Ms. Kreul’s Class Blog

4K has worked on an interesting spelling activity called a “Vocabulary Word Map” in which they practice dictionary and thesaurus skills. Students choose a word from their weekly spelling list that will work when they need to: spell the word, use the word in a 4th grade sentence, draw a picture or a connection for the word, locate a matching definition for the word in the dictionary, and write a synonym (word that means the same) and/or an antonym (word that means the opposite) - possibly using the dictionary or thesaurus.

The Imagination Station Publishing Center at Richards School will open soon!

4K’s publishing day is scheduled for Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Only student work that is completely done in school is eligible for publication in the Imagination Station.

When 4K has independent writing workshop time, students will be busy planning and writing stories, poems, biographies, reports, and many other genres of writing, with the goal of publishing their very best work in the Imagination Station this year.

4K fourth graders have just finished a terrific read-aloud book titled Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. It’s a wonderful tale of the trials and tribulations of a fourth grade boy named Peter Hatcher whose little brother Fudge makes life in the Hatcher household quite interesting.

The class worked together this week to write a book review for Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.” Lots of people use book reviews in newspapers, magazines, and online to help them decide which books they will enjoy reading. 4K often publishes their book reviews on the class blog or on individual student blogs after they have read books they would like to recommend to others.

For this class book review, we worked on starting off our review with a sentence that will catch the readers’ attention, adding interesting descriptive sentences that will encourage them to read on, and finishing up with an ending that will have them running to the library or book store – because they just have to read this terrific book! Be sure to check the class blog to read 4K’s book review for Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing!

According to school policy, when students go on vacation on scheduled school days, they will need to complete their school work when they return to school. Some work must be done in school, while other work that was missed will be sent home. The work that is sent home will have a due date when it needs to be completed and handed in, usually within 2-3 days. Due to the hands-on, collaborative work that is done in class, it may not be possible to make up all activities, projects, and activites that are missed.

FOSS Web Check out the site that accompanies the WFB fourth grade science curriculum

Social Studies Alive! Web sites to match each fourth grade unit in the social studies curriculum

Why would you abandon or give up a book you thought you would like or that seemed just right for you? Here is some good advice from 4K:

• You don’t like the subject of the book
• You don’t understand the story because there are too many words you don’t understand
• You don’t have fun reading the book
• You think it’s confusing because there are too many characters
• You feel like falling asleep when you’re reading it
• You don’t think the book is interesting
• You know the hero will not win, the villain wins instead
• You think the story is too complicated
• You lose interest after 5 or 10 minutes
• You don’t think the book is written with a good voice
• You don’t think the book has good descriptions
• You think the book is saying the same things over and over
• You think the book is too long or too short
• You feel that your brain is not following the book
• You think the book is too hard or too easy for you
• You think the book is really blah
• You think the story is too sad or depressing
• You think the story is too obvious
• You don’t think the book really fits you

Information about Reading Log homework will be included in next week’s Friday folder. Other homework assignments can be found in Assignment Notebooks and online on the class web page.

Fourth graders have done a terrific job this week organizing desks and school supplies, greeting old friends and meeting new friends, learning schedules and routines, and working hard during the first few days of school.

After listening to the read-aloud book “The First Day Jitters,” fourth graders shared times when they felt nervous – or had the “jitters” – when faced with a new situation or challenge. Students wrote personal narratives describing a memorable time when they felt nervous or scared or anxious.

Be sure to ask your fourth which character had the jitters in this entertaining picture book. J

Be an Expert at Music By Jordan and Zack

Do you want to know how to become an expert at music to impress your friends? Here are some tips to make you an expert!

1. Have fun!
2. Notice all the music notes and how they sound
3. Adjust your voice to the right sound level
4. Try to memorize the music
5. Listen to the way your music teacher sings the notes so you know how it is suppose to sound
6. Think outside of the box when thinking of melodies and music notes
7. Don’t make other noises when people are singin
8. Know the music notes
9. Improve the music, by suggesting ways to make it artistic
10. Not only sing, but also play an instrument

By Jordan and Zack

Do you want to know how to become an expert at music to impress your friends? Here are some tips to make you an expert!

1. Have fun!
2. Notice all the music notes and how they sound
3. Adjust your voice to the right sound level
4. Try to memorize the music
5. Listen to the way your music teacher sings the notes so you know how it is suppose to sound.
6. Think outside of the box when thinking of melodies and music notes.
7. Don’t make other noises when people are singing.
8. Know the music notes.
9. Improve the music, by suggesting ways to make it artistic
10. Not only sing, but also play an instrument

By Garrett and Josef

Here are our top 10 ways to become an Amazing artist.

1. Have fun
2. Don’t brag
3. Practice, practice, practice
4. Do art everywhere
5. Doodle a lot  
6. See art in everyday things
7. Doodle a lot
8. Do different things, not just one
9. Take some art classes
10. Go to art museums

By Alec and Jieun

Bonjour! Have you ever wanted to study the French language? Here are some spectacular ways to start!

• Study French before your teacher comes into the room.
• Pay attention to your teacher.
• Study French at home.
• Learn the French alphabet.
• Learn how to say numbers in French.
• Write small French paragraphs.
• Speak French at home.
• Read French passages to other people.
• Play French games.
• Sing French songs.

By Chris, Davis, and Caroline

Here are the top 10 ways to be an expert at science -

• Ask questions to clarify your understanding
• Try things in different ways
• Never give up
• Get deeply involved don’t be lazy
• Be daring to investigate
• Don’t get frustrated if the experiment doesn’t work
• Think outside the box
• Try things that might not work
• Be safe
• Have fun but don’t go to overboard

By Katie and Maddy

Here’s 10 tips on how to make your writing magnificent. Follow these 10 ways wisely to write your next story!

1. Imagination
2. Personal voice
3. Extravagent word choice
4. Sequential organization while writing
5. Very exciting and interesting topics
6. Sentence fluency is an important key
7. Every little convention counts in your piece
8. Expressing your feelings on paper helps your writing
9. Picking genres is just as signifigant as the text
10. You need tremendous amounts of patience to write well

By Emma, and Charlie

In our school we call our gym class Physical Education!
Here are the ways we think you can become an expert at Physical Education!

1. Have fun!
2. If you have an idea, say it
3. Play fairly
4. Play by the rules
5. Cooperate with others
6. Be safe
7. Be yourself
8. Listen when the instructor is talking
9. Do your best
10. It is easier to be athletic

By Emma and John

If you want a 100% percent on all your spelling tests, these are the top 10 ways to get it!

• Practice every day
• Study the difficult words
• Think the words through
• Do a practice test at home
• Study the grammar of the words
• Sound out the syllables
• Make sure you know what the word means
• Break the words into parts
• Look at the spelling list
• Challenge yourself with difficult words

By Spencer and Kaitlyn

Do you struggle in reading class? Well, lots of us do. But there are a lot of things you have to remember like….

• Have a book to read
• Don’t always read because you’re told to.
• Read for fun
• Don’t get distracted
• Have schema about the book you’re reading
• Make connections, have questions, etc.
• Make sure the book is just right for you
• Make sure you can visulize all the ideas
• Make sure you know what’s happening in the book
• Be able to read the book, and finish it.

By Nathan and Susan

Do you know how to become an expert at math? We do! Here are our top 10 ways to be the masters of math!

• Study the difficult facts
• Do math in your spare moments
• Listen to others ideas
• Estimate on hard problems
• Make your answers accurate and specific
• Practice the math methods
• Help other people
• Have all your materials before you start
• Proofread your work
• Do your best!