Celebrate science

Dr. Samuelson talks about a chest xray.

Ryan, Aliyah and Chloe examine an xray of a lizard.

Thanks to Dr. Samuelson for helping kick off science week today. As a radiologist, Dr. Samuelson shared with the class how he uses science every day in his career. He showed the class numerous examples of xrays and explained how xrays work. We are looking forward to multiple events in the coming two weeks, including other guest doctors, a visitor from USGS talking about coastal erosion, and hands-on activities one morning next week. We officially began our celebration last week with Mrs. Jotch's junior kindergarteners visiting our classroom and participating in an experiment with us. Next week, Mrs. Owen's students will teach us a lesson about our solar system. We cannot wait!

The fourth graders guide the junior kindergarteners as they conduct a stream experiment. Photo taken by Mrs. Jotch.

Upcoming important events:
February 27 - March 8: Science Week(s)
February 29: class picture day
March 9: Field Day
March 12 - 16: spring break

Celebrate reading

What a joy to come to school to a cast of book characters this morning. Many students in class opted to dress as favorite characters today, from Percy Jackson to Minli. It was a terrific start to the week. Tomorrow the collective of Lower Division students will drop everything a read at 8:15, together in the lunch area. Be sure to remind your child to bring a towel on which to sit and read! On Thursday we will enjoy some buddy reading with Ms. Cameron's class. Students will spend time sharing the books they have been reading in reading workshop, oping to spark one another's interest in some new titles. On Friday, of course, is Oldie Goldie. If you would like your child to purchase gently used books, please send a few dollars on Friday. As you know, books are a steal at 25 and 50 cents a piece!

In reading workshop, students are considering now how setting may or may not impact the stories we are reading. We began a new read aloud novel, Tuck Everlasting. In the Prologue, Natalie Babbit paints a vivid picture of a humid, dead air moment in time that hints to the reader the twisting, turning and exciting story to come. On their own reading, students noticed that in addition to foreshadowing, setting may also reveal attitudes and personalities of main characters as well, in addition to proving very specific stages to the action of the stories. And then, at times, setting seems less important within the stories we read, merely providing a dim backdrop to character change and plot. For sure, reading this book together is a highlight of the year. I am thrilled to begin the journey!

In writing workshop, we are studying effective fictional narrative endings. We know that high quality endings usually resolve a problem that has been crucial to the stories that we read. In that way, endings usually connect readers to the beginnings of stories. Finally, we know that good endings--although they might surprise us--makes sense in the context of the stories. We will continue to examine endings as students begin the process of making large revisions and publishing their fictional narratives.

We are thrilled to welcome Mrs. Jotch's class of junior kindergarteners Wednesday as we begin early our celebration of science week. Fourth graders will facilitate a land and water experiment during which we will question how dry land will interact with water. Fourth graders will guide the younger scientists to come up with hypothesis, plan and carry out their experiments, and make conclusions. Stay tuned for pictures! In two weeks we look forward to being taught a lesson from Mrs. Owen's first graders on the topic of astronomy.

Students began a unit on perimeter and area today. Working in partnerships and small groups, we started by mapping and measuring our classroom. Once our we agreed on measurements in the large group, each student created a map of the classroom to scale and then found the perimeter of the room.

Upcoming important events:
February 22: DEAR, 8:15 a.m.
February 24: Oldie Goldie
February 27 - March 8: Science Week
March 9: Field Day
March 12 - 16: Spring Break

Happy Valentine's Day

Students record thoughts about a read aloud on Post-its.

Thanks to everyone for attending conferences last week. While our time is always so short, it is such a pleasure to speak with everyone about the tremendous progress of the students. If you have any questions, please never hesitate to seek me out; I am but an email away!

To celebrate Valentine's Day tomorrow, we will have our 4th grade classroom party at 2:00 p.m. The students may bring in their already labeled cards, if they choose, to be distributed at the party. Students may also wear red, pink or white tops with or without uniform bottoms. Students will also enjoy some choice time after sharing their cards and treats. Feel free to join us if you are able.

Today in science, students asked whether or not a flowing stream would change its path if the land tables were inclined creating a greater slope of land. Before conducting our experiment, students defined roles for group members, including photographer, dirt slinger, waterer, setter-upper and cleaner-upper. Students worked among their groups to select roles, knowing that for each experiment, students will have opportunities for different roles. Scientists readied their tables by mixing and dampening the soil, formed gradual slopes within their tables, and then poured a controlled stream of water from the tops of their tables.

When comparing their results from the previous experiment, students' findings were mixed. Some groups found that their streams became more streamlined, carving deeper, better defined channels down their slopes. Other groups observed that their water still spread out over their slopes, but caused more erosion to their land. Tomorrow students will observe their results further by viewing the aerial photographs taken by their groups photographers, comparing after images from the previous experiment to today's. All of this work, of course, is being organized and reported on students' lab reports.

This week students are engaging in a mini-unit on the homophones to/too/two and their/there/they're. Today students took a pre-test; any words which they spelled incorrectly will be assessed again on Thursday after classroom instruction. Students will also be assessed Thursday on their understanding and application of the six Latin roots studied over the past couple of weeks.

