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May 12, 2017
Math: Our week of math started off with me sharing a little fib I told during Unit 6. I explained to the kiddos that we cannot compare unit fractions that have two different sized wholes. The reason I explained it to them this way was for when they were drawing comparison drawings. I needed to make sure that when they drew 1/8 and 1/3, the two fraction drawings had the same sized whole. For the beginning of Unit 7, we focused on comparing fractions with different sized wholes. We started class with an example of three hungry students who ordered pizzas. One ordered a personal pan pizza, the other ordered a medium pizza, and the last student ordered a large pizza. They each at 1/8 of their pizza, but we discussed how they did not eat the same amount because the pizza sizes were different. 1/8 of a small pizza is going to be a much smaller slice than 1/8 of a large pizza.
We spent most of the rest of the week creating equivalent fractions. We learned how to create equivalent fractions using multiplication and showing that with visuals. We learned that multiplying fractions is different from adding and subtracting fractions. Our numerator and denominator change when we multiply fractions. We are taking a fraction and creating another fraction that is the same length or value, but has smaller unit fraction pieces, which causes the fractions to have different numbers.
Science: Our week started with a new challenge and a new component to our circuit unit: a motor! The students were faced with a task to get the motor running using only a D-cell and a motor. They were just like pros and got the motor up and running quickly! They were introduced to other new components as well. They got to use bulb holders, circuit bases, D-cell holders with Fahnstock clips, and switches. We were able to use switches to get a motor running and a bulb. They learned that switches are used to turn on and off certain circuits, like the lights in our classroom for example. When a switch is "closed", the circuit should be working and electricity is flowing. When the circuit is "open", the circuit is not working.
The kiddos learned how to make schematic diagrams, a special, quicker way to draw a circuit that is used by those that work with electricity in the workforce. We practiced making schematic diagrams with the circuits we have already been able to create. We also talked about different ways that schematic diagrams could look like, depending on the way the circuits were put together.
Lastly, we learned about conductors and insulators. The students made a circuit on a circuit base with a string attached to it. They wore these motor circuits like a necklace, and they had two wires that each had one side that was not connected to anything yet. They had to walk around the room and touch objects with the two wires to see if that object was a conductor, allowed the flow of electricity to happen, or an insulator, an object that does not help electricity flow. If the object was a conductor, their motors on their circuit boards would turn on. If it was an insulator, they would not hear their motor working.
Reading and Writing: This week, we dove into the world of fairy tales and myths. The students were able to explore The Grimm Brother’s fairy tales, and Greek Mythology to pick a tale they found interesting enough to create into a tabloid article. We first learned what a tabloid is, and looked at silly outer space alien and Bigfoot story examples. Then we looked at a graphic organizer to see how a news article is set up. We first had to find the who, what, where, when, why, and how. Then since our news stories are based on fantasy stories, the students created quotes from the “witnesses.” Finally, the students found interesting details to add to their story. The students explored unfamiliar fairy tales and myths during our silent reading time getting more familiar with stories untold by Disney.
The students performed their play in front of the Edwards/DeWitt House this week. We created props, both at home and at school (Thank you parents!), practiced numerous times and memorized the lines. The students worked on taking a story and making it their own. Please make sure to ask your child how their group made a few changes to their play to add humor and entertainment.
Project Pitch It: The students were given a challenge for their creative unit. They had to create a new fidget. They will be marketing and persuading buyers (another visiting class) next week on all the pros to their fidget in comparison to the lovely fidget spinners seen today. May 25th we will be heading to see and meet the real Project Pitch It contestants and creators. We are short volunteers for the field trip. If you are able to come, please let me know next week. There is no cost to the students or the chaperones.
March 17, 2017
Reading: Last week we wrapped up our MAPS test for Language Arts. I am very proud of the students’ growth! Nice work boys and girls! We had students excel at over 20 points from the Fall test. Way to go! The students also were able to finish up their Historical Fiction Final test, wrapping up the unit. This week, the students started our new research unit. The students had to pick their topic and were given groups to work together with. Most picked a historical topic. I encouraged them to pick an event they knew little about. For example, many had the idea of the Titanic, which has been studied before 4th grade. Make sure to ask your child what they are researching. We reviewed the non-fiction text structures and key transition words to help understand how non-fiction reading can be organized.On Thursday, the students were able to participate in their FINAL debate on what the main theme to Number the Stars is. After a heated discussion, Team Bravery took home the “Main Theme Title.” There are some tough competitors in our house! We ended the week with our Book Club meeting. The students are working hard on completing their final project as they read. The discussion questions are coming with great discussion prompts. Keep up the great work boys and girls!
