How to Make Tessellations

I've always wanted to teach and have student's make tessellations, and we're finally going to get to do it!  Students will be required to make their basic template and then repeat the pattern on a sheet of paper.  This requires many mathematical skills, and some artistic flair.  Follow our Prezi to find out how, and what we'll do!



Also check this out for a great build it tessellation!
Students, please remember to make safe decisions when you go to other websites online.

Bake Sale

May 20th at 2:00

Our school will be having a bake sale to raise money to support our upcoming 5th graders

(so long 4th grade!)

on their Outdoor Experience Overnight trip in the 2011-2012 school year.

Parents are encouraged to bake

simple

kid friendly

delicious

easily packaged

treats

to donate and sell at the bake sale.

For more information about the 5th grade trip contact our 5th grade teachers!

End Of Year School Supplies

As our year wraps up, students will be bringing home supplies, notebooks, and other items. Check those backpacks every night.  They might be overflowing!

Here a few tips:

• Sort through and make a pile of what you can reuse for next year
• Throw away items that are broken, fully used, or not working
• Make sure your child has access to school supplies over the summer for at home learning projects and ideas.
• Set aside items that you would like to keep (papers, projects, 4th grade scrapbook (coming soon!)artwork etc) in a special place

Workbooks

We'll be sending home some workbooks from math, reading, or both.

Students have used these throughout the year.  Many lessons may have blank pages.  Don't panic!  We often use white boards, hands on materials, document cameras, LCD projectors etc. to replace the workbooks but practice the exact same problems.  These are a great resource for you as parents to review lessons with your child over the summer months.

Art Night Review

Our school wide art night a week ago was a huge success.  It was great seeing students of all ages come through and try the different art projects! 

I was rather jealous that I had to stay in my classroom while the students got to go make such cool projects.

These are only a few of the neat ideas from our amazing art teacher.  Later on I saw that there was home made silly puddy too!  Too cool!

Art is such a great way for students to express themselves and convey their knowledge.

Parents, I know you like all those art moments too!  I saw you just as focused as the students creating right along side them.  Great family time!

Science Night

Thanks for Joining Us!

4th Grade Science Night Open House was a lot of fun.  Student's enjoyed using all the materials from our electric circuits unit to create flashlights, mega-circuits, and heat nicrome wire so it could burn paper!

Pennies For Patients Success

I'm so impressed!

Our student council ran the Pennies for Patients fundraiser to help kids with Leukemia and Lymphoma. 
Student Council suggested we each bring in some pennies to help donate.

After the first week I knew we had a good amount, but those responsibly pesky Student Council representatives collected it before we could count it.  The second week I did't want to make the same mistake.

Every morning kids kept bringing in coins, but I didn't really pay attention to who, how many, or how long it was taking them to put it in our class box.

Thursday rolls around and I dig through the box.  It was HEAVY!  I knew we had a lot, but figured a quick math lesson of sets of a dollar could come in handy.  Every kid made groups of a dollar on our table, and then more groups, and more groups of a dollar.

86 groups later, we were impressed!

As a school, we raised over $780 dollars!

Decorator Marble Math Patterns

One of our math standards is the ability to identify, create, and solve for patterns and algebra. 

With some super fun decorator marbles I've picked up a few garage sales we practiced this for just 5 or 10 minutes the other day during math.

Most students started with a simple ABAB pattern.  With a little thought, creativity, and exchange of colors, we had some real creativity!

This same concept includes geometric principals as well as numeric principals.  We ended up with some very artistic and creative patterns!

Web 2.0 Tools in Bloom's Taxonomy

Wow! Looking for cool web 2.0 tools?
Neat websites and ideas to learn?

Check out this site. It is an interactive Bloom's Taxonomy Pyramid with different tools to use at the different stages of learning. Each logo is a link to the site (not my picture / screenshot) but click the link!  We've used even more from what is on this pyramid, but we have used some!  This is teacher homework for the summer!

We've looked at many of these in my room including:
del.iciou.us
various google applications (such as Google Maps/World!)
Prezi
YouTube
RubiStar
Wikipedia







Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites which are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s.

Bartering Economic Activity

Our continued Rendezvous day included an economics lesson in bartering.  We discussed early money systems, and how trade worked in the early days in Colorado history.   

Students were to bring a few items to trade among the classes.  Some made very creative and interesting projects, while others opted to find treasures they were finally ready to part with in the hopes of finding new treasures. 

Students were also required to decide about some advertising strategies including descriptions of their goods, storefronts with persuasive twist, and strategies to talk about their goods while trying to make a sale.

Our fun video of the day summarized what we heard dozens of time while trading.

"I'll trade you this for that, that for this.  We'll make a trade called barter."

Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites which are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s.

Learning Prezi.com

Today we worked on our Colorado ABC books.

Many students contributed their information and we're IN PROGRESS in making a presentations.  Check it out!

Prezi is free, so log in and try your own at home.



Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites which 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.

School Swimming Trip

To celebrate the end of 4th grade, and the beginning of summer we're going swimming!  Swimming is a great form of exercise, is fun, and an important life lesson!

We're excited to go to an indoor wave pool and a water slide with catch pool , current channel and vortex, and zero beach entry.


Needed:

• parent drivers   (we would be forever grateful!)
• permission slip and attached notarized temporary power of attorney
• paid $3.50
• swim suit
• towel
• plastic bag for clothes

Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites which 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.

Happy Mother's Day

Pretzel Log Cabins

As a continuation of our Colorado Rendezvous day on Friday we made Pretzel Log Cabins.  We discussed the trials early settlers would have finding supplies, building, upkeep, and the tough conditions. 

We also talked about the Homestead act which allowed settlers who lived and farmed land for 5 years to get 160 acres for free!  Talk about a good deal, if you could last!  Follow the link to read the original text of the act.

To build all we used was chocolate frosting, stick pretzels and the option of a small, empty, juice container.  Some students opted to make the stacking (Lincoln Log) style cabin, while others opted for the box structure. 

Some houses had flat topped roof systems while others built the peak systems.  Other cabins were of a brand new variety of construction!
Now we just need to figure out how to make cute, simple pine trees and the scenes would be complete!


Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites which are not under the editing control of the author of More Than the ABC’s.

Busy Busy Week

Mrs. Rose Learning Stratelogica.egg on Aviary.

Our one normal day at school this week! 
Monday - Track Day
Tuesday - Visiting the Ranch Field Trip
Wednesday - NORMAL
Thursday - Walk to Library Field Trip
Friday - No Students



Posts on More Than the ABC’s may include links to external websites which 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.