We had our end-of-the-year party on Wednesday. Actually, it was the end-of-the-calendar-year-and-sayonara-to-three-students party. Thanks to the parent volunteers for organizing everything!

Winter week (the last week of school before winter break) was great. We had to say goodbye to three students. Nellie passed out some ‘sayonara’ cupcakes on Tuesday.

We decorated our classroom for the party on Wednesday. (By the way, this was perfectly safe!)

The paper chain was pretty long. Probably over 15 meters.

Some of the girls shared their winter poem.

Fa-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la!

Grade Four News

December 12, 2014

Parents,

This week, we have started our new Unit of Inquiry on science and inventions. Students have also started to look at information texts in both Readers and Writers Workshop. We will be looking into the Industrial Revolution in particular as it relates to this topic. If there are any parents who have firsthand experience with inventions, inventors or scientific innovation, please let us know. We are always looking for guest speakers to talk to our students.

A reminder that cold and flu season is here. 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 measurement (length, mass, volume, time) using the metric system.

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:  We have begun to look at reading to learn. We looked at a couple of different texts about the Industrial Revolution such as timelines, articles and some web pages.  We are beginning to think about how we use information texts to learn about a topic. We will become experts on parts of the Industrial Revolution in this unit.

Writer’s Workshop: In this unit, students will be learning about information texts. In the first few weeks we will look at how information is organized and how details are included in the texts, how to decide what to include, and how to plan research for this type of writing.

Units of Inquiry:

Current Unit of Inquiry: How the World Works

Title: Inventions

Central Idea: Human inventions have an impact on society and the environment.

Lines of Inquiry:

The reasons people invent.

How inventions have changed society and the environment.

The impact inventions have.

Summative Assessment:

You will select an invention and demonstrate your understanding of the three lines of inquiry along with a model. You will then apply your knowledge to come up with your own idea for an invention using the lines of inquiry to justify and explain the benefits of the invention.

Reminders:

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

• Winter class party Wednesday 17th December 2.30-3.15

• Winter Concert is Thursday, December 18th.

Want to hear some awesome music? Of course you do! Here are some of our creations from Music class recorded this week.

Alyssa:

Kyohei:

Keishirow:

Yoon:

We used Timeticker to help use work on timezones from around the world.

Here is a video of the rice planting and harvesting that Charlie’s dad made this year. Take a look!

TIS Rice Planting and Harvest 2014 from Michael Zeitz on Vimeo.

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

1. labor   2.innovate  3. machine  4. technology  5. demand

Then use the word in an interesting sentence.

Tuesday: Research three different ways people communicated in the past and draw a picture of them in your homework book.

Wednesday: Look for the Living Museum blog post in the Grade 4 blog. Write a comment on the Living Museum starting with “I used to think ______________, but now I think ______________.”

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!

Some sights and sounds from the Living Museum last week.

Living Museum from TIS Grade 4 on Vimeo.

On Thursday and Friday, 34 students dressed as explorers visited TIS as the gym became a real live Living Museum. Here are a few photos from those two days. Students, please leave your comments in this post for Wednesday’s homework. Amazing work, everybody! Wow!

Grade 4 will be having a winter holiday party on Wednesday 17th December for a period.

We would like you to make a suggestion about what we should do in that time.

Please post your ideas in the comments below. Here is a photo from last year.