April 11

Dear Parents,
We were so proud of how our students took the FSA testing so seriously. They used their knowledge, strategies, learning, and gave it their all for sure! Results won't be here until some time in May. We will let you know the day we receive scores. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement at home!
Mrs. Kluge and Mrs. Cox.

Wednesday is Early Release! We have fewer resources due to 4th and 5th grade FSA testing. So... we will have RECESS on non-resource days! Yay!

Resources this week:
Cox:
Friday: art
Kluge:
Tuesday: pe

ELA: We finished Peter Pan last week! We compared the novel to the 1953 movie version and we were shocked at the many differences. We recorded similarities and differences during the movie and we will complete a writing activity during work centers to share our comparisons.

Our new unit will focus on the importance of clean freshwater around the world. Our central text will be One Well: The Story of Water on Earth written by Rochelle Strauss.

In unit one of our final module, we will continue to build geography and map-reading skills by studying where water is found on earth. We will write informational paragraphs to explain this. We will also examine the water cycle and watersheds and will compare how different texts present similar information about these two topics. This will be excellent preparation for fourth grade writing. 

This week, we will discover how all water on earth is connected and has been here since the beginning of time. The text will provide some surprising facts about water on earth as well. 

Some important new vocabulary will be found in the following sentence:

"All water on Earth is connected, so there is just one source of water -- one global well -- from which we all draw our water."

These words would be great to discuss at home this week!

In writing, we will start to learn about two types of writing prompts which will be a big part of fourth grade. The type of prompt determines how a writer organizes his/her piece.

Opinion prompt: "After reading the text, would you support having uniforms in school or not having uniforms in school? Give information from the text to support your opinion."

Informative prompt: "The text discusses the practice of recycling. Write an informative piece explaining how recycling is a positive thing for a community. Use evidence from the text to support your answer."

Our first assessment will be an on-demand paragraph answering the question, Where is Water on Earth? Students will explain using specific facts, definitions and details from the texts they have read in their informative paragraphs. They will use a familiar graphic organizer we have used all year.

TOPIC:

DETAIL:

     EXPLAIN:

DETAIL:

     EXPLAIN:

CONCLUSION:

Math:

This week in math the students will be solving one- and two-step word problems using the four operations.  They will represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity.  The students will use concepts learned throughout the year to determine appropriate strategies. We will use modeling and reasoning to develop solution paths. The students will independently make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, share their solutions and critique peer strategies.  We will measure the perimeter of various circles to the nearest quarter inch and use all four operations to solve problems involving perimeter and missing measurements.  The students will construct rectangles with a given perimeter using unit squares and determine their areas.

Example problem and strategies for solving problem:

If an adult movie ticket cost $7 and a child ticket is $4, how much would it cost for Tony’s family of 2 adults and 2 children to attend the movies? 

Example problem for missing measurement in perimeter problem:   

Example Problem: Molly builds a rectangular playpen for her pet rabbit. The playpen has an area of 15 square yards. Estimate and label as many possibilities for the playpen.   

Homework:                                                                                        

Module 7 Lesson 3

Module 7 Lesson 16

Module 7  Lesson 17

Module 7 Lesson 18

Module 7 Lesson 20

Things to practice and review at home:

Practice identifying number patterns using multiplication, addition or subtraction strategies.

Continue to review  multiplication and division facts 2 to 10  

Practice solving two step word problems involving all four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).

Please check out our DCPS site http://www.duvalschools.org/Page/17284

for homework help and strategies to help with solving homework problems.  

Science:

We will be describing structures in plants and their roles in food production, support, water and nutrient transport, and reproduction.  The students will learn how plants respond to heat, light and gravity.

March 28

Welcome back! We hope you had a wonderful Spring Break! We missed you and look forward to seeing you tomorrow! If you worked on your practice packets over the break, please bring them in tomorrow. No RAH log this week due to testing.

Our FSA testing schedule is as follows: Please arrive on time each day. If you are tardy, you may not be able to test with the class and will need to do make-up testing.
Wednesday, March 30: READING DAY 1  EARLY RELEASE
Thursday, March 31: READING DAY 2
Friday, April 1: MATH DAY 1
Monday, April 4: MATH DAY 2

Our resources are:

Cox:

Tuesday: PE

Kluge:

Tuesday: Music

Thursday: PE

Class Photo Order Form: Before Spring Break our students took a class photo.  We sent home the order form from Leonards before break.  You can order them online or return the order form after break.

Make checks or money orders payable to: Leonard's

For easy ordering and to pay by credit card, order online as: 
www.leonards.com/photoprepay

Online Password: G355873

Packages you can order:
1- (one) 8 x 10 Class Group with Border
2- (one) 8 x 10 Class Group with Border with protective coating
3- Class Group on a T-Shirt 

Below are a few photos of some of our Peter Pan Readers Theater presentations... so much fun!

March 14

Don't forget, we do not have school on Friday. Spring Break is Friday, March 18 through Monday, March 28. We will resume on Tuesday, March 29.