Writing: As if we aren’t taking enough assessments lately, the students needed to take their “pre-write” for a The Personal Essay Unit. We followed learning what a personal essay is and practiced with a partner on the thesis “I love recess...or I hate recess.” This essay is usually a little easier for the students after the Literary Essay. I look forward to seeing all of their ideas in a nice organized essay.
The students are getting excited for their Student-Led Conference on Monday! We prepared a slideshow and work to show you. If you are not able to make the conference, we will send home everything on Tuesday for your child to share with you.
Reminders:
Horizon Spring Book Fair
It's book fair time again! Come visit us March 20 - 24, the week of conferences in the Horizon Cafeteria! Open from 9:00am - 7:30pm
Madison Field Trip Slip and money due in before Spring Break.
Forward Testing starting March 27th
Dairy Ladies Presentation March 29th
Spring Concert March 30th at 7:00-8:00
Human Growth and Development Class: April 5th
Spring Break starts April 8th
January 27, 2017
This week I was thrilled to be back to my 4th grade kiddos! The break away was a wonderful time to spend with my babies (full of earaches and the flu!), but I am well rested and ready to get back to work!
Valentine’s Day: It’s almost time for our Valentine’s Day party! The DeWitt/Edwards house is having our party on Tuesday, February 14th. We will have time in the afternoon for passing out valentines to classmates and enjoying some sweet treats! If your child would like to bring valentines to school, they need to make sure they have one for every student in the class. Your child may choose to decorate a box to put their valentines in, but that is not required. If your kiddo does not wish to decorate a box, he/she can bring a bag to school to put the valentines in to take home. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions!
Math: In our shortened week, we spent all of our class time working on interpreting remainders. What makes division word problems different from other word problems, is division word problems require you to interpret the remainders you may get as you solve. There are four ways we can interpret remainders, and we discussed each of the four in detail this week. Here are the four strategies:
*Drop It--The remainder is not used in your answer
*Use It--The remainder is added to you answer, or the remainder is your answer
*Round It--The remainder requires you to round your answer up
*Share It--The remainder is split into a fraction or a decimal.
Each of the strategies were practiced this week with a "Scoot" activity. I put the students into groups of four, and in those groups they rotated around the room to solve various word problems. They had to first of all decide what their remainder represented. Then, they had to choose a strategy to help them decide what to do with the remainder. Each student had a lot of exposure to all four different strategies, and we had fun doing it!
Our binders went home today and need to be signed and brought back by next week Monday. We have not completed Unit 3 yet, so there will be no final test in the binders. You will find their Unit 3 pretest and two quick quizzes.
Social Studies: Each group presented their Native American projects this week, and I was very impressed! Each group worked so hard throughout our days of research, and I could tell by their enthusiasm that they really enjoyed working on this project! We also studied and took our Chapter 3 test this week on early Native American groups in Wisconsin. The rubrics from their presentations will be in their binders as well as their Chapter 3 test and effigy mound activity.
Next Term, we will switch to science and focus on different forms of energy.
Reading and Writing:
Our Poetry Unit came to an end this week. We looked specifically at how to read a poem for our Poetry Competition. The students began the week making sure they had their favorite poem to read. We had such a wonderful variety of serious, to funny, to sad, to motivational poems. They received a ‘coach’ who would help train them for the competition.
Throughout the week, the students watched videos of poets who gave us superb examples to model from. We saw everything from a three year old to a 70 year old perform poetry. We took notes of what they did well in while performing the poetry, and things they could improve upon. Ask the students to find one of the poetry readings we watched on Youtube and talk to them about what makes it a great poetry presentation.
As we began performing in front of our large group of peers it was important to address the issue of our adrenaline kicking in and how we can calm our voice down from speeding up, and ways we can avoid looking right in the audience’s eyes, but still give the impression of good eye contact. Please be sure to share your “tools” of speaking in front of large groups, or experiences when you had to present something to a large group. Let them know how it went and how it made you feel! Some of our students are natural presenters! They may take after their mama or papa!
Friday we finished the week with our Poetry Competition- Round One, where the students competed against the peers in their own homeroom. Monday, the top ten from each classroom in our house will compete to be named “The Top FIVE!” Overall, we have sooo many gifted readers in the classroom. It was fun and exciting to see our students be little risk takers and knock all of our shoes off! Nice work boys and girls!!
