Dear Grade 4 Families, First term draws to a close tomorrow and since the students have worked so hard, we will be having a small class party. In keeping with our focus on environmentalism, our party will have a "No Waste" theme. Meaning, students are encouraged to bring in items which have minimal/no packaging. Fruits, vegetables, crackers and cheese are all good options as they can be transported in tupperware containers. We will also have a composting bin for food scraps. I will be providing fruit juice for the students and ask that they each bring in a water bottle and/or cup from home. If your child should choose to bring in some food, we ask that it be healthy and kosher. Thanks so much for your support!
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We were fortunate today to have PhD student Alyssa in our class! Please see her short bio below.
"My name is Alyssa and I am the volunteer scientist with Let’s Talk Science who is partnered with the grade four classes. To introduce myself a little bit, my path to becoming a scientist started with my Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, which then led to a Master’s degree, both of which I completed at Queen’s University. I am now a student at UBC, working towards my PhD. My research focus is in biochemistry and molecular biology, which means that I study things like how DNA is packaged with proteins into cells, and how the packing is regulated. I am very excited to be able to visit the school a few times during the year with some hands-on science activities and demonstrations to complement what the students will be learning in class. My first activity included a game to let the students explore sustainable fishing and how humans have an effect on the balance of the food chain. I hope the students will have as much fun during my visits as I will!" We had a great time making connections to our learning! A special thank you to Mr. Caplan (Max's dad) for sending me links that help parents subscribe to my blog! I have placed the links in my "Contact" tab that can be found under the "More..." tab.
:) Let’s Visualize and Connect! OPTIONAL!
Students spent their week visualizing their learning and making connections. They have requested that I write up a few fun lessons from our week on our blog. Lesson #1 Social Studies connection 1. Take an orange and write all the continents and oceans. Slice the orange into hemispheres! This can be tricky so parent guidance is welcomeJ Take another orange and write all the continents and oceans. Now carefully peel the orange so you can see the world as a map and not as a globe! Lesson #2 Science connection Take an apple. Tell your parents that the apple represents the Earth. Highlight food and shelter as two ways we depend on the Earth. 1. Slice the apple into quarters to explore how much of the Earth’s resources are available to support our lives. 2. Set aside the three-quarters that represent oceans. 3. Slice the remaining quarter into two pieces. 4. Dispose of one piece: it represents the land that is inhospitable (can’t live there! - unwelcoming) for humans. 5. The remaining 1/8th represents the land where people live or find shelter. 6. Slice the remaining 1/8 into four sections and set aside three of the sections. They represent areas too rocky, too steep or too cold to produce food. 7. Carefully peel the remaining 1/32 slice of the Earth. This peel represents the very thin skin of the Earth’s crust or soil that grows the food we need to live. This layer is less than five feet deep, and is capable of producing a relatively fixed amount of food. In addition, this thin layer of apple peel – which represents the soil- supports the world’s entire population which is currently 7 billion people and growing. 8. Can you divide this piece into 7 billion pieces? 9. Engage in a family discussion about your findings! Lesson #3 Descriptive writing! We have been looking at developing our writing skills by adding descriptive language! Find a picture or image around the house or online. Try to write a sentence with as much description as you can without creating a run on sentence. Try to: Add adjectives The definition of an adjective is a part of speech that is used to describe a noun.
Add similes A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things or persons which are not similar. The simile is usually in a phrase that begins with "as" or "like."
Add – personification Personification is when you assign the qualities of a person to something that isn't human or, in some cases, to something that isn't even alive.
Add – alliteration The definition of alliteration is a grammatical term meaning two or more words in a row starting with the same sounds.
Challenge – Each day try to add detail to your sentences that you say! For example: Dad what’s for dinner” Example given by student: “Hello my absolutely awesome dad, what scrumptious delight are we having for dinner?” Some students have been uploading their writing assignments (transmediation) to their "student portal."
To access the assignments please go to: 1. www.talmudtorah.com 2. Click on student portal 3. Enter username and password 4. Once you are in, please click on the document and then select download from the top of the page. 5. The story should open up on your computer after it has been downloaded. Happy writing and editing! Please check the homework section for updates as well as the "Optional Homework Calendar Blog" for the December Homework Calendar.
Thank you! |
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