Week of September 28, 2015
HIGHLIGHTS
We are celebrating Greenacres turning 100 on Tuesday, September
29th! Please send your child to school wearing the Greenacres 100-year
shirt or any Greenacres shirt to school.
Individual school pictures will be taken on Wednesday, September
20th. Because we will both be at a conference that day, the 4WE class
picture will be taken on the make-up day. We will alert children when
that day will be.
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
1. Use post-its to prepare for reading response letters
2. Brainstorm topics for reading response letters
3. Select a narrative topic we want to publish
4. Work as writing partners
5. Select leads for stories
6. Find the heart of our stories
MATH
• Compare and order numbers
• Introduce rounding to the nearest thousand, ten thousand, or hundred
thousand
• Identify factors and use rectangular arrays
• QUIZ on approximation rounding TUESDAY 10/6
SCIENCE
• Launch writing in our science notebooks
• Determine characteristics of living things
Week of September 21, 2015
HIGHLIGHTS
7. Please return school photo forms ASAP.
8. Please return book club forms by 10/2.
9. Math Quiz on Place Value on 9/25.
10.
Please take note of the following STAR assessment dates:
• STAR Reading - 9/22
• STAR Math - 9/25
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
• Brainstorm what kind of thinking could be included in reading response
letters
• Share thinking about independent reading books by writing reading
response letters
• Begin working with writing partners
• Select one entry from writer's notebook to eventually publish
MATH
• Compare and order numbers
• Recognize number patterns
• Identify place value to the millions
• QUIZ on place value FRIDAY 9/25
SOCIAL STUDIES
• Practice how to use the "Reset Spot" as a logical consequence.
Apply for classroom jobs
Week of October 5, 2015
HIGHLIGHTS
We are in our second week of instrumental music lessons. Please make a
note to yourself in your planner the day before your lesson so you
remember to bring your instrument.
The Wordly Wise program was introduced this week. Please work on your
Lesson One assignment through the week. It will be due on 10/12.
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
11.
Find the heart of our stories
12.
Identify places to typically begin new stories
13.
Assess our first revised stories using checklists
14.
Begin writing second story
15.
Create predictions while we read based on what we know about
the story and what kind of story we are reading
16.
Revise predictions when the story is different than expected
MATH
• Round numbers to nearest thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand
and million
• Define prime and composite numbers
• Identify factors and use rectangular arrays
• QUIZ on approximation and rounding TUESDAY 10/6
SCIENCE
• Launch writing in our science notebooks
• Determine characteristics of living things
• Define living and non-living
Week of October 19, 2015
HIGHLIGHTS
We are working on the Wordly Wise Lesson 3 assignment this the week,
and it will be due on 10/26. Students will need to print out the certificate
at the end of the full lesson (after they've taken the post test and done
the Master Meaning work on any words they've missed) and hand it in on
Monday.
Remember:
- Your username is your first and last name put together. Ex. rachelwitmer
- Your password is four.
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
• Focus on editing dialogue using proper punctuation
• Draft stories by transporting ourselves back in time and acting as our
characters
• Begin character unit by brainstorming different character traits
• Locate evidence to support thinking while reading
MATH
• Practice identifying multiples
• Using factor trees to find all factors for a number
• Define and identify multiples
• Review multiplication facts for fluency
• QUIZ on factors & multiples: Thursday 10/15
SCIENCE
• Create energy pathways
• Learn and use terms consumer and producer
• Set up class aquaria
• Watch how plants make their own food through photosynthesis
Week of October 26, 2015
HIGHLIGHTS
Our writers will be celebrating their published narratives this Friday! We
hope you can join us and hear the stories of 4WE.
Meet and Greet the Authors of 4WE
OMPR
10/30/15 from 8:55-9:30
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
Retell and synthesize text
Practice using images, moods, and sounds from books to make
mental movies
Use reading partners to help support comprehension
Share our narrative writing at publishing celebration
Link to WordlyWise
MATH
• Practice finding least common multiples (LCM) & greatest common
factors (GCF)
• Use models for multiplication
• Develop strategies for solving word problems involving multiples and
factors
• Review unit and prepare for unit test
• Unit TEST on Thursday 10/29
SCIENCE
• Complete food chain WebQuest
Add animals to aquaria
Week of November 2, 2015
HIGHLIGHTS
1. Thank you to all who celebrated our narrative writing pieces on Friday.
We are very much looking forward to sharing more publications in the
near future.
2. As a part of our 100th year celebration, we will be interviewing a
Greenacres alumnus from the 1940's this Friday. The fourth grade will be
generating questions for the interview.
3. The Book Fair is back at Greenacres. 4WE is scheduled to shop this
Thursday from 2:20 - 2:55.