December 19th
Dear Parents and Faculty of Horizon,
I am a student here at Pewaukee High School. This year I enrolled in Pewaukee’s Insight Program. It is an opportunity that allows high school students to learn in a non-traditional environment and enhance our business skills by working with a variety of businesses in the area and many business professionals. We are fortunate enough to work with the American Heart Association to run a drive for old and unwanted shoes. The purpose of Socks & Shoes 4 Heart is for the Pewaukee Community to donate shoes to help third world countries and to help people with heart failure.
As a community our goal is 1,000 pairs of shoes. Please check your closets to find any old, unwanted, and gently worn shoes to donate. They can be any size and type of shoe. Please send your child to school with the shoes and there will be a box in the office where they can donate their shoes from December 19th until 22nd. Since it is the season of giving, join us and help a great cause! If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Thank you!
Happy Holidays!
MacKenzie Schill
Pewaukee Insight Student
October 28th (Started to put the NEWEST newsletters on the top vs the bottom)
Parents! Please don't forget next Wednesday we have our first field trip to First Stage, downtown Milwaukee, to see Goosebumps the Musical. The bus will leave at 9:00 and we should return before noon. The students do need a BAG LUNCH to eat once we return to school. We were only able to bring two parents from each class. I had about six offer, so thank you! I emailed the parents who were randomly picked out of a hat. If you are still interested in coming along with on a field trip, we have about two more plays and our big Madison trip in the spring :)
Math: On Monday we played a Math game to review for our test on Tuesday. I was very impressed with the test scores this week! :) We started off our second unit, multiplication, with some fluency activities to get their minds focusing on multiplication facts! We realized that some of us need some practice. Now would be a great time to focus on practicing facts at home for our new math unit. As 4th graders, we are expecting that they already know the basic multiplication facts of 1-10.
Math/Science/Social Studies binders were sent home today! The first page is a sign off sheet for you to sign and date to let me know you were able to look at it with your child. In the binder this time around, you will find the pretest, quick quizzes, and final test from Unit 1. Keep in mind that the pretest scores may have a lot of mistakes; that's fine! Remember that pretests are given before I teach any lessons, so it's okay if kiddos are not successful on the pretest. What is awesome to see is how much growth has taken place in the time between the pretest and unit test! For Social Studies, you will see the our Chapter 1 final quiz as well as a rubric for our Chapter 2 jigsaw activity that the students spent three weeks on.
Social Studies: We presented our "jigsaw" projects this week! It was so great to see all of the hard work your children put into these project. They were all so creative and fun the watch! Each child was graded on participation throughout the time spent working on the projects as well as the presentation. A few key items I was looking for were: eye contact, appropriate volume, audience engagement, hitting learning targets, and equal participation among group members.
We will be starting our first science unit next week, which will focus on the human body! Be on the lookout for science updates for the next term in my newsletters.
Reading: The week started with a big review on everything we learned in our non-fiction unit. The largest part of the review focused on summarizing and making sure our details relate back to the main idea. We also refreshed our memory on the author’s craft. On our pre-test it was the one item that everyone showed they needed lessons to refresh and learn what exactly an author’s craft is.
Finally, the students were busy this week…with assessments :(. We started the week by taking our final non-fiction reading assessment. The students did extremely well. They were tested on what crafts the author used and why, their summary skills, as well as how well they synthesize.
Later in the week, before we start our newest unit, Realistic Fiction, the students were once again put to the test! We always take a pre-test which helps to aid my instruction. It is not expected that the students know everything on the test. In fact, a lot of students write “I have no idea.” Of course, we want the students to do and try their best, so the instruction is what they need, vs what they already know. This is meant to test skills most students have not seen yet. The information I collect from the pre-tests is not scored. We will finish the pre-test on Monday.
Book Clubs: Finally, we started back up on our clubs! Each child was given a book, which will need to be done the week of Thanksgiving, or that Tuesday. We will continue to meet every Thursday. The students will need their book with them since we are learning to have discussions and refer back to the book to support our thoughts. The students also need to remember to bring in two questions. This week we only had two students from both classes forget their questions! Amazing!! The book clubs were a huge success this week :).
We ended our Language Arts week with our Vocabulary Extravaganza. We started the morning with a spooky story and vocabulary activities. The student each had to learn eight new words from their friends. Then we played a game of Bingo with twelve words on each board. In order to win, the students had to say the word and definition to earn the treat. They did fabulous! Thank you parents for your help in getting excellent words for our kids to teach to each other. Please be sure to ask your child what words they learned today!
