Web of Life & Narrative Writing

Reminders:

• Our field trip to the Tilden Botanical Garden was moved to this Thurs., Oct. 13.
• Please turn in your signed permission slips for the Mission Dolores field trip next Thurs., Oct. 20.

Homework:

• 4th grade math homework due tomorrow
  Option 1: Unit 1 Pages 41-42
  Option 2: Factors & Even/Odd
• 5th grade math: Homework for this week can all be downloaded in this packet.
• Narrative Writing, a Moment in Time, due tomorrow, Wed., Oct. 12
  
• Reading log, due this Fri., Oct. 14
• Science: Food chains, due next Tues., Oct. 18 (see below for instructions to use with handout, which you can download here)

Math:
Fourth grade math, today's question:
Are all the factors of a number always factors of a multiple of that number?
Students counted around the room with multiples of 100s today, and we reviewed factors and multiples. Then we investigated the number 16 and its multiple 48, to see if all of the factors of 16 were also factors of 48, and whether this was true for any number and its multiples. Students found factors using arrays with grid paper, color tiles, or connecting cubes, and tried to write and draw clear explanations.

Fifth grade math: It was the day they've all been waiting for: the day they learned the algorithm for long division. They've built multiple towers, multiplied to divide, and invented their own ways to divide, but until today I had not taught the method that most of us have used since our own days as fifth graders. They took notes on it, practiced it, but will need much more practice before they have mastered it.

Writing: Over the next few writing classes we are focusing on narrative writing. The students began compiling information about an event in their lives for our "moment in time" assignment. Students are choosing topics and using a planner to list information about the event to help focus on the details of what was seen heard and felt. Later this week the students will settle on one event to turn into a narrative writing. We discussed "watermelon" topics, such as "summer vacation," and "seed" topics, such as "the moment I jumped in the lake." Our narrative focus is on seed topics.

Science:
We have been discussing food chains and today made a food web with the students in the classroom. For homework, students should finish coloring in their organism cards from the handout (which you can download here) cutting them out, creating 4 food chains, and gluing or taping them to the piece of cardstock they brought home in their green folders.

Please color in the organism by their role in ecosystems:

• green: producers
• yellow: herbivores
• red: carnivores
• orange: omnivores
• blue: decomposers
  

Due next Tuesday, Oct. 18.
Food web activity

Social Rules and an Art to Science Connection

Reminder: No School tomorrow and Monday!

4th Grade Math Homework: See Wednesday's assignment - due on Tuesday, 10/11

The students had two opportunities to work with images in creative ways today. During writing workshop, along rotating to typing practice for part of the time, the students selected a picture as a source of inspiration. The writing goal was to use the image, or element from the image to inspire a written story. The story could have a direct or indirect connection to the image.


In the last hour of the day we revisited photographs for an drawing project. Students selected a new image, cut it in half and used color pencil to re-render the missing half. This is an activity that helps students see the shape, line, tone and color relationships within an image. For example, the shadows on a white area may appear tinted with color, and often are a reflection of surrounding colors. Background, or negative space, becomes even more evident with this attention to detail. This form of close observation is related to our work in science where we ask the students to observe closely and construct meaning or new understandings from direct evidence.


Photo - drawing activity.


Strawberry began the first of several meetings scheduled with Kate Klaire to work on Social Rules. Along with creating the student recess council to discuss playground agreements, Kate's work in the classroom is intended to continue the thread of personal and group responsibility.

4th Grade Math: Today, for the first half of math class the 4th grade students reviewed recent classwork finding the factors of 200, and extended their work to finding the factors of 300. The second half of class focused on cooperative small group problem solving. In groups of four each student was in charge of a clue to help solve a number puzzle. The clues use mathematical vocabulary, such as multiple, sum and difference, and require the students to work cooperatively to solve the puzzle.

Working on math puzzle.

Botanic Garden Trip Postponed

Dear Strawberry Creek Families,

The Botanic Garden staff have canceled due to the chance of rain. If it rains they are unable to provide the program we are going there for. Artifacts and materials used are not able to be out in the rain.

We are in the process of rescheduling. Possibly for 10/12 or 10/13.

I will be in touch,

Jeff

Reminders: No school on Friday or Monday!

