form. But I'm not crazy about the way that she adds up the products at the end. In my opinion, it's better to stack the numbers, putting the largest on the top, so that carrying is easier... Like this (look all the way right!)...

12000

1800
800

150

120

+ 10

But both ways work! There's more than one way to solve a problem!

Lattice Multiplication Tutorials

Schoolhouse Rock!: "Fireworks"

Music & Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens
Performance: Grady Tate
Animation: Phil Kimmelman and Associates

Ooh, there's gonna be fireworks (Fireworks!)
On the Fourth of July (red, white, and blue!)
Red, white, and blue fireworks
Like diamonds in the sky. (diamonds in the sky!)
We're gonna shoot the entire works on fireworks
That really show, oh yeah,
We declared our liberty 200 years ago.

Yeah!

In 1776 (fireworks!)
There were fireworks too (red, white, and blue!)
The original colonists,
You know their tempers blew (They really blew!)
Like Thomas Paine once wrote:
It's only common sense (only common sense)
That if a government won't give you your basic rights
You'd better get another government.

And though some people tried to fight it,
Well, a committee was formed to write it:
Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston,
John Adams, Roger Sherman, Thomas Jefferson,
They got it done (Oh yes they did!)
The Declaration, uh-huh-huh,
The Declaration of Independence (Oh yeah!)
In seventeen hundred seventy six (Right on!)
The Continental Congress said that we were free (We're free!)
Said we had the right of life and liberty,
...And the pursuit of happiness!

Ooh, when England heard the news, (Kerpow!)
They blew their stack (They really blew their cool!)
But the colonists lit the fuse,
There'd be no turning back (no turnin' back!)
They'd had enough of injustice now
But even if it really hurts, oh yeah,
If you don't give us our freedom now
You're gonna see some fireworks!

And on the Fourth of July they signed it
And 56 names underlined it,
And now to honor those first 13 states,
We turn the sky into a birthday cake.
They got it done (Oh yes they did!)
The Declaration, uh-huh-huh,
The Declaration of Independence (Oh yeah!)
In seventeen hundred seventy six (Right on!)
The Continental Congress said that we were free (We're free!)
Said we had the right of life and liberty,
...And the pursuit of happiness!

We hold these truths to be self-evident,
That all men are created equal
And that they are endowed by their creator
With certain inalienable rights.
That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

And if there's one thing that makes me happy,
Then you know that it's (ooh)
There's gonna be fireworks!

Schoolhouse Rock!: "Elbow Room"

Music & Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens
Performance: Sue Manchester
Animation: Kim and Gifford Productions

LYRICS:

One thing you will discover
When you get next to one another
Is everybody needs some elbow room, elbow room.

It's nice when you're kinda cozy, but
Not when you're tangled nose to nosey, oh,
Everybody needs some elbow, needs a little elbow room.

That's how it was in the early days of the U.S.A.,
The people kept coming to settle though
The east was the only place there was to go.

The president was Thomas Jefferson
He made a deal with Napoleon.
How'd you like to sell a mile or two, (Or three, or a hundred, or a thousand?)

And so, in 1803 the Louisiana Territory was sold to us
Without a fuss
And gave us lots of elbow room.

Oh, elbow room, elbow room,
Got to, got to get us some elbow room.
It's the west or bust,
In God we trust.
There's a new land out there...
Lewis and Clark volunteered to go,
Goodbye, good luck, wear your overcoat!
They prepared for good times and for bad (and for bad),
They hired Sacagawea to be their guide.
She led them all across the countryside.
Reached the coast
And found the most
Elbow room we've ever had.

The way was opened up for folks with bravery.
There were plenty of fights
To win land rights,
But the West was meant to be;
It was our Manifest Destiny!

The trappers, traders, and the peddlers,
The politicians, and the settlers,
They got there by any way they could. (Any way they could).
The Gold Rush trampled down the wilderness,
The railroads spread across from east to west,
And soon the West was opened up for - opened up for good.

And now we jet from east to west.
Goodbye New York, hello L.A.,
But it took those early folks to open up the way.

Now we've got a lot of room to be
Growing from sea to shining sea.
Guess that we have got our elbow room (elbow room)
But if there should ever come a time
When we're crowded up together, I'm
Sure we'll find some elbow room...up on the moon!

Oh, elbow room, elbow room.
Got to, got to get us some elbow room.
It's the moon or bust,
In God we trust.
There's a new land up there!

