Week of March 24th

LANGUAGE

READING

We are finishing up focusing on Questioning as our reading strategy. Using our class read alouds (Grade 4 – Undergrounders, Grade 5 – The Giant Slayer) we have collected some thick questions. We took one of the questions and using the APE model we answered it. Students were also placed in groups and read articles on real world issues and created their own thick questions. Next week the students will be given a non-fiction article and a thick question and will have to answer it using the APE model.

A- Answer the Question (use part of the question in your answer)

P – Prove it (what is your evidence/facts)

E- Explain/Extend  (make connections to your own life/experiences/other things you’ve seen or read. Explain how it relates to your answer)

WRITING Both the Grade 4’s and 5’s are working on descriptive writing.          Some examples of Descriptive Writing * report * newspaper *  magazine article * poem * letter * speech * question and answer *texts This week students used their senses to describe a variety of objects. Using descriptive words the students tried to describe the objects in as many ways as they could.  MATH We are still working on our 3D Geometry unit.

Grade 4 and 5 Students are expected to…

* identify and describe prisms and pyramids, and classify them by their geometric properties (i.e., shape of faces, number of edges, number of vertices), using concrete materials

*draw and describe nets of rectangular and triangular prisms (Sample problem: Create as many different nets for a cube as you can, and share your results with a partner.)

* construct three-dimensional figures (e.g., cube, tetrahedron), using only congruent shapes

* construct a three-dimensional figure from a picture or model of the figure, using connecting cubes (e.g., use connecting cubes to construct a rectangular prism)

* construct skeletons of three-dimensional figures, using a variety of tools (e.g., straws and modeling clay, toothpicks and marsh- mallows, Polydrons), and sketch the skeletons;

* construct prisms and pyramids from given nets;

Grade 5 students are also expected to…

*identify prisms and pyramids from their nets;

*distinguish among prisms, right prisms, pyramids, and other three-dimensional figures;

A reminder, Math Help is every Wednesday and Friday and is open to all students in my Grade 4 and Grade 5 class. As well after any quiz if a student would like a re-quiz they should be coming to math help and asking for help in order to do the re-quiz.

ART

Connecting to our Geometry unit, students are creating optical illusions using shapes.

March Update!

Blog Entry –March Update

Celebration of Learning

            Thank you for everyone that was able to come out for the students’ celebration of learning! The kids were very excited to have you visit the class and loved taking the time to write with you. The tips were great as well and the kids enjoyed reading them the following day!

Independent Projects

I know the date for the projects has changed a few times and I apologize. Many activities and due dates were popping up and I did not want students to feel stressed about the Independent Projects. The purpose of the independent project is for students to be able to share their love of learning. It will allow students to take initiative and share their work. Students have the freedom to choose the topic of their project and how they want to present the information. Students can work in pairs or independently. Work on the project is to be done at home, however students may work on it in study hall or if they need help can stay in at breaks in the classroom when I do not have duty.

The Independent Projects will be presented March 21^st in class, in a similar set up to a science fair.

LANGUAGE

WRITING

            We have finished up with our Explanatory (Grade 5) and Procedural (Grade 4) writing and will be looking at a new writing form Descriptive Writing in both of the Grades after the March Break. A few students have not finished their 2^nd writing piece and have it to finish up over the March Break as it was due on Thursday before the break.

Some examples of Descriptive Writing

* report

* newspaper

*  magazine article

* poem

* letter

* speech

* question and answer texts

MATH

We are wrapping up our Measurement Unit by students using their knowledge they have learned to design on grid paper a blue print of a place (e.g. zoo, mansion). Using their perimeter, area, measuring, and linear dimension skills students will be designing a place using regular and irregular polygons labeling the perimeter and area of each building. Students will be provided with class time to work on the assignment.

Our next unit of focus for math will be 3D Geometry!

A reminder, Math Help is every Wednesday and Friday and is open to all students in my Grade 4 and Grade 5 class. As well after any quiz if a student would like a re-quiz they should be coming to math help and asking for help in order to do the re-quiz.

ART

We have been focusing on the Elements of Design to display emotion in an art piece. Before the break students brought in any materials that they needed to create their art piece. They choose to create an art piece (e.g. sculpture, drawing, painting etc..) of their choice that displays an emotion they feel on a regular basis. After the break they will be writing a reflection afterwards about their art piece and how the Elements of Design they used help portray their emotion.

Blog Entry –Week of February 24th

Grade 5’s  - Celebration of Learning!!!

           

You are invited on Tuesday March 4^th to 5-1 FI’s Writer’s Fest! Our class of authors has been working hard all year on their writing skills. Using the writing process to plan, write, revise/edit their work.  You are welcome to join us at 2:00pm until 3:00pm and celebrate the amazing work your child has accomplished. They will be sharing some work with you and you will also have the opportunity to go through part of the writing process with them.

