4P Learning Summary

April 18th to APRIL 29th

 

LANGUAGE ARTS:

  • The student began the pre-writing stage for their orginal stories and organized their thoughts as well as ideas using the the story organizer provided.
  • We had a class discussion with respect to creating three dimensional characters and settings. I encouraged the children to utilize rich as well as descriptive vocabulary to paint a picture within the mind of the reader.
  • The students were provided a "writing dictionary," which contains a variety of vocabulary words to describe different settings as well as characters.
  • We reviewed how to utilize "quotations" to identify an individuals spoken words.
  • The children began to compose their rought drafts and utilized an iPod or dictionary to edit their work.
  • We have completed reading the first six chapters of the novel Because of Winn Dixie and the children are working on literature circle roles, such as summarizer, discussion director, word finder, artful illustrator and connector to enhance their understanding of the text. We have also practiced skimming through the text, in order to respond to comprehension questions.
  • Next week the students will type the good copy of their story using "Google Docs" and create a illustration for the front cover.
  • In the coming weeks we will begin our Magazine project, in which the children utilize their writing skills to create a magazine.

 

MATHEMATICS:

  • The children learned that both fractions and decimals represent a part of a whole.
  • We reviewed place value and decimals to the thousandths.
  • The students practiced converting fractions to decimals to the hundredths and vice versa. We utilize an interactive matching game on the mimeo, in order to reinforce this concept.
  • We looked at equivalent fractions and how 0.3 and 0.30 actually represent the same amount.
  • The children have begun adding decimals to the tenths.
  • Next week we will be studying subtracting decimals to the tenths as well as adding and subtracting decimals to the hundredths.
  • We will also begin reviewing mental math by focusing on basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This will be good practice for the students before they head to grade 5.

 

SOCIAL STUDIES:

  • We learned that the first inhabitants of Alberta were the First Nation people.
  • The children discovered that there are actually 46 First Nations living within the province of Alberta and that they have different languages as well as cultural traditions.
  • We discussed how these people had to be tough and rugged, as they lived off the land. Therefore, they have a great appreciation as well as connection with the environment.
  • We learned the names of the First Nations present within Alberta, such as the Nakoda, Woodland Cree, the Blackfoot etc. We also identified which natural region they live within and how they utilized the land as well as animals to their benefit.
  • The children looked at Aboriginal transportation and the invention of the snowshoe as well as sleds.
  • Next week we will answer the question how the First Nations arrived within Alberta. We will also conduct research on the Blackfoot people using the Glenbow Museum website. The children will learn the important of story telling and begin to create their own First Nation creation story.

 

SCIENCE:

  • We conducted an experiment using acetate paper as well as an opaque object to determine how a shadow is created.
  • The children learned that opaque objects block lights rays, which creates a dark spot know as a shadow.
  • We also completed an experiment on how the position of the sun causes the length and size of our shadow to change throughout the day.
  • The students completed a "Shadow Prediction" assignment, in which they had to draw different shadows based upon the time of day and the height of the sun.
  • We completed our unit test on Light and Shadows. The results were excellent!
  • Next week the students will use their "Google Drive" accounts to reflect upon the following questions; What did they learn about Light and Shadows and why is light important to human beings.

 

*A letter was sent home containing information on how to enroll your child in the XtraMath program, which is free online. This is an excellent website that can assist the students in the mental recollection of basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts.

*Book Talk proposals for term 3 are due May 13th and presentations beging the week of May 24th.

*Please take the time to read and sign your child's agenda, as their are important notes with respect to assignment due dates, field trips and school activities recorded daily. I assure you that I check the agendas each and every morning. Thank you for your assistance.

*Just a friendly reminder that the children should be maintaining a nightly reading routine, as the development of fluency and comprehension skills is a key aspect of their academic success!

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