Schoolhouse Rock!: "No More Kings!"

Music, lyrics, and performance: Lynn Ahrens
Animation: Kim & Gifford Productions

LYRICS:

Rockin' and a-rollin', splishin' and a-splashin',
Over the horizon, what can it be?

The pilgrims sailed the sea
To find a place to call their own.
In their ship Mayflower,
They hoped to find a better home.
They finally knocked
On Plymouth Rock
And someone said, "We're there."
It may not look like home
But at this point I don't care.

Oh, they were missing Mother England,
They swore their loyalty until the very end.
Anything you say, King,
It's OK, King,
You know it's kinda scary on your own.
Gonna build a new land
The way we planned.
Could you help us run it till it's grown?

They planted corn, you know
They built their houses one by one,
And bit by bit they worked
Until the colonies were done.
They looked around,
Yeah, up and down,
And someone said, "Hurray!"
If the king could only see us now
He would be proud of us today.

They knew that now they'd run their own land,
But George the Third still vowed
He'd rule them till the end.
Anything I say, do it my way now.
Anything I say, do it my way.
Don't you get to feeling independent
'Cause I'm gonna force you to obey.

He taxed their property,
He didn't give them any choice,
And back in England,
He didn't give them any voice.
(That's called taxation without representation,
and it's not fair!)
But when the Colonies complained
The king said: "I don't care!"

He even has the nerve
To tax our cup of tea.
To put it kindly, King,
We really don't agree.

Gonna show you how we feel.
We're gonna dump this tea
And turn this harbor into
The biggest cup of tea in history!

They wanted no more Mother England.
They knew the time had come
For them to take command.
It's very clear you're being unfair, King,
No matter what you say, we won't obey.
Gonna hold a revolution now, King,
And we're gonna run it all our way
With no more kings...

We're gonna elect a president! (No more kings)
He's gonna do what the people want! (No more kings)
We're gonna run things our way! (No more kings)
Nobody's gonna tell us what to do!

Rockin' and a-rollin', splishin' and a-splashin',
Over the horizon, what can it be?
Looks like it's going to be a free country.

Morning Message 4/22/10

Good morning and Happy Earth Day!
It is Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tiger Day: G
Day 142 of School, 38 days left

REMINDERS!:

• Day 4 of Turn off the TV Week! Last night was the 3rd night without screens... Who did something interesting? If we do this right, our creativity muscles will be strong and supple by the end of the week.
• Let’s organize our Secretary Appreciation Week cards this afternoon.
• You need to return 3 pieces from your report card packet (the yellow envelope, the blue cover, and the parent comments/signature). The rest is for you to keep!

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll practice our poetry... Then....
• We’ll catch up with our Virginia textbook.

To-Do List:

1. Turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like report cards and signed tests).
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
3. Take out the poem that you have chosen to recite in front of the class. Find a partner and take turns reading it with expression. Discuss how you will make your poem recitation theatrical. REMEMBER: The copy of your poem must live in your homework folder. We’ll start “dress rehearsal” practice next week.

Morning Message 4/21/10

Good morning! It is Wednesday, April 21, 2010.
Tiger Day: I
Day 141 of School, 39 days left

REMINDERS!:

• Day 3 of Turn off the TV Week! Last night was the 2nd night without screens... What did you do to exercise your creative muscles?
• This is Secretary Appreciation Week. How can we best show our appreciation of the secretaries and administrative staff that do so much to make TJ great?
• You need to return 3 pieces from your report card packet (the yellow envelope, the blue cover, and the parent comments/signature). The rest is for you to keep!

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll continue to explore the long-term effects of the Civil War and slavery.
• Let’s do a vocab sort race after announcements.

MATH NOTES: Hocutt, Szachowicz, and Evans need to bring a book!
To-Do List:

1. Turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like report cards and signed tests).
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
3. Grab your team’s baggie of vocab and definition cards from the front of the room. Match them... Then be sure to check your sentences for correct writing conventions (capitalization, spelling, punctuation, etc.)... We’re going to really work on developing good writing habits this quarter!

Morning Message 4/20/10

Good morning! It is Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tiger Day: T
Day 140 of School, 40 days left

REMINDERS!:
It’s day 2 of Turn off the TV Week! What creative pastimes did you come up with last night?
Does anyone have a signed report card yet? REMEMBER: You need to return 3 pieces (the yellow envelope, the blue cover, and the parent comments/signature). The rest is for you to keep.

