Big Scholastic Thank You

I want to give a big thank you to the families that ordered books from our Scholastic Book order in September. Scholastic offers deep discounts on books for families (and teachers) to helps to foster the love of reading. While I am a BIG proponent of using the free resources (like the school or public library) there are occasions where owning a book can have a big impact on a child.

Check out all the free books we got from Scholastic thanks to your orders.

I also have a few more free books coming soon because parents ordered online!

Our next book order will be in the beginning of October. I have posted the October book order on www.scholastic.com/bookclubs if you want to check it out early! Use our class activation code GNTJN when you create a parent account. Flyers will be sent home in a few weeks but check it out early online!

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Descriptive Writing

We pulled a picture from an OLD National Geographic magazine and have been working on describing the scene in writing.

The picture of the crocodile has a lot of interesting things in it. ~D.
They are prehistoric and violent animals. ~I.
They have long snouts for jumping out of the water to catch its legendary prey. ~T.
Crocodiles hunt in pacts. ~J.
Their teeth are like razors. ~N.
The crocodiles are in the dirty swamp. ~V.
Some crocodiles are good and won't bother you unless you bother them. ~D.
The crocodile lives in a small swamp with green algae. ~S.
How did the crocodiles survive the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs? ~J.
The crocodiles are happy now that we aren't hunting them. ~Z.
The crocodiles are huge and hungry. ~J.
With the amount of dirt and grime on their body they look very dirty. ~B.
The crocodiles are happy but I'm scared near the muddy lake. ~M.
I would not like to be in it's clutches. ~B.
The crocodiles have lots of teeth and they are very wild. ~R.
If I were there with them I would probably faint. ~E.
The crocodiles were probably going to shore. ~I.
The crocodiles can be muddy. ~W.
In between the scales that covered the crocodiles was mud and algae. ~G.

Free Run

Need something healthy and free to do?

Try running two miles. Or at least one.

The first Saturday of EVERY month the Pikes Peak Road Runner's Club hosts a free run that is open to anyone that shows up before 8 am. You sign up, get a race 'bib' and go!

NEXT RUN - October 2nd

Everyone lines up for the start.

Heads out on the trail.

Follows the well marked course.

Mrs. Rose at a run this summer. Phew! Hard work but great exercise!

For details go to the Pikes Peak Road Runners Website, and click on Nielson Challenge for directions, times, etc.

Will I see you there?

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Laura Ingalls Wilder

Some background knowledge about our text in reading this week.




Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Problem - Solution

Find yourself thinking about what to do?

You've got a problem? Looking for a solution?

Our goal in reading this week is to find examples in our reading of times
when characters have a problem and need to find a solution.

Talk at home about problems such as missing an ingredient in a recipe and how to solve that problem. Encourage students to work to solve some of the problems they encounter and talk about how they did it!
Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Time for Kids

Want to do a bit more with the Time for Kids sent home today?

Go to the Time for Kids website or go right to this week's issue to find more information

Read the issue with your child and ask them to summarize an article.


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Subject / Predicate

In reading and writing we have been discussing how sentences need a subject and a predicate. The subject is who or what the sentence is about
The predicate explains what the subject is doing.

Let's see what Mr. Morton is doing!

Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Constitution Preamble

Due Friday

Students are working on memorizing the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America.

This Schoolhouse Rock video has the story of the Constitution and the Preamble.
The Preamble chorus starts at 0:46 and ends at 1:25.

If you are interested in learning more about the Constitution of the United States of America click here!

Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Memorizing

Constitution day was September 17th. Students have look at examples of why the Constitution was written and we have talked about the Preamble of the Constitution. Students are working to memorize this for Friday.

Here is a great example of how to help students memorize information. "Chunking" the information into small pieces and repetition help store and later retrieve the information.




Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Lion Roar

My reading focus group is reading Aesop's fable, The Lost Wig. Sometimes activating background knowledge (something we already know and just need a reminder of) helps us understand something better! Hear the lion roar!



Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Subscribing to a Blog

In this screencast video that I have uploaded to YouTube, you'll learn how to use an RSS feed to subscribe to our Blog, as well as other blogs, newslines, and sites on the web.



Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Pikes Peak

Check out this shot of the view outside our classroom last week. Beautiful blue skies, stunning mountains, and green trees! Better enjoy some time outside before it all changes! Enjoy your Friday!!

Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Weather Reminder

The skies are blue and the weather is warm. Now is a good time of year to send you student with a water bottle.

But soon....oh too soon... please send your child with a sweatshirt or jacket as the skies will still be blue but the sun won't be quite as warm.

Angel Island Experience

In our reading text this week students follow the journey of a young Chinese boy as he is detained at Angel Island awaiting to join his father in the United States. This text is historical fiction and a great opportunity to talk as a family about where your ancestors came from.



For more information and stories about real people that came to the United States through Angel Island, check out the website "Angel Island: Immigrant Journeys of Chinese-Americans."



Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube.

Parts of a Post

Surprise! A new kind of post!!

I'm learning too! Checkout this screencast that I've completed to help show everyone at home what to look for in a post on our blog!

Have an idea for a screencast? Email me at school!

Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Reading Vocabulary 9/13/10

Weekly Vocabulary from our Reading Series

Please encourage students to use these words in their speaking and writing at home!

Traditional Chinese Music

Our Reading text for this week:

Here is a sample of some traditional Chinese Music.

Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

National Anthem -

On September 11th there are many things we can remember.

It is now a memorial day- Patriot Day.

A patriot is someone who proudly supports or defends their country and its way of life.

I hope you can enjoy time with family today and remember those who serve our country.

Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Colorado Symbols

Our first unit of study in Colorado
Colorado State Symbols

Learn more about all the state symbols on this great Colorado website!

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Writing Homework

Students were assigned a writing poster LAST night. The poster is due FRIDAY!

We are working on narrative writing which tells a story (fictional or real) in order. Students were sent home with a poster paper and can write directly on the poster or create "boxes" and glue their boxes in order onto the poster.

Student examples of the Thinking Maps - Flow map can be seen on this site.

Parents are encouraged to talk with students, help plan the layout, and help with supplies. However, please remember who is in 4th grade. Students should do ALL the writing and the ideas should be THEIR own.

I'm very excited to see what great stories we'll have Friday!

Math Reflections

To supplement the geometry in chapter 1 we are pulling a few lessons from chapters 10 and 11 to introduce reflections over a line of symmetry.

Notice how students created shapes that "flipped" or reflected over the line of symmetry. This is especially a good example to show how the image doesn't just slide over and copy, but flips or rotates over the line.

Nice job!

Students can visit the Online Virtual Manipulatives Library http://nlvm.usu.edu/

Geometry 3-5, Transformations - Reflections

to create an online version of this activity.

Reading Vocab 9/7/10

Here is the Storytown Vocabulary for this week. Students will be working with these words throughout the week.

Response to Reading

In the upcoming weeks students will be working on responding to reading. This is something they could practice at home after their 30 minutes of reading each night.

In a response to reading students read (or listen) to text and write any sub-sequential thoughts down. This helps with comprehension, memory, prediction, writing fluency, and higher levels thinking skills.

Items to consider in a response to reading:

• Likes



• Dislikes



• Questions about what is happening



• Questions about characters



• Questions about vocabulary



• Connections - text to text



• Connections - text to self



• Connections - text to world



• Emotions



• Predictions



• What if's



• Seed ideas for writing

Octogon

Can your student name the attributes of an octagon? It is a bit elementary, but see if this video helps! This is a skill for our chapter 1 math test!



Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.

Jackie Mitchell

A short video about our reading text this week. The match up really did happen. How and why can sometimes remain a mystery.

Clicking on this video will take you outside of the classroom blog.

Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites. Links to external sites are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s. Please ask that children use adult supervision when visiting websites outside of this blog, especially YouTube. While there are many great videos, please considering the ability for the public to post and comment on videos on YouTube.