I hope everyone enjoyed this beautiful weather and that you weren't shut inside with terrible allergies! It looks like we might get some rain and cooler weather this week. I can't decide if I'm excited or not! I'm ready for cooler temps, but I'm not ready to let go of this perfect weather!
Also - can you believe it's already time for the holidays? Y'all, where has the time gone? The first day of school was just last week! Check out our calendar to stay updated on everything we have going on. I updated it last night with everything we have (so far) through December.
Let's take a look at our week:
Reading
We are continuing to work on analyzing nonfiction text. This week, we will talk about the differences between main ideas and details. Students are often drawn to the details (interesting facts) they find in their nonfiction text. We will discuss how readers need to be able to distinguish the main idea from the details. We will then use that knowledge to practice writing and identifying quality summaries of nonfiction text.
Writing
We are also still working on expository text. We should be finished with our first expository piece this week! Students will be assessed on their prewriting skills (Are they applying the lessons?), and their final draft organization. I will be checking to make sure they are supporting their central ideas with supporting details that stay on topic. You would be surprised how easy it is to stray off topic in our writing! There will be a spelling/vocabulary assessment on Friday. Students who are on lesson five (they know who they are) can use this link for some practice games.
Math
We are going to move on from 2x2 digit multiplication this week. Don't worry, we will continue to work on it throughout the year with our spiral review. This week, we will introduce division. Students will learn how division is the same thing as repeated subtraction. We will practice dividing with single-digit divisors and two-digit dividends. We will work our way up to larger numbers in an upcoming unit.
Science
We are starting an awesome new unit on weather! How lucky are we that we are actually having some major weather changes coming up to model real life examples of what we're discussing in class! On Monday, we will review the water cycle and how it is continuously moving due to energy from the sun. We will spend the rest of the week discussing different types of weather and how we can use maps, charts, and graphs to share that data with others. If we have time, we will start predicting weather changes based off of those visual representations of weather. Click here for a link to our science vocabulary terms and quizlet. Make sure you are practicing this important vocabulary with your kiddos at home.
STEMscopes science homework is due on Friday!
Social Studies
We are finally done with our travel project. Students will present their itineraries to the class on Monday and Tuesday. We will spend the rest of the week learning about Native Texans. Who were the first people here? Where did they live? How did they use natural resources to survive?
Fourth Grade 411
-This is the final week to turn in any corrections and late work. I'm working hard to make sure our gradebook is updated. All corrections, late work (so far, we don't have any), and extra credit will be due on Friday. Let me know if you have any questions.
-Family Fitness Night is on Thursday at 6 p.m.!
-All homework is due on Friday!
-Red Ribbon Week is next week. Check out the post below for more information.