4G Class Newsletter
November 14, 2014
A Message from Nadia Laracuente
Journeys Reading
This week in Journeys, 4G enjoyed reading the main selection Me and Uncle Romie. Through the use of a variety of graphic organizers, the students searched the text for thought, actions, and words to develop their skills for understanding the characters in a story. On Thursday, Mr. Guadalupe and Mrs. Sango taught their very first lesson. They did a great job of using a book entitled Verdi to help reinforce the target skills of the week. We ended our week inspired by our paired selection and became "Sidewalk Artists".
Math
Way to go 4G! Students have successfully completed Unit 3 in Math. All students have displayed great strength and understanding of the material in this unit. We are now moving right along to Unit 4, discussing “Decimals and Their Uses”. In this unit students will experience a more formal study of decimals through thousandths place.
Social Studies
Was your name changed at Ellis Island? This week in Social Studies, we have begun our group projects on Ellis Island. Students are using a book entitled, If your Name was Changed at Ellis Island, to gain a better understanding of immigration and the historical importance of Ellis Island. A topic that is truly relevant in America today. Students will work together to present their findings to the class.
Science
This week in Science 4G went “skating”. Students used 3 types of paper, magazine paper, construction paper, and lined paper as “skates”. This experiment allowed students to learn about friction through a hands-on activity. Students found that the texture of the paper effected the amount of friction and how well the paper worked as “skates”. The students’ results proved that lined paper produced the least amount of friction which in turn proved to be the best pair of “skates”. While the rough texture of construction paper showed to be the worst pair of “skates” having created the most friction.
Writer's Workshop
Bye, Bye narratives! Hello essays! We have just begun our Boxes and Bullets section of Writer’s Workshop. This week students have chosen someone very special to him/her to write about. I have read a lot about how important and special many parents, siblings, and friends are. Students are doing a great job working on the structure of an essay. They are learning how to begin their essay with a thesis statement and support that thesis with 3 reasons.
Culture and Diversity Unit
Hola! Bonjour! Shalom! Guten Tag! This week we began our unit on Culture and Diversity. We have studied the importance of tolerance and unity. Students had the opportunity to share their different cultural backgrounds and came together to create a “Cultural Unity Quilt”. Each student created their own “patch” which displayed their cultural heritage. We then connected all the “patches” to create a “quilt” that symbolizes our cultural unity.
Animal Shelter Donations
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have already donated to our service project. We will continue to accept donations until December 8, 2014.