The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Our December reading will focus on The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. We will read the first 5 chapters this week.

Online Questions and Activities Click here

FYI: Mrs. Lee will be subbing in our classroom Wednesday-Friday as I will be attending a science conference. Please encourage your children to be on their best behavior.

Geometry

We will spend December learning about geometry.
Fourth graders should know and understand the following math vocabulary:
point
line
line segment
parallel lines
intersecting lines
perpendicular lines

In addition, we will review some of the geometric concepts learned in third grade.

For more information and/or games, check out the following sites:
General Geometry Click here
Geometry Lessons Click here
Geometry and more Click here

Short Week

Although this week is a short one, we have a lot going on! On Monday, we will take a test on multiplication, read Molly's Pilgrim and finish the science contracts. Tuesday is the day for biography literature projects and some Thanksgiving writing.
Don't forget to order Market Day. All December profits go to the third grade classes!

Reading Test

• Tomorrow is the reading test on Adelina's Whales.
• We will take the spelling test on Friday. Also on Friday is our trip to the UDF plant in Norwood. All permission slips and money must be turned in before we leave.
• Literature projects are due Tuesday UNLESS your child will not be in school next week. If that is the case, the literature projects are due this Friday.
• Please continue reading for 30 minutes at home each day. Most students seem to be participating in both the reading and the journaling, but there are a few who are not doing so.
• Congrats to Lydia and Katherine who are both on their 11s!
• Congrats to Nick, Courtney, Katherine, Dominic, Kayley and Kyra who have already reached their November reading goals!

Adelina's Whales and more

Students still need to practice their multiplication facts. Congratulations to Lydia and Katherine, the only two students to have made it to their 10s so far.

Math is Fun is a website for multiplication patterns and review.

Get free multiplication worksheets by clicking here.

Our story this week is Adelina's Whales.

Study Stack has vocabulary practice.

Macmillan McGraw-Hill has lessons.

Powerpoint

Conferences

Thanks to all of the parents who came to conferences. It is always nice to meet those responsible for the children with whom I spend my days.

In science we are continuing to work on our matter contract. Math is brimming with multiplication-please continue to work on memorizing the multiplication facts with your child.

The next literature project is due on Tuesday, November 25. The genre this month is biography. Please remind your child NOT to wait until the last minute to complete this project!

Guaranteed homework each night: Read for 30 minutes and complete one entry in the reading response journal.

The fourth grade spelling bee will be December 19. The top spellers in each classroom will compete to see who travels to downtown Cincinnati for the regional bee. More information coming soon.

Magical Matter

Introduction
This is a Science quest about matter. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. There are three states of matter: solid, liquid, gas. Matter can be changed either chemically or physically. Studying matter is important because it is all around us.

The Task
Your job, as a magician, is to successfully perform all of the 'matter tricks' we have assigned. While completing these tricks you will learn about the states of matter. While completing these tricks you will be working with a fellow magician. We hope you have a magical experience!

Resources
Websites:
What is Matter? http://www.nyu.edu/pages/mathmol/textbook/statesofmatter.html
Chem 4 Kids www.chem4kids.com/
Harcourt States of Matter http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/states_of_matter/
States of Matter http://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/atoms/states.html
Web Videos:
You Tube-States of Matter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2KZmRIKea8

The Process
Trick One: Complete the Scavenger Hunt worksheet using any of the web sites listed above. Turn in the scavenger hunt worksheet.

Trick Two: Watch the Brain Pop video States of Matter http://www.brainpop.com/science/matter/statesofmatter/preview.weml
Take the quiz online.

Trick Three: Go to the following website
After completing the online activity, take the quiz online.

Trick Four: Choose at least one of the AR books on matter.
Read the book and complete the AR test.
Show the teacher your test score.

Trick Five: Write a plan to separate iron filings from sand.
Describe in detail how your plan worked.

Trick Six: Write a plan to separate poppy seeds from sand.
Describe in detail how your plan worked.

Trick Seven: Complete at least one of the versatiles on matter.
Show your teacher the completed versatile.


Trick Eight: Get the basket marked 8. Sort the items in the basket into at least two groups. Draw a diagram showing what you would put together. Explain what those items have in common. Sort the items again, this time into three groups. Draw a diagram showing how you grouped the items. Explain how you decided to group the items. What did they have in common?

Final Trick: Create a product that shows what you have learned about matter. It could be a poster, a brochure, a song, a poem, etc. Be sure to include the following vocabulary: matter, solid, liquid, gas, and properties.

Ohio Indicators
Describe objects by the properties of the materials from which they are made and that these properties can be used to separate or sort a group of objects (e.g., paper, glass, plastic and metal).
Explain that matter has different states (e.g., solid, liquid and gas) and that each state has distinct physical properties.

Chris Van Allsburg

Vocabulary Game
The Stranger Powerpoint
Another Powerpoint
Author Study

Persuasive Writing Assignment:
After reading The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg In groups of two they decide just who/what the stranger might be. Using index cards the children write a sentence telling what they think the stranger might be (white index card). They give three reasons for their answer (yellow post-it) Each reason is written on a separate index card. They then must find a detail from the story to support their reason. Then they write a concluding sentence (blue post-it). Next, they take the index cards and use them as a graphic organizer to write their persuasive essay.

Matter

What is Matter?
Matter
Song about Matter
Changing State


Movies
Brainpop-Changing States
Brainpop-States of Matter
Brainpop-Measuring Matter

Arrays

Websites for Multiplication Practice
Making Arrays
Teacher Tube: Using Arrays in Multiplication
Math Cats
Multiplication Arrays (to be printed and colored)

Reading

Every student should be reading 60 minutes per day and completing the reading response journal that I provided. Thirty minutes will be completed at school and thirty minutes need to be spent reading at home. I will be meeting with a different group each day to conference and monitor their progress.

So You Want to Be President

This week's reading selection is So You Want to Be President by Judith St. George.
So You Want to Be President powerpoint
WebQuest

We are beginning our unit on multiplication and division in math. According to the Ohio benchmarks and indicators in math, third grade students are expected to be fluent in knowing the single digit multiplication facts. This means that we will not spend much time on memorizing these facts as the students should already know them. If you find that your child does not have the facts memorized, please spend some time practicing the facts each day. I have listed various math links on the right side of this page.

Our focus in science will be matter.
Some sites to visit:
What is matter?
What is Matter?
States of Matter


Timeline Maker

Photos

The students had great fun measuring, weighing and gutting their pumpkins. Surprisingly, the pumpkin with the most seeds was not the biggest in terms of weight or height. Terra's medium sized pie pumpkin won the contest!
The concert is behind us and the kids worked really hard to do such a great job. I hope everyone enjoyed the show:)