THIS MORNING:
We’re switching our normal schedule. This morning we will be doing Language Arts, catching up on some issues of Scholastic News. We’ll also take a look at past SN quizzes and make corrections. It’s so important to learn from our mistakes!

THIS AFTERNOON:
You guessed it! We’ll be doing some Virginia Studies this afternoon, along with some Language Arts. We’ll think about how the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights movement are connected.

To-Do List:

1. Turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like report cards and signed tests).
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
3. There’s an issue of SN from 4/5 on your desk. Enjoy reading and working on the quizzes and puzzles! How does this issue connect to our curriculum?

Morning Message 4/9/10

Good morning and HAPPY REPORT CARD DAY!
It is Monday, April 19, 2010.
Tiger Day: S
Day 139 of School, 41 days left

REMINDERS!:

• It’s Turn off the TV Week! How are you going to use this week to entertain yourself in creative ways? Will you put on a play? Have a talent show? Play a board game? Create a board game? Build a fort? Put on a fashion show? Let’s wake that creative side of ourselves up! We’ll share some ideas this morning.
• Report cards will be sent home today! Everyone in this fantastic class has something that they can be proud of and something that they can work to improve for the next grading period.

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll continue working with our tornado/hurricane research partners. Final drafts of posters are due at the end of today.

To-Do List:

1. Turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box. Return your empty Friday Folder to its mailbox slot. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Work with your partner to find a good spot to work. One of you should log on to Angel... Then you can read the blog assignment together.

Laptop Assignment 4/19/10

Hey 4th Graders!

In addition to the book resources that you've been using, you can also share ONE computer with your partner to do research.

For the hurricane/tornado research project, use the links under the following folders on portaportal:
Science > Weather > Hurricanes
Science > Weather > Tornadoes

REMEMBER: You poster needs to include (1) how hurricanes and tornadoes form, and (2) where they usually occur. Add as many other fun facts as you would like. Illustrations are a must!

When you are done with the final draft of your hurricane/tornado poster, you can begin work on your Civil Rights 3-2-1 exploratory graphic organizer (3 facts, 2 questions, 1 quote). There are books for your to explore on top of the laptop cart. You may also use the links in the following folders on portaportal:
Virginia Studies > VA: Civil Rights

Have fun, satisfy your curiosity, and expand your minds!

Morning Message 4/26/10

Good morning and happy Friday! Today is Christian’s Birthday! And tomorrow is Ethan’s!
It is April 16, 2010.
Tiger Day: R
Day 138 of School, 42 days left

CONNECTING OUR LEARNING!:

• There were some clouds in the sky this morning? Did you see them?

REMINDERS!:

• Civil War test this morning!
• Report cards will be sent home Monday!

THIS MORNING:

• After announcements, we’ll check in with NBC weather and then we’ll take our test.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Be sure to turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like your signed test!). Don’t forget about snack.
2. Wish Christian a “Happy Birthday!” and Ethan a “Happy Early Birthday!”
3. Take out your flashcards and find a partner. This is your last chance to study before we take the test!

Morning Message 4/15/10

Good morning! Today is Thursday, April 15, 2010.
Tiger Day: E
Day 137 of School, 43 days left

CONNECTING OUR LEARNING!:

• Can you predict the weather today by looking at the sky? Is that enough information? Let’s check-in with the NBC forecast.
• What does the federal government collect from people today? And why do they do it?

REMINDERS!:

• Writing conferences this afternoon and tomorrow!
• Report cards will be sent home Monday!
• Civil War test tomorrow! Have you been studying?

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Be sure to turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like your signed test!). Don’t forget about snack.
2. Take out your green writing journal. Use the sticky notes on your desk to mark the BEST parts of your writing journal. Think: What do you want to make sure that the teacher notices?
3. When you are done marking the best parts, turn in your green writing notebook... We’ll make a stack on Ms. B’s desk.
4. Then take out your Virginia Studies 300-year timeline and continue working! REMEMBER: every paper is 25 years.

Morning Message 4/14/10

Good morning and Happy Wacky Everything Day!
Today is Wednesday, April 14, 2010.
Tiger Day: G
Day 136 of School, 44 days left

CONNECTING OUR LEARNING!:

• What do the clouds look like today? What do you think the barometer is reading today? We’ll watch the weather report and check in with Weather Bug to find out.
• Did anyone hear that President Obama is going to be making a speech about U.S. priorities for exploration in space?

