New Unit Update and Some Photos from the Week

Happy First Day of Spring Families!  

With just 10 school weeks left (can you believe it?), we have lots of learning to do.  In math, all classes are continuing with fraction equivalence, ordering and operations. Once we finish with fractions in mid-April, we will start on decimals as they relate to fractions.

We started our Ecosystems unit for science today and the kids are really looking forward to building their terrariums next week and then adding the live "things" after spring break!  Thank you to everyone who sent in 2-liter bottles.  We have plenty.  We also watched a really funny intro to ecosystems this morning- it is posted in the science section of my blog.  

After spring break, we are going to start reading historical fiction novels.  Each kid will be assigned a very high interest novel and one of the 4th grade teachers, or Mrs. Mariani, as their teacher for the unit.  Kids will meet with their novel groups twice a week.  When the novels are done, the students will connect the historical time period from their book to our social studies unit, Illinois history, through a research project.  I know this is going to be a fabulous cross-curriculuar unit that all the 4th graders will love.  

Don't forget that our walking field trip to the Frank Llyod Wright home and studio is on Monday.  Be sure to watch the weather and make sure your child is dressed appropriately.   Don't forget to wear Chrystall Miner class t-shirts too!  

Today's mystery reader...  Mr. Chrystall :) 

Mystery reader...  Mrs. Chrystall's husband.

We had art appreciation today, and the kids created Kandinsky inspired art.  This was a great introduction to our geometry unit coming up in May.   

Be sure to check out our new art displayed in the Mann Art Gallery! 

In buddies, we worked on a math word problem called Fair Games today.  The kids got to play a spinner game and explore the principals behind probability.