On Wednesday students will take their unit 7 math assessments. We spent today going over some of the concepts that were more challenging, and tomorrow we will do the same. Students are expected to come tomorrow prepared with questions about any concepts that are causing any confusion.

After a major VoiceThread glitch last week, we are nearing the completing of our colony projects this week. Today, about half of the class was able to record their written paragraphs outlining their research conducted over the past two weeks. Once all four classes have finished their recordings, we will be able to publish the VoiceThreads and you will all be able to listen and comment on them if you like. This introduction to research has been a good one; when we do our larger, more open-ended project in April, the students will be best prepared to work more independently to complete their projects.

On Wednesday this week, please remember that there is a school-wide Relay for Life lunch fundraiser. On this day, students who have signed up will enjoy either all-beef or tofu hotdogs grilled by our very own headmaster, Mike Murphy. Students who are not signed-up for hotdogs will need a lunch from home; Sage will not be providing lunch on Wednesday. As part of the celebrations, students may wear purple shirts with uniform bottoms to school.

Important upcoming events:
February 14: Valentine's Party, 2:00 p.m.
February 15: Relay for Life hot dog lunch (no Sage today)
February 17: no school--Professional Development Day
February 20: no school
February 21-24: Reading Week
February 27 - March 2: Science Week

We HAD Jazz

After a week absorbed by We Haz Jazz rehearsals, students are excited to get back into the swing of things. In math, students continue to learn about fractions. We have used pattern blocks to both add and subtract. When computing, we consider the hexagon to be ONE. To add, we simply put blocks together. To subtract, we use one of two methods: the cover-up method or the take-away method. In cover-up, we simply put the smaller fraction amount on top of the larger and identify the difference. In take-away, we take the smaller from the larger. For those who are ready, I have also introduced using equivalencies to add fractions with unlike denominators; we will be learning about subtraction later this week. Students are learning to identify equivalent fractions now; soon we will be ordering based upon size. Near the end of the unit, students will also spend time exploring probability.

Students are nearing the completion of their colony research. We have spent a number of sessions researching both books as well as online sources, and the experience has proven challenging. Many sources that teach about Colonial America are written at a high level, so students need a great deal of support to extricate relevant information from them. In most cases, students identified other students who are studying similar topics about other colonies; they often worked together to navigate texts. Today students identified online images to use as their visuals in their Voice Thread projects and wrote their first drafts of their narrative pieces. In many cases, students realized that they needed more research to write higher quality paragraphs. We will spend one more session filling in our research holes and continue working on our drafts. By the end of this week or the beginning of next week, students will have recorded their finished paragraphs. Then, colony groups will gather for a final time to review and fine tune their Voice Thread projects. Late next week the students will view one another's projects and learn about other colonies that the ones they researching, noting both similarities and differences. Voice Threads will be published as soon as the groups have met and finalized their projects next week.

In reading, we have begun "writing long" about books. In this process, students are learning to take seed ideas from their Post-its and write more in depth about their opinions. Today, after some modeling, students identified traits of quality written text reflections:

1. writing sticks to one topic
2. the topics need the support of specific textual evidence
3. sentences are detailed and complete

Currently, students are writing about books that are read aloud; soon, they will need to transfer these skills to write long about books they are reading with their partners. Students are completing this work in their reading notebooks which remain at school; I am happy to share their work with anytime, including during conferences this week.

In writing, we have taken a break from our fiction writing unit of study, but students are eager to dive back in. We have focused most intently on developing problems and resolutions that help show character change over time. Of course, the plot of the story facilitates this change, and characters are the vision of the change, so story lines must support believable resolutions as well as characters who are visible to their audiences. Next on our plate is to consider the importance of strong endings that allow for resolutions and connect back to the beginnings of stories. Many students are very close to final revisions of their pieces and well on their ways to publishing.

Coming near the end of February is our annual reading week. During this week, of number of celebratory events are planned:

• Tuesday, February 21 is dress as your favorite book character day. Students may come to school dressed in costume.
• Wednesday, February 22 is our school-wide Drop Everything and Read day. For a period that day, the entire student body will grab a book, venture outside with a blanket and towel, and read together in the picnic area.
• Thursday, February 23 is partner reading day; on this day, our class will pair up with another and read together.
• Friday, February 24 is Oldie Goldie. Bins are already located outside our classrooms in which students may donate gently used books for the sale.

The week after reading week is our science celebration week. During this week, among other things, we will be teaching a science lesson to Junior Kindergarten students, and Mrs. Owen's first graders will be teaching US a lesson. Stay tuned for more information on science week in next week's blog.

Upcoming important events:
February 9: Conference day
February 14: Valentine's Day party (2:00 p.m.)
February 17 and 20: no school
February 21 - 24: reading week
February 27 - March 2: science week

We Haz Jazz!

The fourth graders were FANTASTIC today! So much energy, so much boldness, so much fun. We are tremendously proud of the work they have done and of their performance today.



Please play the movie here to watch the full performance, or click here to see the video on Vimeo.