REMINDERS!:

• Today is a short Wednesday! Since it’s an early release day, we will be switching for Math at 9:45am.
• 3rd Quarter Report Cards are coming next week!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Be sure to turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like your signed test!). Don’t forget about snack.
2. A new Chester the Crab is out on your desk. Read through it quietly until after announcements.

Adaptation Song

Chorus (X2):
Adapt
Adap-ta-tion
Changes in the body to fit a location

Big pads on my feet
Better traction than a jeep
And another on my chest
So I can rest
On the sizzle and sands that fry like pan
I’m crossing the Sahara in my caravan

I’m the legendary dromedary
Four hundred pounds on my back in the desert I carry
Nothing to drink until the next oasis
Water is fresh so we never waste it

Chorus (X2):
Adapt
Adap-ta-tion
Changes in the body to fit a location

Not a drop of rain it’s arid extra dry
But I never get a grain of sand in my eye
If the wind blows gyro sand tornadoes
I’ve got better lids kids than J. Lo
Long and thick with a double lash
Close ‘em fast built to last

And the hump on my back
Got an extra tank
Like a savings bank packed with fat
The hump on my back is packed with fat X3
I won’t say it again cause you know all that

Thick lips eat sticks and bones
Thorns and shrubs that others leave alone
Sometimes sip for the salty rind because the H2O
Is hard to find

My shaggy fur insulates
My body temps regulate
So I don’t sweat and dehydrate
Live another day to procreate

Chorus (X4):
Adapt
Adap-ta-tion
Changes in the body to fit a location

Morning Message 4/13/10

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tiger Day: I (Yesterday was actually R!)
Day 135 of School, 45 days left

CONNECTING OUR LEARNING!:
What do the clouds look like today? What do you think the barometer is reading today?

REMINDERS!:

• Be VERY gentle with the Earth-Sun-Moon models!
• Remember the new responsibilities that go along with having the “Announcement!” magnet.
• Read-In this afternoon starting at 2pm. If you brought pillows, put them in the Book Nook.

THIS MORNING:
You’re an assistant teacher! Be sure to act accordingly! We’ll head down to Mrs. Harbison’s room promptly after announcements.

MATH NOTES: Mr. Evans’ and Mrs. Lewis’ classes need a book today.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Be sure to turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like your signed test!). Don’t forget about snack.
2. Locate your Phases of the Moon poster. They’re in the Book Nook.
3. Meet with your teaching partner(s) (remember the groups that we made yesterday). Your group will need one Styrofoam ball-- they’re underneath the stool at the front of the classroom. Practice with your group until after announcements. One of you can pretend to be a 3rd grader.

Customary Capacity: Another Gallon Man

Mr. Gallon Man Song

LYRICS:

Four quarts equal a gallon,
Four quarts equal a gallon,
Four quarts equal a gallon,
So roll, baby, roll (roll hands)!
Boom, boom, boom (hips go side to side) . . .

Eight pints equal a gallon,
Eight pints equal a gallon,
Eight pints equal a gallon,
So roll, baby, roll!
Boom, boom, boom . . .

Sixteen cups equal a gallon,
Sixteen cups equal a gallon,
Sixteen cups equal a gallon,
So roll, baby, roll!
Boom, boom, boom!

Created by Susan Simon, 3rd Grade Teacher, Fayetteville, NC

Morning Message 4/12/10

Good morning! Today is Monday, April 12, 2010.
Tiger Day: I
Day 134 of School, 46 days left

REMINDERS!:

• Don’t forget about the new responsibilities that go along with having the “Announcement magnet on your desk. You won’t go down to Ms. LeBaron’s room until after Math class.
• Tomorrow we’ll be assistant-teaching the in 3rd grade. This afternoon we’ll come up with a plan for explaining moon phases to the 3rd graders.

CONNECTING OUR LEARNING TO THE WORLD!:

• Did anyone notice the clouds this weekend?
• Has anyone heard any updates about the coal mine disaster in West Virginia?
• CHALLENGE: Why are people predicting traffic troubles in D.C. this morning? How does this connect to what we learned about the Apollo missions?

This Morning:

• We’ll be working on our timelines. We’ll also see how Dolly Madison’s life comes close to connecting the Revolutionary War era with the Civil War era. About how far apart were those two wars?

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Be sure to turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like your signed test!). Return your empty Friday Folder to its mailbox! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Take out your Civil War flashcards and find a partner. Study until after announcements.

