Fun with Character Traits!

This week we have been focusing on character traits. We have learned that we can identify a character's traits by studying their thought, actions and words. To culminate our week, the students created character trait cut outs. WHAT FUN! ( I am pretty sure I saw this idea on pinterest....I would love to give credit where credit is due!) The students chose a character trait from our character trait anchor chart, cut a large circle for their face in a white piece of paper, titled the paper with their chosen character trait, and finally added thoughts, actions and words someone with this character trait might think, do or say! They got very creative! We took lots of great pictures and even got a few students to do a video portraying a character with their trait. Definately a lesson I plan to repeat in future years. The students really seemd to grasp how to identify character traits! Here are some photos to show off our fun and amazing learning experience!

Site Visits......A Favorite Thing!

Today I had an opportunity to do one of my favorite things.....visit another school in a neighboring district. Our goal was to observe strategies they are using with their ESL population. We have a growing number of ESL students in our district, and were observing to find strategies to help us close the gap. I LOVE LOVE LOVE going to visit other classrooms! I always learn soooo much! I know we are already doing wonderful things in the school where I teach, but there is always room for growth and new ideas! What better people to learn from than our colleagues! If I can walk away from a site visit with one new fresh idea, I always feel like it was worth it!   Guess what... it was worth it!  While many of the things I observed, I already knew, sometimes it's nice to have the reminder and refresher and see ideas in action! The following are a few of the strategies these teachers are using with their ESL population that they shared and feel are the most effective:
1. Build background knowledge
2. Vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary
3. Slow down your rate of speech
4. Extend wait time
5. Peer conversations (turn and talk)

All of these are things I think we know as teachers, but it is definitely nice to have the refresher and see these strategies in action! In addition to seeing ESL strategies in action, I also picked up a new writing strategy/frame I am anxious to try with my language arts class..... The 3.5 paragraph! Be watching for more information on this writing frame as I try it out in my classroom!

A New 4th Grade Blog

A quick shout out tonight to my teaching partner,(and partner in crime) Mrs. Vance!  She has made her debut post! Check out her amazing ideas at Learning in 4th .Welcome to blogging world! Can't wait to see what you have in store!

Science Fun!

Ok..... so yes it has been several weeks since I've posted. No... I don't really have a valid excuse, other than school started! However, I am finally feeling like I am getting into the swing of things! Hopefully I will do a better job keeping up with blogging now. Lots of exciting experiments and fun has been happening in science! (I do admit it is probably my favorite subject to teach.)  I am lucky to get to teach 2 sections of Science!
We began our year with plant structures and functions and have now moved into animal classification.

Our first experiment involved the students creating clay structures to represent vertebrates and invertebrates. Students created vertebrates using clay molded around a straw to represent a backbone, and invertebrates using clay without a straw to mold around to represent the lack of a backbone. They were quickly able to see the differences!



We moved on to classification of vertebrates. I was fortunate enough to find a frog in my coffee pot while camping over Labor Day weekend. (Don't worry...the coffee was cold!) He was the perfect way for the students to make observations of an amphibian! His name is Max...short for Maxwell. Afterall, it was Maxwell House Coffee!  We will be setting him free on Friday!

Maxwell

And if you think that was luck...imagine our surprise when a grasshopper decided to attach himself to our classroom window screen at the precise moment we are completing a compare/contrast activity of insects (a grasshopper) and arachnids (a spider). Ok...so he only hung around for one class period, but he was captured with my iphone to share with the other class!

                      I LOVE Life Science!

First Week Fun... Saving Fred

School started on Wednesday and I am tee-totally worn out now that it is Friday! I have a great new group of 4th graders and am looking forward to watching them learn and grow this year!

As one of two 4th grade science teachers, I am always looking for new ideas. I think I hit the JACKPOT! One of the terrific ideas I got this summer from either bloggy friends or pinterest... (can't remember which since I stalked both on a daily basis) was the Saving Fred experiment for my 4th grade science classes. WOW! What fun and a terrific team building and problem solving activity! The plan I followed comes from here.

The goal is to save fred (a gummy worm) by retrieving his life preserver ( gummy life saver) from under the boat (clear plastic cup) using only 4 paper clips. Fred is stranded on top of the cup!

See what I mean... Poor Fred!

But never fear..... I am happy to report that ALL 20 Fred's were saved today at Huntertown Elementary, thanks to some amazing 4th grade problem solvers!

A SAVED Fred!

After the students completed the experiment, they completed a flowchart, in their Interactive Science Notebooks, showing the steps they took to save Fred. They then had to include a written description, and answer questions about problems they encountered.

All I can say is this is a definate repeat experiment for next year! I can not wait to get all my photo releases in so I can post pictures of the kids. If you could have only seen their faces! And of course each pair wanted their picture taken with Fred once he was saved! I do admit that their affection for Fred did not last long... he and his life preserver ended up in their tummies! What fun!

Classroom Pictures Update

This will be my second year teaching 4th grade after many years in primary. I am really looking forward to the new year. Like all of you, I have been busy the last couple weeks getting my classroom ready. I decided to stick with my hollywood theme and just add some new things.

Here are a few pictures of some of the additions/changes.

This is my front door.

My desk and small group meeting area. I opted not to use the crates for storage, so they are simply crates turned upside down with chair cushions tied on.

Here is our homework/assignment board

Student work- Bravo board

Student check-in center and mailboxes.

It is finally feeling homey again. Kiddos come tomorrow! Very excited!

Currently I am... Linky Party

Oh Boy Fourth Grade is hosting a fun Currently I am... linky party. As I know we are all super busy right now, I thought this would be a GREAT way to get a post in!

So.... Currently I am...

Listening to my beloved summer morning quietness... coffee dripping, dogs rousing, and the hustle and bustle of OTHER cars racing up and down my street on their way to work. Oh is it really true, that this is my VERY last morning enjoying this for the summer? sniff sniff

Loving my new iphone! Long story short. My last "hoo-rah" of the summer weekend trip resulted in my beloved Blackberry taking a bath. I had been wanting an iphone, but am having to take tutorials from my son on how to use it. It really is amazing though!

Thinking about how I really need to be getting dressed and going to school to prepare for Meet and Greet tonight. Last minute touches!

Wanting the ability to wiggle my nose. (Remember Samantha from Bewitched???) Wouldn't that make beginning of the year preparations a snap?

Needing to get ink cartridges for my printer! Wow I go through A LOT! And of course school color ink has disappeared as well.

Stalking:

1. Oh Boy Fourth Grade

2. Yearn to Learn

3. Go Fourth! With Mrs. Owens

Ok, so I have NO idea why half way through this post I lost the ability to highlight items for hyper-linking and font changes. (Sorry) Even tried a restart. Hmmmmmmm.... Guess it's time to go to school! Have a GREAT day everyone!