Bloom's Questions

Way back in 1956 Benjamin Bloom led a group of educators in devising a taxonomy of educational objectives.  Bloom's Taxonomy orders and ranks different levels of thinking.  Our students should be challenged to work on the higher levels of the Taxonomy, the levels of Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.

We make sure to ask our fourth graders difficult, probing question at the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy for every story we read.  This week, students were asked to compare and contrast characters from two different stories, create a new title for a story and explain why they chose that title, and to make a prediction about what will happen to a character and why.

Homework for today:
     1.  Spelling practice test (words are on p. 60)
     2.  Math Miss W:  PW57
                   Mr. Spaulding:  PW88
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Students of the Trimester

We had our first Sespe Students of the Trimester Awards Ceremony this afternoon.  This is an opportunity for us to recognize some of the hard working students of our school.  In our class, the winners were Leslie, Jorge, Gavin, and Daniela.  Congratulations!

Homework for today:
     1.  Vitamins
     2.  Math Miss W: RW57
                   Mr. Spaulding:  RW88
     3.  Read for half an hour

Our Hearts Are Broken

All of us have been shaken up by the horrible and tragic events of this last week.  As a both a teacher and a father I can only imagine the pain of the community and families of Newtown. 

I think I speak for all the teachers of Sespe School when I say we are so very grateful for our wonderful Sespe students.  We will do our best to make sure they are always safe at school.

Homework for today:
     1.  Vocabulary Sort: mit, mis
     2.  Math Miss W:  RW56 & PW56
                   Mr. Spaulding:  PW87
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Shadow of a Bull

Our story in Reading this week is an excerpt from 1965's Newbery Award winning book Shadow of a Bull.  Manolo Olivar is the son of Spain's greatest matador, who was killed by a bull.  Everyone expects Manolo to follow his father's footsteps and became a bull fighter.  But he has a terrible secret.  Bull fighting scares him!

This week's Greek or Latin root is 'mit' or 'miss' meaning send in such words as emit, missile, and mission.

In math, fourth graders are learning about negative numbers.

Today's homework:
     1.  Spelling p. 60-61.
     2.  Math Miss W:  No homework.
                    Mr. Spaulding: RW 87
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

It's Raining Cats and Dogs!

Chin got cold feet when it was his turn to give a speech.
Sarah's got music in her blood.
Steve was down in the dumps after his soccer team lost in the finals.

Idioms!  Fourth graders are supposed to understand that sometimes we don't mean literally what we say.  When we say it's raining cats and dogs, we don't really mean it!  We call these expression 'idioms.'

Homework for today:
     1.  Practice Spelling Test.
     2.  Math Miss W: RW88
                    Mr. Spaulding: No homework.
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Respond to Literature

Fourth graders learn to write for various purposes and audiences.  One important fourth grade standard is to be able to respond to literature.  Students read a selection, then write a response to literature essay.  They must briefly summarize the selection, and also interpret it.  What is the author trying to say?  What are the major themes?  What lesson about life can we learn from this selection?

Homework for today:
     1.  Genes.
     2.  Math Miss W: Temperature.
                   Mr. Spaulding:  Model Perimeter and Area.
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

What Is an Ecosytem?

Fourth graders are learning about ecosystems.  An ecosystem is made up of biotic factors (living things, such as plants and animals) and abiotic factors (non-living things, such as water, rocks, and sunshine.)

A Pond Ecosystem


Homework for today:
     1.  Vocabulary Sort: port.
     2.  Math Miss W: RW87.
                   Mr. Spaulding: Same Area, Different Perimeter.
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Irregular Verbs: Can't Live With Them, Can't Live Without Them

Fourth graders are learning about irregular verbs.  Most English verbs are regular, meaning that the past tense ends in -ed, but many common verbs are irregular.  Examples are:  grew, went, ran, saw, took, threw, wrote.  Almost all of these irregular verbs can be traced back to Old English.

This week's Latin root is port meaning to carry.  Our words are:

          deport, export, import, portable, portage,
          porter, portfolio, report, support, transport

Today's homework:
     1.  Spelling page 76.
     2.  Math Miss W: no homework.
                   Mr. Spaulding: Area, Perimeter worksheet 15-6.
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Social Studies Test Tomorrow

Be prepared!  We have a test on Social Studies Unit 2: Early People of California tomorrow.  Be sure to review the study sheet.  We also have a spelling test, and a quiz on academic vocabulary and the Greek and Latin root 'sect'.

Today's homework:
     1.  Spelling practice test.
     2.  Math Miss W: Same Area, Different Perimeter
                   Mr. Spaulding:  PW142
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Review Social Studies
     5.  Get parent initials.

Mexico Wins Independence! (In 1821)

As part of our study of California's history, fourth graders are learning how California was once part of Mexico.  Soon we will learn about the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848, which led to that colorful and exciting period known as the California Gold Rush!

Today's homework:
     1.  Anesthesia
     2.  Math Miss W:  Area and Perimeter worksheets.
                   Mr. Spaulding:  RW142
     3.  Study Social Studies Unit 2 Review Sheet 
     4.  Read for half an hour.
     5.  Get parent initials.
    

The Bridge Dancers

This week's story is The Bridge Dancers by Carol Saller.  It is the story of two sisters who live in an isolated mountain community.  When Mama leaves them alone one stormy night, the girls must learn to deal with an emergency all by themselves.

This week's academic language words are responsible and responsibility.  Our Greek or Latin root for the week is sect meaning "to cut."  The words are:

     intersect         trisect          dissect          section          transect

     vivisection         insect          sectional          sector          bisect

In math we are focusing on the concepts of perimeter (measuring around a figure) and area (measuring inside a figure.)  Students often get these concepts mixed up, so it is a good idea to review math homework carefully every day.

Today's homework:
     1.  Vocabulary Sort: sect
     2.  Math Miss W: RW144
                    Mr. Spaulding:  PW139
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Study Unit 2 Social Studies Review Sheet.
     5.  Get parent initials.

Writing Summaries

Fourth grade students are expected to be able to summarize information.  This week, students are reading and summarizing an article about Henry Ford and the invention of mass produced automobiles.

Also this week, students take a test on Unit 2 of our Social Studies book.  Unit 2 is on the Early People of California:  Indians, European Explorers, Missionaries, Ranchers.

Today's homework:
     1.   Spelling p. 68
     2.  Study Social Studies Review sheet.
     3.  Math Miss W:  RW142
                    Mr. Spaulding:  RW139
     4.  Read for half an hour.
     5.  Get parent initials.