Five Things The Elements of a Short Story (by Flocabulary)

LYRICS

Check it out yo...

Setting, that's like where it's going down,
Could be the train compartment, a castle or a town,
Could be the Arctic winter - like To Build a Fire
The temperature's dropping, excitement is getting higher,
Setting sets the scene so the scene seems set,
Could be the Italian restaurant where we met,
Setting gives us the where and the when,
Could be modern day, the future, or way back when.

Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting x2

Plot is the action, the quest for satisfaction,
What's going down, what's going to happen.
Four men at sea in an open boat,
Rowing and hoping that they can stay afloat. The plot:
They have to make it to the beach,
But the waves are big, and the shore seems out of reach,
Plot is a series of events... like Lemoney Snicket,
It could be crazy, wild or straight wicked.

Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting x2

Knock knock, who's there? Oh, it's the characters,
The people in the story who carry out the action.
Characters can be pretty, tiny or clean,
Characters can be silly, whiney or mean,
Juliet is a character, and so is Romeo,
Pokemon has characters and so does Yu-gi-oh,
Characters could be dogs, lions, or hippos,
JK Rowling chose Harry Potter. "Why?" Who knows!

Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting x2

Uh-uh! Put your snack back in your backpack we're not finished!
Something gone wrong! That's the conflict kids
A struggle in the plot, now who's on top,
Could be a fight for money, like some robbers and cops,
Could be an internal conflict - a struggle inside,
Like I don't want to tell the truth but I don't ever want to lie,
Flick something in your eye, now you're conflicted,
What created drama? The conflict did.

Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting x2

The theme of the story is the main idea,
The central belief or the topic that's in there,
It's usually something abstract like sacrifice,
Isolation or resurrection: we're back to life,
Like don't lie, don't practice libel,
The theme of To Build a Fire is survival,
Survival on your own like Fievel Moskowitz
Flocabulary's something that you HAVE TO GET...

Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme,
Setting, yes these are the 5 things
That you're going to be needing
When you're reading or writing
A short story that's mad exciting x2

Teacher and the Rockbots Civil War Song

Morning Message 4/9/10

Good morning and Happy Friday! Today is April 9, 2010.
Tiger Day: T
Day 133 of School, 47 days left

ANNOUNCEMENTS!:

• Turn Off the TV Week — April 19–23
• One-Month Trial of Recycled, Compostable Lunch Trays. The new trays are made of 100% recycled materi­als that is also compostable (meaning it will completely break down in the landfill). The pilot began April 5th and will end May 5th. Be sure to let your parents know what you think of the new trays.
• New responsibilities for the person with the “Announcement!” magnet-- Ms. B will explain.

CONNECTING OUR LEARNING TO THE WORLD!:

• Who saw the clouds on their way to school this morning? What kind of clouds were they? Was the meteorologist correct with his forecast? Did anyone check the rain gauge?
• Has anyone heard about the coal mine disaster in West Virginia? How does this connect to what we learned at the beginning of the year?

This Morning:
We’ll study Civil War facts... Then we’ll talk some more about what happened after the war ended.

Math Notes: Ms. Allan’s class needs a book today.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Be sure to turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like your signed test!). Don’t forget about snack.
2. Take out your flashcards and find a partner. Study until after announcements.

Blog Assignment 4/8/10-- When you are done with your Cloud Diagram

Hey 4th Graders!

Once you have finished your cloud diagrams, you may get your own laptop and some earphones. Then you can explore the following areas of portaportal.

Virginia Studies > VA: Civil War
Virginia Studies > VA: Reconstruction (Post-Civil War)

Science > Weather: Clouds
Science > Weather: Precipitation
Science > Weather- General

Enjoy and EXPAND your mind!

Cloud Videos and Photos for your Research

This video clip includes even more types of clouds. We don't need to go into this detail... But it is interesting!

Here is a link to some helpful pictures. REMEMBER: You're only responsible for 4 cloud types.

Teacher's Domain: Cloud Types

Morning Message 4/7/10

Good morning! Today is Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Tiger Day: R

Did you bring your most mature selves to school today? It’s totally natural to get giggly about uncomfortable subjects... But we also want to learn! So let’s try to show as much maturity as we possibly can.

