March Mathness

Congrats to our speediest math fact racers!  Sam, Cece and Kolby took first place in our March Mathness Multiplication Speed Test Tournament.  Great Work Kids!

For Those Who Have Finished Their Photostory

Click on this 4th grade website.  It has links to great games and activities for 4th Graders. 

http://www.newton.k12.ks.us/tech/fourth_grade_internet_activities1.htm#Social Studies

Have a Wonderful Winter Vacation!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojtGHXsTXmU

Today's Squishy Circuits

The Sushi Circuit!

Fun video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDZo51k2BWQ

Squishy Circuits Day 1

Today we investigated lighting the lights, conduction versus insulating dough and series and parallel circuits.  We tried to figure out if our holiday lights were built as a series circuit or a parallel circuit.  Here are some of the creations!

We are having a tough day today!

Squishy Circuits

I like to review circuits with the class each year by making Squishy Circuits.  In order to do this, the class needs a lot of Conductive Dough and Insulator Dough.  I am sending home half the class with a recipe for Conductive Dough and half the class gets a recipe for Insulating Dough.  It would be great if you could find time to make a batch of the dough over the weekend and send it to school on Monday.  It's pretty easy to make and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand!  Stay tuned to the  class blog for pictures of our inventions!

Here is a link to a website where I learned about Squishy Circuits!

http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/apthomas/SquishyCircuits/index.htm

Thermal Energy

Can you create thermal energy by mixing matter?  Ask your kids!

Math Test!

I know students have a half day today, but that doesn't mean they can't take a math test!  We have just finished a unit culminating with the double digit multiplication algorithm.  Not only can they use the algorithm, but they can check their work another way, and explain why it works!

How Is Heat Produced?

How is heat produced?

See for yourself.....

Keurig!

My nice husband bought a Keurig Coffee Maker for my classroom.  If the kids bring in insulated mugs and hot chocolate or cider, they are welcome to use it.  I think a nice hot drink helps warm us up in these cold months!

Homework 11-25

Open Area Multiplication Practice Page - Some finished in class.

Character Development- Homework 11-20

In class we are working on developing characters in a realistic fiction story.  Tonight for homework, I've asked kids to start developing their secondary characters....

"We want to know our characters so well, that we know how much change is in their pockets!"

GRIT! It's what's for dinner.....

In class we talked about GRIT!  

Here is Angela Lee Duckworth's TED talk on GRIT

WE rewarded some pretty gritty kids and work with PAWS

http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit.html

Some Gritty Mental Math

The Standard Algorithm and Homework 11-19

We've done it!  We are learning the standard algorithm for multiplying in math.  It went pretty well.  There are some practice problems for homework.

Fun Math Games

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/math/transformation.html

Fun Friday

We had a busy week and ended it today with some Fun Friday activities.  We watched an episode of Fetch with Ruff Ruffman and played 7 up!

We also did some research on explorers, and we are working our way towards the algorithm in multiplication!

Verb Tenses and Homework

Today we reviewed verb tenses.  You have homework on verb tenses.  Here is a link to the game we played in class if you want to challenge family members!

http://www.eslgamesplus.com/verb-tenses-interactive-grammar-game-for-esl-jeopardy-quiz-game/

Cece takes over!

Cece teaches our new vocab word of the day.....criticize.