Dear Fourth Grade Families,
I hope you enjoyed the beautiful Columbus Day weekend. The weather was perfect! KJ and I got to go apple picking together, and we were able to take a family walk.
Yesterday, we had our first lockdown drill. We talked about the importance of having a plan and practicing the plan so we all know what to do. Students often have lots of questions about these drills. I do my best to keep the tone light and to talk in generalities, focusing more on the steps that we take. If your child has any concerns please let me know.
In reading, we finished our character unit. Students have been working hard to identify the theme of their books and to find specific evidence that supports their thinking. It is often difficult for students to be able to find specific evidence that backs up their thinking, this is something we will continue to practice. Today, our classroom was a lab site for the fourth grade teachers in the district. We participated in a lesson on writing about reading. The students did a great job.
As writers we began our opinion writing unit. Students were introduced to the basic structure of an essay. They learned about thesis statements and having three reasons to support their opinion. I modeled an essay about why I love ice cream. Students had the chance to write a quick essay about a food that they love! We also started to develop ideas for an essay, we are looking for big ideas to write about. Some examples, “Grandparents can be important friends, having a sibling is complicated and moms support their children.” We are continuing to grow and develop ideas for writing.
In math we have been learning about prime and composite numbers. Please see the blog for the definitions of these words. It is important that students continue to practice with these definitions. They do not need to be able to write the definition just to identify a prime or composite number. We also started solving multiplication word problems. We have talked a lot about the idea that 4 x 3 = 12 means, 4 groups of 3 is 12. This is an important concept for students to visualize.
Thank you for your continued support!
I hope you enjoyed the beautiful Columbus Day weekend. The weather was perfect! KJ and I got to go apple picking together, and we were able to take a family walk.
Yesterday, we had our first lockdown drill. We talked about the importance of having a plan and practicing the plan so we all know what to do. Students often have lots of questions about these drills. I do my best to keep the tone light and to talk in generalities, focusing more on the steps that we take. If your child has any concerns please let me know.
In reading, we finished our character unit. Students have been working hard to identify the theme of their books and to find specific evidence that supports their thinking. It is often difficult for students to be able to find specific evidence that backs up their thinking, this is something we will continue to practice. Today, our classroom was a lab site for the fourth grade teachers in the district. We participated in a lesson on writing about reading. The students did a great job.
As writers we began our opinion writing unit. Students were introduced to the basic structure of an essay. They learned about thesis statements and having three reasons to support their opinion. I modeled an essay about why I love ice cream. Students had the chance to write a quick essay about a food that they love! We also started to develop ideas for an essay, we are looking for big ideas to write about. Some examples, “Grandparents can be important friends, having a sibling is complicated and moms support their children.” We are continuing to grow and develop ideas for writing.
In math we have been learning about prime and composite numbers. Please see the blog for the definitions of these words. It is important that students continue to practice with these definitions. They do not need to be able to write the definition just to identify a prime or composite number. We also started solving multiplication word problems. We have talked a lot about the idea that 4 x 3 = 12 means, 4 groups of 3 is 12. This is an important concept for students to visualize.
Thank you for your continued support!