Posts

 

Math : We took a pause on math this week to focus on our Toy Fair. Friday we introduced customary conversions. We will focus on those through the rest of next week. We will have a quiz on Friday the 29th going over both metric and customary conversions. Monday, June 1st we will review for our end of year quiz. We will be covering the first two sub-units (Power of 10 & Conversions). I will send home a review packet that Monday to help students prepare for our quiz on Tuesday, June 2nd. 

 

Science : It was so great to see so many of you at the Toy Fair on Thursday! I'm so proud of how well the students applied the Engineering Design Process to create their own toys. We will do some reflection work on the project and wrap up our Energy Conversion unit next week. 

 

 

Math : This week in math we began focusing on Metric units. We looked at meters, grams and liters. Students were able to convert from one unit to another using different Metric units. We will continue to practice converting as well as applying these in world problems next week too! 

 

Science : Our toy project is well underway! Students have been working very hard this week to apply the engineering design process to their toys. Students created patterns and had parts cut out of foam core or cardboard to construct their toys. Next week we will add batteries, motors and fans to get them to function. We are so excited to have our Toy Show on Thursday, May 21st at 1:15pm in the gym! We look forward to seeing you there. 

 

 

Math : In Math, we looked at powers of 10. We focused on how when you multiply or divide by powers of 10 it shifts the place value and either increases or decreases the answers value. Students will have a Quiz on Monday over these topics. 

 

Science : This week we focused on the Engineering Design Process. Students dove deeper into each step in the process and created a poster to represent it! We will be moving into our end of year Toy Project. Students will be in groups and use the Engineering Design Process to create functioning toys! We will be hosting a Toy Fair on May 21st and would love for families to come support (specific time and location to come soon!). 

 

Math : Students finished Unit 5 this week with our assessment covering decimal addition, subtraction, multiplication and division! Next week we will begin our final unit - WOW! In this last unit we will cover powers of 10, measurement conversions and some more fraction work! For this final unit, I will be updating Khan Academy weekly with assignments students can work on at home. These are optional, but a great way for students to get a little practice in at home. 

 

Science : Students have stepped into the roll of engineers this week. They have been looking at different types of convertors and how their energy input and output can differ. We finished the week by exploring all the types of energy convertors we have access to including simple electrical systems, our bodies and musical instruments! 

 

STAR 360 testing will be happening next week! Both groups of 4th grade will take Math on Tuesday during their block with me! 

 

We are excited to host our third annual Decatur STEM Family Night! Please join us for an evening of hands-on STEM activities and a special opportunity to showcase the hard work of our students who represented Decatur at the city-wide STEM Fair Exhibition. 

We encourage families with students from all grade levels to attend on Thursday, April 30th from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. Students and their families will have access to the following sessions:

• Math Fair. Interact with mathematically challenging activities to help showcase the beauty and accessibility of mathematics. 

• Lego League. Engage in a hands-on challenge, similar to what our students experience during a Lego League competition. 

• STEM Fair Student Exhibition. Students will share their projects to showcase their hard work and help ignite interest from younger students to participate in future STEM Fair opportunities.

• Vendor Exhibition and Refreshments. Stop by to grab a snack and learn about STEM related opportunities  for your students from local partners.

 

Please RSVP here!

 

Math: Last week students begin looking at how we can best divide decimals. Students used what they knew about dividing with fractions to make connections and convert to make it easier on themselves. We will continue looking at decimal division this week. Students will take their Unit 5 Test on Friday, April 24th! Be on the look out for a practice test coming home on Thursday. 

 

Science: Students have been looking at Ergstown and continued to try and figure out what caused the blackout. We experimented with different systems to see not only different energy sources, but also what is the most efficient way to power the city. Students learned when there are too many devices in a system, things do not work as well because there is not enough energy transferring through. 

 

Math: This week students continued to focus on adding and subtracting decimals, with a focus on when the two numbers have differing place value amounts. They also applied their knowledge to real world word problems and decided which operation to use. We wrapped up the week with our Sub-Unit 2 quiz. Next week, we will focus on multiplying decimals! 

 

Science: We dove into our new unit by exploring simple electrical systems. Students worked together to try and create a functioning simple electrical systems. We quickly realized we were missing an important part of our system - the Sun! Students learned about different energy input types and output types. Next week, students will focus on energy output! 

 

Week 28 

 

This week students participated in a decimal break out and budget planning project! When we return from break we will continue to focus on decimals, fractions and multi-step problems. 

 

In Science, we wrapped up our learning on Earth's Feature's and Health lessons too. We will begin our last unit focusing on Energy Conversion when we return. 

 

Have a restful and safe spring break! 