REMINDERS:

• FLE (Family Life Education) class this morning with Mr. Greiner and Ms. Huber at 9:45am. Because of this special class, we’ll be having math first today. We’ll switch right after morning announcements.
• Outdoor Classroom planting this afternoon at 2pm.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Be sure to turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like your signed test!). Don’t forget about snack.
2. Find a partner and take out your Virginia Studies flashcards and your writing notebook. First, share your writing with your partner... Then study your flashcards together. You’ll need to be efficient with your time!

Morning Message 4/6/10

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Tiger Day: E
Day 130 of School, 50 days left

Announcement: We will be welcoming a new student soon! His name is Simon.

Dates to Add to Our Agendas: There’s a lot to look forward to!

• Wednesday, April 7th, 9:50am Health Class with Ms. Huber and Mr. Greiner
• Wednesday, April 7th, 2pm Outdoor Classroom-- Monticello Garden Planting
• Tuesday, April 13th 4th Quarter Starts!
• Wednesday, April 14th Early Release & Wacky Everything Day!
• Friday, April 16th Presentation from MEH counselors and administrators
• Wednesday, April 28th Early Release
• Thursday, April 29th Jamestown Outreach

This Morning:
You’ll be working with a partner to increase your understanding of weather patterns, especially clouds!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Be sure to turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like your signed test!). Don’t forget about snack.
2. Take out your agenda and add the dates above to your April calendar.
3. Work with the person next to you unless your name is on the following list. You will need to share a laptop... But you both will complete your own packet. Ben L. with Ethan. Hannah R. with Josh. Thomas D. with Christian and Hope. Just one person signs into to Angel to retrieve the blog assignment.

Blog Assignment 4/6/10

Here are the links you will need for this morning's short assignment:

REMEMBER: You need to sign in. Username: tjelem, Password: tiger

BrainPOP: Weather

(Yes! We've seen this first one before. It's short! Review it to make sure that you're filling out the correct information in your packet.)

BrainPOP: Clouds

Once you've finished, you may explore the Weather folder on portaportal.

Why is NASA sending people and supplies to the Space Station?

If you'd like to learn more, check out this video:

Morning Message 4/5/10

Good morning and welcome back! Today is Monday, April 05, 2010.
Tiger Day: G
Day 129 of School, 51 days left

• Another month has come down off the wall! How many more months do we have of school?
• Did anyone see the moon this morning? Did you notice what phase it was in? How could you tell?
• Did anyone see the news this morning? What did NASA do that was important?

This Morning: We’re starting our new unit on weather! You’ll be working with a partner to buddy read and complete a packet of notes.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Be sure to turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like your signed VA Studies test!)... Then return your empty Friday Folder to its mailbox.
3. You will be working with the person next to you unless your name is on the following list. You will need to share a book (be sure to read shoulder-to-shoulder so that you both can see), but you both will complete a packet. Josh will work with Ben L. Thomas D. will work with Christian and Hope.

NASA in the News!

Since we've been learning about the NASA's Apollo Missions, I thought you would be interested in what NASA is up to nowadays... This happened this morning!

Morning Message 3/26/10

Good morning! Are you ready for Spring Break?!!!
Today is Friday, March 26, 2010.
Tiger Day: I
Day 128 of School, 52 days left

REMINDERS:

• Book Reports are due today! Hold onto them for now. We will be sharing them after lunch.
• You are expected to continue to enjoy reading over Spring Break! I’ll give you a new reading log for April this afternoon. It’s your only work over break!

NOTE: Mr. Evans’ class needs a book today.

This Morning:

• Civil War research! There are a variety of books on each pod. Eventually, we’ll be switching pods so that we get a chance to explore more of the books. Ms. Bragg will show you how to make a simple graphic organizer after announcements.
• At the end of our research session, we’ll finish up the video we started two days ago... And if we have time, learn a little bit about Civil War hospitals.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. I’ve hole-punched your VA Studies Weekly for you. Go ahead and put it away in your Virginia Studies binder. Remember to add it to the back!
3. Go ahead and choose a book from the stack on your pod. Begin to read and explore quietly at your seat during announcements.

