This Week @ 4B: November 17
SPELLING: This week’s list features words with consonant blends like sh, and ch. You might like to visit www.mrbrownsroom for the weekly spelling list and ideas for different ways to study spelling words.
READING: Our story this week will be an old Mexican folk tale. It’s a funny and imaginative tale about the downside of feeling too self important.
MATH: We finally completed our unit on multiplication of larger numbers. It’s a tough one for most fourth graders. Some children will need to make corrections on their test papers on Monday. If they can do so without help, then I count the score they’ve earned. Those who need extra help will be able to work with our remedial math paraprofessional until they’re ready to take the test a second time.
Our new math unit is an introduction to simple algebra. We’ll start with understanding the order of operations as used in algebra. Also covered this week: variables, inverse opperations and some simple equations. This unit, like the last one, often seems really foreign and challenging to kids. Once they get the hang of it though, it actually becomes fun for them.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Both 4B and 4F kids have been making great progress in learning the state names in the East region (New England and Mid-Atlantic states). If you have a chance you might encourage them to practice state recognition by playing some Internet based U.S. map games at a site called Gamequarium.
We have also been learning about some of the Native American tribes of the area and the beginnings of our constitution and industry in this region.
SCIENCE: Mrs. Folks will be teaching a unit on Earth science including the study of rocks and minerals.
WRITING: Kids will get a bit more practice with adjectives. After a short review of verbs, they’ll move on to adverbs. Both adjectives and adverbs will help their writing become more interesting and help it better express their own personal voice.
NOTE: The Thanksgiving food drive will end this Thursday.
