Sulima's Scoop - Week of March 1

Weekly Reminders:
*No school on Monday, March 1 - Casimir Pulaski Day.
*ISAT Testing on Tuesday-Friday.
*Chapter 16, lesson 3 open-book quiz on Wednesday.
*Lesson 24 spelling test on Friday.
*End of 2nd Trimester on Friday.

Plan Ahead:
*ISAT make-ups on Monday, March 8 -Wednesday, March 10.
*Parent-Teacher Conferences on Monday, March 8 - Wednesday, March 10.
*Report Cards issued Tuesday, March 9.
*No school on Friday, March 12.
*Field Trip to Museum of Science and Industry on Tuesday, March 16.
*Roller Skating Party on Tuesday, March 16.

ISAT Testing:
Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and has a healthy breakfast each morning. We will be testing in the morning and afternoon. Your child may want to bring an extra snack and/or drink to help keep them focused for both tests each day.
Our Testing Schedule:
Tuesday - Math Part 1 (10:00-11:00) & Reading Part 1 (12:00-1:00)
Wednesday - Math Part II (10:00-11:00) & Reading Part II (12:00-1:00)
Thursday - Math Part III (10:00-11:00) & Reading Part III (12:00-1:00)
Friday - Science Part I (10:00-11:00) & Science Part II (12:00-1:00)

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will finish chapter 16, lesson 3 this week. The children will take an open-book quiz on Wednesday. We will also begin our study of simple machines. In chapter 17, we will learn how simple machines help people do work, how the pulley and wheel-and-axle help people do work, and how other simple machines help people do work. On Tuesday, March 16, we will be visiting the Museum of Science and Industry. At the museum, we will be involved in a Simple Machine Lab. I will need 5-6 chaperons for this trip. If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible. If I have more than 6 volunteers, I will do a drawing. We would leave around 9:00 and return around 2:00.

Social Studies - Our study of the Midwest will continue with chapter 9, lesson 3. We will be reading about how many settlers came to the Midwest to farm the land. The children will also explore how improved farm equipment, like John Deere's steel plow, allowed Midwestern farmers to become important food producers.

Spelling - We will work with lesson 24 this week. Since we do not have school on Monday, the children will not take a spelling pretest. The children will work through the spelling unit and take the test on Friday.

English - Our study of verbs will continue. We only had time to do one English lesson this past week. This week we will try to get at least 2 lessons in. The lessons will be on spelling present tense verbs and spelling past tense verbs.

Reading - We will be taking the Reading ISAT test during our reading block on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Friday, we will take a Science ISAT test during this time.

Accelerated Math Menu:
**Please make sure your child has a calculator for the ISAT tests on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Many of the students have complained that their calculators round the numbers instead of giving decimals. Please ask your child if this is the case with their calculator.**
Monday - No school.
Tuesday - Math Part I.
Wednesday - Math Part II.
Thursday - Math Part III.
Friday - No math. Fourth grade students will be taking a Science ISAT test during this time (in their homerooms).

Sulima's Scoop - Week of February 22

Weekly Reminders:

*Lesson 23 spelling pretest on Monday.

*Movie Night Permission Slips due on Tuesday.

*Papa Passero's PTO Eat-Out on Wednesday.

*Spring Picture Day on Thursday.

*Lesson 23 spelling test on Friday.

*Movie Night on Friday.

Plan Ahead:

*No School on Monday, March 1.

*ISAT Testing on Tuesday, March 2, Wednesday, March 3, Thursday, March 4, & Friday, March 5.

*End of second trimester on Friday, March 5.

Homeroom Happenings:

Science - We will begin chapter 16. We will only be covering lesson 3. This lesson explores why the force of gravity is important. The key words in this lesson are: gravity, gravitation, weight, and friction. During the week, we will continue working through our ISAT sample questions.

Social Studies - We will continue chapter 9. In lesson 2, we will learn about the fur trade.

Spelling - We are working on lesson 23 this week. These words have "tch" or "ch". Practice your words in cursive.

English - Our unit on verbs will continue. We will work on subject-verb agreement and spelling present tense verbs. This week, we will only do 2 days of English.

Reading - We will continue our study of figurative language. The children will also work on an extended response for a story called Andrew's Unexpected School year. We will continue reviewing reading concepts that are covered in our Illinois Reading Workbook. We will also read and write an extended response for a story called Treasure in the Field.

Accelerated Math Menu:

Monday - Trivia Challenge & mini-lesson on volume. H.W. Review multiples & factors and Temperature short response.

Tuesday - Trivia Challenge & mini-lesson on customary measurements (using a ruler to 1/8). H.W. Review measurement and School Supply extended response.