Too Late for the King to Apologize

Too Late (for the King) to Apologize
by Soomo Publishing

Halfway across the globe
And we're standing on new ground
Screaming 'cross the waves
You can't hear a sound
There's no fair trials, no trade, no liberties
No tea
We've colonized America; we won't stand for tyranny,
Oh king
And it's too late to apologize
It's too late
I said it's too late to apologize
It's too late
We've paid your foolish tax, read the acts
And they just won't do
We want to make it clear, we believe this much is true
All men were created with certain
Unalienable rights
Among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit
Of happiness
And it's too late to apologize
It's too late
I said It's too late to apologize
It's too late
It's too late to apologize
It's too late
I said it's too late apologize
It's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah
It's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah
Halfway across the globe
And we're standing on new ground

Morning Message 3/25/10

Good morning and congratulations on a fantastic performance!
Tiger Day: T
Day 127 of School, 53 days left

NOTES:

• There have been some changes to the seating arrangement.
• Ms. Allan’s math class needs to bring colored pencils with them today.

Bravo! I heard that the performance was grand success! I can’t wait to hear more about it from the performers!

Outdoor Classroom! Peas need to be planted early-- before Spring Break. So I need 3 volunteers to go during recess on Friday. We will select volunteers after announcements.

REMINDERS:

• Book Reports due this Friday!
• You are expected to continue to enjoy reading over Spring Break!

This Morning:
More Civil War! You’ll work with a partner to create new vocabulary matching cards.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Complete vocabulary matching cards. READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY! You will be working with the person sitting next to you unless you are one of the following: Hannah R. will work with Thomas D. Ben L. will work with Thomas R. and Eva.

Morning Message 3/24/10

Good Morning and Happy Performance Day! Today is Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
Tiger Day: S
Day 126 of School, 54 days left

Outdoor Classroom! The Wednesday after we get back from Spring Break, we’ll be planting the outdoor classroom. This morning we’ll need to make some selections for what we want to plant.

• Root Vegetables: radishes/carrots, turnips, or beets
• Leafy Vegetable: lettuce, spinach, cabbage, rainbow chard, or broccoli
• Colonial Flowers: violets, marigolds, pansies, or nasturtium
• Herbs: sage, rosemary, thyme, basil, sage, dill, mint, chives, oregano, or parsley

REMINDERS:

• Music Performance tonight! Is your outfit ready? When you arrive in the Band Room, you’ll need to locate Mr. Palermo. He’ll be standing in for me because I can’t be there.
• Book Reports due this Friday!
• Assembly today at 10am!
• Today is a short Wednesday!

This Morning:

• We’ll do some homophone work.
• Then we’ll learn more about the Civil War!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Take out your Word Study notebook. Find a partner to work with. Play the homophone game until after announcements.

Afternoon Message 3/23/10

Good Afternoon! Today is still Tuesday, March 23, 2010.
Tiger Day: R

The “dress/tech rehearsal” went great! I’m so proud of all of you! I only have one note for you: Sing Out! It really was hard to hear your voices in the audience... And it’s only going to be harder when you get more people in the auditorium. So sing nice and loud!

I sent your parents a reminder email about the performance tomorrow night... You can certainly help out too! What are some of the things that you need to remember?

SPECIAL REMINDER: Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the performance because it conflicts with my birthing class, which was scheduled months before I knew the performance date. Thank goodness for dress rehearsals! :-)

On your desk:

• Reminder about tomorrow night’s performance.
• Flat TJ.

Put both inside your homework folder now.

Morning Message 3/23/10

Good Morning and Happy “Dress Rehearsal” Day! Today is Tuesday, March 23, 2010.
Tiger Day: R
Day 125 of School, 55 days left

REMINDERS:

• Dress rehearsal at George Mason today! Music Performance this Wednesday night!
• In order for the performance to be great, everyone will need to be extremely attentive, hard-working, and cooperative both this morning and tomorrow night.
• Remember to have your TJ t-shirt ready for tomorrow! If you are borrowing a shirt from Mrs. Harbison, you will come to the performance with your own solid-color t-shirt on (preferably dark navy blue)-- then you’ll just put the borrowed t-shirt on top of your shirt.
• Book Reports due this Friday!
• Tomorrow is a short Wednesday and we have an assembly.

This Morning:

• We’ll work on our key words for VA Studies Weekly during announcements
• We’ll board the buses around 8:45am to go to GM!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! If you want to eat snack, you’ll need to eat it now. We cannot bring snack with us.
2. Take out your issue of VA Studies Weekly. You can work on your keywords during announcements.

Computer Lab Assignment 3/22/10

Hey 4th Graders!

This morning we did some research about the Underground Railroad, the abolitionist movement, and slavery. We've also read about the causes of the American Civil War in our textbooks. Let's put all this information together now-- how are the following BrainPop animations related?

