Math Fact Combination Practice

As we talked about in many of your conferences, students are still working to meet and exceed their timed test goals. The link below is a great resource to print out practice sheets for your student. While all the computer games and apps can be a lot of fun, there's nothing quite like the old-fashioned flash cards and timed tests.

http://www.math-drills.com/

Guest Speakers on NC Native Plants

We had an amazing opportunity today to learn about NC native plants from two experts in the field of botany. Julie Tuttle, Jack's aunt, is a lecturing fellow at Duke University in their Thompson Writing Program. Dr. Alan Weakley is a professor in the biology department at UNC Chapel Hill and the director of the UNC Herbarium. They talked with our 4th graders about the diversity of plants and habitats in North Carolina. Earlier in the year, we studied the various regions in our state and about the differences in the geology from the mountains to the Piedmont to the coastal plains regions. Of high interest to the students was information about the native carnivorous plants including the Venus fly trap and pitcher plants. Students got to examine a beautiful pitcher plant from the UNC Botanical Garden and worked to classify and categorize a variety of native plants and trees.

We will leave for our time at Earthshine in the beautiful NC mountains with eyes wide open to the shape, size, color, and texture of the various plants we encounter while out on hikes in the woods. Many thanks to our distinguished guests, and thanks to Robin Tuttle for organizing their visit today.

Science: Digestive System

The digestive process begins in our mouths with the aid of our teeth, tongue, and saliva. Ask your scientist about the saltine cracker experiment when they chewed for one-minute without swallowing.  We explored how the acids in our stomach break down food by experimenting with a saltine cracker and some orange juice in a ziploc bag.  We learned how long food remains in the stomach and how the small intestine is the workhorse of the digestive tract. Students were shocked to see that the small intestine is 21 feet long while the large intestine is 9 feet long. Also, ask your student about the oatmeal/stocking simulation that shows how water is absorbed into the body through the large intestines. Mrs. Pursley added to our study during Wellness class by continuing to talk about the many excretions made in our bodies to aid with the digestive process.

Paragraph Writing

There is a fine art to writing a good paragraph. We are working with students to learn to write a well-developed paragraph with a clear topic sentence, three supporting ideas, and a concluding sentence. This is harder than it might sound! We compare this paragraph structure to following a recipe. When you're learning how to cook, you need to follow the recipe exactly. As you become a more experienced chef, you might adjust the recipe to your liking. As 4th grade writers, we are following the recipe. The more we practice, the better the paragraphs are getting. You name it, and we are writing paragraphs about it.

Current Read Aloud

"When his father returns East to collect the rest of the family, 13-year-old Matt is left alone to guard his family's newly built homestead. One day, Matt is brutally stung when he robs a bee tree for honey. He returns to consciousness to discover that his many stings have been treated by an old Native American and his grandson. Matt offers his only book as thanks, but the old man instead asks Matt to teach his grandson Attean to read. Both boys are suspicious, but Attean comes each day for his lesson. In the mornings, Matt tries to entice Attean with tales from Robinson Crusoe, while in the afternoons, Attean teaches Matt about wilderness survival and Native American culture. The boys become friends in spite of themselves, and their inevitable parting is a moving tribute to the ability of shared experience to overcome prejudice. The Sign of the Beaver was a Newbery Honor Book; author Elizabeth Speare has also won the Newbery Medal twice, for The Witch of Blackbird Pond and The Bronze Bow."

--written by Richard Farr
-- from www.GoodReads.com

Math: 2-D Geometry and Measurement

We have started Unit 4: Size, Shape, and Symmetry. Our classroom has been covered with rulers and yard sticks and meter sticks as the students have been busy measuring things around our classroom. 

Last week we were working to:

• Review the lengths of units of measure
• Use U.S. standard and metric units to accurately measure length
• Estimate lengths based on common units
• Determine when estimates or exact measurements are needed
• Find perimeter using standard units
• Recognize and explain possible sources of measurement error

Beginning this week we are working to:

• Recognize the attributes of polygons
• Use Power Polygons to make geometric figures given specific descriptions
• Sort polygons according to various criteria
• Understand the many classifications of quadrilaterals

Doodle for Google

If your student is interested in creating a "Doodle for Google," please click on the link below to learn more about the contest. Entries are due to Ms. Rankey by March 21st.