Feb 12
22
Hands On Geometry
Fourth graders have been really throwing themselves into geometry lately. Ask your 4th grader about the difference between congruent and similar.
In this photo, they are learning about geometric movements called transformations. The girls here are practicing translation (sliding). Ask what the other two movements are. Geometry is definitely a hands-on topic.
Since we group students differently than our regular classroom groups for math, some kids in my class have not gotten to geometry as of this writing.
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Jan 12
31
Give Them a Foot…
Fourth graders are all working on measurement in their math classes these days. But, since we regroup and switch classes for math, many of them travel down the hall to work with different teachers.
Kids in Mr. Brown’s math class had a fun day today finding the linear measurement of everything in sight with either rulers or yard sticks. They found the lengths or widths of pencils, lockers, books and even the hallway(everyone’s favorite).
Next we’ll move on to standard measurement of mass, capacity and temperature. Then it’s on to the metric system.
You can work with your fourth grader on measurement at home. Try having them estimate lengths, widths, weights, and temperatures. Then use measurement tools to find the actual answer.
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Linemen from Westar Energy visited Lecompton 4th graders this Friday to teach a bit about electricity and how to remain safe around power lines. The linemen were really impressed with how much s
tudents already knew about the topic. They didn’t know that the kids had recently completed a unit on the topic in their science classes. This was a wonderful review and enrichment activity to help kids really learn the material and to take it a step further. Thanks to Mrs. Surface for setting this up.
After a fascinating safety demonstration in the gym, we went outside for a dramatic pole climbing demonstration and a quick tour of their cherry picker truck. Both Mrs. Surface and Mr. Brown got into the cherry picker bucket and were lifted 40 feet above the parking lot to ecstatic cheers.
Dec 11
13
Our Own Little Nutcracker
All three fourth grade classes went to see a dress rehearsal of the Nutcracker at the Topeka Performing Arts Center. The kids just loved it. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Talena was one of the dancers. She was even introduced along with all the other fourth graders in the production. The large hall was filled with fourth graders who cheered and clapped following some of the more impressive dances. What fun! This was a trip that they will really remember!
Fourth graders were lucky enough to participate in an educational field trip to Royals Stadium in Kansas City. They rotated between several centers which focused on integrating physics, history and baseball into fun, hands on activities. Ask your fourth grader about how to hit the ball anywhere you want it to go. You might also ask them how uniforms and equipment have changed over the years. Maybe they remember how many years ago baseball was first played. Do they remember how long it is from home plate to the pitcher’s mound? They should… they measured it! Students really enjoyed these centers and their tour of the stadium including the press box, press room and the stands. What a great day!
Oct 11
12
Multiplication Facts
As you probably kno
w, the whole fourth grade splits up into different groups for math. We are all working on multiplication facts through 12s, but we all go about it in different ways. In my class, we are learning songs (with ukulele accompaniment). If you have a child in my math group, ask them what songs they’ve learned and about the voices they use to sing with. We also play a series of multiplication practice games that I’ve developed over the years. You can find them here on my site. Go to links for parents > math. I also encourage you to get your fourth grader on some electronic practice games. For these, go to links for kids > math. Look for multiplication games. Or just go directly to www.multiplication.com. Any extra practice at home will only help your child. We will be using multiplication the rest of the year in a variety of settings. Kids from a couple of classes are playing Diciplication in this picture.
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For one of our first social studies assignments kids went on a tour of our school, clipboards in hand, to draw a map of the building. This introductory map skills activity gave them experience using a compass rose, boundaries (between classrooms) and spacial perception. All of these are wonderful skills for understanding how to read a map. They really enjoyed this one as you can see with in this action shot.
While reading a story set on the prairie, fourth graders are learning about it’s setting, which is a big part of this story. As a hands on activity, the class marched out to our beautiful Nature Study Site to look at it’s setting. An acre of native prairie and flowers, grasses and trees, its a wonderful spot for some active learning to take place.
After discussing how authors describe things by using what they learn from their five senses, the class spent about a half hour exploring the NSS with their senses and recording it with their nice, sharp pencils. Some of the treasures they found included, a butterfly that landed on a child’s pencil as she wrote, a little tree covered with juicy plums, a bubbling fountain and a bird’s nest. If you have a young author in this class, you might like to ask them what their favorite part of the Nature Study Site was. One girl said she wished she could live there.
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Aug 11
18
Favorite Things
During the first week of school, 4B kids brought one of their favorite things to school. They wrote a paragraph explaining why their choice was a favorite. They colored their name and glued it onto the paragraph and also glued a photo of them and their favorite thing. Some students brought stuffed animals or toys. One brought an alligator head! This was a fun, getting-to-know-you activity and also gave their teacher a first impression of their writing and spelling strengths and needs. These writing/art projects are on display in the hall in front of the classroom. I hope parents will have a chance to see them when they visit the school. They will still be there on Back To School Night on August 24.
Pictured are our three students who are new to Lecompton Elementary this year. They are all welcome additions and are already fitting in and making friends. This looks like a good group of fourth graders and this year promises to be a good one full of learning and fun.
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May 11
25
SPLASHING SPECTACULAR
Third and fourth graders had a wonderful time sliding, swimming and splashing at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center on Tuesday. This celebration is their reward for working so hard on state assessments in Reading ,Math and (fourth grade only) Science. You can tell that they had a really great time. Be sure to click on pictures to see a larger, more complete version.