Independent Projects

I know the date for the projects has changed a few times and I apologize. Many activities and due dates were popping up and I did not want students to feel stressed about the Independent Projects. The purpose of the independent project is for students to be able to share their love of learning. It will allow students to take initiative and share their work. Students have the freedom to choose the topic of their project and how they want to present the information. Students can work in pairs or independently. Work on the project is to be done at home, however students may work on it in study hall or if they need help can stay in at breaks in the classroom when I do not have duty.

The Independent Projects will be presented March 21^st in class, in a similar set up to a science fair.

LANGUAGE

READING

Students are continuing to ask Questions as they read focusing on asking “Thick Questions” and not “Thin Questions”. 

Students are also using the APE model to answer their questions to ensure they are explaining their answer and supporting it with evidence. 

WRITING

            Students are continuing to work on their final piece of writing during work on writing times (Grade 4 – procedural recipe and Grade 5 – Explanation of How The Digestive System Works). They will be provided with feedback this week on their first writing piece so that they know what they did well and what they need to focus on in their writing. During Daily 5 this week students are also being pulled based on their writing goal they made at the beginning of the month. Students will work in small groups to gain strategies and tools to help them meet their goals. 

MATH

We are still working on our Measurement Unit. Students have been practicing estimating, and measuring objects choosing the unit of measurement to measure the object (e.g., mm, cm, dm, m, km). They have also practiced converting one unit of measurement to another. 

This week students will be looking into estimating and calculating perimeter of polygons using a variety of tools and strategies.

ART

We have been focusing on the Elements of Design to display emotion in an art piece. This week students can bring in any materials that they need to create their art piece. They are choosing to create an art piece (e.g. sculpture, drawing, painting etc..) of their choice that displays an emotion they feel on a regular basis. They will be writing a reflection afterwards about their art piece and how the Elements of Design they used help portray their emotion. 

Week of February 10th

Blog Entry –Week of February 10th

LANGUAGE

READING

Students did a great job making inferences over the past month about characters, words, and themes. This week students started to use the reading strategy questioning to think about the books they are reading. They are focusing on asking questions when reading and trying to answer the questions that they are asking. The answers may be found in the text, an outside source or they may have to infer the answer using clues from the text.

WRITING

The Grade 4’s finished up their first independent Procedural Writing piece this week. They went through the writing process really focusing on revising and editing their work in a different colour to see/show the changes that they were making to their writing. They had the opportunity to conference with a peer and get feedback on what they might be missing in their writing (e.g. success criteria) and things they did well (“Stars”). Next week students will be writing their final procedural piece on a recipe of how to make their favourite food.

The Grade 5 ‘s finished up their first independent Explanatory writing piece. They also went through the writing process really focusing on revising and editing their work in a different colour to see/show the changes that they were making to their writing. They had the opportunity to conference with a peer and get feedback on what they might be missing in their writing (e.g. success criteria) and things they did well (“Stars”). Next week students will be learning more about The Digestive System in order to gain knowledge to help them write an explanatory piece about how the digestive system works.

MATH

We have finished up our Decimal unit and are moving into Measurement focusing on Perimeter and Area.

Grade 4 Expectations

* estimate, measure, and record length, height and distance using standard units (e.g. mm, cm, m , km)

*estimate the perimeter and area of polygons using a variety of tools and strategies

*draw items using a ruler, given specific lengths is mm, and cm

*describe the relationship between various units of length (e.g. cm, mm, dm, m, km)

*select and justify the most appropriate standard unit to measure side lengths and perimeters

*determine the relationship between length and width of a rectangle and its area and perimeter  (A = LXW) (P=2XL + 2XW)

* create through investigation using a variety of tools and strategies 2D shapes with the same perimeter and area (geo boards, dot paper, and pattern blocks)

*pose and solve meaningful problems that require the ability to distinguish perimeter and area

Grade 5 Expectations

*estimate the perimeter and area of regular and irregular polygons using a variety of tools and strategies

*determine using stacked congruent rectangular layers of concrete materials the relationship between height, area of

the base, and the volumes of a rectangular prism to create a formula (V=area of base X height)

* create through investigation using a variety of tools and strategies 2D shapes with the same perimeter and area

*solve problems requiring the estimation and calculations of perimeters and areas of rectangles

*select and justify the most appropriate standard unit to measure length, height, width, distance, and perimeter

*determine the relationship between length and width of a rectangle and its area and perimeter  (A = LXW) (P=2XL + 2XW)

* solve problems requiring conversions from m to cm, km to m

* measure the perimeter and area of regular and irregular polygons using a variety of tools and strategies

E-Text Pages

Grade 4  318-361                        Grade 5 – 306-347