A Short (Yet Fruitful) Week
10/27/2017
Well, it was a short week, but a fun week! While our normal five days were trimmed down to three, the Fourth Grade didn't lack for things to do! In three days we managed to get a lot of writing done on our stories, learn a bit about the different regions of the United States, and plan our Star Wars Hero's Journey Movie night! In Social Studies, the Fourth Grade class started exploring regions of the United States, taking a look at what defines a region, how they are created and what they are used for. Regions are about more than just political boundaries, and in the photo above, a student considers the 'Corn Belt', a region of the United States where corn is the main crop. Other categories that define regions include, but are not limited to, population, government and religion. Additionally, we learned that regions are often used by governments to keep track of resources and keep track of the needs of people. Last week, Fourth Graders worked on 'sketches' and 'studies' for their stories, as well as rough outlines, and this week they turned their attention to writing out them out. Part of that writing process involved the analysis of other stories and a comparison of that structure to their own. In the photo above, you see a timeline detailing the events of Wolf Brother, a novel by Michelle Paver. The timeline illustrates key events in the story such as the Call To Adventure, the Meeting With the Mentor, the Crossing of the Threshold, and the Hero's Death & Rebirth. Students discussed what they meant to Wolf Brother's Hero, and also discussed what they meant for several students' stories. In the photos below, you see students busily at work, typing away at their stories. You may notice that some students are wearing headphones, some earmuffs, and some nothing at all. Well, each person has a different way in which they focus and the Fourth Graders are encouraged to experiment to find what way works best for them. (On a more personal note, the Fourth Grade teacher writes best with movie soundtracks, though when he was in Fourth Grade he was more motivated by the musical stylings of AC/DC.) Planning for the Star Wars Hero's Journey movie night continues apace, and this week Fourth Graders used their artistic skills to create posters and flyers to promote their event! Fourth Graders created several 'rough draft' posters, judging them on how eye-catching, clear, and colorful they were. (Look for the final designs to be revealed next week!) Additionally, several representatives from the Fourth Grade class met with Mrs. Hoeffer, PNA's head of school, to hammer out final details. In the meeting, it was decided that the event would be held on Friday, November 3rd from 3:30 PM until 7 PM. The night would begin with a short class to introduce the Hero's Journey, continue with a screening of Star Wars, and then end in games and activities geared toward the film and the Hero's Journey. AND, ONE MORE THING...Can you caption this photo? Send an email to [email protected] and I'll include the best captions in next week's blog! Hush Hush & On The QT
After (Parent Lunch) Action Report!
10/19/2017
This week, the Fourth Grade class hosted their very first Parent Lunch of the year. In keeping with our Social Studies theme, geography and the United States, parents were asked to bring a dish from a state of their choice. Foods ran the gamut from the potatoes of Idaho to the noodles of Beijing! (Wait a minute... Beijing?! Chinatown, more likely...) At the last minute, the Fourth Graders decided to drill parents with an impromptu quiz game consisting of questions they'd cooked up earlier in the morning. While they were full of enthusiasm, the organization of the details was a little... rough around the edges, so to speak! While a fun time was had by all, some of the Fourth Graders were unsatisfied with their spur-of-the-moment quiz show and sat down to talk about what had happened! After a lengthy discussion, the students decided that the rules of the game felt 'wonky,' some questions seemed 'unclear,' and the roles and jobs were 'imbalanced.' Additionally, they noticed that not everyone got a chance to in the spotlight! In the video below, you can watch an excerpt from the discussion as the Fourth Graders debate ideas on how to make their next Parent Lunch better! I think you will find it a great discussion! After talking it all out (there was about ten minutes of discussion before what you see above, but we didn't record it), we were really happy with the conclusion that we drew. The Fourth Graders came up with some great ideas, the most important of which were focused on the organization and planning of events, as well as the assignment of jobs. By actually experiencing the event firsthand, and then discussing it in depth later, the Fourth Graders now feel better equipped to tackle another event. As a matter of fact... Star Wars |
Next week, PNA will have a three day week. School will be in session from Monday through Wednesday, with Wednesday being counted as a dressdown day! | Thursday will be Parent Conferences! If you have not signed up already, please make sure to do so through Sycamore! If you have any trouble or questions about it, see Ms. Tabitha at the front desk! |
Want to earn your child a free (cheap) prize? Ask them who Torak's mentor was in Wolf Brother, the book that our class finished as a group read a few weeks ago. There was some discussion and debate about who, exactly, Torak's mentor was... so be sure to include your student's reasons for their answer. Email their answer, along with a sentence or two describing their reasons, to [email protected] to earn them a prize!
