Favorite Holiday Stories

For many of us, one of our favorite ways to spend time during the holiday season is curling up with one of our favorite holiday books.  Over the years, the Chets Creek December Book of the Month has often been a holiday themed selection.  This year, because good readers sometimes choose to reread books we know we love, we spent time together remembering and enjoying many holiday books, some old and some new, some silly and some sad.

One of the oldest and most beautiful stories, The Little Match Girl, was written by Hans Christian Anderson and first published in 1845.  It takes place on the wintry evening streets from long, long ago.  As with many fairy tales and traditional tales, the story of this poor, lonely girl has been told and retold many times throughout the years.  In some versions, it is New Year's Eve.  In others, it is Christmas Eve.  In some, it is just any winter night.

As with some of Hans Christian Andersen's other popular stories The Little Mermaid and Thumbelina, for instance, this beautiful story has been made into short films many times in history.  Perhaps the most beautiful version of this story is told entirely without words.  Take a few moments to watch Disney's version of this timeless classic and read Hans Christian Andersen's story.  Make sure to have your tissues handy!




Do you think consider this a happy or sad ending?
What do you think the theme of this story is?
Does this story remind you of any other books you've read?

St. Augustine

Our recent field study to St. Augustine was fantastic! Not only did we validate so much of the knowledge that we already have learned in Social Studies and Readers Workshop, but we also learned a few new interesting facts.
Did you know that it took 23 years to build the Castillo de San Marcos and that the Spanish kept their livestock in the moat around the fort when they were being attacked by their enemies? We also learned that in addition to the bell tower in one corner of the fort, that there are also 3 other corner towers with the purpose of acting as lightning rods! We also got to meet the oldest living member of St. Augustine, Old Senator, a huge tree that is over 600 years old and STILL GROWING!! His trunk is 33 feet around in circumference! We loved our fort tour and the trolley tour around the city. It was a beautiful day where all that we have learned in school really became personal for us as we got to experience it all up close. What was your favorite part of our trip? Leave a comment to earn some Behavior Bucks. Oh, and enjoy the slideshow!
St. Augustine on PhotoPeach

Stuck on Reading

Principal Phillips sure wowed us recently when she got STUCK on the wall in the front foyer! She convinced us that it is rewarding and exciting to get stuck on great books! She was reading a whole pile of them when we visited her! I am sure every one of our Young Supers is working hard to meet the 2nd 9 Week Book Goal so that they can participate in our upcoming midyear reading celebration! What book are you currently "stuck" on, Young Supers? Leave a comment and tell us all about it!

Magnet Explorations

Our first day exploring with magnets proved to be quite interesting. In addition to having some fun, we also brought out a lot of our prior knowledge about magnets and their properties, which the students learned back in 2nd Grade.

*All magnets have invisible magnetic fields.
*Some magnets are stronger than others.
*Magnets come in different shapes and sizes.
*The Earth is like a giant magnet.
*Magnetism is a force (push/pull).
*All magnets have a North and a South Pole.
*Like poles repel (or push away from each other).
*Opposite poles attract (or pull toward each other).

Upcoming investigations will explore what happens to a magnet's poles when the magnet is broken. We will also make a temporary magnet and test its varying strength when it is magnetized to different levels of strength. After participating in a Gizmo virtual lab on magnetism, students will design and create their own magnet experiments by formulating and exploring their own "testable questions".

Enjoy our slideshow. :-)
Explorations with Magnets on PhotoPeach

Variables

Variables on PhotoPeach

In studying agents of weathering & erosion in recent weeks, our classes have learned to identify variables in scientific investigations. By the way, we think hands-on science is REALLY COOL!

Controlled Variables- also known as “Controls”
These are set-ups that remain in their original condition as we participate in an investigation, so that after a lab, we can look back at them and compare our end results with what the original, “un-touched” condition was like.

Untouched “sugar cube”, “cookie”, and “sand tray”

Independent Variables- also referred to as what “I” did (“I”ndependent)
This refers to what "we" as the experimenters change as we progress through a lab.

We changed from slow to vigorous shaking to see the effects of “wind” weathering on “rocks” (sugar cubes).

We changed from 5 squirts, to 10 squirts, to 15 squirts to see “water” weathering on earth (cookies).

We changed from "no wind breaker" (barrier) to adding a wind breaker in order to see how people work to prevent “wind” erosion.


“D”ependent Variables- also referred to as the (“D”ata)

This refers to what changed or happened in the experiment as a result of the Independent Variable (what "I" did).

