On May 9th, 4th and 5th graders were invited to get “indoorsy” at our Classroom Campout! Keeping in line with our classroom’s nature motif, we had a camp themed day where we read around the campfire, wrote group ghost stories, performed vocab skits, and even made scrumptous smores! To be as cozy as possible, kiddos were invited to bring a sleeping bag, a pillow, a stuffed animal, and got a turn to be in a tent!
April is poetry month, which isperfect for our class as we have just finished our poetry unit–writing acrostic, concrete, synonym, diamonte, cinquain, limerick, and “I AM” poems!!! We celebrated by having a beatnik Poetry Slam where we sat in dim light listening to each other share from personal poetry books. We were sure to snap in appreciation!
Thanks to Caroline, Thomas, Joseph, Sahil, and the families for coming out to Moonlight Beach for our first class community service project!! After leaving, the beach definitely had less styrofoam!! 
This week 4th and 5th graders learned 8 new geography terms that had to do with Bodies of Water and Landforms. Instead of memorizing definitions, students used their hands, fingers, and negative space to create: harbors, canals, channels, gulfs, bays, seas, peninsulas, and plains! They even had fun naming them (i.e. the “Disney Channel”, “Thumb Bay”, and “Pinkyinsula”). Very creative!
4th and 5th graders are well under way in their Fairytale Unit! We started with Cinderella stories around the world. First, we talked about the American version of “Cinderella” (yes…we’re talking Disney). Next, we read “Yeh Shen,” a Chinese version. As a class we filled out a huge Venn diagram, and discovered all the similarities and differences. Then, in pairs students read Cinderella stories from all over (Russia, Ancient Egypt, Scotland…), and they shared their Venn diagrams with the class. Can you believe that after everyone shared the only similarity between all of them and the American version was that Cinderella was treated poorly? Not shoes/slippers or even magic!?!
Student Survival Kits awaiting the 4th and 5th graders on their first day!
Inside:
The snowflake stands for the fact that we are beautiful and unique in our own way.
The glue stick encourages you to “stick” together as a class and support each other.
The eraser is to remind you that it is okay to make mistakes.
The penny is to let you know how valuable you are to me.
The “Snickers” says that even though we will be working hard, learning is fun and we will be laughing a lot.
The toothpick is to remind us to “pick out” the positives in everyone.
The rubber band is to encourage you to stretch your mind and try new things.
The “Lifesaver” is a reminder that I am always here for you.
Oh my goodness!! I cannot believe the first day of school is around the corner… I have been working over the summer getting our wonderful room ready for a fresh new year. Also this summer, I had the privilege of working alongside some pretty spectacular, inspiring teachers at TCPS. We are so lucky!
This week, I not only got to meet some outstanding, supportive parents, but I met the FABULOUS 4th and 5th graders!
See you all again very soon ….
Hey 4th grade sweet peas! You finally finished your book group for Caddie Woodlawn. Congrats! I would like you to rate this novel 1-10. 1 being a low score (you didn’t like the book at all), and 10 being a great score (you loved this book). You need to give the novel a rating AND back your rating up with specific and clear details. For example, if you didn’t like the book, not only tell me why, but talk about what was missing that would have made the book better for you. If you loved the book, be specific about what you liked and why. Using specific details from the story allows me to see how well you understood the story and evaluate how much effort you are putting into being thoughtful and reflective. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers, you simply need to write specifically and clearly about your opinions. I can’t wait to read about what you have to say!
Cheers- Mrs. Z
Hey fab fifth graders! I’m so happy you got a chance to read and discuss Rascal. I would like you to type a response to literature. In your response to the book, I’d like you to talk about your favorite aspects of the story, as well as which parts of the story you didn’t like or would change. I would also like you to discuss what you feel is possibly a theme of the story.
In class we read, “CATWINGS.” We also talked about picking out important themes within stories we read. What do you feel was the theme of “CATWINGS”, and why do you feel this was a theme of the story?
