Minimum Day Friday

Don't forget that tomorrow, March 1, is a minimum day for the end of the trimester.

Homework today:
     1.  Famous Mistake/Sinking City
     2.  Math Miss W:  Fractions and Decimals
                    Mr. Spaulding: RW97
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Book Reviews

Students are writing book and book series reviews.  Here is a nice one from Leslie:

One of my favorite book series is called My Fathers Dragon.  It was written by Ruth Stiles Gannet.  The book is about a boy named Elmer who has to save a dragon named Boris from a very strange island.  The animals on the island have Boris tied by his neck so he doesn’t fly away.  They are very mean to him.  They twist his wings and his arms.  The dragon is only a baby and can’t defend himself.  Elmer goes into the island and gets past through the animals and saves Boris.  When Boris arrives to his house he finds out that his family had been captured.  He finds Elmer and asks if he could help.  Elmer goes with Boris and saves his family by making a lot of noise so the men will get scared and let the net go.  This book is very interesting , and I think you guys should read it.





Homework for today:
     1.  Baseball Great/Vertical Race
     2.  Math:  No homework. (We had a test today.)
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Fundraising Assembly

We had a fundraising assembly today. Students will be selling cookies, cheesecakes, and other goodies.  Look for information coming home with your child.

The state writing test is next week.  Fourth graders are reviewing how to write summaries, responses to literature, and narratives.

Today's homework:
     1.  Jet's Job and Fire Investigator.
     2.  Math Miss W: Page 1 of math packet.
                   Mr. Spaulding: RW95 & PW95.
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today we started with oral reports.  Leslie and Alex started us off with two very nice presentations.  Leslie talked about one of her favorite books, My Father's Dragon, and Alex discussed an interesting book about horses called Thoroughbreds.  Good job!

Don't forget the Walkathon tomorrow!  Wear appropriate shoes.

Homework today:
    1.  Physical Properties worksheet.
    2.  Math Miss W:  RW108 and PW108
                  Mr. Spaulding:  No homework (Happy Valentine's Day!)
    3.  Read for half an hour.
    4.  Get parent initials.

Smencils Are Here

Those wonderful smelly pencils - Smencils - have arrived.  Only one dollar a piece.  Profits go towards our Fort Tejon field trip.

Hello Poem by Isabella

Homework for today:
     1.  Practice Oral Presentation of your favorite book.
     2.  Math Miss:  RW107 and PW107 1-12
                   Mr. Spaulding:  RW148 and PW148
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Valentine's Day is Coming Soon!

Many students enjoy exchanging Valentine's Day cards.  We will have a brief opportunity for students to share cards this Thursday.  Here is a list of all the students in our class:

David, Andrea, Alex, Jose A., Leslie, Natalie C., Kaeleigh, Michael F., Cristian, Michael G., Gavin, Jose H., Amani, Marisol, Jorge, Christine, Samantha, Isabella, Elmer, Julian, Angel, Eileene, Arturo, Mariana, Natalie R., Daniela, Erasmo, Abby, Marina, Dylan, Kevin, Luis, Gilbert.

Homework for today:
     1.  Practice your oral presentation about your favorite book.
     2.  Math Miss W:  RW100
                   Mr. Spaulding:  RW147
     3.   Read for half an hour.
     4.  Get parent initials.

Oral Reports

Red Ribbon Day Sespe School 2013

Planning, organizing, and giving oral presentations, with appropriate use of voice, eye, and body movements for the topic, audience, and occasion - this is an important fourth grade standard in langauge arts.

This week students have to prepare and deliver an oral presentation on a favorite book.  They are also working on writing original narratives.

Today's homework:

     1.  Minerals

     2.  Math Miss W:  RW99

                    Mr. Spaulding:  RW145

     3.  Read for half an hour.

     4.  Get parent initials.

More Bloom's Questions

In Previous posts, we discussed the importance of asking students higher level questions - higher on Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning, that is.  This week students read an excerpt from Anne Frank's Diary.  Today they worked on answering analysis, synthesis and evaluation questions related to the text.  Here are the questions:

1.  Analysis:  If you had to go into hiding like Anne and her family, what 3 items would you take with you and why?

2.  Synthesis:  Create a short diary/journal entry as if you are living in hiding.  Include information about how you feel and what you do to keep busy.

