In unit 7, students will be focusing on understanding fractions, what they are, how we add and subtract them, how we make equivalent fractions, and then, how those fractions compare with decimals and probability. Students will each have a fraction card set that will really help them with their understanding. Students will be using pictures, blocks, and paper and pencil methods to develop our knowledge of fractions. At home, please help your child by pointing out how you may use fractional amounts in cooking or other aspects of daily life. Use dry macaroni noodles, beads, pennies, or anything else that you have a lot of, to show how to group items equally into halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, etc. Discuss how division and fractions are related.
Literacy: In reading we have started to learn about the elements of a story. In 4th grade, students break fictional stories down into elements or parts. The beginning of a story includes the introduction of the characters, setting, and goal/problem of the main character(s). The middle of the story includes the main events which are directly related to the goal/problem of the character(s). These events usually involve conflicts which make it difficult for the goal to be reached. Toward the end of the story, we reach the climax, or turning point in the story, which leads the main character(s) to either reaching his/her goal or not (the resolution). Students will be practicing mapping out various stories that we have read demonstrating their understanding of the elements.
Story mapping will help students as they move into their next writing project, which they've been so anxious to write all year--fictional stories. With their background knowledge of writing personal narratives and reading and hearing many fictional stories this year, and doing an author study, they now have the experience they need in order to write fiction. Aside from story elements, we will be focusing on making sure to have a good mixture of dialogue and description, and on paragraphing in fiction. Students will spend many days analyzing how authors paragraph based on characters speaking, the setting, etc.
Science: Our human body unit has begun with a lot of excitement. Students were introduced to our "new students" Bob and Fred, who will help us on our journey to learn about the organ systems, how they work together, diseases and injuries related to the systems, and how we can make healthy choices for a healthy body. This week students will begin a group project in which each group will be the "experts" on an organ system. Each group will research the organ system they are assigned to and teach the rest of the class about it. Each group will have an outline of a body, then draw and label the organs in the body, and provide facts about the system around the outline of the body.
awesome website
ReplyDelete