Maracujá...Grade 4, Where are YOU in the process?

Inspire. Challenge. Succeed. 

Every Student... Every Heart... Every Mind... Grade 4, where are you in your Maracujá process? In just three weeks, you will be presenting your learning. Spend some time reflecting on the Maracujá Key Questions as they will guide you in the creation of your Google Slides presentation. Be sure to review the Maracujá timeline and use your time wisely!

Curriculum Corner

Literacy. Students are applying their narrative reading and opinion writing skills in our author study reading unit. Using collaborative group work structures, different groups are discussing and analyzing the author's themes using specific text evidence to support their ideas and interpretations.

Students, watch the following Pixar short animation, Piper. Using the Narrative Reading Learning Progression to help guide your thinking, could you figure out the theme of the story from details in the animation? Could you use specific examples to make inferences about the story? I wonder, what is the story really about?

Also, students should be reading at least 30 minutes a day. You can support your child by asking him/her questions about the reading, and/or reading aloud with them.

Copy and print this image and create your own reading bookmark!

Use the strategies below to help guide your discussions about the fiction and nonfiction texts your child is reading.

Reading Fiction

Reading Nonfiction
   

Math. Our new unit on Fractions and Their Uses; Chance and Probability is coming to an end. Please review the Unit 7: Family Letter that provides important background information, vocabulary, do-anytime activities and homework support. Additional resources, including information about all Grade 4 math units, can be found under "Math Links" on the blog. 

Students, watch the videos to help strengthen your understanding of both new and old mathematical concepts. It is important that you continue to practice your multiplication facts and division strategies at home on a regular basis.

Fractions

NEW!

Division

Multiplication

Students, review the skills and concepts learned in our previous math units by rewatching the Math Antics Video Lessons. Sharpen your skills by playing the math games and watching the BrainPop videos listed below.

• Shepard math games
• Funbrain multiplication games
• Virtual math manipulatives
• Create a graph
• Time games
• Points, Line Segments and Rays - BrainPop Jr.
• Congruent and Similar Shapes - BrainPop Jr.
• Angles - BrainPop
• Order of Operations - BrainPop 
• Mean, Medium, Mode and Range - BrainPop 
• Coordinate Plane - BrainPop

Parents, encourage a growth mindset in your child for Math!

Units of Study. Students continue to explore and extend their understanding of energy and matter transformations through their participation in investigations, observations, and shared reading of our science textbook. Students continue to apply the scientific method in various science experiments, and are using specific science vocabulary to push their thinking and writing further in their experiment conclusions. 

Grade 4 explores how energy and matter interact to produce a transformation in the Molecule Mambo science experiment.

Students, rewatch the following videos to help strengthen your understanding about energy and matter transformations. 

• Forms of Energy - BrainPop
• Energy Sources - BrainPop Jr.
• Energy - Bill Nye
• Phases of Matter - Bill Nye

Students, remember to make connections to our Transformations expert vocabulary throughout our unit!

Homework Expectations

Exploring our passions will teach us to be lifelong learners. With this in mind, we feel that time outside of the classroom is important in order to pursue our interests. 

The following are our homework expectations for Grade 4:

• Read 30 minutes
• Complete one Math worksheet every 2 days
• Complete unfinished class work
• Review our Grade 4 blog for additional curricular information and/or to extend the learning at home

Grade 4, practice and develop a growth mindset!

Parents, make your thinking visible at home! Learning to be flexible in our thinking allows us to reflect and make meaningful connections to the world around us; therefore, a culture of thinking for active, healthy and mindful living is created! 

Provide Time to Pursue Passions... Our Maracujá (passion learning) journey is well underway! Continue to help your child prepare for this meaningful learning experience by providing the space he/she needs to pursue passions and interests. Throughout the Maracujá process, let your child explore further his/her passion in order to foster a love for lifelong learning. Purposely provide the time for your child to fully engage in it! Pursuing our passions allows us to be inspired, to face challenges and to succeed (Ron Ritchhart, 10 Parent Applications, Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education).

Students are documenting their learning in their Maracujá Digital Notebook. Parents, ask your child to share his/her Maracujá process with you!

One School. One Community. One Graded.

NEW news from the Library... There are so many exciting things happening in the LS Library! We are preparing for a vacation reading incentive program, the 2018 Reading World Cup. Students will be hearing more about the program over the next two weeks, and we'll send links to help you to support your child at home. We'll also be encouraging returning students to check out books to read over the vacation. Please remember that ALL LIBRARY RESOURCES ARE DUE MAY 30.

We will begin the process on May 30 of marking books lost and sending out fine notices, but we would always prefer to have the materials back. Books are carefully selected for Graded based on students' interests and needs, and getting replacement copies here in Brazil is a lengthy process.

Students who have everything turned in will have the option of checking out books for the vacation (up to 10 books total per family) on their last library class of the year. If you are looking for suggestions to read together over the break, review the following list of books organized by category and approximate interest levels. In addition, the LS Library will be open every Monday from 9:00-11:00 and from 13:00-16:00 for you to come get new books if you're in town.

As always, your child can use Destiny Discover to access the online library resources at home! Students can open them directly on their devices once they've logged into Destiny Discover. Please ask Dr. Purcell if you have any questions about accessing the eBooks. Enjoy! Also, check out the following book recommendations!

Lastly, we've also been looking back on the school year, and invite you to read the annual report for the LS Library.

Happy Reading! 

Maracujá is HERE... Grade 4 will present their Maracujá on June 1 from 8:30-9:30 in the Grade 4 hallway and classrooms. Parents, we look forward to having you celebrate your child's learning on this special day!

Grade 4, be sure to include the following the day of your Maracujá presentation:

• Your Google Slides presentation
• A large poster advertising your Maracujá
• Any special equipment, clothing and/or items you have created to show and/or share (optional)

Review the presentation instructions in your Maracujá Digital Notebook!

Use the poster example to guide the creation of your poster!

THANK YOU Maracujá Guest Presenters... The Grade 4 team would like to thank you for your time and dedication throughout our Maracujá learning journey! Our students walked away from your presentations with a greater understanding on what it takes to follow and foster their own passions and interests. We really enjoyed having you share in our learning!

Important Dates and Events...

May 30... All library resources are due
May 31... No School (Corpus Christi Holiday) 
June 1... Maracujá (8:30-9:30 in the Grade 4 hallway and classrooms)
June 4... LS End of Year Assembly
June 8... Last day for students (11:30 dismissal)