Wednesday -Trivia Challenge & mini-lesson on customary capacity. H.W. Review perimeter & area and look over Median & Range extended response.

Thursday - Trivia Challenge & mini-lesson on weight. H.W. Carlos's Trumpet Practice extended response.

Friday - Midpoint Evaluation. Please reschedule band lessons if they are during this time. This is not a graded assessment, but it will be one of the pieces of documentation we will use when deciding who will be in the accelerated math program next year. No calculator allowed. Students MUST show all work. H.W. Review Math ISAT packet & get plenty of rest for next week's ISAT Testing.

Your child may want to review the following concepts prior to the Midpoint Evaluation on Friday - decimals, place value, basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, graphing/data analysis, multiplying by 2- and 3-digit numbers, dividing by 1-digit numbers, basic algebra, geometry, and basic measurement. These are all concepts we have covered or are covering right now in class.

Sulima's Scoop - Week of February 15

Weekly Reminders:
*No school on Monday - Presidents' Day.
*Lesson 22 spelling pretest on Tuesday.
*Chapter 8 social studies test on Tuesday.
*Chapter 7 geometry test on Tuesday.
*Chapter 15 science test on Wednesday.
*Lesson 22 spelling test on Friday.
*Six Flag Great America Reading Club Deadline on Friday.

Plan Ahead:
*Movie Night permission slips due on February 23.
*Spring Picture Day on February 25.
*Ozzie Reading Club Deadline on February 26.
*Movie Night on February 26.

A "Hearty" Thank You!
We would like to thank Mrs. Kubik, Ms. Hahn, and Mrs. Cione for planning and running a wonderful Valentine's Day Party. Fun was had by all! We would also like to thank Mrs. Ferreri, Mrs. Arlt, Mrs. Smiles, Mrs. Uhlen, and Mrs. Baer for the wonderful treats and drinks.

Homeroom Happenings:
Science: We will take the chapter 15 test on Wednesday. During the rest of the week, we will do a general science overview and refresher to help prepare the children for the science ISAT.
To review for the test:
~Define: static electricity, current electricity, series circuit, parallel circuit, conductor, insulator, magnet, magnetic poles, magnetic field, electromagnet, generator, electric motor, potential energy, kinetic energy, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy, solar energy, chemical energy, and mechanical energy.
~Recognize open and closed circuits.
~Draw series and parallel circuits using our secret language (with or without switches).
~Identify the parts of the light bulb and battery that need to be involved for a circuit to be complete.
~Compare and contrast magnets and electromagnets.
~Understand how electric currents are like magnets.
~Understand how generators and motors work. How are they alike and different?
~Understand when magnets attract and repel.
~Identify and provide examples of potential and kinetic energy.
~Identify at least 4 sources of energy.
~Identify ways people use energy and ways people save energy.
~Identify places electrical energy is used.
~Identify sources of chemical energy.

Social Studies: The students will take the chapter 8 test on Tuesday. We will begin chapter 9 this week, by exploring the Ojibwa culture.
To review for the test:
~Explain how the Great Lakes were formed.
~Describe how the Great Lakes are connected to the Atlantic Ocean.
~HOMES - stands for Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, & Lake Superior.
~Define the words waterway, canal, lock, and barge.
~Explain why the flow of the Chicago River was changed.
~Explain the advantages and disadvantages of shipping by barge.
~Describe the landscape and climate of the Badlands 67 million years ago.
~Define erosion and describe the way it changes the land.
~Define prairie and describe the types of life that live there.
~Explain why the climate of the Badlands changed.
~Explain why the Midwest is an important agricultural region.
~Describe the practice of crop rotation.
~Explain why some farmers irrigate their crops.
~Identify the rainfall in the Midwest and explain how it affects the growth of crops.
~List 10 resources (crops or products) grown in the Midwest.
~Identify some crops grown in the Central Plains and the Great Plains.

Spelling: We will be working with lesson 22 this week. Please make sure you child is completing their daily homework assignments. They should also practice their words in cursive.

English: Our unit on verbs will continue. We will cover main verbs and helping verbs, verbs in the present, past, & future, and subject-verb agreement.

Reading: We have had a wonderful time learning about all the different types of figurative language. Discuss with your child the following concepts: personification, alliteration, simile, metaphor, and idioms. This week we will continue by discussing onomatopoeia, imagery, and rhyme. We will also spend some time on understanding an author's purpose for writing something (inform, entertain, persuade-expository, narrative, persuasive). Finally, we will begin exploring many different genres (nonfiction: essays, biographies, autobiographies; stories, dramas, poems; fables, myths, fairy tales, folktales).

