Today we discovered why backbones are so important. Try making a giraffe without a backbone. Thank goodness we had coffee stirrers to act as our backbones.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Weekly News January 29th
Benson/Cave News
News from the 4th Grade
January 29, 2016
Math News
We took the topic 8 on Wednesday. Those grades came home Thursday. For the most part, everyone did a great job! I can tell everyone knows how to multiply double digit numbers, we just sometimes make mistakes adding or forget a zero. We are now diving into Division!! We began Topic 9 and we will be testing on it next Thursday, February 4th.
Don’t forget that you can access your child’s text book at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com Their username is their school number id and the password is richland2.
Zearn username: student number Zearn password: benson
Aleks username: (ask your child) Aleks password: aleksmat
Science News
We have enjoyed talking about classifications of animals--specifically the vertebrate groups. We even tried to make some giraffes today with playdoh and quickly found that without a backbone, our giraffe was merely a blob. Once we added a backbone (coffee stirrer) our giraffes were able to stand with their heads held high. (Pictures to come over the weekend.) We will continue with animals next week with an open notebook quiz on vertebrates most likely Tuesday.
If your child wants to do the extra credit for Science which I emailed about earlier in the week, make sure they have gotten the forms from me and it will be due no later than February 25th.
Language Arts News
In ELA we finished reading “The Battling for Independence” and took a test on Thursday.While reading this booklet, students learned how to identify key details in a passage. Hopefully the information that they learned from this booklet will help with social studies. Next week we will read “Snowflake Bentley,” a biography in Treasures. We will work on generating questions from the story to draw conclusions. There will be quiz on this story selection on Wednesday.
Next week students will get a new reading log on Wednesday. Students will be given their reading level and be expected to use a book on their reading level for the reading log summary. Please encourage your student to write good descriptive complete sentences!
Social Studies News
In social studies students we have completed our unit on the American Revolution. Students were given a study guide on Friday. Class time was used on Friday to complete the study guide. A test on the American Revolution will be given on Tuesday. Social Studies notebooks will also be collected and checked on Tuesday. Then we will begin examining the first form of government for the new United States.
Fourth Grade News
We are collecting items to donate to a local pet shelter for our combined 3rd - 5th grade 100th Day Service Project. Any items or donations can be brought to school next week.
PLEASE, PLEASE! We need your child to have headphones or earbuds in class everyday. We use them every day. They also need them every time we go to the computer lab. Please make sure your child brings them to school everyday.
Ending Thoughts
You may email us anytime there is a concern. Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.
Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!
Thursday, January 28, 2016
100th Day Service Project
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grades are collecting items to donate to a local pet shelter for our 100th day service project. If you can, please send in any items or monetary donations that can be turned into the shelter. We appreciate any support in helping us reach our 100th day service project goal.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Pictures of our Activities
We have been busy with various activities since Winter Break. A group of students are helping out a Kindergarten class as their Math Buddies about once a week. We are sorting and classifying animals in science.
Math Buddies
Friday, January 22, 2016
Weekly News January 22nd
Benson/Cave News
News from the 4th Grade
January 22, 2016
Math News
We took a cumulative test on Tuesday that covered concepts taught so far this year. We will be using this to do some small group work during our RTI time over the next few weeks. This was not a graded test, just a check-to-see-where-we-are test.
We began topic 8 on Wednesday. We are moving pretty fast with this topic, covering 2 lessons a day. This is double digit multiplication. A sheet was given out to each student showing 4 different ways to multiply multi-digit numbers. Students can use this as a guide to find the method they are most comfortable with knowing. It is encouraged, however, that they really try to understand the area model and expanded algorithm because these two methods show the “why” of multiplication. We will be taking a test on Topic 8 on Wednesday of next week.
ALEKS is a grade given every week. Each week, each student needs to master at least 5 topics. When there are short weeks, I combine 2 weeks together and they should have 10 topics. I have been looking at what was done the last 2 weeks and there are still a few who have not gotten their 10 topics mastered. Students can and are encouraged to work on ALEKS at home if they feel they are not getting enough time in class. However, every other week, the RTI block of 30 minutes is dedicated for most students to ALEKS. That means that every other week, they have 150 minutes in class to work on their topics. There is no excuse in someone not to master their topics during these weeks. During the other weeks when we use RTI for Language Arts, they still have 15 minutes or so every day in math to work on ALEKS. This should be plenty of time to get 5 topics a week. Please double check with your child and see how they are doing. I record ALEKS grades every Monday for the previous week.
Don’t forget that you can access your child’s text book at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com Their username is their school number id and the password is richland2.