The Student's Journey
10/13/2017
This week, the students took a journey of their own through the worlds of myth and fiction. Recently, the students completed a 'group read' of Michelle Paver's book, 'Wolf Brother'. The book tells the six-thousand-year-old story of Torak, a young boy surviving in the great Forest of northwest Europe just after the end of the Ice Age. Alone after the death of his father from a bear attack, Torak must conquer inner and outer demons and learn to survive on his own. There was more to Torak's story, however, than just simple adventure, as the students discovered when they compared Torak's story to Joseph Campbell's monomyth -- otherwise known as the Hero's Journey.
Students didn't just look at the Journey, itself, however, but also at the characters that populate it. Together, we started a new file shared by all students in which we worked to define the various roles played in the Hero's Journey. The obvious ones are the Hero, the Mentor, and the Shadow... but can you name any of the others? Ask your student, they may be able to help you!
After taking a closer look at the Hero's Journey, students examined their own stories to see how well they fit the monomyth. Students were surprised to find out that, without even having heard of the Hero's Journey, they'd written their stories in the same mold! For more information on the Hero's Journey, please follow the link below!
While learning about the Hero's Journey was quite dramatic, the students also had a lot of fun working on puzzles and games through the week. In the pictures below,
Meanwhile, (below) in math class, students worked on the relationship between 'ones', 'tens', 'hundreds', 'thousands' and 'ten thousands' places in numbers. The differences between each place were illustrated by building a large 'mat-mat' grid, which illustrated exactly why the 'ones' are in the ones place, the 'tens' in the tens place, and so on.
And, in the video below, you see the students assembling their 'Super Mat,' used to help demonstrate the differences between places in numbers.
Mapping The Future
10/6/2017
This week the Fourth Graders put the cartography skills they learned in Social Studies, as well as the ratio table skills they learned in Math, to good use! Using a five foot tape measure, students 'leap frogged' across the parking lot and the playground in order to create detailed maps. In the video above, Keeva, Nevaeh and Bella count off by 'measuring tapes' from one side of the parking lot to the other. By knowing how long each tape measure is (five feet) and knowing how many tape measures it takes to cover the parking lot (fourteen and twenty two), they can determine the exact length and width of the parking lot. They can also create a 'grid' on which to place parking spaces, lamps, areas of grass, and fences to create a detailed map.
In the photograph above, Sonya uses a ratio table to determine the dimensions of the playground and the placement of various things on it. Using a ratio table (to the left of the photo), Sonya knows that one tape measure is equal to five feet, two tape measures are equal to ten feet, four to twenty, ten to fifty, and so on. Using ratio tables in real world situations helps to put a practical face on what would otherwise be a mysterious mathematical concept (simple multiplication). The measurements that the students collected were actually fairly accurate, as you can see by how closely the map that the students drew fit over a Google Earth view of Pacific Northern Academy.
Lastly, this week the Third Grade ran a game arcade for the entire school, and Fourth Grade had a chance to test their reflexes and win some prizes! In the photos below, you see our class as they make their way, game by game, through the Third Grade Arcade!
Martina Henke
Martina Henke has been a K-8 educator for 30+ years. A life-long learner, she loves working with kids of all ages, new technology, great books, fiber arts, and her wonderful family!
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