January 2018

Happy January! 

Third Grade Math:
The third graders are busy learning about multiplication! You have probably seen the bright orange flashcards in the home folders. Please have your third grader use the flashcards a few minutes every day to help with memorizing these facts. We will start having timed tests on multiplication facts 0-5, starting Catholic School's Week. Some math vocabulary we are using is factor, product, and multiply. We are also calling "2 x 5 = 10" a multiplication sentence.

Fourth Grade Math:
The fourth graders are working with multiplication as well. They are reviewing multiplication facts and will have timed multiplication facts several times a week, starting Catholic Schools' Week.  We are also looking for missing factors, learning how to multiply 2-digit numbers by 1-digit,and how to multiply 3 digit numbers with and without regrouping.

Science:
As you know, we have started our unit on the solar system! Each student will be making a model of a planet. It is due February 9th. A sheet explaining the project went home on Monday, January 22. All of the students are excited about our Space unit. Ask your budding astronomer why we have seasons! We will also be learning about the phases of the moon, each planet, the scope of the solar system, and a myriad of interesting facts, I am sure!




Social Studies:

Authors reading postcard books

about Wisconsin

Wisconsin continues to be our focus for Social Studies. We finished up our post card travel project which took the students imaginatively traveling around the five regions of Wisconsin. Now we will focus on the history of European explorers coming to Wisconsin, such as Jean Nicolet, and Pierre Esprit Radisson. We will also "explore" our Wisconsin Catholic heritage that started when the French explorers came to Wisconsin in the 1600s.

Art: 
Our class loves art! The Smokey the Bear and Woodsy Owl posters created by this class were fabulous. A photo of (almost) each postcard is posted in our blog. The students also made a collaborative portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr. Next, we will focus on collage as used in a Caldecott Honor book, The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats.

English:
We are presently working on verbs.  We did a project in which  we learned about vivid verbs.  Each student has a chart with vivid verbs that could be used instead of the old tired ones.  We are also looking forward to writing a book with Studentreasures Publishing.  We will be using our vivid verb list to make our writing more appealing.


Writing:
Our big project is writing our book that will be published by Studentreasures Publishing.  The students chose under sea animals as the topic for this book.  Presently each student is researching a sea animal and will then write a report that will be included in the book.  More information about the book will follow as we come closer to the publishing date.

Reading:
In our large reading group we are working on such skills as cause and effect, text to text, text to self, summarizing, discussion questions, imagery, and vocabulary.  All of the skills are being taught using Patricia Polacco books.  She is our author study right now.

All of the students are also in guided reading groups.  Each group is working on reading and comprehension skills as well as reading a chapter book.

Religion:
We are learning how to form a good conscience.  We are also learning when and how to examine our conscience.  We can and should examine our conscience anytime.