Welcome to our weekly newsletter update. Below you will find five sections (math/science updates, reading/writing/social studies updates, friendly reminders, and upcoming dates). If you have any questions or concerns, please send us an email.
Math Updates This week in math we started our whole number division unit. We started with dividing two digit by two digit numbers. We looked at many different strategies for division and what the meaning of a whole number remainder is. The strategies we have worked on are repeated addition, repeated subtraction, partial quotients (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIjIcFyRSjY), area model (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVXopeiQrSQ), and the standard algorithm (what many people call long division). We are hoping students will start to move to either the partial quotients, area model, or standard algorithm to understand and solve division problems. If you are curious about one of these strategies, please take a look at the videos above and reach out with questions. Please check-in with your student to find out which strategy they are enjoying and understand. Next week, we will learn about how to apply our learning of whole number division to three digit numbers divided by two digit numbers. We have also been working to estimate quotients (answers to division problems) before we begin to solve. Science Updates In Science, we have begun our first inquiry project. Students were placed into groups based on interest regarding a topic about NASA. This inquiry project is student-led, and is an opportunity for students to gain valuable research and collaboration skills. Research skills covered have included annotation, questioning, and finding credible sources. Students have created group ground rules and a work plan that will guide their project. Students will be creating a Google Slides presentation with their group, and will present their findings to 4th Grade classrooms the week before Winter Break begins. Reading/Writing Updates We have been busy in writing! Now that our Creative Writing unit is done, we are starting a new unit on Persuasive Writing. We were worried that our students would be apprehensive about this unit, but they all seem really excited to start! We have been focusing this week on reading different examples of persuasive essays, and learning about the characteristics of them that make for a strong and compelling argument. Over the rest of the month and after Winter Break, we will be working on creating our own arguments, finding evidence, and crafting a five-paragraph persuasive essay of their own. I can’t wait to see what they come up with! In Reading we have continued to practice using comprehension strategies, in particular asking questions and making “I Wonder” statements, while continuing to identify main idea and supporting details in informational texts. We wrapped up our chapter on the Lowell, Massachusetts Cotton Mill Strikes and will be moving on to the next topic/chapter this coming week. Students took an assessment to demonstrate knowledge of these skills today using a NewsELA article titled: Slow Reading Helps Us Better Understand People’s Thoughts and Feelings. Social Studies Updates In Social Studies we began a unit related to segregation and the civil rights movement of the past century. Our focus is Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary school in Louisiana. We started by viewing several different photographs from the “Little Rock Nine” case and discussing them. Then we got into a book authored by Ruby Bridges titled Through My Own Eyes. This book will our topic of conversation for the next couple weeks. Friendly Reminders
Upcoming Dates December 11: Exhibition Parent Meeting (5:30 - 6:30) December 10 and 11: Winter NWEA Testing December 13: Quarter 2 Progress Reports Distributed December 18: Winter Band Concert December 19: Winter Concert December 23 - January 1: Winter Break
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