Writing: The students were ready and excited to start their new unit, Realistic Fiction, in writing. After five long weeks of serious research, I think we are all ready to get more creative and enjoy some fiction. This week only focused on what non-fiction is (many students in their ‘pre-write’ include fairies and talking pets). The class also created their main character. We discussed outside and inside characteristics (what they look like on the outside, and what their personality and talents are). The students had the most challenge when we focused on the character’s attitude towards themselves, and how others feel about the main character. We will then learn how to show this in the story. We won’t write “Kathy doesn’t like Mary,” but instead show it through writing a scene. Please be sure to ask your child about their non-fiction character!!
August 29, 2016
Welcome to 4th Grade! I look forward to meeting all of you at Great Start Conferences! Enjoy your last few days of summer! I can't wait to meet all of my new kiddos!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Edwards :)
September 9, 2016
9-9-16
Where did this week go? This week we spent the first two days getting to know our Homeroom classes and Horizon. We took a tour, familiarized ourselves with lunch at Horizon, learned where we line up for recess and went over Fire Drill procedures. We took about a half of one day to get organized with all of our supplies. It is important that everything is labeled for the students to start (and hopefully stay) organized.
We went over Horizon’s “Three Be’s:” Safe, Respectful, and Responsible. The students then were introduced to Tribes through some fun get to know each other activities. Make sure to ask your child how we were able to get to know each other. The classes learned that in our Community Circles, we will always have the right to pass (which was used by our shy ones), need to use attentive listening, use appreciations (no put downs), and have mutual respect.
We read over the technology agreements and began to learn how to use our new Crome Books. The classes ended on Friday with a meeting of our 5th Grade Buddies. We will be working with our Buddy throughout the year. This exposes our 4th graders to another pal in the school and also allows them to have a mentor who experienced 4th grade not long ago.
Overall, this week has been a blast and we are truly blessed to have your children in our lives. Thank you for sharing them with us each and every day! Please don’t forget about Parent Night next week Thursday. Have a great weekend!
Math: We started a lesson today from Week of Inspirational Math. I have attached the video below. We learned that there is no such thing as a "math person". Everyone is capable of doing math if they try hard and practice it! I shared my own personal experience with the kiddos as well. I didn't care for math in school. It was always a subject I dreaded, until I had a math teacher that completely changed my perception of mathematics. She made learning math so much fun and had such enthusiasm when teaching. It made me realize that I want to do the same thing for my 4th graders every year. I want to make learning math fun and inspire my students to stop thinking that they are "math people" or "not math people".
We worked on an activity titled "Four 4's". It was a fun way to get the students problem solving and getting their brains ready to start the math curriculum next week! The goal of the game was to use ONLY the number 4 to create equations that equal the numbers 1-20. They could us any of the four operations (+, -, x, /). For example, a student created this equation:
4 x 4 + 4 - 4 = 16
I'd like to remind you to make sure your child has an eraser for whiteboards (a sock works great!) and a pair of headphones for math class. We complete 30 minutes of Dreambox at school, and headphones are needed to do those lessons. Also, we use whiteboards frequently in class, so an eraser would be great to have!
Language Arts:
This week in our Reading and Writing class, we explored the library. We met our librarian, Mrs.Q and learned the rules. Mrs. Q then began a tour and showed us how we find a book independently, something we will continue to practice throughout 4th grade. The students did a wonderful job! Library will be on DAY 2.
We also began to read our new class book, Out of My Mind. Parents, if you are looking for a great quick read, I highly recommend it. It will be a great piece for discussion with your child and ends up being a favorite in 4th grade. This weekend, please make sure to ask your child what challenges the main character is faced with.
This week, your child should have began to log their reading minutes in the calendar at the front of their agenda. There should be a blue post-it- note marking the month of September. The students are required to read 20-25 minutes each night, and one night over the weekend (even though I know most read every night :). Parents, I need your help by initialing each day or signing the bottom of the calendar. This is important for the students to know how important reading is. I will collect the calendars at the end of each month. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask at Parent Night or through an email :)
The class got started getting inspirations for our writing by decorating the Writer’s Workshop Notebooks. The pictures and cutouts were perfect! Parents, thank you for your help in making sure your child was ready to go for the activity. For our Reader’s Workshop Notebook, we were able to design our cover with tissue paper. They all turned out wonderful! Now we are ready to begin filling them with all of our hard work!!
