Mrs. Gill's Class
11/12-11/15
Upcoming Important Dates
11/18- Chapter 5 & 6 Math Test
11/22- Treasures Theme 2 Test
11/22- Field Trip Permission Slips Due
11/25-11/29- Thanksgiving Break, No School
12/10- San Juan Capistrano Mission Field Trip
12/6- AM Assembly
12/13- Walk Through California ("Field Trip" at School)
12/20- Class Winter Party
Updates/Reminders
-Information on our field trip to Mission San Juan Capistrano went home in Friday folders. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the form and return it to me by Friday, 11/22. Volunteers must also pay the $27 fee (please wait to pay this until you know if you are chosen...if you have already turned this in, I will return it if you aren't chosen). I am only able to take 4 with us so that there is enough room on the train for all of the fourth graders. I will pull 4 names out of a hat on 11/22 and let you know which 4 can attend. Thank you!
-If you happen to be at the store and would like to make a class donation, our class could really use some disinfectant cleansing wipes for when we wipe off our desks.
-Fourth graders will have an at school "field trip," called "Walk Through California" on 12/13. Students will receive a certain social studies area to be an expert on. They will receive their area of study on Monday and are to research the answer to their question, try their best to memorize their answer, and also dress up in costume! They can dress up as something related to their research area of study or on anything related to fourth grade social studies topics (an Early Californian, explorer, gold miner, etc). Parents are welcome to attend this event. A parent letter will be going home in Friday folders but students will start to research their area and work on their costume at home now, so that they have plenty of time.
We Studied:
In addition, we continued to read Because of Winn Dixie, a realistic-fiction novel by Kate DiCamillo. Some reading groups continued with literature circle jobs with the novel, while other reading groups continued to practice the skill of sequencing events to help them summarize the main details in each chapter. All students are also analyzing how characters are growing and changing throughout the novel and citing their evidence to prove their inferences.
During math we studied chapter 6 on algebra with multiplication and division facts. Students need to be able to know their facts through twelve. Any extra practice through games, flashcards, websites, apps, etc, will really help them with this. If you have an ipad at home, Sushi Monster is an app. that we have been using in class to practice their facts that students really like. Also consider using a deck of cards to play the game of "War' with students (ask them to teach you this). A website students can go to practice their math facts is: http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/mathmagician/maths1.htm
In addition using the Dreambox app. at home would be very helpful for students. Download the Dreambox app. and enter the following:
school code: rdew/solanahe
username: firstnamelastname (no space)
password: last 4 of student ID
Throughout writing, students finished their final drafts of their imaginative "Spooky Tale" story. I was blown away with their imagination and creative details! Students also used their knowledge of hyperboles to start a "Turkey Tall Tale." Please note that students will only need to go on Google Drive to finish something up if it is written on their homework planner. You are more than welcome to work on their writing with them once it gets to the revision/editing stage :)
Students continued to work in their groups to create their Imovies on Early Californians and weave their baskets in social studies. Please note that this is a class project that they will work together with their group on. Unless something is written on their homework planner, they don't need to worry about doing it at home :)
For our social studies/science fourth grade rotations, students continued to go to Ms. Leventhal's class for government.
We are having so much in fourth grade! Thank you for reading about our week! Have a wonderful weekend!
Mrs. Gill