Here's what we've been up to in fourth grade...

In writing workshop the students have been piecing together different story ideas to use as evidence for their essay.  We cut apart and organized our "mini-stories" in different ways depending on how we wanted our readers to feel.  We have been working so hard on these essays and this week we are learning how to write an introduction and conclusion.  When we get back from vacation we will be ready to put together our first draft!

In reading workshop we continued to study text structures and also did some work with text features. We are beginning to discuss tricky vocabulary in non-fiction reading, and learning some new strategies for how to figure out the meaning of an unknown word.

In math, we finished up topic 7 and have moved onto topic 8.  Topic 8 teaches how to use arrays to help us solve 2-digit times 2-digit numbers.  Keep practicing those math facts, especially over the winter break!

We finished up our social studies unit last week with a unit test on everything we had learned about NYS and its inhabitants.  We did a short science observation today to get us thinking about the floating and sinking unit.  We will do a couple introductory lessons this week and will dive right into more experiments when we come back from vacation.

Thank you to all of you who sent in pasta and sauce for the Caring and Sharing food drive.  It was a big success and over 100 families were helped because of your generosity!

During this holiday season may you find some moments amidst the hustle and bustle to relax, take it all in, and enjoy the little things in life!

Happy Holidays,

Mrs. Riegel,

It's hard to believe that another week has come and gone and we only have one more full week of school until vacation.  With the weather so nice, it doesn't quite feel like winter!  We continue to work hard and keep pushing ourselves to do our best!

In writing workshop we have been working tirelessly to prepare all the materials necessary for drafting our essay.  Hopefully you got to check out your child's boxes and bullets that came home this week on their drafting pad.  We continue to come up with narrative mini-stories to support our reasons, so that we have enough evidence!  We're looking forward to start drafting our essay's next week!

In reading workshop we are still in our non-fiction reading unit.  We have been studying different text structures this week, including time-order, cause/effect, problem/solution, all about, and compare/contrast.  Knowing what structure the author uses in their text can help readers organize the information and hold onto the main idea and important details.

In math we finished Topic 6, multiplying using both the expanded and standard algorithm.  As a whole the students did very well with this topic. We started Topic 7, multiplying by 2-digit numbers. We learned how to draw a model and make an array to help us solve for multiplying a 2-digit by 2-digit number.

In social studies we are learning about the explorers, Henry Hudson, Samuel de Champlain, and Giovanni da Verrazzano.  We have been studying what each explorer was looking for, the country they sailed for, and what they discovered.  We will be coming to the end of our first social studies unit next week and there will be a Unit Exam that will cover geography of New York State, Native Americans - specifically the Iroquois and Algonquin tribes, and the explorers we are studying now.

Here's a sneak peak at my weekly Friday performance!

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Last week was a busy, full week!

In writing workshop we  have been working on coming up with a topic for our essay.  The structure that we are using to draft our essays is called "Boxes and Bullets."  The box being the main idea that you really want people to know, and the bullets being the reasons to help support the idea.  We worked on generating a boxes and bullets to help us come up with the topic we want to write an essay on.  As you are aware, your child brought home their writers notebook last week to "freewrite" about their topic.  Asking them about their writing may even help them come up with new ideas!

In reading workshop we are reading non-fiction books.  We are not only learning about boxes and bullets in writing workshop, but are carrying this learning over to reading workshop.  In our non-fiction reading we are working on determining the main idea (box), and three details (bullets).  Not only have we been doing this work in our selected books, but we have also been working on this in book groups.  Some of the book groups have been reading books on Native Americans, which they really enjoy.

In social studies we worked in groups last week to compare the Iroquois and Algonquin tribes.  Each group completed a Venn Diagram.  We came together, discussed these differences,  and did an interactive venn diagram on the smartboard which was a lot of fun.  This week we are starting to learn about the explorers.

In math we began topic 6, which the students will be tested on this week.  We are learning all about the expanded and standard algorithms, and using the standard algorithm to multiply, 2-, 3-, and 4-digit by 1-digit numbers.  Keep practicing those math facts!

I hope you all had a great weekend and were able to get outdoors to enjoy this beautiful December weather!

We had a great week last week!

In Writing Workshop we continue to work on our essay writing.  We learned some different strategies for generating essays; think of a person, a place, or an object and write long about it giving lots of details.  We learned how to "freewrite" and just keep writing whatever pops into our head.  As a class we discussed the qualities of good freewriting.  It's amazing the volume of writing that these young writers are producing in their writers notebook!

