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Happy Spring!
Math:
Over the last few weeks, our math
focus has been on learning long division. Students have been practicing the steps of the traditional algorithm for
solving long division problems. I’m so proud of how hard they have been working
to master the steps! The greatest
joy for me has been to see the smile appear on each student’s face when it
“clicked”, and they were able to independently use the algorithm to solve a
problem! In order to make sure
they had a conceptual understanding of division we also solved division
problems using pictures and base ten manipulatives. As a class we came up with various strategies for solving
division problems, but decided that the long division algorithm was much easier
to do!
This week we also began learning the algorithm for
solving 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication problems. During this learning process the students have realized the
importance of knowing their math facts! In order to gain fluency with their facts, we practice facts for morning
work. In addition, I encourage students
to review facts as homework each night for 10 minutes. Students can use flashcards as well as
the websites that are listed on my classroom website.
Writing:
We have shifted from narrative to expository
writing. Students are learning
about the “expository pillar” in order to understand how informational essays
are structured. The main focus has
been on creating supporting detail that is relevant to the main idea paragraph.
Students are currently practicing the concepts in their very first
expository essay about the season of spring.
Since April is Poetry Month, we are also writing
poems about spring that showcase our knowledge of descriptive writing, similes,
metaphors, and personification.
Reading:
Our current read aloud Holes
has sparked some rich discussion in our classroom! As I read a chapter, students jot down their reading thoughts
for discussion. Students then share their thoughts and ideas in a whole class
discussion. This format has
allowed all students to participate in the discussion, as well as to listen to
the different perspectives that their peers have about events that unfold within
each chapter. Individually,
students continue to share their reading thoughts through written response and
in our book club discussions.
Social Studies:
We
recently completed an interactive tour of the Southeast region of the United
States. Through our boat and train
tour, the students traveled through various states of the south including the
Everglades, New Orleans and Jamestown Virginia. Students learned about music from the Southeast, the Civil
Rights Movement in Alabama, and what it was like to settle in Jamestown, VA
during 1888. We will have a social
studies test on the Southeast next Friday, May 4th. I will send home a study guide next
Monday to help students prepare for the test.
E-Pals:
We continue to correspond with our friends from
Aspen Elementary School in Vernon Hills, Illinois. The fourth grade students of Mrs. Wysong’s class at Aspen
Elementary are currently preparing a PowerPoint on Illinois and will present it
to us through a Skype session. This will be a nice compliment to our study of the Midwest Region, which
we will begin next week.
Warm Regards,
Diana Remmell
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