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GRADE4NEWSLETTERFriday,  January  16,  2014

Dear Parents,

    T h a n k y o u ! Thank you for your kindness during the holiday season! Your generous class gifts made my season brighter and more festive. I am very appreciative!

Unit of Inquiry

We are deep into the unit, HOW WE EXPRESS OURSELVES. We are working with the theme of Imagination, and we have been unpacking the big ideas in a variety of ways. We are exploring the central idea, Imagination is a powerful tool for extending our ability to think, create, and express ourselves.

In addition, we have been reflecting on the following lines of inquiry…• The ways in which we foster imagination. • How we demonstrate and enjoy imagination.

Upcoming  Dates

 -­‐Tues.,  Jan.  21VISITING  AUTHORMrs.  Margaret  Read  Macdonald

-­‐Fri.,  January  25HOUSESwimming

-­‐Mon.,  January  27  to  Fri.,  January  31NO  SCHOOLSchool  Development  and  Lunar  New  Year  Vacation

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LiteracyAs we have been working on how people enjoy imagination, we have looked at its connection to both reading and writing. In the last two weeks, the students have prepared posters and reports on several story genres, including fairy tales, folktales, fables, science fiction, fantasy and poetry. After identifying the key elements in these genres, we have written pieces that demonstrate our understanding of these styles and that look at how they all connect with imagination and creativity. Each student has designed an original poetry book with watercolor paintings that shows both the form of the sky at different times of day and individual perspectives on that same assignment. Additionally this week, the students have written fables that end with a lesson or moral.

NumeracyOur imagination unit lends itself well to the study of geometry and we have asked the students to create one-minute videos explaining and defining mathematical concepts like points, line segments, rays and angles. We have practiced using a protractor to measure angles. Also, we have discussed the properties of right, acute, obtuse and straight angles. In the last few days of school, the students have been working on a project where they have to create a neighborhood map that includes parallel and perpendicular lines, a number of angles and a set of defined three-dimensional shapes.

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An Hour of Code Before the holiday break, Mr. Maiquez and Ms. Marks conducted an hour of computer coding work with the fourth graders. Using the Scratch program, the students got to explore the idea of common programing languages and how it shapes technology. The students used their newfound knowledge to create simple, stop-motion images.

Special VisitorRoy’s dad (4A) came to the school to discuss his work as a music producer at KBS. He talked about how he uses imagination to shape his decisions as he works on 32 television programs each week. Additionally, he talked about how music and lighting both set the tone when working on a project and how they enhance creativity. The students were fascinated by his work!