*The vigorously shaken cubes were more weathered than the gently shaked cubes.
*The more saturated cookies were more weathered than the less saturated cookies.
*The wind breakers stopped the wind from eroding and hitting the “building” at the end of the tray.

For Behavior Bucks, leave a comment on what the independent and dependent variable would be in the following experiment:

Carter's Plant Experiment.....

Carter wants to test the effects of plant growth with and without sunlight. He buys two identical plants at the hardware store. He puts "Plant A" in a dark closet and "Plant B" in front of a window to receive sunlight. Each day he checks his plants and records data on what he observes. He also carefully waters each plant the same amount of water once each week. After three weeks, Carter finds that Plant B grows better because it receives sunlight.

What was the independent variable in this experiment?
What was the dependent variable in this experiment?
Be sure to leave your first name at the end of your comment!

Divide and Conquer

In Math Workshop, we have been working to connect division to multiplication. Many times, we even find ourselves thinking of division problems as multiplication problems so that we can use a multiplication strategy to solve them.
Consider 56 divided by 4

When looking at this division problem, we ask ourselves, “How many 4’s are in 56?”. By doing this, we recognize that we will be finding the number of groups of 4 that are in 56, or _____ x 4 = 56.

Many students then find it simple to use an efficient form of Skip-Counting by multiples of 4 to determine the answer. Starting with the 10th multiple of 4 would be very common. The answer is 14. It takes 14 groups of 4 to equal 56.

Other students would incorporate this same strategy into a different model, such as a Multiplication Cluster. The approach uses decomposition of one of the factors to make smaller, easier probloems. In the example below, again 14 is decomposed into 10 and 4 to make the two easier problems. 10 groups of 4 is 40. Adding another 4 groups of 4 (4x4) or 16 “builds” 14 x 4 = 56. 56 divided by 4 can also be thought of as 56 divided by 2, and again divided by 2 (dividing by 2 twice is the same as dividing by 4). Some students like to refer to this strategy as the “Halfsie-Halfsie”. 56 divided by 2 is 28. 28 divided by 2 is 14. This strategy only works when 4 is the divisor.

A more advanced strategy would be to take the dividend (total) and decompose it into smaller multiples of the divisor to make smaller division problems that would “build “ (add up to) the original division problem. This method is called a Division Cluster. 56 could be decomposed into 20 + 20 + 16 and solved as three smaller division problems. 20 divided by 4 is 5. 20 divided by 4 is 5. 16 divided by 4 is 4. 56 divided by 4 is 14.

Last but not least, the Partial Quotients Method (also lovingly referred to as the “Russian Peasant” Method), is a special model we move our students toward in order to progress their thinking into a more “standard algorithmic” set-up. If you look carefully at the smaller problems that are solved in each of the examples shown below, you will see that they are the same as in the earlier examples. Even though the mathematical “models” are different, the “strategy” of using good mathematical sense to decompose the dividend into smaller numbers (landmark multiples of ten or single digit numbers) is the same, so that the reasonableness of solutions can be easily assessed (Does my answer make sense?).

Our approach is a conceptual-based approach, teaching students that there is a relationship between multiplication and division and there is a meaning as to the dividend, divisor, and quotient. One represents the total (dividend) and the other two parts represent the number of groups and the size of the groups that make up the total.

Promoting this deep understanding at Grade 4 will then more easily transfer later (5th Grade) into understanding why the division algorithm works (which is very abstract in nature and cumbersome to understand conceptually).

Happy Dividing!

P.S.- Students, leave a comment sharing your favorite divison strategy (and why), and earn Behavior Bucks to spend at your next class auction!

What Can I Do to Help?

You might be wondering, as we approach the end of the first nine weeks, what you can do to help your reader do better.  While Mrs. Montero and Mrs. Nash are really excited and proud to see improvements in many young readers already, we know 4th grade reading can be HARD.

Here are some things you can do to help your child on their reading comprehension tests.

1.  Each time a grade comprehension test comes home, help them to revise every item they missed, even if they earned an A!  Some of our most powerful learning in life comes from our mistakes, and reading comprehension tests are no different.  When revising, read through the entire passage with your child first.  Then, discuss ALL of the answer choices and how we know they are right or wrong.  Constantly refer back to the clues in the text, knowing that some clues are clearly stated and others are scattered throughout the text.