An optional reading FSA practice packet was sent home this week. It has FSA style passages and questions with a link for the online answer key. Also, I encourage students to complete a few Achieve articles over break. Mrs. Cox will sending home some math review sheets also! Please look for them this week.

FSA dates:  Please be at school on time each day!
Wednesday, March 30: READING DAY 1
Thursday, March 31: READING DAY 2
Friday, April 1: MATH DAY 1
Monday, April 4: MATH DAY 2

Resources next week:
Cox:
Monday: Computer Lab
Tuesday: Art
Thursday Music
Kluge:
Monday: PE
Tuesday: Computer Lab
Wednesday: Art

March 7

Our spring book fair is this week! Our classes will be going on Tuesday. Family night is Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. 

Monday evening at 6:00 pm, our DCPS school board representative, Jason Fischer, will hold a Town Hall Meeting on the subject of school curriculum. 

Wednesday is Early Release at 1:40 pm.

Class picture day is Tuesday! Individual pictures will be taken also, but only if prepaid.

Resources this week:

Cox: 

Monday: art

Tuesday: media... Please return all library books! computer lab in ELA

Wednesday: computer lab

Thursday: music

Friday: pe

Kluge:

Monday: computer lab and media... Please return all library books!

Tuesday: art

Wednesday: pe

Friday: music

ELA: This week, we will compare and contrast two excerpts of our novel, Peter Pan with readers theater. Both the excerpt and the readers theater will tell the same part of Peter Pan. Students will learn how drama is organized and how to read this unique genre. They will discover how readers theater tells a story purely through dialogue. This is a great way to work on our fluency, too! 

We will also be reading two texts on the same topic and comparing the themes, plots, characters, and settings. 

Please continue to work on Achieve3000 articles at home. We had 15 students raise their Lexile levels in February!!!

MATH: The students are continuing collecting, categorizing, and analyzing data.  They are analyzing graphs to solve one-and two step problems, including comparison problems.  The students will learn that intervals do not have to be whole numbers, but can also have fractional values to help in recording measurement data.  They will review line plots as tools for displaying measurement data which will include fractions on number lines and create their own line plots to display data.

Homework:                                                                                        

Module 6 Lesson 4

Module 6 Lesson 5

Module 6 Lesson 6

Module 6 Lesson 7

Module 6 Lesson 8

Things to practice and review at home:

Help your child develop an understanding of fractions as numbers by providing opportunities to discuss parts of whole at home.

Practice identifying number patterns using multiplication, addition or subtraction strategies.

Continue to review  multiplication and division facts 2 to 10  (We will be testing our facts weekly.)

Practice solving two step word problems involving all four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).

Please check out our DCPS site http://www.duvalschools.org/Page/17284

for homework help and strategies to help with solving homework problems.  You may also find the homework videos helpful.

SCIENCE: The students will continue learning about energy and discuss how light and matter interact.  They will explore what happens when light is reflected in many directions.  The students will begin to understand how objects reflect, refract and absorb light.

February 22

• Please send in the Ft. Menendez field trip form if you have not already.
• Mid-term progress reports will go home on Friday, February 26.
• Wednesday is Early Release.

Resources this week:
Cox:
Monday: music   Bring your recorder!
Tuesday: pe
Wednesday: pe
Thursday: computer lab
Friday: art
Kluge:
Monday: recess
Tuesday: music   Bring your recorder!
Wednesday: music   Bring your recorder!
Thursday: pe
Friday: computer lab

ELA: As our study of Peter Pan continues, we will look closely at how the author uses detailed descriptions to capture our imaginations and paint vivid pictures in our minds. We will connect text from our novel with vintage illustrations of Neverland. We will also read quotes from the text and analyze the language the author uses to describe the setting. We will also begin to work with readers theater scripts of scenes from Peter Pan. These lessons will expose students to different narrative structures,to help them analyze the characters in Peter Pan more deeply, and to practice building their reading fluency.

This week, we will also learn about the Constitution and the 3 branches of the United States government. We will learn about why the Constitution was written and how it explains the role of each branch of government.

MATH: This week in math we will generate simple equivalent fractions by using visual fraction models and the number line.  Express whole numbers as fractions and recognize equivalence with different units.  The students will decompose whole number fractions greater than 1 using whole number equivalence with various models.

               

Homework:                                                                                        

Study for Mid-Module Assessment

Module 5 21 & 22

Module 5 Lesson 23

Module 5 Lesson 24

Module 5 Lesson 26

Things to practice and review at home:

Help your child develop an understanding of fractions as numbers by providing opportunities to discuss parts of whole at home.

Practice identifying number patterns using multiplication, addition or subtraction strategies.

Continue to review  multiplication and division facts 2 to 10  (We will be testing our facts weekly.)

Practice solving two step word word problems involving all four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).

Please check out our DCPS site http://www.duvalschools.org/Page/17284

for homework help and strategies to help with solving homework problems.  You may also find the homework videos helpful.

SCIENCE: The students will continue learning about energy and discuss some of the behavior of light and how light and matter interact. They will explain what causes a shadow by understanding the way light travels as well as explain refraction of light.

