Maglev Trains!

The girls are putting to use their knowledge of the properties of magnets.  After learning that other countries are working on and using magnetically levitated (maglev) trains, our fourth graders are constructing their own versions, using Styrofoam blocks as train cars.  Placing the magnets so that the cars balance and slide down an inclined ramp is challenging and requires cooperation.  But it is so much fun to see the cars as they glide on a cushion of air!

P.E.- Net Games

We just finished a Tennis unit where we learned skills such as a forehand and backhand.  We also learned the complex scoring system of tennis.

As the cool weather is approaching, we headed indoors for a Volleyball unit.  We will learn passing (bump and set) and both the underhand and overhand serve.  We will also have fun with a variety of net games that allow us to practice our skills.

 

 

Math: Multiplication

We are well into our multiplication unit.  With the basic math facts under their belts, the girls applied this knowledge to multiplying with multiples of 10, 100, and 1,000.  For example:

3 * 8 = 24
3 * 80 = 240
3 * 800 = 2,400
30 * 800 = 24,000 and so on....

We also worked on estimating products before calculating an exact answer.  Estimating is a great tool to help the girls know if their final answer is reasonable. 

Moving forward, we will be looking at partial products and multiplying 2-digit and 3-digit numbers.  We hope that the girls can not only follow the steps to solving multi-digit multiplication problems, but that they also have an understanding of those steps (ie: Why do I put a "0" in the ones' place when multiplying by the digit in the tens' place? or Why do I add at the end of the multiplication problem?)

Music: Triple Meter Composition

Fourth grade girls have been working on distinguishing duple meter music from triple meter music.  Meter refers to how the beats are grouped into measures.  Duple meter time signatures are 2/4 and 4/4 and and triple meter time signature is 3/4.  The girls have been learning to aurally identify the meter of music that they hear.

We're also learning to read and perform music with triple meter rhythmic durations, such as dotted half notes, quarter notes, and half notes.  The students worked in groups to arrange those durations to form an 8 measure rhythm.

After choosing one of the group rhythms for the class to play, our next task was to create a class melody.  Please enjoy this final product!

Art: Unifying with the background

To complete the image self-portrait, the girls can use studio markers, acrylic paint, or more imagery to fill in the background.  They are considering contrast (warm colors/cool colors, organic shapes/geometric shapes, open space/closed space, etc) as a way to emphasis an image or idea in their work.  

Math: Fundamental Order of Operations (FOO)

Today your daughters heard the story of King Parenthesium and Queen Exponentia, rulers of Mathmatica.  Ask your daughter to tell you about the twin princesses (Multiplicia and Divisia) and their twin puppies (Addicy and Subtracty) and how their family, with the help of the royal mathematicians, came up with an order of operations so that everyone got the same answer to long math problems.  (Some of you may remember being taught "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" or "PEMDAS".)  We went on to try some problems, from "easy" to "medium" to "hard" and beyond.  Try out this problem, the most challenging one in our packet...and don't forget PEMDAS...

10 + (5 - 3) * 3 – 3² + 49/7 + (8 - 2) + 9/3 - 2 * 3 =

Science: Fun with Magnets

After doing many experiments to learn about the properties of magnets, the girls utilized their knowledge to create their own original magnetic games.  There was a variety of styles and it was hard to tell which was more fun, making the games, playing them, or sharing them with everyone in the class!

French: L'Afrique Francophone

As the girls are learning about Africa in their homerooms, it is the perfect time to begin a cultural unit on French-speaking Africa. So far, we have been learning and discussing the francophone countries' names in French, their location on the map, and their flags. Today, we played "I spy" with the flags. A girl secretly selects a flag and describe its colors and shapes in French to the class. The first girl to identify the correct country wins a turn. The girls are pretty speedy--I have a very hard time seeing whose hand shoots up first!

 

Visiting the South African Pop-Up Museum

Fourth graders were all invited to the Keller's South African Pop-Up Museum. Stations were set up around the room for the girls to view arts and crafts, literature, clothing, and photography all from  South Africa. Laura Sacktor shared her family's photo album and several craft items from their trip to South Africa. Ms. Keller read a delightful  story, Tell the Moon by Ann Walton that she purchased at  the Center for the Book in Cape Town, South Africa. Other students used their I Pads to find out information about other topics of interest. Everyone enjoyed seeing the exhibits as seen from the smiles below.

Independent Reading

Independent reading is an important component of our fourth-grade language arts' program.  As students read a variety of texts like Journey to Jo'burg, they also select and complete books at their own level.  These "just-right" volumes will help your child build vocabulary, learn story structure, and develop her thinking skills.  Although many students will eagerly spend time involved in their latest choice, others will find it more difficult to settle down and complete the 20 to 30 minute requirement for homework.  You can help them develop this skill because the habit of reading is a malleable one that all students can work on during the school year.  Here are some ways that you can help:

Make sure that your daughter always has at least one book ready to read.  We visit the Lower School library once a week, and Mrs. Mason is always eager to share new publications through book talks and featured favorite novels with them.

Check to see that a reading card is in her book with a record of class and home reading times.

Carrying a book at all times is a great way to add on reading minutes.  Students can complete a chapter or two while waiting for a sibling to finish a piano lesson or other activity. Even five minutes spent with a book can add up during the week.

Feel free to read with your daughters.  There are so many questions that arise naturally about the book because they are reading stories that deal with complex issues about friendship, families, and fairness. They are old enough to grasp subtleties about characters and their actions. 

Let them see you reading.  It doesn't matter if you are reading a newspaper, magazine, book, e-book on any electronic device.  Letting them know that reading plays an important part in your lives is an excellent way to develop their motivation.

Math: Factors and Multiples

In 4th grade math, we are wrapping up a chapter dealing with factors, multiples, and rules of divisibility.  One of the girls' favorite things to make was a prime factorization tree.  Remember those?  The bigger the number, the better!  The girls also learned how to use exponents to express the prime factorization.  Want a challenge?  Try make a prime factorization tree for 2,592.  (Hint: remember that if the number is even, you can always divide it by 2.)

Soccer anyone?

We started our Soccer Unit a few weeks back and have all improved our individual skills through hard work and practice.  We even learned the difficult skill of juggling a soccer ball with mixed success.  Our goal is to be able to juggle our age; ask your daughter how she did.  In our most recent classes we put those skills to the test and learned that teamwork equals success in our games of Human Foosball and Guard Your Pin.

Art: Imagery and illustration

After brainstorming, the girls are choosing their imagery and placing their selections to fill their silhouettes.  The challenge is to use contrast, rhythm, and unity (3 principles of design) to complete their work.  One student exclaimed, "My image is both literal and figurative.  It means I love animals but I also want to take care of animals around the world when I grow up."