2.  Ensure that your child is reading for 20 minutes or more each night.  No, we are not telling you to get out the timer and start counting pages and minutes again.  We are reminding you that reading is the single most powerful practice available.  Research and experience tells us that readers who really and truly are reading every single day (Yes, that means weekends, too.) are more successful in all areas of learning.  Think of daily reading as a daily multivitamin for their school success.  It is critical.

3.  Schedule time throughout the week and weekend for your child to use FCAT Explorer.  This tool has been available to Florida students for years.  It is aligned to the same standards assessed on these classroom reading comprehension tests, as well as the FCAT.

4.  Make sure your child is in class daily.  The instructional strategies we use at Chets Creek cannot be duplicated with a worksheet at home.  When children miss school, they are missing out on learning.  We try to "catch them up" as best we can, but it is never quite the same.

5.  Start a "Mommy and Me" or "Daddy and Me" book club and read WITH your child.  Often we think that because our readers are old enough to read independently and in their heads, we don't need to read with them anymore.  However, reading shared with an adult is not just independent practice anymore, but an opportunity to learn new ways of thinking about their reading.  In addition to being a powerful family experience, sharing a book with your child allows you to talk with them about the book, giving them a window into the mind of an adult reader.  Having the support of a "leader reader" also allows your child to climb inside a story or text that might have been too difficult for them on their own.  When you hear a tiny thought in your head saying, "Oh, he's going to ....." or "Why did she do that?", speak these thoughts aloud to your child and open a discussion.  Talk about what the author wrote that sparked those thoughts in your mind.

With busy schedules, it might not be realistic to say you will sit down and read with them every single night.  But perhaps you choose a book to share and read it every other night, two days a week, or on the weekends.  The other days, your young reader can read their own independent book.

Decomposing an Array

One of the ways to view multiplication is to consider the area of an array. The dimensions of the array are the factors and the area is the product. Using array cards, students work on their basic facts. Array cards not only help with fluency, but students also begin to understand that the shape of the array is an indicator of how far the factors are "apart". A square array indicates a square number (both factors are the same)and a long and skinny array indicates factors that are very different in magnitude.
One of the strategies we use to solve multiplication problems with larger factors is decomposing. To model this strategy, we use generic arrays. An example of a generic array is pictured below.


A generic array can be decomposed by drawing either a horizontal or vertical line through the array. In doing so, one of the two factors is broken into two smaller numbers which add to the original dimension. In the first example, 12 is decomposed into 10 and 2. The idea is to create two smaller problems that are much easier to solve. 15 x 10 and 15 x 2 are much easier to solve than 15 x 12. Decomposing the large array into multiples of 10, 5, and 2 seem to be the easiest. Once the two smaller areas (products)are found, they are recomposed to find the area (product) of the large array. In our example: 15 x 10 = 150 and 15 x 2 = 30, so 15 x 12 = 150 + 30 = 180.

Fourth Grade Writes Night

Fourth Grade Writes Night was a success!  The students shined while demonstrating a Writer's Workshop lesson on how to revise a story.  Parents and students went home with a packet of information about what to do in class and at home to become better writers.  Thanks to all the families who came out to learn more about the FCAT Writing expectations.

Unexpected Outcomes

At Chets Creek, we work towards creating a high quality student that will become a lifelong leader.  We want our learners to be community contributors, collaborative workers, complex thinkers, quality producers, effective communicators, and self-directed learners.

Last week, a few of Mrs. Nash's readers took a risk in order to contribute to their classroom and school community.  These two girls ran with their creative idea to set up a lemonade stand in their neighborhood to raise money to help fund our Nook project.  They raised about $14, which is only a fraction of the money we need.  But, these girls understand that if we all raised $14....well, I'll let you figure that out, dear mathematician-readers.  If 41 students raised $14 each, how much money would we raise to put towards our Nook project?


Thanks, girls, for being self-directed, community contributors.  

Chris Van Allsburg

We are learning all about Chris Van Allsburg, his illustrations, and his stories.  So far, we have read The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, The Stranger, and The Wretched Stone.  Have fun learning more about this interesting man by visiting his website at http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/ .  Earn some "Behavior Bucks" by answering these questions:
What was the first book he published?
What is his special musical talent?
How did he get the idea for the story of Abdul Gasazi?

Factors of 100 and Multiples of 100

Our classes this week worked on finding the factors of 100 and then made comparisons of those factors to factors of multiples of 100. Here are some of our findings.