February 15

We would like to thank all of you for the sweet Valentines and gifts we received on Friday. You made us feel very special and loved!

Check out the wonderful star posters 

our students created in science! 

Great teamwork!

Resources this week:

Cox:

Tuesday: Media... Please return all library books!

Thursday: Art

Kluge:

Tuesday: Music

Wednesday: PE

Friday: Art

Field trip on February 29! Permission slips were sent home on Friday. Please return as soon as possible. Fort Menendez is a wonderful trip and we look forward to it! Click on the photograph for the link to the Fort Menendez website.

Jump Rope for Heart will be this Thursday and Friday. Please wear appropriate shoes for this event. We will let you know when we find out which day our classes will participate.

ELA: Students will be bringing home reading homework periodically. Please check the planner for days when it is due and look over it with them at home. 

I'm thrilled with the usage of Achieve3000 this month! Many students have already completed at least 4 lessons in February! Remember the goal is to score at least 75% and to write a complete answer on the thought question at the end of the lesson. Before writing the thought question, click on the blue box that says "Include in your answer" to make sure you know what is expected! Student Lexile growth has been incredible! Thank you for supporting your child in using this program!

We will continue to read Peter Pan. Students will meet in discussion groups to debate about which character's actions affected the events in the story the most. Students will also identify Peter Pan's thoughts, feeling, and actions in chapter 9. All of these guide Peter's motivations. Students will consider all of this in their character analysis of Peter. 

MATH: This week in math we will begin to identify a shaded fractional part in different ways depending on the designation of the whole.  Place whole number fractions and fractions between whole numbers on a number line and compare fractions and whole numbers on a number line by reasoning about their distance from 0.  The students will begin to recognize and show that equivalent fractions refer to the same point on the number line. 

Homework:                                                                                        

Module 5 Lesson 13

Module 5 Lesson 14

Module 5 Lesson 15

Module 5 Lesson 16

Things to practice and review at home:

Help your child partition things at home into equal parts and comparing fractional parts of a whole.

Practice identifying number patterns using multiplication, addition or subtraction strategies.

Continue to review  multiplication and division facts 2 to 10  (We will be testing our facts weekly.)

Practice solving two step word word problems involving all four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).

Please check out our DCPS site http://www.duvalschools.org/Page/17284

for homework help and strategies to help with solving homework problems.  You may also find the homework videos helpful.

SCIENCE: Students will continue learning about energy and recognize that energy has the ability to cause motion or create change.  Students will identify examples of energy changing form and learn about ways energy can travel from one place to another.

Module 5 Lesson 13:

Module 5 Lesson 14:

Module 5 Lesson 15:

Module 5 Lesson 16:

February 8

Wednesday is Early Release.
Don't forget to make your Valentine boxes and bags for our card exchange on Friday! Class lists were sent home last week.



Resources this week:
Cox:
Monday: Computer lab
Tuesday: Art
Wednesday: Music
Friday: Music

Kluge:
Monday: PE
Tuesday: Computer Lab
Thursday: Art

ELA: This week, students will participate in a Socratic Seminar. This involves two students working as a team. One is the speaker and one is the coach. Then, they switch roles. The speakers all sit in a circle with their coaches behind them. They are given an open ended question and then conduct a self-directed discussion. There is no correct answer to the question and students know the question ahead of time so they can prepare, The question is based on their opinion with evidence to support that opinion. The coaches listen carefully and evaluate their partner based on the following criteria:

Did my partner...

• Respond to other students' comments in a respectful way
• Listen attentively without interrupting
• Keep his/her eyes on the speaker
• Come prepared to the seminar
• Refer back to the text to support his/her comments and opinions
• Participate in the discussion

We will also complete a mid-unit assessment. Students will create a character analysis of the character Peter Pan focusing on traits which describe him, what motivates him to behave as he does, and how his actions move the story forward. This can be based on anything that has happened so far in chapters 1-5. Students will also reread chapter 6 and answer several multiple choice questions.

MATH: This week in math we will begin to build non-unit fractions less than one whole from unit fractions.  The students will represent parts of one whole as fractions with number bonds and build and write fractions greater than one whole using unit fractions. We will also compare unit fractions by reasoning about their size.

Homework:                                                                                        

Module 5 Lesson 6

Module 5 Lesson 8

Module 5 Lesson 9

Module 5 Lesson 10

Module 5 Lesson 11

Things to practice and review at home:

Help your child partition things at home into equal parts (exa.  Pack of crayons, pieces of food, paper)

Practice identifying number patterns using multiplication, addition or subtraction strategies.

Continue to review  multiplication and division facts 2 to 10  (We will be testing our facts weekly.)

Practice solving two step word word problems involving all four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).

Please check out our DCPS site http://www.duvalschools.org/Page/17284

for homework help and strategies to help with solving homework problems.  You may also find the homework videos helpful.

SCIENCE:

The students will identify  some basic forms of energy such as light, heat, sound, electrical and mechanical and recognize that energy has the ability to cause motion or create change.  We will begin to identify ways that energy changes form.