Accelerated Math Menu: (I will try to give them time each day to begin homework in class.)
Monday - No school.
Tuesday - Chapter 7 geometry test. The children MUST bring in their protractor and borrowed compass for the test on Tuesday! H.W. Review Data Analysis & Computation.
Wednesday - Begin chapter 11 - Units of Time. H.W. Review Elapsed Time extended response and review angles and their measures & assorted topics in geometry.
Thursday - Perimeter. H.W. Perimeter extended response and review comparing whole numbers, fractions, & decimals.
Friday - Area. H.W. Square extended response and review probability & combinations.

To review for the geometry test:
~Geometric Ideas: point, line, line segment, ray, plane, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, intersecting lines.
~Angles: right angles, acute angles, obtuse angles, straight angles.
~Practice using a protractor.
~Polygons: triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, and the definition of regular polygons.
~Triangles: right triangles, acute triangles, obtuse triangles, equilateral triangles, isosceles triangle, scalene triangle, and the sum of angles in a triangle.
~Quadrilaterals: square, rhombus, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, and the sum of angles in a quadrilateral.
~Congruent and Similar Figures.
~Transformations: translation (slide), reflection (flip), and rotation (turn).
~Symmetry.
~Circles: center, diameter, radius, chord.
~Practice using a compass.
~Solid figures: rectangular and triangular prism, cube, square and triangular pyramid, sphere, cylinder, cone, base, face, edge, vertex, nets (ex. #4-6 on pg. 284).

Sulima's Scoop - Week of February 8

Weekly Reminders:
*Lesson 21 spelling pretest on Monday.
*Chapter 15, lesson 3 open-book science quiz on Monday.
*Final book club discussion on Monday.
*Midwest map test on Tuesday.
*Lesson 21 spelling test on Friday.
*Great Lakes Quiz on Friday.
*Valentine's Day Party on Friday. Helpers will be allowed to come to the room at 1:30.

Plan Ahead:
*No school on Monday, February 15 - Presidents' Day.
*Chapter 7 Geometry test on Tuesday, February 16. Students will need their protractor and ruler. I will supply a compass for each child.
*Chapter 8 social studies test on Tuesday, February 16.
*Chapter 15 science test on Wednesday, February 17.

Spelling Bee News:
Declan did a WONDERFUL job in the spelling bee. He made his classmates, fellow fourth graders, his teacher, and his parents so proud. He is a super speller!

Homeroom Happenings:
Science - We will take an open-book quiz on chapter 15, lesson 3 on Monday. We will also begin lesson 4. This lesson explores how people use energy resources. Our focus will be on chemical energy and mechanical energy. We will fill out our "how to study" sheet on Thursday. The chapter 15 test will be on Wednesday, February 17.

Social Studies - Our study of the Midwest will continue. On Tuesday, the children will take their Midwest map test. They will need to know the correct spelling and location of each state in the Midwest. The students can also attempt to earn bonus points by writing the capitals before the state name. Spelling on capitals should be close. They will earn 1/4 point for each correct capital. We will then locate and identify the five Great Lakes. The children will take a quiz on these lakes on Friday. A word bank will be provided. We will fill out our "how to study" sheet on Thursday. The chapter 8 test will be on Tuesday, February16.

Spelling - We will work with lesson 21 this week. Please help your child practice their words in cursive.

English - We will begin our new unit on verbs this week. The students will identify action verbs. They will also learn about helping verbs and main verbs.

Reading - We will spend much of our time this week working on figurative language. The children will be making a project with similes and metaphors. We will also discuss onomatopoeia and idioms. The children will also explore many different forms of genre.

Accelerated Math Menu:
Monday ~ Trivia Challenge. HW: Patterns Review.
Tuesday ~ Circles. H.W. Estimation and Rounding Review.
Wednesday ~ Circles. H.W. Working with Variables Reivew.
Thursday ~ Solid Figures (3-D shapes) and nets. We will fill out our "how to study". H.W. Problem Solving Review & Study for chapter 7 test. The test will be on Tuesday, February 16.
Friday ~Trivia Challenge HW: Study for chapter 7 test.

**We will be taking our midpoint evaluation at the end of February. This will not be a graded assessment, but it will be one of the components on our placement matrix for accelerated math next year. This midpoint evaluation will only assess the concepts we have covered to this point: decimals, place value, basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, graphing/data analysis, multiplying by 1- and 2-digit numbers, dividing by 1-digit numbers, basic algebra, geometry, and measurement (which we will cover next). Your child may want to consider reviewing these concepts prior to this evaluation. The students will not be able to use their calculator on this evaluation. They will need to show all their work.***