In Readers' Workshop, students learned another strategy to help them identify themes in texts. Specifically, readers can consider what a character might do differently to help them identify possible life lessons. Encourage your child to think about theme while they're reading at home, using strategies we use at school.
In Writers' Workshop, we looked at
Should There Be Zoos?, a collection of opinion essays written by fourth graders. We noticed how the authors in the book ended their essays in a strong sentence, leaving the reader convinced. We practiced writing strong, concluding sentences in our literary essay on
The One and Only Ivan. Students then applied this to their own literary essays during independent practice.
In Read Aloud, we payed attention to the breaks, or gaps, in writing. We know that sometimes authors use these gaps to tell a story from a long time ago, like with Elya Yelnats in
Holes. We practiced identifying when we're in the present and back in time as we read.
In Word Study, different groups of students are working on different letter-relationships based on their pre-assessments. Ask your child about the rule they're working on. Have them give you some examples.
In Math Workshop, students used rulers and other mathematical tools to convert measurements to different units.
In Science, students began reading
Javier's Bridge. They're reading this text to learn about different types of bridges, and think through the Engineering Design Process as told in a story.
Homework:
- Math homework
- Read 20 minutes
Reminders:
- Unit 3 Math Assessment: Friday, December 18.
- If you're planning on leaving for out of town early, please let me know so I can have your child take the assessment before break. Thank you to families who've already given me notice!
Classroom Supplies:
- Sticky Notes: We're still in need of sticky notes! Any donations are appreciated! Thank you so much to families who've already donated!
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