Mrs. Scallan's TAG Update
3rd Reading, 4th Math and Language Arts
Shakespeare Shout Out
Fourth graders attended the Children's Shakespeare Festival at The University of Texas at Austin last Thursday. This was a great field trip! It gave students an opportunity to see other students perform their various interpretations of Shakespeare plays. The fourth graders that performed did a wonderful job. I could hear all of them even without microphones. It was amazing to see how far they have come since they were handed their first Shakespeare scene to analyze in the fall. Kudos to fourth graders for expanding your knowledge and taking risks!
Third Grade Reading
We have had new students join our class recently, and we have been very busy! Third graders worked with fourth graders to practice using the Depth & Complexity icons with a SuperScience magazine article. They have started their last book club novel for the year. We worked on the first reading and response in class for practice, and they will have assignments for homework to read, take notes, and write a response. I have reminded the students of the importance of not reading ahead, as this affects their class discussions. I have also informed them of the importance of bringing their materials to class each day so that they are prepared, particularly on book club discussion days. (For new students, you should have noticed your that your child records his or her TAG homework daily. Please check you child's planner and help your child manage his or her time for homework. Time management is a great skill for your child to learn!) Third graders are also researching a place of interest and will be creating a poster and paragraph to persuade people to visit the city. They will begin reading a SuperScience magazine and working to answer questions in class upon completion of their city persuasion project.
Fourth Grade Language Arts
Fourth graders have also been very busy as we welcomed new students to the class. They worked with third graders in practicing and refining their understanding of the Depth & Complexity icons using a SuperScience article. They were each given a side to support for a school-related issue. Students researched the topic and wrote a persuasive essay to urge people to support their side. This was a challenging assignment for the students that were assigned sides they did not personally agree with, but they took on the challenge and did an excellent job. Fourth graders are now working on reading their latest SuperScience magazine, looking at the articles using depth and complexity.
Fourth Grade Math
Students have been researching an historical figure in mathematics. They are using the research they found to create a PowerPoint to present information to their peers on the person's life, contributions to the field of mathematics (to include theories), and how their work impacts our lives today. The students are enjoying learning about the mathematicians, as well as how math they use every day came to be. I look forward to seeing their presentations this week!