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HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND-and don't forget to read!
Sincerely, 4F
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MathRecently, we have been continuing our work with decimals by considering how the placement of a number past a decimal point affects how big the number is. For example, 0.1 is the same as 1/10 (a tenth), which is bigger than 0.01, which is the same as 1/100 (a hundredth). The further right a place value is from the decimal point, the smaller the value. We have used our understanding of decimals to practice addition and multiplication. Great ways to support your students at home would be to ask them questions about decimals. Examples: -What do I get if I add 0.4 and 0.7 together? -Can you figure out what 3x 0.6 is? -How could I say 0.4 as a fraction? ScienceBuilding on from our forces experiment, we have conducted a class-wide experiment to help us gather more consistent data across many different kinds of forces. We took time this week to look at all of the averages that were obtained from our experiments and chart them to make the results easier to read. Students are responsible for finishing their conclusions over the weekend, if they have not done so already. HumanitiesAlong with our Settlers Unit, we considered the overall impacts of Settlers on Alberta's landscape. Students made "Before and After" pictures to help them observe the changes that were made in Alberta, such as the impacts of the railroad, the impact on wildlife, the impact of restrictions on First Nations groups, the impact of the change in which the land was used, and others. Students have also been working on their Paper Bag Projects - an assignment around our class novel: The Wild Robot. Students have been trying hard to think of items to put into their paper bags - the tricky part is that they cannot have pictures or items that are exactly in the book (ie: a cut-out drawing of Roz, or a stuffed animal). Students have to be creative and think of items that could represent important characters, feelings, or events in the book. Examples: -A heart covered in tin foil: I might include this in my paper bag because it represents Roz, the main character, who is a robot who became a very loving mother. -A band-aid: I might include this to represent how Roz' neighbours, such as Mr. Beaver and Loudwing, who help her out when she is injured or not sure of what to do. -A bit of grass or moss: I might include some grass to represent learning to live in an unfamiliar place, since Roz covered herself with grass and rocks and moss to help herself hide and observe creatures living on the island to learn how to survive without frightening them. Drama Note:Please Rehearse your Secret Handshake Skits for Monday! Thank you for your participation in no-car day!This was a really great way to build awareness about the impact of day-to-day decisions that can impact our earth. Many students had a lot of fun walking in groups to school from our various drop-off zones. Thank you all for your efforts! Have a great weekend - and don't forget to read!
Sincerely, Ms. Patterson Math - Decimals, Rounding, and Place ValueThis week, we have introduced the concept of decimals into our math, and taken some time to practice rounding. We have also been using what we know about place value and decimals to help us place numbers in order from smallest to largest. Science - Forces ExperimentsAfter collecting the last bits of data, students learned the basics of analyzing data. We learned that analyzing data can help us make our information easier to understand. We have also been writing our conclusions - where we used full sentences to explain what we found, what we learned, and thought about what research could be done to build off of the results we have found. HumanitiesWe are continuing to learn about settlers, and have taken time to consider advertising and natural resources that would have made people want to move into Western Canada. Students who have not yet presented their books talks have signed up for days next week to present. Students are expected to complete their book talk checklists after they have presented. Additional copies are available from Ms. Patterson, if you need them. We have also continued our class book, and will be continuing to work on our final (paper bag) projects for our book over the next few weeks. Have a great weekend - and don't forget to read!
Sincerely, Ms. Patterson and 4F MathThis week, we continued to work with division. We did an input and output work sheet, and focused on how to use division and tables to help us problem-solve word problems. Science
HumanitiesOur class has been learning about settlers in early Canada this week, and have been using problem-solving to consider how they would approach the challenges faced by people traveling West, especially related to the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Have a great weekend - and don't forget to read!
Sincerely, Ms. Patterson and 4F Today in class, we started our visual note-taking for our Powerpoint on Settlers. Our class has covered slides 1-7 today.
Today, we used the scientific method to design an experiment about forces. The attached document has questions and phrases that students can help them to design their own experiments. If students are finished, they can collect data today or tomorrow.
Students are asked to make three notes for each step - we have gotten to the end of the PREDICTION slide today in class. UPDATE: April 3 - Students should now have all steps and their notes in their visual journals.
This week, we have continued to explore division, focusing on where the dividend, divisor, and quotient belong and how we can use subtraction to check for remainders. We watched the video (which you can access by the button at the top) to help introduce the idea that long division can be done one digit at a time to help us break down very large numbers more easily. Science - Balloon ExperimentThis week's experimentation has centered around making observations, and how observations can help us to know what we need to change when we build from designs. Our class used balloons to help us understand how control mechanisms can help us make the best use of forces we have available. HumanitiesThis week, we have had several more students present their first Book Talks! Chapter-book stories that our class recommends:
Spring Break (first day back is April 1)4F also had a chance to celebrate their hard work with a class party.
I look forward to seeing them after break. Take care and don't forget to read! Sincerely, Ms. Patterson and 4F
Humanities: Metis and Francophone Missionaries in AlbertaThis week, we have been learning about Metis art and culture through weaving and listening to videos of elders in the Metis community talk about the significance of the Metis sashes in their culture and daily life. We have also been considering the impact of francophone missionaries in Western Canada. Students considered different perspectives and took a stance on whether the impact of a in the areas that would become Alberta. Students were tasked with selecting supporting evidence that would support their stance from the notes they have taken this past week and from their prior knowledge of interactions between First Nations and Europeans. Book Talks
Science: Inclusive Playground CompletionThank yo so much to all the grade fours who put in so much effort for their science projects these past few weeks. Marks will be showing up on PowerSchool shortly. If you have not had a chance to present to our class, please make sure to do so on Monday. Parent Teacher Conferences - Thursday and Friday!Parent Teacher Conferences are on Thursday and Friday, and no classes will be held on those days. Instructions for booking time slots can be found on the Nose Creek School Website, the button below will take you directly to that page. Spring Break - Wednesday is last day of classes!Spring break for Nose Creek school is March 24-29, but there are no classes held on Thursday or Friday (March 21-22) due to parent teacher conferences. Please check the lost and found for any personal belongings before the break. Remember, only one book is allowed to be checked out from the learning commons over break. If you have more than one book checked out right now, please decide which one you would like to borrow over break and return the others to the LC this week! Call for Missing Work:Please take a minute to check to make sure there are no duo-tangs or loose assignments at home. In particular, I am missing several voyageur diary assignments and analog clock worksheets. Have a great weekend, and don't forget to read!
Sincerely, Ms. Patterson MathThis week, we have been looking at different ways to understand division and parts left over in division questions. We have also been looking at different ways that division can look, especially investigating how fractions can be used to represent division equations. ScienceOur building work on our Inclusive Playground Project ended with a grade four gallery walk this week - students have also had time to reflect on their learning and additional ways that their playground can support accessibility in the community. Students will have a chance to present their projects to peers as class next week. Humanities - Voyageurs
Humanities - Experts and Artifacts
Humanities - Book TalksOriginally, we had planned to present our book talks in March. The due date will be pushed back due to lack of library access this week and spring break coming up so quickly!
Remember, we need to choose just-right, chapter books for this project. If you are ready for your book talk, you are more than welcome to present, and you can do more than one book talk, if you like. I would love to hear about the books that we are reading as the year progresses! Have a great weekend - and don't forget to read! Sincerely, Ms. Patterson |
Ms. Patterson4F Teacher Archives
June 2019
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