* The factors of 100 are - 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100
* All the factors of 100 can be found by looking at common U.S. coins
100 pennies make a dollar - 100 x 1 = 100
20 nickels make a dollar - 20 x 5 = 100
10 dimes make a dollar - 10 x 10 = 100
4 quarters make a dollar - 4 x 25 = 100
and 2 half dollars make a dollar - 2 x 50 = 100
* 100 is an even, composite, and square number

While discussing the factors of 200, 300, 400, and 500 we made a chart of the factors of 100 compared to its multiples. A copy of the chart is shown below:















Our class observed:

* All the factors of 100 are also factors of all the multiples of 100
* Multiples of 100 have more factors than 100 (not all the factors of 300 are
factors of 100)
* You can use a pattern "rule" to find how many of each factor of 100 is in a
multiple of 100 (ex: If there are 4 25s in 100, then there are 5 x 4
25s in 500 or 20 25s in 500.)

Florida Geography Projects

Florida Geography Projects were assigned two weeks ago and will be due on Friday, September 30th. The purpose is to have a fun and meaningul way to culminate all that we are studying in our first 6 weeks of Social Studies (DOSS) about Florida's Geography. Each student has a guideline with all of the expectations for this "at-home" project. The above slideshow highlights a few examples of projects that have been completed by Chets Creek 4th Graders in the past. They are provided simply to give you ideas on how you might proceed, however, we encourage creativity and artistic uniqueness on this assignment. This project will count as a test grade in Social Studies for this first nine weeks. Have Fun!
Happy Crafting!
Mrs. Phillips and Mr. Pinchot

Building Our Lives As Readers

This year, readers are empowering themselves to take charge of their lives as readers.  But what does that mean???  Here's how our readers completed this sentence,

"To me, being in charge of my life as a reader means..."

...not having to read from one bucket and being able to read what I want.  To make reading more fun I read what I'm interested in.  Elisabeth
...choosing what I want to read.  Kofi
...that I can go have fun reading any book.  Sophia
...I can read any book I want.  I don't need to time my reading.  Choose if it is a just right book.  Alex
...being responsible for my books and taking it everywhere.  Chloe
...to take care of it and read right and fluently.  Robert
...not counting my pages and the minutes and making sure I'm "into" my book I'm reading.  Alexandra
...it feels good because I don't have to time or read [a specific] amount of pages, but now I like to read a lot.  Alexis B.
...I read every day.  I read anywhere I go.  Zachary
...I have a big huge responsibility because I get to pick my own books out and pick a just right book too.  Seth
...that I am the only one that is in charge of my life as a reader.  David
...to pick a just right book, not too hard or not too easy.  Noah
...to bring my book everywhere I go, and to love reading more.  Ryan
...choosing my own frequency of reading, and knowing that my book is just right.  Conor
...I can read just right books instead of not being able to choose a book.  Hunter
...that I'm going to pick a confident place in class to sit.  Dillon
...I've always been in charge of my life as a reader at home, but not at school.  I'm glad I can be in charge now.  Alexis S.
...I can choose when, where, how and how long I read.  Parker
...that I finally get to pick my own book.  Isis
...that I can read everywhere I go.  Sa'Tasha
...I can pick my book that I want.  Cliff
...I'm asking me, "Where did I write my time on a sheet of paper?"  Megan
...that I am going to try to stop after every chapter and think about what I just read.  Kristina
...choosing my just right book responsibly.  Tara
...I get to choose whatever I'm interested in.  Justin
...I can choose a just right book.  Luke
...I can pick books that I want instead of picking specific books from "W" or "K".  Jackson H.
...I can choose freely and I'm not being treated like a baby.  Jasmine
...I get to choose which genre and author I want to read.  Jackson D.
...to understand a book I pick, to read very comfortably.  I have to love reading.  Sydney C.
...I should use it wisely and respect my book.  Piper
...to choose when and where to read my book.  Gael
...to read every day and log my book and read as long as I want.  Dominic
...to choose a reasonable amount of book pages and how many minutes you've read for.  Carter
...I am a better reader.  Tracie

Categories of Number

During our first investigation in our unit Factors, Multiples, and Arrays, our class created posters of the arrays for various numbers. Using these posters, students put numbers into different categories based on the kind and number of arrays they could make. The class came up with five types of numbers - odd, even, prime, composite, and square. Numbers may fall into as many as three different categories. Here is a list of noticings for each category:

Odd Numbers:
* have a 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 in the ones place
* have only odd factors
* odd x odd = odd

Even Numbers:
* have a 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0 in the ones place
* always have a factor of 2
* each factor pair must have at least one even factor
* odd x even = even, even x odd = even, and even x even = even

Prime Numbers:
* only have 2 factors (one and itself)
* only produce one array
* 2 is the only even prime number

Composite Numbers:
* have more than two factors
* make at least 2 different arrays
* can be even or odd

Square Numbers:
* make a square array
* have an odd number of factors
* follow a pattern of odd, even, odd, even, ...
* can be made by multiplying a number by itself
ex: 1 x 1 = 1, 2 x 2 =4, 3 x 3 = 9 therefore, 1, 4, and 9 are square numbers

Science Totally ROCKS!

