Science Spotlight: Matter

What are properties of matter? What do you know about mass, volume, and density? Check out this Study Jams video, which highlights some of the content we have been discussing in Chapter 4, Lesson 1.
Click Here: Properties of Matter


Matter exists in three states (phases) on Earth- solid, liquid, and gas. How does matter change from one state to another, such as from a solid to a liquid? Check out this Study Jams video, which highlights some of the content we have been discussing in Chapter 4, Lesson 2.
Click Here: States of Matter

What a fun way to review. Enjoy!
Leave a comment to share something new you learned about "matter" by watching these videos.

Writer's Block

Emylie, from Mrs. Koster's homeroom, must have been struggling with writer's block in her writing last night. So, she wrote about it! Emylie's piece was so creative, that our class wanted to share it with the CCE Culinary Court bloggers.

Here is her piece:

Writer's block is like a land of blank walls. You never know what's behind it, what's next, or even where to start! It's a dark and evil spell cast on many writers all over the world. Just don't let yourself in without an exit.

Avoiding it:

• finish an unfinished piece
• always have ideas somewhere to fall back on
• pick a story and write a sequel

Exits:

• Take a break!
• Read a book for inspiration.
• Draw a picture, then write about it.

Great advice from fellow writer, Emylie!

Writers, how do you avoid writer's block? Give your best advice to stumped writers out there!

St. Augustine Highlights

St. Augustine 2012 on PhotoPeach


Our trip to St. Augustine was a memorable one. The weather was perfect and our tours were very informative. Here are a few FUN FACTS that we learned while there:

1) The Castillo cannons could shoot a cannon ball a distance of about 3 1/2 miles.

2) The Catholic Cross where Pedro Menendez first arrived in St. Augustine is 208 feet tall. If it were any taller, it would need a red light to be visible to airplanes!

 3) The oldest resident of St. Augustine is "Old Senator"- very large oak tree (in our slide show)

4) The Lightner Museum used to be one of Henry Flagler's hotels- there used to be a large indoor pool in there that measured 150 feet by 60 feet. (What was the area of this pool?)

 5) St. Augustine marks the beginning of the Trail of Tears (which we will learn more about later this year)

Students, what other FUN FACTS can you remember? Leave a comment to tell us something interesting that you learned and you will earn $5 behavior bucks!

What's the "Matter"?

Our 4th grade scientists are SO excited to be starting our new unit in Physical Science. Our initial essential questions are as follows:

*What are properties of matter?
*What are states of matter?

Our first investigation in this unit consisted of reviewing properties that can be used to classify matter through a classification-based investigation.

During our second investigation, we took a closer look at seven common objects (paper clip, clay cube, marble, pair of scissors, etc) and identified the color, shape, luster, texture, and mass of each. We also tested each object to see if it contained any magnetic properties.

Our next task will be to explore the states of matter through a virtual lab experience (Gizmos). We will also read in our textbooks (Lessons 1-2, pages 152-161) as a way of reviewing and connecting all of the pieces of our learning together. Stay tuned for our next Science Lab update. :-)

Students, find an interesting object in your home. Leave a comment to share at least 4 physical properties of this object. Be sure to also identify the object you are describing. :-)

Book of the Month

Here is our Book of the Month!

Today during Daily 5 in Mrs. Koster's class, two readers were spotted reading our book of the month for "Read to Someone". They were using the check mark to remind them to check for understanding after each partner read aloud. This month, our school is exploring Bon Apetit: The Delicious Life of Julia Child. We expect to learn a lot about Julia Child because no one in our class even knew who she was until we heard about this book! We are glad Mrs. Phillips chose this book and readers have enjoyed exploring it's many illustrations and interesting style of writing.

These readers chose the Book of the Month to read during "Read to Someone"! Mrs. Koster overheard them stopping to check for understanding and notice interesting facts about Julia Child.

This week in reading and writing workshop, we are discussing book recommendations, book blurbs, and book reviews. Readers and writers, look at the book review below written about our Book of the Month!

In a starred review, Publishers Weekly raves, "Chef and TV personality Julia Child likely would have delighted in and hooted over this wide-ranging picture-book biography.... Readers young and old will devour this fete pour les yeux."

Follow Julia Child—chef, author, and television personality—from her childhood in Pasadena, California, to her life as a spy in WWII, to the cooking classes she took in Paris, to the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, to the funny moments of being a chef on TV. This is a comprehensive and enchanting picture book biography, told in many panels and jam-packed with lively, humorous, and child-friendly details. Young chefs and Julia Child fans will exclaim, "ooooh la la," about this book, which is as energetic and eccentric as the chef herself.

Here is a photo of Julia Child on her television show! 

Readers and Writers, Use what you are learning in class about good book recommendations to comment about this book review. What makes this a great book review? Have you read the book yet? If so, what are some things you learned about Julia Child? What were your favorite features of this book? Why do you think Mrs. Phillips chose this book as our school's Book of the Month? If you have not read the book yet, what do you expect to learn from the book? 

Veterans Day

Woohoo!!! We get a long weekend this weekend!

But why?

