Grade Four News

November 28, 2014

Parents,

On Monday, the Grade Fours had a very successful and safe field trip, the Tokyo Amazing Race. Groups set off from the school just before 9:00 and made their way to seven checkpoints around the city. The winning group, called Like A Boss, with Diego, Ottilia and Tom came it at 12:45 (amazingly!) with 2,190 yen still left in their money pouch. Awesome work everybody.

Next week, the Grade Fours will perform in their Living Museum on Thursday, December 4th at 2:00pm and Friday, December 5th at 8:30am. Students will become an explorer and answer questions at the push of a button. Please come and see one of these performances if possible.

A reminder that cold and flu season is quickly approaching. Carolyn and Andy are being extra vigilant in class, but please take the usual precautions and get plenty of rest!

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. We used google maps this week to plan our Amazing Race.

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:  This week we looked carefully at photos and diagrams that are used in non fiction texts to support the main idea. We can  use this site to find some levelled non fiction books: https://www.biguniverse.com/. username: tislibrary password: bookworm.  Please ask your child to fill in their reading log at the back of their homework book.

Writer’s Workshop: This week we continued our writing unit on personal and persuasive essays. Students are writing about special people in their lives, learning how to structure essays, and learning about the importance of including details in their writing.

We tested our thesis statements against a few different criteria to help structure our writing.

Units of Inquiry:

Current Unit of Inquiry: Where We Are in Place and Time

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?

This week we completed the Amazing Race and now we are turning our attention to becoming explorers for the living museum.

Reminders:

• 4B are collecting english language magazines and newspapers, if you have any to donate please send them in with your child.

• Grade Four Living Museum is Thursday, December 4th (repeat performance at Grade Four Assembly Friday, December 5th at 8:30am).

• Winter Concert is Thursday, December 18th.

This week, we held our Amazing Race in Grade Four. It was a very fun day. Here are a few photos followed by a summary of the day from Alyssa. If you want to see some awesomeness, read on!

In grade 4, we had a big race around Tokyo. It was called the Amazing Race. We were in competition with other groups and there were 11 groups in total. We had to travel around Tokyo with our group to find 7 famous landmarks such as the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa,  the whale statue at the National Museum of Arts & Science, Tsukiji Market, Hachiko Statue in Shibuya, the Eye of Shinjuku at Shinjuku Station, the Arisugawa Bridge at Arisugawa Park and the Imperial Palace. After finding each landmark we had to take a picture of our group at the location and email the teacher. We were given 5,000 Yen to spend. We would have to spend it wisely and carefully. To get around Tokyo, we used public transportation like buses, subways or just simply walking. The point of the Amazing Race was to make it back to school with the cheapest and the fastest way.

In the Amazing Race we had to be risk-takers and try different routes. If we made a mistake we would learn from it. Therefore, we need to work in teams to plan our routes carefully. We need to be patient as explorers because if you cannot find your way, you should not get frustrated. We should be patient and try solving the problems together. As we travelled around Tokyo, we felt like adults because we were making our own decisions. We planned our choice of transportation carefully and had to figure out the amount of money to spend and where to go first.

When we finished the race we felt like we had accomplished something very big. We felt very proud of each other and were not sad, angry or disappointed. We showed good sportsmanship because it was only for fun. Throughout the race we tried our very best and had lots of fun along the way. At the end of the race we were exhausted. It is an experience that we will never forget !!

 by Alyssa

Here is an interesting article from an astronaut writing about the details of living in space.

“It was hard, it was exciting, it was scary… And yes, I’d go back in a heartbeat.”

http://www.wired.com/2014/11/marsha-ivins/

Grade Four News

November 21, 2014

Parents,

Next Monday is the Grade Four Amazing Race, our trip around Tokyo as part of our Unit of Inquiry on Exploration. Students have been planning their trip in their groups this week and will be ready to get going on Monday morning. Wish us luck!

A message from PE Teacher Malgosia:

“Now that we have completed and reflected on our Athletics unit, that prepared us for Sports Day, we have just started a Net Games unit in Physical Education, which will last until Winter break. Students will learn basic volleyball rules and how to keep the ball up (set/dig). Students will work on improving their hand eye coordination and targeting. Successful teams require cooperation skills, which we will also be focusing on.

PE teacher

Malgosia Zajkowska”

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. We used google maps this week to plan our Amazing Race.

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:  This week we tried to identify key ideas in non fiction texts, we found pop out sentences and  identified boxes (main idea) and bullets ( supporting details) in a text. We can  use this site to find some levelled non fiction books: https://www.biguniverse.com/. username: tislibrary password: bookworm.

Writer’s Workshop: This week we continued our writing unit on personal and persuasive essays. Students are collecting ideas and elaborating on them in the early stages, then composing and drafting with introductions and conclusions. Along the way, students are learning about connecting evidence and reason.

Units of Inquiry:

Current Unit of Inquiry: Where We Are in Place and Time

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?

We have planned our exciting adventure ( the Amazing Race) around Tokyo for Monday. We wrote some essential agreements about how to behave and planned in detail our route, we are all going in different directions.

Reminders:

• 4B are collecting english language magazines and newspapers, if you have any to donate please send them in with your child.

• Monday is The Amazing Race, children need a packed lunch and comfortable shoes. The students wear school uniform.

Tokyo map

Today we planned for the Amazing Race field trip. We will be going off in groups of 3-4 and trying to reach several point around the city. The fastest, cheapest group of the twelve wins. Good luck everybody!

Lucia and Mika thought we should all see this.

1. Why did the European Space Agency land a rocket on this comet?
2. What is the problem with this?

Here is the link to the story:
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/11/12/rosetta-comet-landing-is-space-game-changer

Landing a rocket on a satellite? Sounds crazy? Take a look at this short video.

Homework due Friday, November 21

Monday: Look, cover, say, write and check these words:

1. Europe   2. Africa   3. Asia  4. Antarctica 5. Australia

Then draw a symbol or picture to help you remember the word.

Tuesday:  The students at the Middle School Craft Fair are selling necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Harry counted the necklaces and found that there were 6 short of 5 dozen. The students had 30 more rings than necklaces and a dozen fewer bracelets than rings.

When packed in boxes holding 6 items per box, how many boxes of each item did they have?

Wednesday: Answer this question in at least one paragraph (at least 5-7 sentences): What do you think are the most important characteristics of explorers?

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

Every day: Read for at least 15 minutes.

*a reminder about homework: please spend only 25 minutes on it and complete what you can!