updated February 24, 2020

Mass, Grace, Lent

Fourth graders who participate in 4^th/5^th grade Chorus are part of music ministry. I am so thankful for them each time we have an all school mass. Their voices, raised in praise, inspire me. Last Thursday all fourth graders inspired as they served in some way during the all school at mass. Our theme was grace. Fourth graders already know that grace is God’s power, in us. From the welcome, beautifully read by Ella, “Because God is love, grace is a gift of love that calls us into relationship with God. God created us out of love, for love, and in order to love us. Think about it. God’s love/power is in us. God’s love/power is in the person sitting next you. God’s love/power is in your friends. God’s love/power is in your enemies. And that changes everything.”

This Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, another opportunity for growth and grace. We’ve got 40 days of “giving something up” or committing to a new habit. While this journey is typically a personal one, I invite you to consider a family action. One year my daughters and I walked to school/work each day of Lent. Another year we managed to eat as a family at the dinner table, each and every night. When Easter came we really did feel we’d changed, grown closer to God and each other as well.

Science, Environments Unit Continues:

If you’ve walked the upper floor hallway recently, you might have noticed large boxes stacked outside the fourth grade classroom. These are the next FOSS units for fourth grade science. FOSS stands for Full Option Science System. This year all grades received updated FOSS kits, in line with Next Generation Science Standards. https://www.nextgenscience.org Fourth graders are still working with the Environments Unit. Energy will follow.

I love this system that guides our inquiry, hands-on and multisensory activities, student-to-student interaction, reflective thinking, reading and research. In the final weeks of our Environments study we return to the desert and rain forest environments we studied in September and engage with the phenomenon that different plants survive in each environment. Fourth graders will set up and monitor controlled experiments to determine the range of tolerance of water for germination of four kinds of seeds: corn, pea, barley, and radish. In a second experiment, students test the effect of salinity on these seeds. We will then study local plants by mapping neighborhood plants and relate plant distribution to environmental factors. Finally we’ll look at plant adaptations that allow organisms to thrive in dry desert environments and wet tropical environments.

Math Camp Opportunity for Girls:

STEM camp – Girls Rock Math

This is open for girls in grades 1-6. There are a variety of themed camps to match your daughter’s interest. Hurry! Registration increases March 1st. Scholarships are also available, but must apply by March 1st. Please let Mrs. Lawler know if you have any questions. Check out

https://www.girlsrockmathematics.com/find-your-camp.php

Service Trip Groups 2019-2020 updated 2-10

Northwest Explorers rap (Cameron’s request)

WA State Map Project 2020

Math Packet, Christmas Break

Spelling Lists, full year

Dates to Remember

Saturday, 2/29: OLG Auction. See you there!

Wednesday, 3/4: State of the School

Wednesday, 3/11, 11:15-2:15: Service Trip, VA Hospital (ten students attend)

Thursday, 3/12: 4^th attends daily mass, all blues, π Day activities in the afternoon.

Friday, 3/13: No school, teacher in-service

Saturday, 3/28: OLG Day of Service

Homework

Monday: Read for 20 minutes

Spelling worksheet – Do one side, read the flip side.

Writing and Religion assignment, Lenten goal

Tuesday: Read for 20 minutes

Read spelling sheet out loud. Practice fluency.

Reading assignment

Math assignment

Wednesday: Read for 20 minutes

Read spelling sheet out loud.

Try to sound like a news reporter on TV.

Math assignment

Social Studies assignment

Thursday: Read for 20 minutes

Be ready to read spelling sheet out loud

Have spelling worksheet from Monday, ready to turn in on Friday

Study for spelling test and weekly quiz

Helpful Websites

Science

https://www.fossweb.com

User Name: OLG4Science

Password: OLG4Science

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPZI2M1fDi8

Producers, Consumers, Decomposers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV2-2Ym3IIc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wvzoIL4S7w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHNh5gYH780

Cursive Writing Resources

http://www.handwritingforkids.com/handwrite/cursive/animation/lowercase.htm

To see the animation, move your mouse over a letter. Lowercase

http://www.handwritingforkids.com/handwrite/cursive/animation/uppercase.htm

To see the animation, move your mouse over a letter. Uppercase

http://www.donnayoung.org/penmanship/cursive-animations.htm

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for cursive letter animation video clips for each letter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PBUYzWXEIQ

Continuous video clip, capital letters first, then lower case… not exactly how OLG teaches them, but clear and concise.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cursiva-lite/id976052613?mt=8

One of several free apps… Try them and share your experience with the rest of us.

Punctuation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ4BbyBUSmA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWSfn9oPnJg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTChUiV9rCg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKGV8IvE7j0

clips to help learn punctuating dialogue

Social Studies

Video clips about timelines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFu-zMjGJJA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccwFRZFsDbk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc64qurhFng

Video clip explaining the challenge of showing the world on a flat map

Youtube clip guides you to create a map of Washington State. We call the “Puget Sound Lowlands” the “Western Lowlands”. Otherwise, this is perfect for helping us learn our state’s geography.

Video clip showing timeline and explaining BC/AD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFu-zMjGJJA

Typing Website

http://www.typing.com

Spelling Website

Check out this website for online spelling practice…. Enter our list each week! http://www.spellingcity.com/

Math

Fractions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5C5PdZ_Yys

fractions on a number line

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEn8AfqemvM

equivalent fractions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as7ioM80K38

simplifying fractions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9me_tSRN2Z8

comparing fractions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJIqhDSrYB4

ordering fractions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=017cdlI36JE

adding and subtracting fractions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkg7370cpjs

shows mixed numbers, represented with visual aids, then shown as an improper fraction, finally shows the multiplication and addition “short cut”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4mqPMdyUYg

shows improper fraction, represented with visual aids, then shown as a mixed number, finally shows the division “short cut”

http://www.mathplayground.com/howto_fractionofanumber.html

Explains how to find a fraction of a set using visuals, using division and multiplication and multiplying fractions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNRmxDG2jVk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlxIzuIYcRs

Shows Math in Focus method one, subtracting fractions from a whole number

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpdTfe30N1s

Longer video, also shows Math in Focus method two, subtracting fractions from a whole number

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27yggOZ6ODc

Very quick, shows adding and subtracting whole numbers and fractions

Chapter 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyWYQYqBbMg

Bar model example, division

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyvgHvDXStQ&list=PLCrYL64JQwDyAtX_ukOBiLJgEf8ri-u2T&index=1

Bar model example, multiplication

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyyw1gnGAhE&list=PLCrYL64JQwDyAtX_ukOBiLJgEf8ri-u2T&index=7

Bar model example, multiplication, before and after model

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUetnxoI2pE

Division, Math in Focus method

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asX8f0UFmgA

Division, Concrete to Pictorial, Math in Focus method

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skill_builders/division_math_fourth_4th_grade.htm

Links to websites for division lessons and practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qhw6Tv8780

Reminder, multiplying multiples of 10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QZnVBlMhNs

Double digit X double digit multiplication using an area model.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xmsEtyOB10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVUfkN3TImI

Double digit X double digit multiplication showing partial products.

(No time is spent on this in Math In Focus, lesson 3.2, but I think it’s a good bridge between area model and the standard method that is taught next.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD3YsWbOeA8

Double digit X double digit multiplication, standard method

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXdzUlf5fEk

Multiplication using an Area Model

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_xZfYtk0do

Multiplication using a Place Value Chart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzupp6Q3epA

Multiplication breaking apart larger factor into place value parts and adding partial products

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhLAe-_D1_o

Multiplication using place value method showing partial products

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QZnVBlMhNs

Multiplication, double digit X double digit, using an Area Model