13 more days of learning

I apologize for not blogging more frequently lately. The end of the school year gets very hectic with lots of interruptions.
As you may have realized, there is no spelling homework for the remainder of the year. This is also the last week for homework packets.
Upcoming events:
May 13 (tonight): Concert by the Lake-fourth graders are performing
May 14 (tomorrow): Fifth grade orientation-we will visit the middle school in the morning
May 19: Walk-a-thon-our class should wear green! Charlie test
May 20: Science and Charlie contracts due; Science test; Third Rocket Club party
May 21: Washington D.C. trip begins
May 23: Camp Campbell Gard trip
May 26: Memorial Day-No School
May 27: Fourth Grade field day
May 28: Mrs. Krebs for science
May 30: Tug of War/Last day of school

Congratulations to our Millionaire's Club members! Holly Su, Bailey, Nick, Jessica, Tim, and James got to go on a behind-the-scenes visit to Newport Aquarium today!

Journal Journey

Today we began mapping our journal journeys that have returned. Hunter's, Abby's, Jenna', and Jared's travels were finished this morning with both cross country and international routes. Both Jenna's and Hunter's journals visited Spring Hill, Florida while Jared's went to Afghanistan, and Abby's went as far as Taiwan. We have received several other journals and will map their travels as well as create graphs representing the sites visited.

Market Place prospered today. The students really seem to enjoy both buying and selling.

In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, we read chapters 7-9 and worked on our contracts.

Math: worksheet
Science: life science contract-the radish seeds sprouted in one day.
Spelling: worksheet

What's Up?

In science we are working on a life science contract which includes Versatiles, inquiry stations, information stations, nonfiction reading, and a plant brochure. This contract is due on May 20 to accommodate those students who are traveling to Washington D.C.
In reading/language arts we are reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory together and working on a tiered contract. This contract is based on the same principles of interest-based student decision making, but is a bit different than our science contracts. Students must complete level 3 before moving on to work at level 4 which must then be completed to begin level 5. We are reading three chapters per day in order to complete the book before the Washington trip. Students will be expected to take the AR test on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on May 20. The contract is also due that day.

Testing Over

Thank you so much for your support of the Ohio Achievement Testing! We had 100% attendance on all three test days so everyone in the class earned a treat bag and is finished with the fourth grade OAT!

In order for your child to succeed on tomorrow's science test, he/she should be familiar with the following Ohio Science indicators:

1. Describe how wind, water and ice shape and reshape Earth's land surface by eroding rock and soil in some areas and depositing them in other areas producing characteristic landforms (e.g., dunes, deltas and glacial moraines).
2. Identify and describe how freezing, thawing and plant growth reshape the land surface by causing the weathering of rock.
3. Describe evidence of changes on Earth's surface in terms of slow processes (e.g., erosion, weathering, mountain building and deposition) and rapid processes (e.g. volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides).

For a look at questions that may appear on the test, click here, then select Grade 5 May 2007 Released Science Test.

Next in Science

Our next unit of study in science will be life science. The fourth grade Ohio indicators tell us that fourth graders should learn about plants.

Indicators for grade 4
1. Compare the life cycles of different plants including germination, maturity, reproduction and death. (ORC Resources)
2. Relate plant structures to their specific functions (e.g., growth, survival and reproduction). (ORC Resources)
3. Classify common plants according to their characteristics (e.g., tree leaves, flowers, seeds, roots, stems). (ORC Resources)
4. Observe and explore that fossils provide evidence about plants that lived long ago and the nature of the environment at that time. (ORC Resources)
5. Describe how organisms interact with one another in various ways (e.g., many plants depend on animals for carrying pollen or dispersing seeds). (ORC Resources)

Premier Plant Publications is a webquest that will serve as the project for the life science unit. Students will also work towards completion of a contract which will require each student to do the following: 5 inquiry stations (aka experiments), 5 information stations, 3 versatiles, and 2 AR books by May 23.

Testing Week

The students got off to a roaring start yesterday with perfect attendance! Each student also earned a rubric score of "4" for effort on the test which gave them an extra recess at the end of the day. Today we blasted off again with perfect attendance for the math test! So far, so good on the effort as well.

Just a reminder that there is no homework this week, but literature projects are due on Friday.

Postponed

The final literature project is now due on May 2.

We are in need of clean baby food jars with lids.

There will not be any homework next week.