Grade 4 camp

Grade 4, went on a amazing trip to Lake Aoki, Hakuba for an awesome camp trip. Grade 4 experienced a lot of outside nature, thanks to Evergreen, for helping us on our wonderful trip.

We also did lots of fun activities. We canoed on a fresh mountain lake. We could see relaxing and beautiful views.

We also went mountain biking around the mountains. It was a very relaxing trip around Hakuba Mountains. Grade 4’s favourite activity was Capture the Flag and rock climbing. Capture the Flag was set in a mazed forest so you could sneak into their side and steal the flag. Also, rock climbing was very fun, because you could climb easy and extreme climbing walls. Some kids were huge risk-takers because they were brave enough to climb to the top of the hardest wall.

Grade 4 thought camp was an extreme success and safe. Thank you, Kenny and Misao for coming and spending their time coming with us and having fun.

by Hugo 4B

Wow, what a day! Our Living Museum summative assessment task took place today in the gym. So impressive.

Each student chose an explorer to research and role play. They made up several ‘powerful’ questions and an introduction to say to the visitors when they arrived and pushed the statue’s button. With last week’s camp, we had very little time to prepare for this but our students really delivered. Amazing work!

Hi. My name is Nellie Bly. I’m from the U.S.A. I was born in May 5th, 1864 and I died in January 27th, 1922.

1) What are you famous for?

I was famous for going around in 72 days. Before I became an explorer, I was a Journalist. I broke the record of Phileas Fogg and he went around the world in 80 days.

2) Where did you go to school?

I did not go to school for very long but I attended one semester at a boarding school, then I had to drop out because I didn’t have enough money.

3) Who went around the world with you?

Elizabeth Bisland. Me and Elizabeth were making a race around the world. So we were best friends while going around the world.

4) What transportation did you use?

I took a boat called Hamburg America line.

5) Is Nellie Bly your real name?

No. Nellie Bly is my pen name and my real name is Elizabeth Jane Cochran Seaman.

6) Why did you travel around the world?

In 1888, I suggested to my editor at the New York World that I take a trip around the world, attempting to turn the fictional around the world in 80 days into a fact for the first time.

-by Sungyeon Park

Douglas Mawson

Hello, my name is Douglas Mawson. I am an Australian scientist who explored the Pacific Islands and who took a journey to the Antarctic. I was born in 1882 and died in 1958. I am from Shipley, England, and I moved to Australia in 1884 where I became an Australian scientist. I left to explore the Antarctic in December 2nd 1911. That journey was the most deadliest polar expedition in HISTORY!!!!

Answers to the 6 powerful questions:

1.Why did you explore?

I wanted to explore the geography and collect samples of the snow and other objects in the Antarctic for scientific study.

2.What are famous for?

I am famous for being the sole survivor of the deadliest polar expedition in history.

3.How many men were with you and how many survived?

30 men and many sledge dogs were with me at the start of my expedition. I am the only one who survived.

4.What dangers did you run into on your journey?

Because of the extreme cold and snow, I suffered from skin injuries including losing the skin on my hands and feet, snow blindness, thirst and starvation. My friends and companions fell through thin ice and crevices and died, along with many of the dogs and sledges with the food and supplies. I fell into a crevice myself, but my sledge did not fall through and this saved me.

5.How did you survive?

When the last of my food supply was gone, I had to kill and eat my sledge dogs. I was determined to walk back to the base camp and fortunately found a small supply of food along the way left by a search party. This, plus my strong will survive, is how I survived.

6.What happened when you got back to Australia?

I was a national HERO and I got knighted by the queen.

-by Keira Bunce

We are having a contest to see who can make the best money design for our Unit of Inquiry called World of Work. In this unit, we will be using money but we need a student to design and name it. To enter, bring in your design and the name for the unit of measure (dollars, yen, zips, blips, anything…) on Monday. The best design wins! Here is one from a few years ago.

Wow, what a day! Our Living Museum summative assessment task took place today in the gym. So impressive.

Each student chose an explorer to research and role play. They made up several ‘powerful’ questions and an introduction to say to the visitors when they arrived and pushed the statue’s button. With last week’s camp, we had very little time to prepare for this but our students really delivered. Amazing work!

Monday: Prepare your costume and props for tomorrow’s Living Museum summative assessment!

