Around the World in 40 Days!

3 text structures, 6 graphics, 2 tables or graphs, factual info using text features, and less than 5 spelling/punctuation errors...I CAN do this.

Using the plant and animal adaptations info from my field guide helps me write the perfect cause and effect article for my magazine article.

Preamble to our Constitution...Can You Rock It?

History is coming alive for us in 4th grade as we study the Constitution, the 3 Branches of Government, and the Balance of Power.  The video above will help you memorize the Preamble that begins "We the people..."

Remember when we said that the Judicial Branch is made up of 9 Chief Justices to the Supreme Court that are appointed for life?  Well, one of the most loved justices died this weekend, so you will hear a lot in the news about who will replace him.

 

Be sure to study what the phrases mean...

establish justice

 

insure domestic tranquility

 

provide for the common defense

 

promote the general welfare

 

secure the blessings to ourselves and our posterity!

January Ends with PANCAKES and POETRY!

 

 




The day started out with our long-awaited celebration...PANCAKES with the PRINCIPALS for being the 4th grade class that read the most minutes over Winter Break!

 

Our top reader, Allena Jeter, was proud to be the one to bring back the trophy for our classroom!

Alexey was wanting the works on his pancakes... syrup, chocolate, sprinkles, and, of course, whipped cream!

Miyona, Catherine, and Julia dressed up for the occasion, down to their fingernails. 

Three is not a crowd especially when there are so many pancakes to eat!

One hour later we were welcoming our guests into the Media Center for our 2nd Annual Beatnik Poetry Café.  (To say we were a little excited would be an understatement!) 

We were finally ready to shine after practicing for weeks.  The room was decorated with posters of famous poets, the programs had been printed, the mic was on its stand by the Walt Whitman stool, and our refreshments were set up.  

Aynee was the first to welcome everyone and explain how in real poetry cafes back in the 40s and 50s you snapped your fingers instead of clapping.  She started us off reciting "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelo...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's nothing that compares to a grandmother's love and here's proof...Kameron's grandmother sat through two Poetry Cafes because Kameron got the time mixed up and she's still smiling!!

 

Sydney knew that if she brought a prop she would get extra points, so she brought her mom to help prove her point in 
Kenn Nesbitt's poem "My Mother Does My Homework!".

 

 

 



Last but not least, a big thank you to Reese, her grandmother and mom for bringing refreshments for all!

 

 

 

 

Best New Year's News!

Congratulations Students!  You did it!  You read more minutes than any other 4th grade class at OES over Winter Break! 

 

All the grade level winners will be invited to have pancakes with the principals and claim ownership of the Best Reader trophy for the remainder of 2016.  I couldn't be prouder of you!  Special thanks to Allena who read 3.000 minutes and Brooke who read 1,500 minutes. 

We did it!!

 

 

 

 

Meet Austin Kleon and his Blackout Poetry.  Check out the videos below and get a preview of what we will be trying this week in our poetry unit.  Professional writers sometimes find it difficult to think of an idea to write about and the words just won't come...Writer's Block!  But, when it does he has a totally different way to making the words flow again.  He gets grabs a newspaper and a black Sharpie.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqB9kXzJ0UA

 

 

 

'Twas the Night Before Christmas!

 

 

 

 

This famous poem written in 1823 and submitted to a newspaper anonymously was later attributed to Samuel Clements.  It has a lot of challenging vocabulary in it, so we decided to work in teams to annotate it while dressed in "mama's kerchief. To make it extra challenging one of our rules was that it had to be done with no oral communication. Check out our kerchief pics below:

 

The winning table was #4! Congratulations Catherine, Julia, Aynee, Ashley, Kaydence, and Kellan!

 

See if you can remember the meaning for the following 11 phrases.  Number a piece of paper with the phrases and write synonyms next to them for two clips up tomorrow.  

 

nestled all snug in their beds...such a clatter...threw up the sash...lustre of midday...coursers they flew...prancing & dancing...looked like a peddler...droll little mouth...encircled his head...we had nothing to dread...down of a thistle...

 

 

Earlier that morning, 7 am to be exact, we had breakfast with some

 V.I.P.s in the cafeteria...

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

We Are Over the Moon!

As part of our Astronomy unit we are studying phases of the moon.  Keeping a Lunar Log for the next two weeks and building a model of the phases has kept us busy.  Here are several pics of some of us trying to recreate the phases and trying not to snitch any Oreo filling until we were done!

 

 

 

Remember to bring your dad to school extra early on Friday for a special treat!

The highlight to our study of the American Revolution is singing along to the following video: Too Late to Apologize!

 

 

Snapshots of Our Writer's Journal