Regional School Visit

I can't find the proper words to describe the awesomeness of today.  My students truly represented what it meant to be a St. Paul's Saint.  I hope the pictures paint a picture of what the students experienced today.  Please enjoy the pictures comment free.

Important Information For the Week

Important Dates:
Tuesday we will go with Mrs. McCullough's class to the Regional School of the Deaf and Blind.   
         Bring a sack lunch to eat on campus.
Wednesday is an early dismissal for Professional Development
Thursday evening is the Homecoming Carnival
Friday is Homecoming.  The pep rally will be in the morning.  I'm not sure if it starts at 8:30 or 9.  Friday is a half day.

Spelling:
There is no spelling this week due to the field trip and half days.  Enjoy the week off.

Math:
There will be a review Addition and Subtraction quiz on Tuesday. 
Unit 2 Math test will be on Wednesday.

Science:
We will be writing a comparison paper this week.  We will be comparing animals with skeletons to animals without skeletons from two articles we have read in class.

Reading:
Continuing Main Idea and Details. 
They are starting their second set of nonfiction books- Earthquakes, Magnets, and Space.
The windsock book project is due this Friday, September 28.

History:
Continuing Chapter 2 on French, English, and Indian Nations.
History Project due October 11.  The directions have already be provided.
History related field trip October 4 to the Downtown Walking Tour.

Writing:
The students have decided what two items they want to compare for their comparison papers.  This week they will continue their sketching and begin their vision statements.
Skill: Sentences have Limits

English:
We will review nouns, verbs, and adjectives. 
Possibility of a quiz this week since there is no Spelling.  ;)

Our Class Mural

As a part of OLWEUS Bully Training, our class broke into small groups to create a class mural.  We discussed what we wanted our class to be like and represent.  It was evident that each student had high expectations of how others should be treated.  Our mural was laminated to preserve it for the school year.  It will hang as a reminder of how Mrs. Benton's class will treat others as well as how we want to be treated.

 

Pictures and Captions by Trey P.

 

Busy at work.

Group 1 took a break to reflect on what they had done so far.

So many things to represent in our drawing.  How will we fit it all in?

"Look Mrs. Benton.  We drew us hanging from a bar.  Get it,supportive?!"

Our class worked on a mural.  There are four murals.  The groups are:
Group 1: Caroline, Elizabeth, Ira, and Trey
Group 2: Clara Leder, Aerielle, Glynn, and Coleman
Group 3: Lily, Ellie, William, and Alexis
Group 4: David, Julia Palmer, Reiney, and Lewis.

Pet Keeper of the Week

What We Are Learning This Week

Spelling:
Idiom: a close shave (a narrow escape from danger)
classroom words: maximum, inhabitant, fossil
Alabama Fact: page 5

Science:
Naming Joints
Test this Friday

Math:
Long addition and subtraction
Median and Mode quiz tomorrow
Unit 2 test is September 26

Reading:
Continuing main idea and details

History:
Chapter 2 Early Explorers
At home project note coming home this week

Writer of the Week

It has been a great week.  In math we did place value, Name Collection Boxes and Organizing Data.  In Science we learned about joints.  This has been a really busy week with a reading test, history test, math facts test, Science test and spelling test.  We really enjoyed listening to the teachers from the Regional School of the Deaf and Blind speak on Friday.

Writer of the week
Clara Leder S.

Can You Explain This?

Regional School

The fourth grade has partnered up with the Regional School for the Deaf and Blind for our philanthropy.  We will collect items for the school as well as visit with the students.  Our first visit will be September 25.  To prepare our students about the school and the students, two teachers came and spoke about the disabilities their students live with.  Braille books, cochlear implants and various other items were passed around.  At the end of the discussion, the students were partnered up and provided a walking cane and goggles that were blacked out.  The students were given the opportunity to experience seeing as if they had a disability and to act as a guide. 

 

WHAT??? No Thumbs???

Each student had there thumbs immobilized and were instructed to complete
four different tasks.  This task involved cutting a circle from an index card.

Rolling newspapers and wrapping rubber bands around it. 
I don't think this group wants to be paper boys/girls.

The third task was to write a letter, stuff it into an envelope, and stamp it.

The fourth task was to take 6 paperclips and hook them together.
The second part was to put the clips on as if it were a bracelet.

I had each student reflect on the experience in their Science journals.

Finding the Mode with Starbursts

Who said learning Math couldn't be fun or involve sweets?  Not our class!  To continue our comprehension of maximum, minimum, range, mode, and median, we built Starburst towers.  Each buddy group had to stack Starbursts until the tower fell over.  We charted each group's results and found the necessary data (see picture below of the data).  Try organizing items or stacking them at home.  See if you can find the range, mode and median.  If you forget what the terms mean, ask your student to sing our song for you.

 

Six, seven, eight...

Lilly and Coleman take turns.

Our second attempt at stacking towers.

A look at our data.

Trey is trying very carefully not to make
his stack fall as Glynn offers support.

What We're Learning This Week

Spelling:
Idiom- open a can of worms
Classroom Words- geologist, province, cartilage, centimeter
Alabama Fact- page 4

Math:
Lessons 2.2-2.5
Equivalent Name, Name-Collection Boxes, Place Value, Organizing Data
Lesson 2.5 (Organizing Data can be tricky for most 4th graders.  It covers mode, range, minimum, and maximum.)

Science:
Investigation 2 Joints
Be on the lookout for another vocabulary powerpoint and quizlet link through email.  We will be making another vocabulary briefcase on Monday.  Please review the words.

Teachers from the Regional School of the Deaf and Blind will visit our students on Friday.

Reading:
Test on Wednesday
Starting Unit 2  Thursday on Main Idea and Supporting Details

History:
Wrapping up Chapter 1 this week
Test on Chapter 1 Thursday

Owl Pellets...Day 2 Dissection

I dissected an owl pellet.  I had a bird in my owl pellet.  It was really fun.
 I took it home and played with it.  
Coleman I.
Writer of the week

This week we dissected owl pellets.  I thought it was going to be really gross. 
But it was just fur and bones.
Reiney M.
Photographer of the Week
Reiney took all the pictures posted this week.

Lewis was all hands in for this dissection.

William tried very hard to match up his pellet bones
to the rodent skeleton taped in his journal.

Glynn and Reiney getting ready to open up their pellets.

I'm not so sure about this Mrs. Benton.

"Look at what's in mine.  I see bones!"

Elizabeth and Lily study their bone identification charts.

"You can have most of my bones Trey. 
My mom would freak out if I brought these home."

This is soo cool Mrs. Benton.  Can I keep it?

Meet Mr. Hughes

The class requested that our photographer, Reiney, take this photo.

Writing our Polygon Books

 Be on the lookout for your child's book!  We spent a Math class taking the pictures from the scavenger hunt and creating books with them.  It might be a few days before you see the book due to the group members taking turns bringing the books home.  Once the books have returned, I will take the books down to the Lower School to share with K-2.

It Is I.

We played Elf on the Shelf during one of our Morning Meetings this week.
Lewis had to guess who responded with "It is I." Each student had a chance
to be the Elf and the guesser.  It was fun listening to each student try to disguise
their voice.  The importance to attentive listening was discovered.