May News
Grade 4 Standish
RYERSON TURNS 100!
Happy Birthday Ryerson!
Saturday, May 14th is the Ryerson 100th Anniversary Open House. The students and staff as well as the Ryerson community have been having fun and working hard to prepare the school for the celebration. Our class has been researching the 1910s. Our room will display a variety of photos and interesting facts about the 1910s. For more information, please see the Ryerson 100th Anniversary web site. We hope you can join us for the celebration!
What We Are Learning
In Math, we are exploring probability. We are performing experiments to help us better understand two concepts:
1. Predict the frequency of an outcome. For example; A spinner is 2/5 blue, 1/5 green and 3/5 red. If I spin it 20 times, is it likely, unlikely, possible, impossible, or certain that it will land on green?
2. Determine how the number of repetitions of a probability experiment can affect the conclusions drawn. For example; Our class predicted that a flipped coin should land on heads half the time and tails half the time. We experimented by flipping a coin 10 times, 50 times and 100 times and compared the results.
Language
We are focusing on research: analyzing a source, using multiple sources, siting a source, choosing the most important information to write in our own words. It is a challenge for children to read something, choose the important details and write them in their own words. We have begun focused lessons to support this. We began while researching the 1910s. Partners researched a component of the culture at that time. Students were also given the opportunity to research a 1910 topic of choice. We will continue through research of an ancient civilization.
We are also learning how to add suffixes to words ending in y.
Social Studies
We are learning about ancient civilizations. How did the environment impact their lives and way of living? How did the lives of one civilization compare to another?
City of Ember
We are almost finished reading City of Ember. The class is on the edge of their seats with anticipation. While reading, we have been discussing the Sign Posts (for deeper reading) we see (contrasts and contradictions, aha moment, again and again, memory moment, tough questions, and words of the wiser.) Ask your child about these.