Happy New Year

Holiday Sing

Geo Bees

Sebastian answered 6 of the 7 challenging Geographic Bee questions and Brenna nailed 5.  They finished one-two in our class.  

12/12/12 12:12:12

Countdown

Celebration

Soil Close-Up

Our next science unit "Land & Water" calls for a close-up analysis of sand, clay, gravel and humus the main components of the soil we use in our investigations. 

Researching Jazz Greats

All fourth graders are preparing for their show about jazz history to be performed in early February.  In technology class the past three weeks students paired up to research and create electronic multimedia posters called "Glogs"  on different jazz musicians who are featured in their show" We Haz Jazz." The "glogs" will be viewed after the show for family and friends to enjoy.

Stringing Beans & Salting Fish

Mrs. Cameron/Davis' class joined us for another session on how people preserved their food in Colonial America.  The stringbeans were from the Shorecrest garden.  The mullet was from the bay.

Studying a Classic

Students are reading with me this challenging but rewarding book.  Students are using two study guides and posting notes at various points to track their thoughts and enliven their discussions.

Pondering Change

Students, clipboards in hand, went out on an expedition to discover evidence of how our playground and buildings are changing.  This is to launch our next science unit on Land and Water....studies in erosion and soils.   What or who caused this AC support to rot?  What caused all the pine straw/needles to be this way?  How did the sand get out of the sandbox?  Discuss.

The Geographic Bee is Coming

All fourth graders participate in this annual competition. It starts in thousands of classrooms (grades 4 to 8)  all across the nation in December and ends with one winner from each state competing for the national championship in Washington, DC in June.  Students are practicing with questions from last year's bee.  Since the bee questions are often spatially oriented (which state is closer to the Gulf of Mexico:  Indiana  or Georgia) students have memorized the states in regional order from Maine to Hawaii.  Ask a fourth grader to explain.  

On a personal note, back in the '90's Gulliver Harbour Hughes, my son,  was a two time winner of the New Mexico Geography Bee.  He competed in Washington, DC twice and was in the nationally televised final among the top ten finishers among the millions who started the contest.  Here he is congratulated by New Mexican Harrison Schmidt the last man to walk on the moon. 

Kyle's BVI Sailing Adventure

Kyle shared his sailing holiday to the British Virgin Islands.  He showed his  digital album and answered many questions. 

Live From Our Classroom, It's Decimals!

Watch Leah with our  "decimal point" bell move about as we practiced identifying numbers with decimals. Where in the photo below should Leah and the decimal bell be standing to correctly make the number 11.11?

Students took turns holding base ten "blocks," "flats," "longs," and "cubes" to assemble different numbers containing decimals.  The rest of the class had to write and say each number.  Ask a fourth grader to explain. 

Pemmican

Making pemmican, a vital preserved meat that Colonial Americans learned from Native Americans.  Get someone in our class to explain all about the science of drying meat and other foods. 

We took turns breaking with a rock the dried (overnight in a dehydrator) flank steak strips. 

Julia's "An Ode to Teachers" Began "Poetry in the Park"

Below is a little portion of Julia reciting her poem.

Paul Revere Rides Again at "Poetry in the Park"

About "Poetry in the Park"

Students bring beach towels.  Parents bring beach chairs.  It starts at 8:30.  There's an intermission.  Fourth grade is the grand finale.  Our poems are on display in the hallways.  It's over by 10:30 usually.

Halloween: Who Was What? Help!

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