3.  Evaluation:  Was it right for Anne's father to publish Anne's Diary after her death?  Why or why not?

Today's homework:

     1.  Spelling practice test.

     2.  Math Miss W:  RW98, PW98 1-8.

                  Mr. Spaulding:  PW75

     3.  Read for half an hour.

     4.  Study Social Studies Review sheet
     5.  Get parent initials.

How to Write a Narrative

Learning to write narratives is an important fourth grade standard.  Good stories usually contain settings, characters and conflicts.  An interesting title can catch your reader's attention right away.

Our students are working at creating their own stories, which we will share.  Look forward to further information in future blog posts.

Today's homework:
    1.  Minerals
    2.  Math Miss W:  PW97
                  Mr. Spaulding:  RW75
    3.  Read for half an hour.
    4.  Study Social Studies Review sheet 
    5.  Get parent initials.

Minerals: The Building Blocks of Rocks

Did you know that the most common mineral in the Earth's crust is feldspar?  Our students are learning about the fascinating world of rocks and minerals.


Poetry Corner

            Dozens of Muffins
                 
                            by Leslie

I woke up in the morning and saw a strange thing,
Dozens of muffins started to sing;
They danced all around,
And came in my house;
And not to my surprise I had a muffin in my mouth!

Homework for today:
     1.  Vocabulary sort: mal, male
     2.  Math Miss W:  Equivalent Fractions
                   Mr. Spaulding:  PW68
     3.  Read for half an hour.
     4.  Study Social Studies Review sheet.
     5.  Get parent initials.

Fun With Figurative Language

  Hit the hay!


Fourth graders are supposed to be able to define figurative language and identify its use in literary works.  Here are some good definitions of various types of figurative language.  (From Thinkquest "Figurative Language," http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210124/figlandef.html)

Figurative Language

Definitions

Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of a single letter in the alphabet (as in "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickle peppers.") or a combination of letters (as in "She sells seashells by the seashore."). It's just about the easiest form of repetition a poet can use.


Metaphor
A metaphor compares two unlike things. "My baby sister's a doll," you might say, compares your sister's size and sweetness to that of the perfection of a doll. At another time you might say, "My brother is a rat." This compares your brother to the nastiest little creature you can think of. In both cases you would be making a metaphor - a form of comparison that directly compares two unlike things. A metaphor wastes no time in getting to the point.

Simile
If you said, "My sister is like a doll," or maybe, "My brother's good as gold," you would be making a simile - a form of comparison in which one thing is compared to another unlike thing by using specific words of comparison like like, as, and resembles. Poets try to find unusual metaphors and similes.

Onomatopoeia
In its simplest form, onomatopoeia is produced by a single word that sounds like the thing it refers to: "Six burgers were sizzling on the grill." "A snake slithered through the grass."

Personification
One of the most familiar kinds of comparison is personification---that is, speaking of something that is not human as if it had human abilities and human reactions.

Hyperbole
A great exaggeration used to emphasize a point, and is used for expressive or comic effect. A hyperbole is not to be taken literally. Example: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." We know that eating an apple every day will not keep you from ever getting sick and having to go to the doctor.


Idiom
Idioms are groups of words whose meaning is different from the ordinary meaning of the words. The context can help you understand what an idiom means. For example: "Put a lid on it." Our teacher tells us to put a lid on it. She's not really telling us to put a lid on something but to be quiet and pay attention.

Today's Homework:
     1.  Spelling 104-105.
     2.  Study Social Studies Review page.
     3.  Math Miss W: RW95
                  Mr. Spaulding:  RW68 (Prime Numbers)
     4.  Read for half an hour.
     5.  Get parent initials.