Mrs. Saunders’ 4th Grade News February 2012

1. Mrs. Saunders’ 4th Grade News February 2012 Math: We are beginning Unit 6 this week, which deals with fractions and learning how to distinguish between different parts of a whole. The students will learn to cut rectangles and add parts together. Along with learning about the different parts of a whole, the students will be working a great deal with fractions. They will be learning how to read and write fractions and how to use fractions to represent the parts of a whole they will be working with.Inquiry: We just concluded our unit on NC History. The students gained knowledge and understanding about the founding of North Carolina by the Europeans. The students researched the many attempts at settling North Carolina. Their favorite being the Lost Colony. The students researched the Lost Colony in order to formulate their own theories about what happened to the Lost Colony. We went on to learn about the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. We ended our unit conducting research on the school’s laptops about famous Pirates in History. We recently began our unit on Animal Adaptations. Your child is learning about the different environments and habitats that animals live in. They will be researching the effects that weather, predators, humans, and natural disasters have on these environments. The students will also be learning about the different adaptations that each animal has in order to survive in their environments Reader’s Workshop: We learned how to read and retain information using an FQR chart. An FQR charts is a 3-column chart used to track information. The F stands for Facts from the text, the Q stands for questions that they have, and the R stands for Responses that they have about what they read. Since we focus on non-fiction texts that are full of factual information, the students are learning to use the FQR chart to hold on to the acquired information. The students are also learning to code a text that they are working through. They will be using the margins of their texts to code the text as they read, displaying their thoughts, questions, and important information. Writing: In writing we have just begun essays. The students are learning to switch their mind set from personal narratives (writing personal stories with feelings and emotions) to writing essays (which includes facts and observations.). Look for their most recent writing pieces. • Tips and Reminders: • Please make sure your child is prepared for school each day. The temperatures have been crazy lately, but we do go outside just about everyday for some well- deserved physical activity. • School begins promptly at 7:45. Students should be unpacked and ready to learn, preferably, before that time. • Please make sure that your child is reading and get their reading log signed each night.