"The Great War", World War I, may not have officially ended until June 28, 1919, but fighting stopped seven months before that date.  In 1918, the Allied Nations (which included the United States and many more countries) and Germany agreed that an armistice, or a temporary stop to fighting and violence, would begin on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed that November 11th, the first anniversary of "Armistice Day", should include parades and celebrations, beginning at eleven o'clock, to show our gratitude for the heroes that fought and died in WWI.

The tradition of celebrating Armistice Day and remembering WWI heroes continued for many years.  Congress declared it a national holiday, stating that it should be a day of "thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate* peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations."

But by 1954, our country had fought in another World War and done battle in Korea.  It seemed wrong for a holiday to remember only the veterans of one war, especially since World War II required the largest number of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen than any other war in our history.  So, Congress changed the name of the holiday to "Veterans Day", recognizing and remembering the heroes of all wars.

We continue to observe Veterans Day on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in the tradition of the first Armistice Day in 1918.

This photo was taken on November 11, 1918 at 10:58 AM.  These soldiers in France were waiting for the armistice to begin in 2 minutes.

*perpetuate - to make something continue forever

Readers, do you know any veterans?  If so, in what war did they fight?  Remember, the holiday recognizes veterans of ALL wars, including modern and current wars.  Do you have any neighbors, friends, or family members who serve or have served in the military today?  What can we do to honor their sacrifices?  How can you show your gratitude?

BONUS:  What do you think the word "mutual" means?

Want to know more?  Check out this short video!

Celebrating Readers to Leaders

Have you heard what our principal, Mrs. Susan Phillips, did to celebrate our students for meeting their 1st 9 Weeks reading goals and motivate them to work to meet their new 2nd 9 week goals? Well take a look!!- She turned herself into a banana slip, with the help of Mrs. Nash and some other ELA lead teachers in our school.

Here is what a few of our Culinary Court students said in response to this expression of support:

Lainey said, "I know our principal loves us and cares about us and wants to motivate us, even if it's crazy."

Zach said, "You know there's a theme in books. It's like a lesson. I think they had one in there- Reading is sweet!"

Jordan said, "She wants us to keep reading to get smarter and wants us to have fun....celebrate reading."

Natalie said, "Mrs. Phillips wants us to be more encouraged to read. Not everyone thinks they can read good, so I think that's why she did that. It was riskful for you to read, and it was riskful for her to do that."

Keep reading, Culinary Court Kiddos!! Make your principal, teachers and parents proud!!

Math Homework

Math homework is a critical tool for reviewing previously learned skills and practicing new strategies.  We, at Chets Creek, see homework as an important component of our math curriculum.  How can homework be best supported at home?  Here are our suggestions:

1)        Set a specified time and place for your child to complete homework.

2)       Let your child work independently, then check the work when completed.

3)       Expect your child to use these strategies when completing math homework:

a.       Read the entire problem, but underline the REAL question.  In the real world, we are constantly given a multitude of information, but must decide what information is important in making decisions based on the question at hand.  Children should begin practicing this skill with story problems.

b.      Circle the information needed to find the answer to the REAL question.  This requires children to think about what information is needed to answer a question and isn’t our goal to teach children to be great thinkers?

c.       Show thinking through the use of pictures or strategies.  (For more information on strategies, refer to your child’s Math Journal.)  If your child is approaching a problem in a way different way than you might approach the problem, allow them to explain how they are thinking.  Research shows that when students develop their own way of thinking about math, they become confident mathematicians with a better understanding of mathematical processes.

At Chets Creek, math homework is never graded on accuracy, but on effort.  Helping your child to put forth their best effort on homework will result in improved performance on assessments and greater confidence in math!

This Week in ELA Workshops

In our Reader's Workshop this week, we are continuing our study of Chris Van Allsburg. So far, readers have been enthralled with his wonderful books! All of the fourth grade readers are loving this author study!

Today, we read The Wretched Stone, a story of a crew of sailors who discover an abandoned island. As with all of Van Allsburg's books, we see elements of magic and impossibilities. In this story, the sailors find a glowing stone that is gray and smooth. It gives off an attractive and enticing light. The sailors who once loved to read, play music, and tell stories, are now drawn into the stone's magical glow. Pretty soon, they turn into apes! When we ask ourselves about the theme of this story, we try to answer the questions: What is the author trying to teach us? What is he trying to make us think about? What is he trying to say?Readers... What do you believe the theme of this story was? Using evidence from the text, tell your friends what the stone represents. What do you think of this particular story? Share your thoughts for others to respond to?

In Writer's Workshop this week, we are raising the quality of our narrative writing. Today, we read with a writer's eye. The quote in Mrs. Koster's room reminds us that, "To write like a writer, we must learn to read like a writer." Instead of reading like we normally do, we studied "mentor texts" to uncover what real writers do. We ask ourselves, "What did this author do that I could try in my own writing?" Then, we do the hardest but most important part... we try it out in our own writing!

Later this week, we will study the leads and engaging beginnings of writers. We will also learn how to use commas correctly in our writing. As we revise this week, we will learn that yesterday's revisions become today's standards of practice! If I learn how to fix something, next time I should know not to make the same mistakes!

Writers... By investigating your own current chapter books, what do the authors you love do that you could try in your own writing? What kinds of things do you notice? For Mrs. Koster's class- What did the authors of the personal narratives we explored do in their writing that you enjoyed?