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
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Introduction to "boxes and bullets" writing unit
Practice using images, moods, and sounds from books to make
mental movies
Use reading partners to help support comprehension
Using environment to synthesize and retell information that we read
Link to WordlyWise
MATH
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Introduction to bar modeling
Adding and subtracting numbers vertically
How to use mental math to calculate accurately
Unit TEST on Tuesday 11/3
SCIENCE
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Observing a terrarium and an aquarium
Make conclusions about how living and nonliving things interact
within an ecosystem
WHAT'S UP IN 4WE?
Week of November 23, 2015
HIGHLIGHTS
1. Artful Looking - On Monday the 23rd we will have our first Artful Looking
session in 4WE. This will be a wonderful experience as we learn to analyze
and appreciate many different art forms.
2. Ms. Witmer and Ms. Erigo would like to extend their wishes for a happy,
healthy Thanksgiving to all the families of 4WE. We are so grateful to
interact with such wonderful children on a daily basis. Thank you for all of
your efforts and support in making our classroom community such a
positive one!
3. Wednesday, November 25th 12:00 noon dismissal. HAPPY
THANKSGIVING!
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
 How do characters change throughout a story? Why do they
change?
 How do readers take a position or stance about a character, and
then identify evidence to support their stance?
 Using true "micro stories" to enhance our personal essays
 Link to WordlyWise
MATH
• Division concept review and practice
• How to using drawings to support diving in to equal groups
• Division strategies and methods
• District Math 1st Trimester Assessment
SOCIAL STUDIES
• More work with primary and secondary sources
• Analysis of life in the America's prior to European exploration
• Columbus and his impact on the Age of Exploration
WHAT'S UP IN 4WE?
Week of December 7, 2015
HIGHLIGHTS
1. Holiday Toy Drive for P.S. 1 - Greenacres is collecting unwrapped toys
for our buddy school P.S. 1 in the Bronx. All toys should be labeled either
"boy" or "girl" and suit elementary age children. This is a wonderful way to
give to other children and we appreciate your support and toy
donations.
2. Artful Looking - Session 2 - On Thursday, December 10th we will enjoy
our second session of Artful Looking.
3. Hour of Code - This week our students will observe the Hour of Code by
engaging in coding with the help of Mr. Holvig, our computer and
technology teacher. We will explore what it means to code and engage
in multiple activities that encourage this wonderful form of critical and
creative thinking.
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
22.
How do we add transitions to our essays?
23.
How do we revise and edit, ensuring we are writing with a clear
purpose and following essay structure?
24.
Publish our personal essays
25.
Introduction to persuasive essays, how to be brave and take risks to
make a point in our writing
26.
Looking through many lenses while we read looking for overall story
meaning, not just a specific scene
27.
How to connect thoughts to build upon interpretations while
reading.
28.
Link to WordlyWise
MATH
• Division - the many methods we can use to divide
• How to divide one-digit by two-digit numbers by splitting them in to tens
and ones
• How to solve word problems by selecting the appropriate operation
• Division Quiz - Friday, December 11th
SOCIAL STUDIES
• Columbus' exploration and impact continued
• How does point of view and perspective impact the way we
understand history?
• Who was Henry Hudson and what impact did his exploration have on
North American discovery?
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason
for existing."
-Albert Einstein
WHAT'S UP IN 4WE?
Week of December 14, 2015
HIGHLIGHTS
1. Holiday Toy Drive for P.S. 1 - Greenacres is collecting unwrapped toys
for our buddy school P.S. 1 in the Bronx. All toys should be labeled either
"boy" or "girl" and suit elementary age children. This is a wonderful way to
give to other children and we appreciate your support and toy donations.
All toys must be put in to bins near school entrances by December 17th.
2. Artful Looking - Session 2 was a wonderful success. Thank you to our
fantastic parent volunteers and to these students of 4WE for their
enthusiasm and participation in creating a meaningful learning
experience.
3. Tuesday, December 15th is a half-day and the last parent teacher
conference sessions. 12:00 dismissal.
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
29.
Publishing personal and persuasive essays
30.
How do we write strong conclusion paragraphs?
31.
How do we use checklists to help us revise, edit and assess our
writing?
32.
What transitional words can we use to connect reasons to
evidence?
33.
How to connect our conclusions about characters for overall
meaning while reading
34.
Link to WordlyWise
MATH
• Division - long division strategies and practice
• How to divide one-digit by three-digit numbers by using the "Division
Family" method
• How to solve word problems by selecting the appropriate operation
• Division Quiz - Friday, December 18th
SOCIAL STUDIES
• The Age of Discovery group based explorer research
• How do we become experts and teach others about our research?
• Modern explorers are selected as research topics
• Use of the library and computer lab to generate research ideas
• How do we create a flyer on Pages to persuade people to join an
expedition (taking the point of view of our modern explorer)?
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason
for existing."
-Albert Einstein
WHAT'S UP IN 4WE?