9-15-16
Reading: This week in Reading, our unit focuses on good reading habits. We began setting a goal for ourselves based on our past history of reading. What struggles do we always fall towards? What seems to come easy to us?
We moved on to learn that good readers “read themselves awake.” The class came up with examples of when they have had a “I can’t put this book down” or “Wow! I can’t believe that just happened,“ moment while they were reading. We also noted that not everyone in 4th grade has had that experience with reading yet, and is possibly the reason those students aren’t enjoying reading in the first place.
Each day we will have a Reader’s Response. This is where the child will practice the mini lesson target of the day, as well as write a summary on what they have read during class. I explained to the students that this is where you show me how your mind is thinking about reading, not just reading on “auto pilot.”
We went down to the library and learned how to search for a book on Destiny, the library computer system. As a class we read the book Fox, which we referred to throughout our Good Reading Habit discussions. Overall, it was a great week and I can’t wait to dive in deeper to our units with this bright class of kiddos!!
Writing:
This week we have started our first unit on writing a Personal Narrative. The students got busy brainstorming ideas. First we had to write about a person who inspires us, and then we moved to being inspired by a special place. There were many inspirations coming from moms and dads, grandmas and grandpa’s house, Sky Zone, and backyards.
I went over with the students what a ‘seed’ story is compared to a ‘watermelon.’ We discussed that writing about fun times with my dog, is too big (watermelon) of an event to sum up in a one page narrative, but writing about the first time I met my dog would be just the ‘seed’ story we are looking for.
The students then worked on what a good lead consists of. We mentioned it could start with action, dialogue, mood, or the setting. With a partner they hunted down an example of each type of lead from the work of real writer’s (digging through chapter books in our classroom library). Finally, the students started to draft each type of lead and pick which one worked the best for their writing.
Spelling and vocabulary started this week! Each week we will have a spelling test on the last day of the week (unless there is a three day week). There are usually 20 words, which will be posted on the website under Monday’s homework. They should also be written in your child’s agenda, as well as on a sheet with the list and options for your child to do at home to study (only optional!).
The students are also given a vocabulary word each week. The word this week was Adversary. On the test the students need to write down the definition and come up with a sentence to show their understanding. The vocabulary words will then turn into our challenge spelling words on the test (optional). This is a way for us to revisit the vocabulary over a few weeks as well as get some above grade level words for our spelling bee champs to practice on.
Technology Boot Camp
Your child also went through Technology Boot Camp! They had refreshers on how to handle their computer (carry it with two hands, for example), and how to care for it overall (water bottle on the floor, not on the desk near the computer!) Then we dove into Google Docs and learned how to name a doc, share a doc, and copy docs. The kids were pros and helped each other when they saw a friend get frustrated. Nice work boys and girls!
Math: This week we jumped right into Unit 1 of our Math Expressions lessons. We started with a pre-test so I could see where each child was at before starting the unit. Lesson one was all about place value review. We discussed what place value is and why we need it in math. The kiddos created a place value chart in their math notebooks into the millions (that is as far as we go in 4th grade). We practiced writing numbers by playing a game called “Mystery Number”. Ask your child to show you how to play it! We also practiced reading numbers, especially numbers that go into the millions and have a “0” as one of the digits. Those are always tricky for 4th graders to read.
Lesson two involved using our knowledge of place value and reading and writing numbers to write numbers in three different forms: standard, word, and expanded. Standard form is writing the numbers using only numbers (25). Word form is writing the numbers in words just like you would read the number (twenty-five). Expanded form is the sum of the values of each digit (20 + 5). We practiced writing numbers into the hundred thousands place in all three ways.
Dreambox minutes will be starting next week Monday. Each child is responsible for completing 60 minutes per week. They will be completing 30 minutes at school, and they will have to complete the remaining 30 minutes at home. The log they will be using to track their minutes will be on Google Classroom. I will send instructions to you as soon as I finish them. The kiddos will learn how to do this on Monday.
Social Studies: We learned all about how to think like a historian this week. Historians use artifacts to make inferences about events that happened many years ago. Historians ask questions as they investigate the past. We became historians this week as we examined pictures from Wisconsin’s history and asked questions about what we thought was happening and why these photographs were important. Please make sure your child showed you our Mystery Artifact Bag assignment that is due on Monday, September 20th. Your child is in charge of bringing 3-4 artifacts that describe them in a paper bag (I have supplied one for each of them). On Monday, the students will be put into groups and in charge of a few paper bags. They will look through the artifacts and investigate like a historian would. The end goal is to find out who in the class the bag belongs to!