Today, you'll be doing your quizzes ON PAPER... Then on the back, you'll be expected to produce an illustration. Read the directions carefully.

Here are the links you will need:


BrainPOP: Slavery

BrainPOP: Underground Railroad


BrainPOP: Frederick Douglass

BrainPOP: Civil War Causes

Show Ms. Bragg, your illustration before you move on. She'll give you directions about what to do next.

Have fun and expand your brain!

Morning Message 3/22/10

Good Morning and Happy Picture Day! Today is Monday, March 22, 2010.
Tiger Day: E
Day 124 of School, 56 days left

Because it’s raining, we’ll be taking our panoramic picture on the risers in the gym. Are you ready to smile big for the camera?

REMINDERS:

• Turn in class and panoramic picture orders!
• Music Performance this Wednesday night! Our dress rehearsal at George Mason is tomorrow!Book Reports due this Friday!

 This Morning:

• Before/during announcements, we’ll be reading books concerning slavery, the underground railroad, and the abolition movement.
• At around 8:50 we’ll start lining up... We’ll line up inside our room with row 1 of the musical first, then row 2... And so on and so forth, ending with row 5. At around 8:55 we’ll start walking row 1 from all seven classes down to the gym, followed by Row 2, Row 3, Row 4, and finally row 5!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. Be sure to turn in any important papers to Ms. Bragg’s box. Return your empty Friday Folder to its mailbox.
3. Find a buddy and pick a book from the back table. We’ll read until it’s time to line up for the Panoramic pictures.

Morning Messae 3/19/10

Good Morning! Today is Friday, March 19, 2010
Tiger Day: G
Day 123 of School, 57 days left

REMINDERS:

• We’ll perform for our Book Buddies this afternoon. We only have twenty minutes-- so we’ll have to use our time efficiently.
• Music rehearsal today!
• Book Reports due next Friday!
• Next Monday is class picture and 4th grade panoramic picture day! We want to look good! Do you know what you’re going to wear yet?

This Morning:

• Chester!
• Timelines!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. Work on your Chester the Crab questions.

Computer Lab Assignment 3/18/10

Hey 4th Graders!

Welcome back to the computer lab!

You've already done some typing practice and some Virginia Studies review on Study Island. Now it's time to get a preview of our next science unit: weather!

Study these short video clips to get excited about learning more! The order doesn't matter.

Kid Meteorologist

What's a meteorologist?

Lightning Hunters

How is the rocket the lightning hunters use similar to the kite and key combo that Ben Franklin used?
What is a cloud like?

New Tools for Predicting Hurricanes

We've already satellites are used in astronomy... How are they used to forecast the weather? Do you remember what the definition of a satellite is?

Have fun and expand your brain!

Morning Message 3/18/10

Good Morning! Today is Thursday, March 18, 2010.
Tiger Day: I
Day 122 of School, 58 days left

REMINDERS:

• Music rehearsal today!
• How are the Book Reports going? Has everyone finished their book?
• Next Monday is class picture day! Have you picked out a snazy outfit yet? We’ll also be taking a panoramic picture of the whole 4th grade!
• Math Olympiad test today at 2pm.

This Morning:

• Civil War!
• Timelines!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. You’ll be working with a partner to do the vocabulary matching activity on your desk. Be sure to read the directions carefully! You’ll work with the person who is next to you (example: Hannah B. works with Christian), unless you’re on this list: Josh and Hannah R. work together. Michael and Ben L. work together.

Morning Message 3/17/10

Good Morning and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Today is Wednesday, March 17, 2010.
Tiger Day: T
Day 121 of School, 59 days left

REMINDERS:

• Today is a long Wednesday!
• No pinching! Some people enjoy wearing green and some don’t. No big deal! J
• Today is the first day of the Third Trimester-- What does this mean for Encore?
• No music rehearsal today... You’ll have rehearsal again tomorrow.
• Who needs a TJ t-shirt for the music performance? Let me and Mrs. Harbison know. She has extra t-shirts that kids can borrow on performance day.

This Morning:

• First, a little bit of homophone practice.
• We’ll be catching up with our Virginia Studies textbooks.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack!
2. Same as yesterday! Take out your Word Study notebook. Find a partner to play the “homophone game” with. That’s the game where the “speller” spells the word on the “guesser’s” back or arm... Then the “guesser” has to use the word in a sentence that explains the meaning. The “speller” tells the “guesser” if they’ve used the correct version of the homophone. Then you switch!