Over the next few weeks we will continue to find whole-number quotients and remainders with up to four-digit dividends and one-digit divisors using place value strategies. We will use our knowledge of place value to determine the relationship between multiplication and division. We will use both the area model and the division model INSTEAD of the standard algorithm. The division model may appear similar to the standard algorithm, so we are asking parents not to teach their child that way. Two videos that explain each model we will use can be found below:
Division Model:
http://learnzillion.com/lessons/1483-divide-threedigit-dividends
Area Model:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8fvHi7n2Jk
Our goal is to have weekly quizzes that will assess student progress with each section of material taught. The day we have the quiz will depend on how far we get in teaching the concept. Quizzes will be announced and written in agenda books each week. Math homework will be assigned Monday through Thursday to reinforce concepts students are learning in their small groups that week. Some homework will be in written and at other times it will be on the computer. If your child is frustrated by the homework and unable to determine a strategy for completion, please write a note on the paper and we will review with him/her the following day.
In addition, students should be practicing their basic facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication) each night. Students must be fluent in all four operations by the end of this year. Each math class has a student practice page on www.xtramath.org that students should be going to each night. This sight is a way to practice the four operations to increase fluency with the four operations. We are finding that students are able to set up area models and distribute numbers correctly; however, they are making many calculation errors that impede their progress.
A few other great websites we use in class are:
www.multiplication.com
www.Khanacademy.org
www.thinkingblocks.com
Reading/Science: Informational Newspaper
In whole group reading, we will continue our science investigation on weather patterns and seasonal trends. We will define matter as anything that takes up space and has mass. We will then examine a mystery substance to determine if it meets the criteria to be defined as matter.
In guided reading, we will continue to examine informational content about weather to create classroom newspapers. Students will inform others about the topics we've studied in guided reading. Students will also have the opportunity to use other media forms to gather research on their guided reading informational text. By watching Discovery Education videos, they will be able to add new information to their main idea notes and create updated summaries. We will then take those new summaries and make a second volume of our class newspaper.
www.discoveryeducation.com
Username: mcps(+student ID number/log-in from class)
Password: (student ID/log-in from class)
Reading: Mythology
This week we will begin our study of mythology. Students read Greek myths and describe the relationship between characters and the setting of a story, compare the treatment of similar themes, and make connections between the text and visual representation of a myth. They demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites and determine the meaning of words and phrases, including allusions to mythology. Students refer to text when explaining what a text says explicitly and implicitly and summarize the text in order to determine theme.
Mayor Writing-Informative Essay
Anytime you take part in something-an activity, conversation or even a game, you’re engaging with the people around you. It’s the way you learn and grow. Elected officials must engage with citizens, regularly, to find out what they believe the city/town needs to do to make the community a better place to live and work. Often they will work with the citizens on a project or event that will improve the town. Our mayor, Mayor Prats, visited fourth grade to discuss his role in our community as well as how students can take an active role in the Laytonsville Community. This week, each student will received feedback on their graphic organizers and begin to draft an informative piece to explain a project to engage our community. The majority of this project is AT-HOME.
Please remember that the essay MUST stay on theme/topic. Students must show an understand of the role of a mayor in a community. Mayors cannot create new schools, put in a gymnastics store, or shorten the school day. Be sure to use the links below and the knowledge from the Mayors visit to ensure you are staying ON TOPIC.
Students should bring their TYPED first draft to class on February 28 for peer and teacher feedback. Please remember that your child should NOT begin to write his/her rough draft until they have received their graphic organizer with teacher feedback this week. A number of students are saying they've already finished their rough draft. This does not follow the writing process and will not show proficiency with following the steps of the process and production.
Theme: Engaging My Community
If you were mayor, what project or event would you use to involve your community? Ask yourself:1. Why is this project or event important to you?
2. How would you encourage your fellow town officials, businesses and residents to participate in the project/event?
3. How would you spread the word about it? Describe one or two examples
Guidelines:
1. Your essay must have the following heading in the right corner
· First & Last Name
· Laytonsville Elementary
· Teacher’s Name
2. Your essay must begin with the words “If I were Mayor, I would ______.”
3. Essays may not exceed 275 words.
4. Essays must be typed. Please let your teacher know if you do not have access to Word Processing at home. We have several Alpha Smart keyboarding machines that can be checked out from our media center.
Criteria:
1. Relation to the contest topic
2. Knowledge of municipal government and the role of a mayor
3. Creativity of proposed project/event
4. Proper use of Grammar
Assignment Timeline
Date
|
Task
|
Check when complete
|
January 30
|
Meet Mayor Prats and hear ideas about municipal government; learn about the history behind our town of Laytonsville
| |
January 30-February 3
|
View the town website &; Maryland Municipal League websites:
| |
February 3-7
|
Prewrite using graphic organizer
| |
February 7
|
Bring Graphic Organizer to class for teacher feedback
| |
February 10-28
|
Draft and revise your essay at home (remember, you must TYPE your essay & use correct format above)
| |
February 28
|
Bring rough draft to class to revise and edit with a partner in class
Teachers will keep essays to give feedback
| |
March 3-13
|
Use teacher/partners/your own feedback to publish a final draft.
| |
March 14
|
Bring final copy to class for last student conference
| |
March 17
|
Bring final draft, rough draft, and organizer to class to share with your classmates
|
Social Studies
Students will read first and second-hand accounts of the first English settlement of Jamestown to examine and draw conclusions about what caused the Starving Time in Jamestown. Students will then synthesize informational text to form their own opinion about what caused the Starving Time in Jamestown.
Media/Writing
Our focus for the entire marking period will be to answer the focus question: How can the media responsibly advertise products &; services to children? The focus of our class writing project for the marking period will focus on advertising techniques marketers use to advertise products to children. We will examine advertising vocabulary through the lens of the techniques. We will watch commercials in class to determine audience/theme/message/technique/effectiveness.
This week, we will continue to work with Mrs. Bowman to form research questions, gather evidence, form an opinion, and create a multi-media presentation to share our opinion of our focus question. Our focus this week is to view commercials with specific advertising techniques so that we can focus on the specific technique. Students will examine ads with one technique (examples: bandwagon, celebrity, expert testimonials, etc.) to form their opinion about the positive & negative aspects of advertising to children.
Due to the nature of the project, there may be times in the quarter where we ask children to pay particular attention to advertising/marketing (commercials/t-shirts, radio/TV/Internet). Please let us know if you have a strict "TV/electronic" rule so that we can adapt instruction for your student's potential homework.
At home, we encourage students to continue to visit the website www.admongo.gov to gather information about various advertising techniques. This site is set up like a video game with the purpose of presenting vocabulary and techniques in a more interesting way. Each student should create a log-in (without using their name) and a password to complete this task. Please let your child's teacher know if you do not have Internet access in your home (or you do not wish for your child to play the video game) so that your child will still benefit from learning the vocabulary in class.
To help students understand the elements of opinion writing, we will model and practice writing an opinion piece in class as well. We will examine the pros and cons of an argument to form our opinions about extending our school year due to the snow days. This week we will focus on using facts to form our opinions and writing an introductory paragraph with a hook.
