Possessive a) Nouns b) Noun's c) Nouns'

Tomorrow we will have a quiz on possessive nouns. Remember our rules!

If it is singular possessive, there is an apostrophe s at the end (even if it ends in S like Chris's pencil!)
If it is plural possessive, there is just an apostrophe (if it ends in S) and an apostrophe s if the noun does not end in s (like the mice's shoelaces)

Many people (adults included) make mistakes when they use apostrophes.  Many of these mistakes are related to possessive and plural nouns.  There is even a whole website dedicated to finding the mistakes and sharing them with the world!  Check out Apostrophe Abuse.  Here are some pictures that I found on that site.  Can you find the errors?

Here is a link to the game we played in class today.  Comment to this post with a sentence using a possessive noun!

Idiom Plays!

On Tuesday, each student worked in a group to perform plays based on different idioms.  Here are all of the plays with our very talented students!

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After you listen, please comment and share what idioms you heard. Don't forget to share what the idioms mean!

Can't Believe it is November!

Hello!

Thanks for great Parent/Teacher conferences last week!  This week, we have a lot of fun stuff going on. 

Social Studies:  Instead of a regular SS test, our class gets to choose a project!  We have been working on board games, plays, and Powerpoint presentations during Social Studies this week.  The projects are due next Monday, November 8.

Language Arts: We have a spelling test on Wednesday, and the students are working on writing personal narratives.  This will be an ongoing project for the next few weeks in order to get ready for the WrAP test.  We are also learning about figurative language and possessive nouns!

Math: Double digit multiplication is still on our plate!  We are continuing to practice accuracy. 

Current Events: Tomorrow, we are handing out a new current events project.  This article will have to be from a PRINT source, and it has to be about politics, business, or the economy.  It can come from any newsprint-- even the Dunwoody Crier!  The project is due on November 12.

Words are power!

Here is the Prefix/Suffix rap from class today!  Enjoy!

Fan Boys and Coordinating Conjunctions

Homework for tonight! (Thursday, October 7)

Find your "FANBOYS" Poster on this post. Take a close look at your sentences. Correct those sentences that you think might be wrong (make sure they have the formula: sentence comma conjunction sentence).

In a comment, explain which sentence you think is wrong, and how it can be corrected. Write your new sentence in the blog post as well. If you think all of your sentences are correct, write one excellent example of a compound sentence using a comma and coordinating conjunction.  


(You can click on your picture to make it larger)

Good luck!

October 4- October 8

Get ready for a full week!

Social Studies: We are starting to learn about Native Americans: how they got to the Americas, what they did when they got here, and how their arrival has impacted the world.

Language Arts: Our grammar focus this week will be on compound sentences, and our reading focus will be on the "Understanding Sequence" strategy.  We will be reading and discussing the fourth section of Rules and we will begin our first book report (completely in class assignment).

Math: Division is our huge focus this week, and we will have a quick quiz over division facts on Friday.  Some great websites for at-home practice are Soft Schools, AAA Math, and Gamequarium.

Next week there will be a vocabulary quiz on Wednesday, a grammar quiz on Thursday, and a math test on Friday.  The States Project is due October 18th.

Enjoy the rest of the long weekend!  See you on Monday!

Short Answer Rubric

 For our short answer questions, the fourth grade teachers all use the following rubric to grade the answers.  We use this rubric in Social Studies and Language Arts. 

3 points	Answer is written in complete sentences. All sentences have a subject and a predicate. There are no run-ons.
3 points	The student answers the question and uses examples from the text to justify his or her answer.
2 points	The sentences begin with a capital letter.
2 points	The sentences have end punctuation.

When in doubt, act it out!

Today the students each took a part of the novel Rules and adapted their scene to the stage. We had actors and actresses really get in touch with the characters in the book.  We have a class full of future thespians! 

Back to the Weekday Grind

This week, the students are still learning about complete and simple subjects. We have started reading groups, and the students have a new appetite for learning. Ask your child about the new menus they have for the reading block of language arts. In reading groups, we are focusing on the skill of "Finding Facts and Supporting Details" using a variety of different texts. We will introduce spelling words on Wednesday, and on that very same day, we will have a vocabulary test on Unit 2 words.

In social studies, we are beginning to work on Lesson 4 in the Social Studies text. It is called "Vegetation and Climate". We are learning about different climate regions and vegetation regions in the United States. By the end of the week, we will also have started Lesson 5, "People and the Environment".

In math, we are working on subraction with regouping.

The kids have a science quiz on Wednesday the 15th, and class pictures are on Tuesday (wear teal and navy). Wednesday is individual pictures (wear teal and navy), and Thursday we are going on our Tashlich field trip (wear teal and navy). Friday is a half day.

Hope this helps with planning for the week!

How to Study for Social Studies… and Underwater Basket Weaving

How to Study for Social Studies

(or Science, or Hebrew, or Language Arts, or Math, or Underwater Basket Weaving)

The first step is to study a little bit every day. You must do this to be successful!

You may do all or some of the following. You have to figure out what works best for you!

• Re-read the chapter or section of the text on which you will be tested.
  
• Make a "fake test" and a key. Give it to yourself and see how you do!
  
• Be the teacher and teach your stuffed animals or your parents the material.
  
• Use the study guide and cover up the answers. Ask yourself the questions, answer them, and then uncover the answers. Did you get it right?
  
• Use Quizlet (www.quizlet.com) to make online flashcards.
  
• Study with a friend.