Rex’s Roar

 

Dates to Remember:

September 22- Early Release

September 23- No School

September 28 & 29- No School

October 5 & 6- No School

 

General Study Topics:

Science and Social Studies-Texas Regions & Earth’s Changes

Math- Unit 1 of EM4

ELA- Class Novel

 

Science & Social Studies

We have embarked on our first units of the year! We are pairing Earth’s Changes with Texas Regions! We started by refreshing our map skills and focusing on what we knew about Texas already. We then studied the four main regions of Texas as well as the many sub-regions. We identified landforms unique to each of the regions which acted as our segue into science as we begin our study of how the landfroms are created and change over time. As we conclude these units in the coming weeks, we will be completing a project that will showcase their knowledge of the regions through the voice of a travel writer. They will highlight the landforms as attractions and make note of the changes that took place to create such a landscape. We will also be incorprating some Unit 1 math skills as the students calculate the mileage of their selected routes across the regions.

 

Math

We are well into the first unit of EM4! Our focus has been on place value as well as multi-digit addition and subtraction. We reviewed the standard, expanded and word form of a number. We also spent time refreshing our rounding and estimation skills. With each skill, EM4 reviews and/or introduces different strategies for a student to use. I liken the strategies to tools we put in our toolbox for when we are faced with word problems and problem-solving activities. They will ultimately select the tool that best fits the problem and helps them create a solution. We have even debated the pros and cons of certain strategies. We are now moving into the last sections of unit one which shift to geometry in preparation for unit 2.

English Language Arts

We have also made it about halfway through our first class novel, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. The students seem to really enjoy discussing a novel that everyone is reading. They are making great inferences about the characters. We have been focusing on creating connections with the novel. We have also started to explore the idea of plot. As we finish up the novel, we will continue to discuss and label the events of the story as exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. The students at the end of the novel will get to choose a short project to showcase not only their individual talents but what they have learned and taken from the novel. Our Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop, continues beautifully. They are practicing some of the same skills introduced with our class novels in their individual novels. Our first writing piece is well underway! I’ve really enjoyed conferencing with each student about their piece. As we move into the revision and editing process, the students have realized the benefit of an electronic document. Mr. Z and I have partnered during our technology time to help the students become more comfortable and independent with using Google Docs.