Homework:

• Reading chapters 7 and 8 of Island of the Blue Dolphins, and reading log (due tomorrow)
• Fourth grade math homework (due Tues., 10/11)

Fort Ross Costumes: Today we visited the Fort Ross website as a class to view costumes and related images. Many students took notes and made sketches to bring home. There are examples of basic costumes at the website "www.fortrossstatepark.org/". To see student versions, scroll down the side bar and click on, "Environmental Living Program." From there you will see a section called, "More Costume Ideas" and a link to student versions. Many of these are simply adult button down shirts with collars cut off, a rope sash, pants (no jeans) or skirts, rubber boots etc.

Math:
Fifth graders spent considerable time again today on the problem of the week, some students working toward an algebraic expression of how to find the number of squares in a given grid. They continued their work on division with multiple towers. Look forward to a unique mathematics activity tomorrow as they explain their thinking and learning through an online tool called Voicethread.

Fourth graders counted around the class today by 2's and then by 6's. Then they found all the factors of 100, using different methods--some students found thinking about money was helpful. We started finding the factors of 200 and 300, which we will continue tomorrow.

Social Studies: The students are continuing to work on their Native Californian tribe research project. Next week they will begin the process of creating PowerPoint slide shows to demonstrate their work connecting the past to the present.

Science:
Students have been making observations of their lima bean seedlings, and the gardening group for our Fort Ross trip planted some of these today with the help of parents Cathy MacNeal and David Hoffman today (thanks very much!). We have also been learning about photosynthesis, and today talked about food chains, and the different roles living things have in these. Students coded living things as producers or different kinds of consumers, and are creating their own food chains.

Math Homework

Reminders:

• Please turn in your permission slip for Thursday's field trip.
• Remember there is no school Friday or Monday.
  

Homework:

• 4th grade math homework (due tomorrow)
• Optional Problem of the Week: 3 Light Switches (due Tues., Oct. 11)
• 5th grade math: see yesterday
• Reading log & read chapters 7 and 8 in Island of the Blue Dolphins: see yesterday
  

Math:
Fifth graders worked on their problem of the week this morning, a classic puzzle that asks students to count the number of squares on a 6x6 grid (you can download it on yesterday's blog). Each day of the week, I reveal a few more suggestions to help students along. Today, we used a t-chart to look for patterns in the number of squares there are of each size. We talked about how "mathematicians are lazy" (one of my mantras) and are always looking for patterns and shortcuts.

Fourth graders completed an assesment this morning to check their automaticity with multiplication facts, first completing all the problems they "just knew" in 5 minutes, then going back to work on the more challenging combinations. Then students used computers or games to practice facts they were working on. Other students worked to find patterns in some challenging number sequences.

Elections & Class Meeting

Reminders:

• Chaperone meeting for Fort Ross tonight from 7-8 p.m. in the classroom!
• Please return your signed permission slip for this Thursday's field trip.
• Remember, no school or childcare this Friday, Oct. 7 or Monday, Oct. 10.

Homework:

• Reading log due Thursday. Read chapters 7 and 8 in Island of the Blue Dolphins and complete the reading packet for the chapters. Due Thursday.
• 5th grade Math: This week's packet (includes homework and classwork)
  This week's POW (to be worked on in class)
• 4th grade Math: Create multiplication cards (Blank Math Cards) and practice multiplication facts you are working on, reading the instructions and documenting them on the Homework Handout (due tomorrow).
  Optional Problem of the Week: Three Light Switches (due Tues., Oct. 11).

Math:

Fifth graders learned to multiply to divide today. In other words, we talked about how just as subtraction is the opposite of addition, division is the multiplication. We then used "multiple towers" to show the multiples of a given number until we arrived at another number. Students took notes in their math notebooks, so any questions about tonight's homework can hopefully be answered by a glance at their notes.


Our warm up in 4th grade math was a Quick Image of 30 dots, which were seen as 5 x 6, 6 x 5, and 2 x 15, among other ways. Young mathematicians practiced their multiplication with some multiple choice questions, and played more math games to strengthen their fluency with multiplication facts. Several students acted out and discussed the Handshake problem, and shared patterns they noticed.

Class meetings:

Students gave speeches and held elections for our 4th and 5th grade representatives to the school Recess Council. It was wonderful to see how seriously the candidates took the job. Mia will be our 4th grade rep, and Jesse will be our 5th grade rep. The other candidates, and other students as well, will have the opportunity to represent Strawberry Creek in future councils.

In class meeting, we discussed having recess before lunch, and what students could do to change this new routine at school back to the old routine of lunch before recess.