Week of January 4, 2016
HIGHLIGHTS
1. Happy New Year - Welcome back and we hope you all had a
wonderful break.
2. Winter Concert on January 19th - Afternoon and evening
performances. Please wear a solid colored shirt, black pants, and solid
colored shoes to school on the 19th for the performance.
3. Music Genre of the Month: Broadway Musical Hits - If you have a song
request or favorite Broadway show please let us know. We are very
excited!
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
35.
Reading - New unit focusing on non-fiction called Reading the
Weather - Reading the World
36.
Post fiction reading unit On Demand assessments
37.
Writing - New unit focusing on writing realistic fiction narratives
called - The Arc of the Story
38.
Post essay writing unit On Demand assessments
39.
Link to WordlyWise
MATH
• Bar Modeling - Developing our modeling skills
• How to become Bar Modeling Masters
• Drawing bar models to represent multiplication and division problems
• Division Unit Test - Tuesday, January 5th
SOCIAL STUDIES
• Modern explorers research
• How to take the point of view of an explorer we are researching
• Using Pages to create a flyer, explaining our expeditions
• Thinking creatively to include research facts on our persuasive flyers
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason
for existing."
-Albert Einstein
WHAT'S UP IN 4WE?
Week of January 11, 2016
HIGHLIGHTS
1. Our students will be bringing home their writer's notebooks on regular
basis. Please encourage your child to write entries about whatever is on
his/her mind.
2. Winter Concert on January 19th - Afternoon and evening
performances. Please wear a solid colored shirt, black pants, and solid
colored shoes to school on the 19th for the performance. Please also send
in an empty canister (oatmeal container, cracker box, soup can, etc) with
your name on it for the concert by Friday, 1/15.
3. Our students are diving into nonfiction reading in class. Please support
this work by asking your child about the topics they're reading and also
asking them about what they're learning from their books.
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
Connect to a nonfiction text before reading and make a
commitment to be interested in the text
Preview parts of the text before reading, paying attention to
headings and topic sentences, and they use what they already
know about the topic to think, “This part seems to be about….”
Notice text organization: problem/solution, compare/contrast,
cause and effect, and chronological.
Plan for realistic fiction stories by plotting the arc of the storyspecifically by aiming to intensify the problem.
Link to WordlyWise
MATH
• Bar Modeling - Using graph paper to draw proportional models
• Using comparison bar models to solve multiplication word problems
• Labeling bar models to show what we know and what we are looking
for
• Bar Modeling Quiz - Thursday, January 14th
SOCIAL STUDIES
• Complete modern day explorers flyers
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason
for existing."
What's Up in 4WE Archives
-Albert Einstein
WHAT'S UP IN 4WE?
Week of February 22, 2016
HIGHLIGHTS
1. 4WE will begin studying poetry utilizing the book Love That Dog by
Sharon Creech.
2. Homework had been posted on the class calendar for the months of
September, October, and November. For easy home/school
communication, we will resume posting homework on our class calendar.
This calendar is located on Ms. Witmer's teacher page. Please check it for
assignments when your child is absent from class.
3. Please return the video consent form we sent home for our student
teacher, Hakeem as soon as possible. Thank you.
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
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Introduction to poetry, Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Publishing our realistic fiction stories
Launching our literary essay unit of study in writing
Link to WordlyWise
MATH
• Introduction to fractions
• Using visuals to represent fraction values
• Identifying equivalent fractions
• Defining numerators and denominators
SCIENCE
• Analyze how land and water interact through use of stream table
models
• Analyze runoff and how it changes under the presence of different
types of rain
• Record observations in Land and Water journal
WHAT'S UP IN 4WE?
Week of March 7, 2016
HIGHLIGHTS
1. Poetry Conversation - Sometime this week, please have a conversation
with your child about poetry. We ask you spark the conversation with the
question, "What makes a poem a poem?"
2. Science - Each student should collect and bring in 3 small rocks for an
upcoming Land and Water lesson by Wednesday 3/9.
3. Realistic Fiction Publishing Celebration - The authors of 4WE cordially
invite you to attend a publishing celebration on Thursday, March 14th from
8:55 - 9:45. We will be sharing our realistic fiction stories and would love for
you to join us. An email will be sent out with details shortly.
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS
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Continue our close reading of Love That Dog
Write poems that include specific characteristics of poetry
Actively engage in conversations about the messages found in
poems
 Draft and develop our first literary essays in response to different
texts
• Link to WordlyWise
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MATH
• Comparing fraction values
• Using multiplication to find equivalent fractions
• Using division to simplify fractions
• Defining and identifying like fractions
SCIENCE
• Analyze how land and water interact through use of stream table
models
• Analyze the impact of dams on both land and water
• Observing river flow and how it interacts with river beds
• Record observations in Land and Water journal
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason
for existing."
-Albert
Einstein
What's Up in 4WE Archives