 

Math: Students have been doing more work with adding and subtracting decimals. We have been focusing on making sure that all numbers are lined up correctly. I saw many students helping each other out - love to see the collaboration! We will to continue focusing on decimals next week and when we return from Spring Break. 

 

Science : We are wrapping up our Sexual Health lessons. Our last one will be Monday, March 16th. Students have been very engaged and are asking very thoughtful questions. We will begin our last unit on Energy Conversions after Spring Break. Students have been collaborating on showcasing all their learning from out Earth's Features Unit. Be sure to check out our bulletin board at Report Card Pickup! 

 

Reminder that Report Card Pickup is Wednesday, March 18th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Your child's homeroom teacher has sent a link to sign up. If you have any questions - please reach out! The Book Fair will also be taking place next week. You can shop online or in-person at RCPU. 

 

Math: This week in Math, students compared decimals to the tenths and hundredths place. We plotted different decimal points on number lines and learned what end points would help us zoom in and be the most precise. 

 

Science: This week began our Sexual Health lessons. We've covered Lessons 1 - 4 (my absence on Thursday has us a day behind). Students will be coming home with worksheets and more information that goes with each lesson. These provide a great school to home connection and jumping off point for a deeper conversation. 

 

 

Math : This week students took their Unit 7 test covering data, geometry and graphs. We are moving into Unit 5 which is covering decimals and fractions. This week students have been practicing how to write fractions as decimals. Students have also been discovering different ways to represent fractions and decimals as words and using expanded form. We will continue these practices next week as well! 

 

Science : This weeks students engaged in many different ways to share their thinking. One way we did this was having students create their own rocky outcrops and based on the rocks they used, other students had to guess the previous environments! They did great using their knowledge on rock types and sediment to provide evidence for their reasoning. We ended the week with our Scientific Explanation to wrap up this Unit and Chapter 3. Next week will begin our Sexual Health lessons - please reach out if you have any questions! 

 

IAR testing will begin the week of March 9th! We will be covering different test taking strategies as well as having some SEL work to encourage students to feel confident and in control heading into what can be an overwhelming week. Student can prepare for this by being present in class and knowing they already have the knowledge they need to be successful for this test and beyond! 

 

Book Fair: Book Fair is online already! You will have opportunity to shop it in person at Report Card Pickup as well as at the end of the Week of March 16th. Here is our class wishlist - Ms. Risley's Class wishlist ! Donations are never expected, but always appreciated ! 

 

Math: We will enter out last Sub-Unit for Unit 7 next week. We will be focusing on number patterns. Students will generate, identify, and graph relationships between corresponding terms in 2 patterns, given a rule. Our Unit 7 test will be on Wednesday, February 25th. 

 

Science: We will continue looking at the Rocky Outcrop to be determine the previous enviornments in Desert Rocks National Park. Students will also begin gathering data and drafting statements to support their claims. 

 

Sexual Health: Sexual Health lessons will start in 4th grade on Monday, March 2nd. I have attached more information below. If you do not wish for you student to participate, please let me know no later than Friday, February 27th. 

Week 22 

 

Math: Students wrapped up this week with a quiz covering attributes for different quadrilaterals. Next week, students will be learning about the coordinate plane. They will be learning how to name different points, create lines and shapes on it too! There will be a quiz on Thursday, 2/12. 

 

Science: Students will look closer at the rocky outcrop where we found our fossil in Chapter 1. We are going to be creating diagrams to better differentiate between the layers of rock & fossil. Students will end the week by responding to a scientific argument using details and facts they learned throughout the week. 

 

Math : We wrapped up this week with our Unit 4 test covering multi-digit multiplication and division. We are jumping around a bit and moving to Unit 7 which covers Geometry and Patterns. Students will classify shapes in hierarchies and represent real-world problems on the coordinate grid. Check out the At Home Math Resources for the new Caregiver Resource to support your student at home! We will have our first quiz in this unit on Friday, 2/6 covering how to classify shapes. 

 

Science : We have started our new Earth's Features! We will be taking on the role of Geologists this unit to study sedimentary rocks and how fossils form. We began this week by starting our experiment of making our own sedimentary rock. Stay tuned for pictures to see how we are adding layers to our rocks. 

 

Happy Show Week! It was so great to see so many 4th graders sharing their talents in the show this week with choir! 

 

Math: This week we focused heavily on partial quotient division. Students have had a lot of practice with it and will continue to practice it moving into next week. We will have a Quiz going over Partial Quotient Division on Monday, January 26th. We will have our Unit 4 Assessment on Friday, January 30th. Please be on the look out for extra practice pages being sent home. 

