Elko and Killea Newsletter
March 2014
English Language Arts
Mark your calendars:
March
3- Read Across America week
5- Walk to School Wednesday
6- Parent Family Life Presentation 7:00 p.m. GYM
21- Hickory Tree Pizza Day
24-26 Spring Break
The Food Bank was a huge
success! What a special 4th
grade memory!
Did you know that there are over 10,000 types of ants? Not
mighty in size, but mighty in resourcefulness and industry, the
ant has crawled the earth since prehistoric times. It has dwelt
in rainforest tree trunks and acorns of oak trees, beneath logs,
and under sidewalks. It has protected forests by capturing
insects, cleared weeds away from acacia trees, and by growing
gardens has released important nutrients into the soil. Seed
lifters, dirt diggers, social beings, ants have the most advanced
brain of all insects! So watch where you step, especially on a
warm day: a small but mighty ant may be underfoot.
This nonfiction text sure has taken us on a journey through text
features! Check it out…
Table of contents: A table of contents gives the heading and beginning page number
of each section in a book.
Heading: A heading tells you what the section is about.
Photograph: A photograph is a picture made with a camera that shows how things
look in real life.
Label: A label is a word that tells about a picture.
Caption: A caption is a sentence that tells about a picture.
Bold Print: Bold print shows you new or important words.
Colored Print: Colored print shows you new or important words.
Glossary: A glossary lists new or important words and shows or tells what they
mean.
Index: An index tells you what page to find information in a book. It is in ABC
order.
Diagram: A diagram is a labeled picture that shows the parts of something.
Map: A map is a picture that shows the location of things or places.
Timeline: A timeline is a chart that shows events in order.
What is a R.A.F.T. response?
What’s Coming Up Next in ELA:
Our next writing unit will be focusing on essay! The
students will be exposed to creating a thesis
statement, introduction, three supporting facts/ideas
and a conclusion. Essay is less abstract than personal
narratives and realistic fiction for most students
because it has a defined structure to it. There is
always an introduction, three supporting paragraphs
and a conclusion that connects and supports the
thesis statement. The main purpose of our essay is to
persuade or inform the writer’s audience. Again,
individual writing conferences will be happening
regularly during our Writing Workshop time. This
ensures that each child is given the appropriate
Many children have difficulty answering comprehension or
open ended questions. Many children choose to answer using a
sentence or even one word. The strategy of “RAFT” helps
children to fully answer each question. We will continue to
utilize this new strategy for the remainder of the year and
beyond! Please familiarize yourself with the strategy below:
R-Restate the question
A-Answer the question( I know this because)
F-For example (Find evidence)
T- Tell your thoughts and tie it up!
You may even want to color code your response to be sure to
incorporate all 4 parts of R.A.F.T. !
A noisy noise annoys an oyster.
Some Fun…Try this 3 times fast…
Math
We have been working very hard to learn that very
difficult algorithm named “long division” and we have
successfully reached the conclusion!
Now we will be heading in to Topic 11 – Fractions.
This topic begins with learning about Factors and Prime and
Composite numbers. This leads us into a review of basic
fractions and the challenging concept of “equivalent fractions”.
We will also be learning how to add and subtract fractions with
the same and different denominators.
Science
We are finishing up our unit on Electricity
by completing our electrical matching games and
creating a crossword puzzle which includes key
vocabulary words dealing with current electricity.
Our last project is “building” a room (box scene) in
which we will create a series circuit in which to
illuminate the room using white and/or colored
lights! This project will test our creativity and
circuit building knowledge, but most of all, will be a
lot of fun!
Oh no, we have run out of
a few materials…
•Scissors
•Highlighters
•Thin or Thick Sharpies
•Crayola Markers
Feel free to donate any of the
materials from above! Thank you in
advance!
Social Studies
We continue to travel through our
social studies program applying the lessons of
“civics” in our own classrooms as it relates to
our classmates and ourselves. Learning about
our country, regions, the geographic and
political boundaries will be examined
through various projects.