Book Orders Coming Home Friday! Due September 30th
Code for Online ordering: NH8QW
September 30th
Reading: This week in Reading, the 4th grade students started the week with an always fun Pre-Test on our new unit, Nonfiction. The students were very worried about not knowing the answers. We had to take a little time to review what the purpose of a ‘pre-test’ is and that they shouldn’t worry about not knowing the answers, since it is a preview of what we are about to learn.
After we reviewed what fiction vs nonfiction is, and examples of each, we learned that good readers preview the text, and make connections between what new knowledge we are learning from our books and what we already know. We discussed the two different ways of reading non-fiction, the “waiting for the doctor” reading which is casual, skipping sections, looking at pictures, vs the “I’m going to become an expert on the topic” reading, which is reading more for the information and facts. We finished off the week by learning about the different text structures we see in nonfiction reading: problem/solution, compare/contrast, cause/effect, chronological, informational, and how to. The students did an awesome job watching a short news report on an endangered animal and analyzing what text structure the reporter used. Nice work students!
Book Clubs met on our regular time, Thursday. This was our first time meeting after being given an assignment not due for a week. The biggest issue was students not bringing their book to the class. It is difficult to discuss and refer to parts of the story when we don’t have our book. The students are also given a little time to read the next chapters, also a difficult task when not everyone has their own book. Most of the students remember their questions which was awesome! Nice work boys and girls!
Library time this week was spent researching their chosen president for their writing piece. Please be sure to ask your child what president they picked to research. They are already full of fun facts about their topic!
Writing: Going right along with our Non-Fiction Reading Unit, is our Information Writing Unit in Writer’s Workshop. The students started the week with a pre-write on what they thought information writing looks like. Before each unit, the students will be asked to compose a piece of writing, to demonstrate what they already know, and to inform me of what we need to incorporate in our lessons.
The students were able to pick their top five presidents who they would like to research. The students were eager to start their research as soon as they received their topic. As a class we organized our notebooks in to six topics posed in question form. The students will be researching the president’s childhood, family, careers, challenges, presidency, and surprising facts. We practiced as a class how to take notes. The 4th graders learned that we don’t write word for word everything our sources says, but to keep in to bullet points and main ideas. With such a big election coming up, I’m excited for our students to gain knowledge on those who have held the title, President of the United States.
Breakout: Both classes this week were able to experience their very first Breakout Edu. The point of Breakout Edu is to find and solve clues around the room to break into the Breakout box. There are many locks on the box and through problem solving and teamwork, they are able to use the clues to unlock the locks and get into the box! Since it was the first one of the year, we started with an easier Breakout called "TEAMWORK". This Breakout was all about using our Tribes agreements to work in small groups in order to find the combinations for the locks.
Math: This week started with our very first Quick Quiz. I was checking skills on writing numbers in all three forms and understanding place value. For the most part, they did great! We worked on making corrections to our quizzes this week as well.
We started learning addition strategies such as, New Groups Above, New Groups Below, and Show Subtotals methods. New Groups Above method involves making groups of ten and carrying them to the next place (10 one's = 1 ten). This is the method that most of us learned as children. New Groups Below is the same concept, but the groups are placed on the equal bar rather than above the equation. Show Subtotals involves adding the values of each column (ones, tens, hundreds, etc.) and placing them in another addition problem to add and find the final sum. I have included pictures of each method below. Each child is welcome to choose whichever method they feel most comfortable with, but every child needs to be able to explain their answer using place value drawings or language.
Social Studies: This week involved another fun project to "Think Like a Historian". The classes were split into four groups, and each group received a Google Doc with two pictures on it. Each group had different pictures to look at. These pictures were taken from a trip I took to Senegal, Africa in 2012. Senegal is a poor country that is most definitely not as advanced as we are in The United States. I was able to stay in a village for a few days and witness life where cooking is all done over a fire, television is a luxury the "rich" are able to have, and outhouses are something that is used. The kiddos had no idea why the pictures were important and even what the pictures were of! That was the fun part. They had to use their knowledge of what historians do when they discover artifacts from long ago. They had to ask questions and try to figure out what in the world was going on in the pictures! I have included a few of them below. I encourage you to ask questions about the pictures with your child and guess as to what the picture is. They will be able to give you the answers! :) We also took our Chapter 1 final assessment and will be starting Chapter 2!