Tuesday: Write a one paragraph reflection on your Living Museum experience. How can you improve for this Friday’s assembly?

Wednesday: Read this page: http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-many-worlds-are-there/

and write at least one paragraph on this question: Do you think there are living things on other planets? Why or why not?

Thursday: Work on www.mathletics.com for 25 minutes.

You should read for at least 15 minutes each day.

It rained. And rained. And rained some more. But we still had an awesome time. Here are a few photos to help you with your camp reflections.

This week, we are asking students to prepare for camp and work on costume ideas for the Living Museum next Tuesday.

Here are a few challenge questions from other students:

How long does it take to travel to Mars?

Is it more dangerous to go to the dark side of the moon?

Grade Four News

May 16, 2014

Parents,

Our Grade 4 Camp is just a few days away! We hope you child is getting excited about making the trip to Nagano next Wednesday. Please remember to drop off your child at TIS at 7:20am on Wednesday. The bus will leave shortly after.

Thanks, as always, for your support at home.

Andy and Carolyn

Grade Four Teachers

Mathematics:

This unit we are looking at timelines, quadrants, and coordinates. Our review work with multiplication and division continues throughout the unit.

In addition to working on Mathletics, students are encouraged to practice multiplication times tables at the following websites:

www.softschools.com

www.multiplication.com (the games section is best, especially Granny Prix and Jungle Jim!)

Literacy:

Reader’s workshop:  In our focus on biographies we have been looking at two mentor texts about famous explorers. 4A- Edmund Hillary and 4B- Jacques Cousteau, we know that when we read a biography we usually already know something about the person. We got together with the other class this week and compared the subjects of our biographies.

Writer’s Workshop: Students are putting the finishing touches on their historical fiction stories. We are focusing on making our stories true to their time period and considering the struggles and motivations of our characters.

Current Unit of Inquiry: Exploration

Title: Exploration

Central Idea: People explore in different ways but often for similar reasons.

Lines of Inquiry:

Who explorers are.

How explorers travel.

Why people explore.

Concept Questions:

Who are explorers?

How do explorers travel?

What are the challenges of exploration?

Summative Assessment:

You are an explorer. Your explorer is displayed in a museum; but not just a regular, ordinary museum.A Living Museum!  When a visitor comes by, you come alive, introduce yourself so that visitors can learn more about you, your exploration, discovery, feelings, thoughts, daily life, etc.

1. You will research an explorer.

2. You will write a brief introduction answering basic questions: Who? What? Where? When? How?

3. Based on what you have learned about your explorer, you will write between 3-6 powerful questions and answers that people can ask you when they visit the museum. One of them will be “Why did your explorer explore?” These questions will relate to the Central Idea: People explore their world in different ways but often for similar reasons.

4. Create a recount describing your exploration (picture, journal, blog, map, sketching book, etc.)

5. Prepare yourself to role play your explorer when you answer people’s questions.

6. Create your costume.

Here are a few examples of powerful questions: How did you feel before you left on your exploration?  What were the dangers or challenges you thought you would have to face? What was the most difficult thing you had to do while exploring? What did you bring in your big trunk? What was your most precious piece of equipment? What was your last meal before you left on your exploration? What did you crave while exploring? Who did you miss the most while you were gone? What makes you a good explorer? What do you think people will remember you for?

Reminders:

7:20am arrival at school Wednesday morning for Grade 4 Camp

Grade Four Camp: May 21-23

Anyone who still has a first aid bag from the Amazing Race could you please return it?

Living Museum Tuesday 27th May at 2.30pm in the gym. Repeated in assembly on Friday 30th May at 8:30am.

Complete the assessment on mathletics and then play the game below.

Complete this activity on the computers, Bike route co ordinates

Have you ever noticed the number at the bottom right corner of Google Earth? Those are the coordinates that we use to measure precise points on the earth.

The closer you zoom in, them accurate the numbers get. Remember that the numbers and decimals show you where the cursor is on the map. Move the hand and you can see the numbers change. Can you find our school and write down the coordinates in the comments below? Be precise!

Hi 4B,

I will be in later this morning and Yuko will be supervising your maths this morning.

Complete the assessment on mathletics and then play the game below.

Complete this activity on the computers, Bike route co ordinates

Thanks,

Carolyn