Our first two weeks of school have been colorful, shiny, streaky, volumous, and very rocky! As we have been learning about “what good scientists do”, we have also been using our observation skills (and science sleuthing capabilities) to collect important data about mysterious minerals by observing their physical properties using hand lenses, and then using our data to identify the names of the minerals by comparing our data to scientific mineral charts. Our first exploration allowed us the use of hand lenses to observe actual minerals in our classroom- we identified their color, streak, luster, and hardness. Next, we repeated this process in a “virtual” science lab on the internet in a program called Gizmos, and we conducted density tests (by finding the mass and volume of the unknown minerals and then dividing the two measurements using calculators), and acid tests (which was a favorite for many students). We culminated all of this hands-on lab experience with researching and reading in our textbook, Chapter 8 Lesson 1: What is a Mineral? Our next venture will be to explore, compare and contrast sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks. Many “rocky” roads lie ahead!

For those students who would love to earn extra Behavior Bucks, revisit Gizmos at home and identify mystery mineral “W”. Secretly tell your science teacher (Mrs. Phillips or Mr. Pinchot) the name of this mystery mineral, and you will earn $5 extra bucks to spend at our next auction! (Shhhh-don’t tell your friends and classmates. They need to read this blogpost and visit Gizmos all on their own in order to earn these special, extra bucks!) Happy science sleuthing!

Omega Man

The first week of school, we had a real life superhero visitor, Omega Man!  Omega Man taught us that we all have a super power within ourselves.  We all have the power to make wise choices.  He reminded us that our choices in life can change our future and we all have the power to make our lives what we want them to be!

Behavior Bucks and the Auction

Everyone loves what money can buy! Our students are no exception. Each day, students are “caught doing the right thing”, and they are rewarded with Behavior Bucks! These bucks can be earned by participating in class, giving an exceptional response, exceeding the standard, showing improvement in a specific area, doing something extraordinary, helping someone in need, etc. We love to build great character and strong students by catching our students doing what is right. Every other Wednesday, the Super Learning League teachers hold a huge auction where our students get to bid for items of their choice. All students who have earned an “A” in Conduct the week of the Auction and the week before the Auction are able to participate. Students have an “A” if they have two or less infractions for the week. The Auction is an anticipated event and is a highlight in the lives of our Super Learning League students. Our Auction is made possible by the generous donations from our parents. Our students love candy, books, toys, movies, stuffed animals, jewelry, art supplies, music, etc. Anything at all is appreciated by our students, so please keep donating. When your child donates, Behavior Bucks are given in return to say “thanks” for giving.

You Can Save the Day!

Have you ever known Superman to fail?  Really fail?

Even in the darkest moments, despite kryptonite-induced weakness, with the clock ticking and the world (sometimes literally) on his shoulders, Superman will never let you down.  When there is no way to triumph over the evil lurking in the midst, he will find a way.

Lex Luther may never steal away with our young readers and lock them away in the Fortress of Solitude, but there are other villains at work.  To a reading teacher, the reluctance to read is, perhaps, the greatest evil of them all.  We work tirelessly throughout the course of a year, calling on all of our super powers and sidekicks to create a love of reading and literature where it may never have existed before. Often times, just when you think the happy ending is near, the resilient old enemy rears its ugly head again.

This year, we're calling on all of you -- our newest sidekicks.  We've got a plan that is capable of banishing the fatal virus of reading reluctance forever -- but we need your help.  



Here's the plan:
1.  Click here and learn how we plan to use Nooks in the classroom to make reading more social and engaging for all our students.
2.  Donate any amount of money you are comfortable giving -- it can be as little as $5!  
3.  Now, this is the most important part ---- SHARE this site and TALK ABOUT our project with everyone you know!  Encourage others via Facebook, email, and word of mouth to make their own donation.  Grandparents, neighbors, friends, aunts and uncles, godparents, friends of friends, ANYONE!  
4.  And finally, keep checking back!  Watch us get closer and closer towards reaching our goal and making this dream a reality!  


Stay tuned......there's so much more to come!