Semester 2...working hard!

It's hard to believe we're already halfway through the year, and well into the 3rd quarter!  It's nice to come back from Holiday Break refreshed and ready to go...there's a lot of learning that happens in these next few months!  

Here's what we've been up to since we've been back:

ELA:  We started out by reflecting on our second quarter.  Students have a data folder in which they create goals for the upcoming quarter, think about their behavior, and write a reflection about the past quarter.  

I am still reading the book Wonder, and students write a 6 word summary of each section I read.  We are also creating a project, called a Wonder ball, as we read.  Recently, students wrote about August's sister and her view on life with her brother.  

Theme is the skill we have been working on.  Books, movies, and songs all have themes, or lessons to be learned, imbedded in them.  Students have read short stories to practice finding themes, and we have discussed the theme of many of the picture books I have read this year.  

Hopefully you have heard that we are also reading chapter books about Titanic.  This is such a high interest topic for the children, and for me too!  I had a distant relative on Titanic, Jacques Futrelle, who was an author.    He died, but his wife survived!  Here he is on the dock of Titanic:

Students are reading books with partners and independently, and discussing with their club members every few chapters.  Skills we are working on include writing short summaries, cause and effect, asking and answering detailed questions, and, eventually, research.  

Finally, we are also learning about figurative language.  So far we have covered similes, metaphors, and personification.  Ask your child for an example of each!  

MATH:  We are well into our study on fractions.  All math classes are ready to test on chapter 6 and will move into chapter 7, which is the addition and subtraction of fractions.  

SCIENCE:  We finished up our chapter on Earth's processes when we got back from break, studying the amount of water on Earth in all its forms.  Students took a test on this unit and are in the process of creating landform models at home.  Remember, the landform project is due this Wednesday!

SS:  We have returned to our study of Ohio history in Social Studies.  We are at the point where Europeans, especially the French and British, are heavily trading with Native Americans and are becoming interested in settling in the New World.  On Friday we studied the French and Indian War.  Ask your child what the cause of that war was.  

Health:

*On Mondays, Mrs. Harris spends 30-40 minutes with our class reviewing the grit/growth mindset skills students have learned in Harmanize these last couple of years.

*We piloted a program called the HOPE curriculum which taught the children about making safe and healthy choices.

A note from the library:

There will be a meeting immediately after school on Monday, January 29 for all fourth graders who have read an LRL book since January 8.

Please be sure to give Mrs. Ray your name and the title of the book or books you have read, so you receive credit for having read them.

Mrs. Ford will be calling in for Skype interviews on Monday.  Again, this meeting is for fourth graders only and will occur this coming Monday, immediately after school and will last about 30 minutes.  

Skype interviews for other grades will be scheduled in the near future.

REMINDER:

KEEP YOUR EYES OUT FOR CORRECT AND RETURN PAPERS IN YOUR CHILD'S HOME FOLDER! CORRECTING THESE PAPERS WILL NOT ONLY ENSURE YOUR CHILD UNDERSTANDS HIS/HER MISTAKES, BUT WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE SCORE!