Don’t forget that you can access your child’s text book at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com Their username is their school number id and the password is richland2.
Zearn username: student number Zearn password: benson
Aleks username: (ask your child) Aleks password: aleksmat
Science News
This week we spent a lot of time researching the 5 different groups of vertebrates. We discussed what an organism is and what groups organisms are divided into. We even divided our class up into groups.
We have started our science notebook for organisms and it is already full of information. We will have a notebook check next week to make sure we are keeping up with our work.
Language Arts News In ELA we will read “Battling for Independence.” Student will have copy of this booklet in their reading notebook. This reading selection also supports the topics being covered in social studies. Please check your student’s agenda book for the day of the test which will probably be close to the end of the week. We continue to write daily in class by keeping an online writing journal. Whether it is a journal writing or essay, students are expected to have a topic and conclusion as a part of the writing. Please encourage your student to write good descriptive complete sentences!
Social Studies News
In social studies students are learning about the major battles of the American Revolution. We will use interactive maps to examine the battles and identify the turning point of the American Revolution and see how the war ended.
Fourth Grade News
Class Picture Day is Thursday, January 28th.
Spirit Day is Friday, January 29th. Remember to wear your BHE colors!
PLEASE, PLEASE! We need your child to have headphones or earbuds in class everyday. We use them every day. They also need them every time we go to the computer lab. Please make sure your child brings them to school everyday.
Ending Thoughts
You may email us anytime there is a concern. Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.
Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Wacky Tacky Day is Friday
The entire school has earned a Wacky Tacky Day for "Pawsome" Behavior! We will have this day this Friday. We would love to see who can be the wackiest and the tackiest!
Friday, January 15, 2016
Math Buddies
A few of our class members were able to be Math Buddies with Ms. Kornegay and Mrs. Green's kindergarten class. It was lots of fun! Can't wait to help again.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Weekly News--January 14th
Benson/Cave News
News from the 4th Grade
January 14, 2016
Math News
This week we continued multiplying 2-digit numbers with estimation and rounding. We took our test today. Grades are in Parent Portal. Next week we will continue with topic 8 on multiplying 2-digit numbers. We won’t just be estimating this time around. We will learn an algorithm for multiplying 2-digit by 2-digit numbers. We will be doing 2 lessons a day so the test for topic 8 will be around Wednesday, January 27th. Keep practicing those multiplication facts!
Don’t forget that you can access your child’s text book at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com Their username is their school number id and the password is richland2.
Zearn username: student number Zearn password: benson
Aleks username: (ask your child) Aleks password: aleksmat
Science News
We worked hard on finishing our research this week on Astronomy. I was very pleased with the research and hard work everyone put into their projects. It was neat to see everyone helping one another.
Next week we will be discussing the grouping of all living things into plants and animals. We will explore the animal side of living things first with vertebrate and invertebrate families.
Language Arts News In ELA we will read “Mighty Jackie” in Treasures. There will be quiz on Thursday for this reading selection..There will be no reading log again next week. However the look of the reading log will change soon.
Social Studies News
In social studies students worked hard and enjoyed creating a timeline in class showing key events that led up to the American Revolution. The timeline will be used as assessment instead of a quiz, This week we will begin to look at the major battles of the American Revolution and take a closer look at the Declaration of Independence.
Fourth Grade News
PLEASE, PLEASE! We need your child to have headphones or earbuds in class everyday. We use them every day. They also need them every time we go to the computer lab. Please make sure your child brings them to school everyday.
Don’t forget--Friday, January 15th and Monday, January 18th are student holidays. Enjoy your long weekend!
Report cards will be coming home next Thursday, January 21st.
Ending Thoughts
You may email us anytime there is a concern. Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.
Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Skyview app
I was introduced to an app this morning that I think you will find fascinating. It is called skyview. It is available in apple and android app store. There is a free version (which I downloaded) and there is one for $1.99. You can use it to see where the constellations are in the daytime as well as using it to name the constellations in the night sky. Hope you enjoy it! (Below is what the app looks like.)
Monday, January 11, 2016
Scholastic Book Orders Due Tuesday, January 19th
Scholastic orders were sent home with Mrs. Benson's homeroom students last week. There are some great books at great prices for anyone interested in ordering. You can either order online using the information below, or you can send a check made payable to Scholastic Books along with your order form and I will enter it into the computer. Either way, orders are due by Tuesday, January 19th. Thanks for helping our class earn more free books.
By the way, if our class has $100 worth of books ordered, every student in the class gets a free book and a coupon to use later in the school year for a free $5 book.
Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub
One-Time Class Activation Code: GPQM2
Friday, January 8, 2016
Weekly News January 8th
Benson/Cave News
News from the 4th Grade
January 8, 2016
Math News
This week we multiplied by 2-digit numbers. We multiplied multiples of 10 and did some mental math. We will continue topic 7 next week and take the topic 7 test on Thursday. Please continue to quiz your child on basic multiplication facts. The better they know these facts, the easier multi-digit multiplication will be for them.
Don’t forget that you can access your child’s text book at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com Their username is their school number id and the password is richland2.
Zearn username: student number Zearn password: benson
Aleks username: (ask your child) Aleks password: aleksmat
Science News
This week we have been completing a research project. Students have been divided up into groups of 3 and they drew a topic out of a bowl. The topics include the planets, the moon, the sun, and constellations. Each group has been working vigorously during class to research their topic. They have broken their topic into at least 3 sub-topics and each person is responsible for a sub-topic. They are taking this information and creating a digital poster board in Discovery Education. These poster boards are due by next Thursday, January 14th. They will be shared in class on this day. I look forward to seeing how creative our students can get.
We will begin our new unit of study in science on January 19th. This unit will be on animals and their habitats. It should be lots of fun!
Language Arts News In ELA we will continue to focus on “cause and effect as well as identifying the author’s purpose, words with prefixes, common and proper nouns. Please encourage your student to write sentences correctly - using correct spelling, capitalization and end punctuation. There will be cold read for the skills covered in reading on Wednesday.There will be no reading log next week. However the look of the reading log will change soon.
Social Studies News
In social studies we are continuing to study the causes of the American Revolution. Students will create a timeline in class showing key events that led up to the American Revolution. Then on to the first battles of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord!
Fourth Grade News
PLEASE, PLEASE! We need your child to have headphones or earbuds in class everyday. We use them every day. They also need them every time we go to the computer lab. Please make sure your child brings them to school everyday.
Thursday, January 14th is an early dismissal day. We will be dismissing at 11:30am. Please make sure that your child knows how they will be getting home from school that day.
Friday, January 15th and Monday, January 18th are student holidays. Enjoy your long weekend!
Ending Thoughts
You may email us anytime there is a concern. Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.
Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Weekly News January 4th
Benson/Cave News
News from the 4th Grade
January 4, 2016
Math News
The week before Winter Break, we tested on multiplying multi-digit numbers. Tests looked pretty good! They will be sent home this Thursday. This week, we started on Topic 7--multiplying by 2-digit numbers. It would be helpful to have your child work on their fluency as often as possible so that they won’t forget their multiplication facts.
Don’t forget that you can access your child’s text book at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com Their username is their school number id and the password is richland2.
Zearn username: student number Zearn password: benson
Aleks username: (ask your child) Aleks password: aleksmat
Science News
The week before Winter Break, we reviewed all of our astronomy topics so far and ended the week with Astronomy Jeopardy and a test. The tests were taken electronically and I emailed their scores to them over the break. We will be doing some more astronomy this week that includes some type of research project that will be done in class.
Language Arts News
Welcome back parents and students. In ELA and Social Studies our focus will be “cause and effect relationships” Our reading selection is “My Brother Martin” in Treasures. There will be a quiz on this reading selection on Thursday. Students will have a reading log this week that will be due on Monday, January 11, 2016. Students are expected to turn in this assignment on the due date which is noted on the reading log unless the student is absent on Monday. Beginning with the reading log due Monday, if it is turned in late, 5 points will be deducted from the grade for each date that it is late.
Social Studies News
In social studies we are beginning to look at cause of the American Revolution beginning with the French and Indian War. Please remind your student to have their notebook in class each day and keep it updated.
Fourth Grade News
We will be MAP testing this week on Wednesday and Friday. Please make sure your child is well rested and at school on time so that they will not have to do make up testing.
Our Brattonsville field trip was a blast! Everyone had a great time and learned a lot! There are some pictures on the blog--check them out!
Pencil Project
It was a success! Both Mrs. Cave’s and Mrs. Benson’s homerooms earned a hot chocolate party that we will enjoy after Winter Break! Thanks so much for donating so many pencils. They will definitely help out others!
PLEASE, PLEASE! We need your child to have headphones or earbuds in class everyday. We use them every day. They also need them every time we go to the computer lab. Please make sure your child brings them to school everyday.
Ending Thoughts
You may email us anytime there is a concern. Click on our name below for a direct link to our email.
Thanks for sharing your children with us each day!
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