 

Science : We wrapped up our Waves, Energy, and Information unit this week with our coding challenge. Students sent another group a Binary Code that they would need to decode in order to receive the message. We are moving into our Earth's Features unit, where students will put on their Geologist hat and learn about the past through rocks and fossils! 

 

We're back! I hope you all had a wonderful Winter Break! 

 

Math : This week we have been reviewing our multiplication strategies we learned before break (partial products, standard algorithm & area model). We ended this week re-learning long division. Students we able to grab an extra sheet on their way out today to practice over the weekend (answers posted in Google Classroom!). Next week we will be looking at the patrial quotient method to solve long division expressions with. Make sure to check out the caregiver support section for some resources! 

 

Science : This week we are looking more at human communication and how we use code to communication. Students found different ways to share a message with their partner without sharing their paper. We learned more about Binary Code (1's and 0's) and how we can use that to communicate in a more efficient way. Next week, students will share a message with their partner to another partner group from across the room using Binary Code. 

 

 

In Math this week students took their Sub-Unit 1 Quiz covering multi-digit multiplication. We ended the week completing a Partial Product Menu Project showcasing their know on both partial products and area diagram method. 

 

In Science this week students partnered together to complete their Unit 2 project. They created different musical instruments that needed to produce 3 different pitches as well as be able to change volume. Students did a wonderful job working together and using what they knew about amplitude and wavelength to create successful instruments. 

 

In Math this week, we worked on using the Standard Algorithm to solve multi-digit multiplication equations. Students will have a quiz over all of our strategies (including Area Diagram & Partial Products) on Tuesday (12/9). We will review together on Monday and have some resources coming home too! 

 

In Science this week, we talked about how volume and amplitude are related and are ways we can describe both sound and wave forms. Students are gathering more information on sound and how it can differ from source to source. Next week, students will begin their Unit 3 project of creating different musical instruments. Students will use these instruments to produce different sounds at varying pitches and volumes. 

 

I'm so proud of all the hard work and dedication I saw on the Unit 3 math tests! Students did a great job using their resources to complete the test. We are now in Unit 4 : Multi-Digit Multiplication & Division. We finished this week working on Partial Products. Help students stay fresh over break by practicing those multiplication facts! 

 

In Science, we've wrapped up Chapter 2 with answering our chapter question "How does sound energy travel through water from mother to calf?". Students did a great job making sure to include a variety of scientific language. 

 

I hope you all have a wonderful break! I'm so thankful to be apart of the Decatur community and be able to partner with you all this year! 

 

 

Math: This week we've been wrapping up Unit 3. We focused a lot on Fraction division and how we can use multiplication equations to represent the same answer. The Unit 3 test will be on Monday, November 17th. Students have their practice test and an extra practice page to study with. See math google classroom for the answer key for the practice page. We will begin Unit 4 on Tuesday! 

 

Science: This week we have been focusing on how particles move through materials to allow sound to travel. Students have investigated this through demonstrations and using online simulations. They are using these to gather evidence and make observations. 

 

This week in Math, students finished up our 1st Sub-Unit on multiplying fractions. We are now moving on to dividing fractions and how the dividend and divisor impact the quotient. Throughout this sub-unit we will be using whole-number division concepts to divide with unit fractions and whole numbers, and relate fraction division to multiplication.

 

In Science, we are focusing on particles and how sound energy creates waves with them. This week we looked at what sound can travel through and how different instruments can create different waves with their sound energy. 

 

The week we've been busy practicing converting mixed numbers into improper fractions and multiplying those with other fractions. I've introduced some new games - ask your student about Takeaway 1 - 2. In science, we have started exploring waves, how they move and what they carry. We got online to visualize sound waves using different sounds from instruments. 

Week 5
We had a strong end to our week with our Unit 1 test on volume in Math! Be on the lookout for those coming home next Thursday. In Science, we're continuing our unit on vision and light. Students are gathering evidence to support each chapter’s driving question.

Week 4 

Students have been working together to solve for the volume in given prisms. Our first math test will be next Wednesday, September 17th. Be on the look out for review material on Tuesday evening! 

Week 2:

Students were gathering information from their environment through a hands-on activity. Students tested their senses, like how animals do, to learn more about their surroundings. They had to use their touch, smell and hearing senses. 

We had a great first week in 106! Both classes worked together to decide what they want their learning space to look, sound and feel like. From there we came up with collective agreements that we can use to help our classroom space feel like a safe & fun learning environment. Once we had agreed on those, students demonstrated what each agreement would look like when they are in this space. To wrap up the week students partnered up for a team building activity. One partner had to describe to the other what the image they had in their hands looked like. It definitely took lots of practice, patience and good communication. We're heading into our content this week so be on the look out for more math and science material!