Experiments, Multiplication, and More

  What a busy week it has been. One of the highlights came when the fourth graders completed their first science inquiry experiment. They came up with the focusing question: Do crayfish prefer open water or rock caves? Then the students wrote the protocol, completed the experiment, and collected data. Surprisingly our data didn't match our prediction. Be sure to ask your child about the results. 

  In Math class, we have shifted entirely to multiplication. Students have been manipulating larger numbers and have been reviewing strategies to use with the basic facts. It is important that they have skills to use to figure out the answers, but memorization of the facts is vital at this point as well. Students will be getting flash cards soon to begin studying each week. 

  In writing, students are learning to use details that show the reader rather than tell them. I've seen great growth this week. I definitely have a classroom filled with writers!

Here are a few photos from the week. 

  

A Day at Clifford Park

 

 Thursday we spend the day at Clifford Park collecting and counting crayfish for the White River Partnership. It was a wonderful morning. The sun stayed out just long enough to keep things warm and made the bed of the river easy to see. We were able to collect hundreds of crayfish! The kids were great and had a lot of fun.  We probably could have stayed for hours more. I was so impressed with their willingness to help one another and cheer each other on as they picked up the crayfish with their bare hands! 

  On Tuesday, the fourth graders will be completing their first inquiry experiment with the crayfish. They will be planning a question to ask, predicting an outcome, collecting data, and writing about their results.  This is a huge process that is in-depth and can be exhausting the first time around. I encourage parents to talk to their child about their experiences on Tuesday. I am sure that the students will have a lot to share.

 This first crayfish experiment is only preparing the fourth graders for a bigger inquiry project coming the following week. Students will be planning their own experiment based upon the data they have been collecting in their territories by the Dothan Brook.  They will plan, organize, create, and execute every last detail.

Our First Full Week!

  We survived our first full week of school with flying colors. It was an extremely busy week, and I was so happy to meet so many families on Open House night. Thank you all for coming out and supporting your children. They were so excited to take you through the scavenger hunt and show you all that they have been doing these past few weeks.

  This week we started two very important units. In math class, our focus shifted to the beginnings of multiplication. Students learn this math function using the area model, or array model. This is different than how multiplication used to be taught when I was in school, but trust me, as the numbers get bigger and bigger, it is a tool that students will use and return to all year long.

  In science this week, we officially began our animal inquiry unit with a trip down to the brook. Students received their territories and began to do a scientific map in their science notebooks. I was truly impressed in the growth I've seen in just the past week. The students were focused, and were really attempting to observe their areas the best that they could.  We ran out of time and will be heading back down again on Tuesday afternoon. Thank you for getting all the extra boots and socks in on time.

    Remember that we will be heading to Clifford Park to study crayfish on Thursday of next week. Please make sure that your child dresses in layers as it can be chilly in the mornings.  If any parent is interested in joining us, please let me know. We'd love to have you along.

Where I'm From Poems

Becoming Scientists

The fourth graders have spent the week learning that scientists take great care to observe the world around them. The first day outside in the woods, the students ran around and saw very little. Afterward, they expressed their disappointment at not seeing chipmunks, squirrels, and even deer. We discussed the differences between beginner scientists and advanced. 

The second day, students were quiet and more grounded. They spent time really looking at nature around them and seeing the finer details that others might miss. This time bugs were crawling on them, and the kids were fully immersed in the surroundings. 

From there we spent time learning how to record our observations in our science notebooks. The fourth graders spent time writing notes and drawing detailed images to reference later. The kids were given an object from nature to practice observing. What a difference a day makes. 

Yesterday we tried to put it all together. The students were put in teams and went out to observe their first mini habitat, a rotting log. I had hoped that they would follow the observing qualities we had discussed while recording detailed notes on their recording sheet. Unfortunately, the kids had a difficult time focusing. The draw of being in the woods was more of a distraction than I had imagined. In the end, we needed to reflect on the experience and make adjustments for next time. 

Taking into consideration Thursday's problems, I decided to spend more time on the importance of looking and paying attention to the details along with recording them accurately. Students were asked to draw a simple face, the catch was that they only saw it for about 15 seconds. They then compared all of the pictures and discussed why they were all different and none even looked similar? How could that be when everyone was observing the same picture? The kids quickly came to the realization that only looking at it once meant they were making a lot of it up as they drew. They then got a photo of half of their face and were asked to draw the other side. This time looking as closely as possible to the details of their face to get an accurate observation. They had a lot of fun with this, and most were surprised how much they "saw" in their faces that they could then draw.  

We will be building on these skills over the next few weeks. So stay tuned!

Group Collaboration- Week 1 2014/2015

Well, we finished our first week of school with great success. I am sure that like me, your children are tired and happy to have today off to recoup from the week's activities. I enjoyed meeting all of the students, and I'm excited to really dive into the learning next week.

In fourth grade, the kids spend a great deal of time working on projects together in groups. They talk, listen, bounce off ideas, analyze, and encourage one another to become the best that they each can be. Learning to collaborate and be part of a working group is a skill that is important to learn right away, and it was our focus for the past four days.

Each student was put into a working group and then given a challenge. On the first day students were given 20 minutes to build the tallest cup tower.  We let them go at it and watched them jump in with little to no thought about their approach or about working together. We spent time after reflecting on what each group thought they did well, what they wish they could have done better, and what they would do differently next time.

 The second day. students were asked to discuss the previous days activities and talk about what they learned from their successes and failures. I was in awe of how intuitive most groups were. They mentioned listening, cooperating, planning, taking turns, sharing ideas, not getting frustrated, and many more thoughts that surpassed my expectations.

They were then given the task of building a tower out of pasta, tape, and string that could hold a marshmallow on the top. Again students were given 20 minutes, but this time each group sat and planned their approach before they ever began touching the supplies.  They communicated different ideas. and some even went so far as to give everyone in the group a role to play. When the challenge was finished, students again reflected as a group what was successful and what wasn't.  Most recognized that this challenge was more difficult, and yet somehow it went more smoothly than the day before!

 The third day, we introduced the key component to group work: communication. In this challenge students had to simply communicate their ideas and come with a group consensus. As you know, this can be one of the greatest challenges of any team building exercise. The students talked about how to be good listeners: face one another, eye contact, repeating what people said, asking clarifying questions, and they discussed how to talk: take turns, use a talking stick, share only one idea at a time, use eye contact, be positive, and provide evidence.

 On day four, we put it all together. We introduced the six qualities it takes to be a skillful group member. Then we challenged the students to work together to build a lego model. Simple right? Not quite. The model was in the front of the classroom, and students couldn't take it back to their table. They each had all of the pieces needed to build it, but they could only send one person up to the model at a time. This challenge takes great communication and listening skills and is downright impossible if you can't work together.

At the end of this challenge we asked the students to do a written reflection of how they thought they used the 6 collaboration skills this week. I was excited to see the students using specific examples of how they listened or how they were respectful to others.

Although we won't be doing daily challenges on a routine basis anymore, group work will not being going away. The skills that the kids learned this week will follow them throughout the year. Hopefully you can incorporate these ideas at home as well. If your child is working or playing with friends or siblings, I encourage you to remind them of the things they have learned this week and ask them how they can use these skills at home as well.