After all the waiting, our trip to Chinatown was wonderful! The students were curious, respectful and enthusiastic about everything they saw and tasted. Thank you to all the parents who chaperoned and changed their schedule to accommodate the weather: Tom Cahillane, Kristen Walker, Stephanie Jones, Charlene Flynn, Tracy Botelho and John Bottini. We had day to remember!
This was a week for wrapping things up! Students revised, edited and wrote a final copy of their narrative about a time they had an adventure outside. They have enjoyed being creative with words to produce a story that is entertaining. As with our first expository piece, we wrote each part of the narrative together and students practiced creating a picture in the reader’s mind and focusing on the most important events. We also finished our Chris Van Allsburg author study. Students read 3-4 of his books and used the stories to practice their summarizing skills. They also identified which parts of a story were realistic and which parts were fantasy.
At the beginning of the week, we went outside and sketched winter trees to gather ideas for writing a poem. I introduce the students to free verse poetry, which is a favorite of mine because there aren’t any strict rules to follow! The main goal is to create an image with specific word choice and arrange words so that there is a rhythm when the poem is read aloud. We also studied how to break up the words on different lines so that the most important words are emphasized.
On Monday, we will make a holiday craft to celebrate the holiday season. Thank you to parents who are sending in treats, drinks and paper goods. On Tuesday, we will have a D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) Day. We will spend the day enjoying great books and participating in fun reading activities. Students are welcome to bring in children’s magazines or comic books. They can also bring in tablets for reading, but Foster School cannot be responsible for lost or damaged devices. They can wear pajamas and bring a stuffed animal or small pillow that would fit in their backpack (Nothing bigger!).
I hope everyone has a fabulous break and wonderful holiday with family and friends. The 4M Smarties have had a wonderful start in 4th grade and I know they deserve a restful break.
Ask a Fourth Grader?
* What are the 4 treasures of a Chinese scholar?
* What is your favorite Chris Van Allsburg book? What strange things happen in his books?
* How many batteries did it take to light a large lightbulb?
* What is your favorite memory of Chinatown?
This was a week for wrapping things up! Students revised, edited and wrote a final copy of their narrative about a time they had an adventure outside. They have enjoyed being creative with words to produce a story that is entertaining. As with our first expository piece, we wrote each part of the narrative together and students practiced creating a picture in the reader’s mind and focusing on the most important events. We also finished our Chris Van Allsburg author study. Students read 3-4 of his books and used the stories to practice their summarizing skills. They also identified which parts of a story were realistic and which parts were fantasy.
At the beginning of the week, we went outside and sketched winter trees to gather ideas for writing a poem. I introduce the students to free verse poetry, which is a favorite of mine because there aren’t any strict rules to follow! The main goal is to create an image with specific word choice and arrange words so that there is a rhythm when the poem is read aloud. We also studied how to break up the words on different lines so that the most important words are emphasized.
On Monday, we will make a holiday craft to celebrate the holiday season. Thank you to parents who are sending in treats, drinks and paper goods. On Tuesday, we will have a D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) Day. We will spend the day enjoying great books and participating in fun reading activities. Students are welcome to bring in children’s magazines or comic books. They can also bring in tablets for reading, but Foster School cannot be responsible for lost or damaged devices. They can wear pajamas and bring a stuffed animal or small pillow that would fit in their backpack (Nothing bigger!).
I hope everyone has a fabulous break and wonderful holiday with family and friends. The 4M Smarties have had a wonderful start in 4th grade and I know they deserve a restful break.
Ask a Fourth Grader?
* What are the 4 treasures of a Chinese scholar?
* What is your favorite Chris Van Allsburg book? What strange things happen in his books?
* How many batteries did it take to light a large lightbulb?
* What is your favorite memory of Chinatown?