In Reading Workshop we have been studying non-fiction text.  Last week we studied main idea and came up with supporting details that went along with the main idea from a specific page or section. We broke up into small groups and each group read a page from a chapter in our social studies textbook. An expert from each group stood up and taught the class about the main idea of their page and three supporting details.  They really enjoyed working together in small groups and using the different text features we have studied!

In math we are at the end of Topic 5.  We have learned different strategies for how to break apart numbers to multiply, multiply using mental math, multiply using compensation, rounding to multiply, and using estimation to multiply.  The students will be tested on this topic on Tuesday. Keep practicing those math facts over the holiday!

In Social Studies we researched the Algonquin Indians on the computers last week.  We compared the Algonquins to the Iroquois Indians.  The students loved getting on the laptops and I can tell they are really experts on navigating technology!

Thank you so much to those of you who volunteered and sent in items for our Thanksgiving Feast with Mrs. Klugman's class.  The students all had such a great time.  They enjoyed making hats, eating a delicious Thanksgiving lunch and most of all spending time with their buddies.  We could not have done it without your support...thank you, thank you!

 

Tables are set with our homemade placemats

And decorations of course!

It was quite the feast!!!

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Mrs. Riegel

Wow!  What a great week of finishing up different units of studying and diving right in to some new learning!

In Writing Workshop we had our fourth grade publication celebration.  We split up into different groups among the whole fourth grade and got to read the stories to students who we don't usually get to work with.  I love how these stories took me to many different places!  We began our opinion writing unit this week.  The students learned how to write an essay by choosing a topic or something they feel strongly about, and supporting that topic with three details.  We call this structure boxes and bullets.  The box being the main idea, and the bullets the three supporting details.  Right from the beginning the students wrote an essay on something they felt strongly about, and now we are working on going back and revising that writing to follow the boxes and bullets structure.

In Reading Workshop we started our non-fiction reading unit.  Ms. Martin, Ms. Mihok and I decided to pool all of our non-fiction books together and divide them into categories in an effort to create a larger non-fiction library for the fourth graders.  Each student chose two books they believed they were experts on and explained in their book groups why they thought they were an expert on this book.  We discussed the differences between fiction and non-fiction and started to think about how certain headings or other text features can help us think about what each page is mostly about.

In Math we are in the middle of topic 5.  We have learned how to multiply by tens and hundreds and also how to break apart numbers to make it easier for us to multiply.  These strategies will help us when we learn how to multiply using mental math.  Keep practicing those facts at home!

In Social studies we continue to learn about the Iroquois way of life.  One thing we have learned about the Native Americans and recreation is that they played the game of lacrosse.  I brought in an  old "woodie" lacrosse stick to show the kids and they loved seeing how this compares to lacrosse sticks that are made today.  

As you are aware, together with our buddy class, we are having a Thankgiving feast this week!  The kids are all very excited about this and we will have some fun activities planned for them on Friday.  If you haven't had a chance to sign up, we have a couple more volunteer slots available.  Please visit the link below. Thank you to those who have already signed up to donate an item or volunteer!

http://mriegel.bringit.bz/public/136679

I attended a yoga benefit yesterday at Siena college as a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House and the Africa Yoga Project.  The AYP helps educate youth in Africa using the transformational practice of yoga.  The day allowed me to reflect on all that we have to be thankful for as this holiday season approaches.  Thank you to each and every one of you for letting me work with your amazing children everyday and for your continued support.  I am beyond grateful.

Namaste,

Mrs. Riegel 

Happy Friday!  I can't believe it's already November.  Thanksgiving will be here before we know it!

We finished up a number of things this week and next week will be filled with many new units and exciting learning!

In writing, we worked long and hard on publishing the final copies of our stories.  A lot of time and effort was put into these realistic fiction stories, and the students worked really hard to make their stories great! We are looking forward to our fourth grade writing celebration on Monday.

In reading we wrapped up our unit on characters.  Many strategies for character study were reinforced over the last couple months, and many new strategies were taught as well.  The students have really become experts on studying the characters in their books.

We finished up Topic 4 in math and will begin Topic 5 next week.  Topic 5 explores multiplication. Daily practice of facts on xtramath is really helpful for fact fluency.  Please make sure your child is practicing every night!

In science, we finished up our unit on rocks and minerals.  In social studies we began studying the Iroquois. We learned about the Haudenosaunee Tribe and the Five Nations, specifically about recreation, where they lived, and tribal organization.  This is a fascinating topic and I can tell the fourth graders really enjoy learning about the Natives!

I spent my lunch period yesterday with the "Sparkle Pugz", the October table of the month.  I love getting to know them outside of the classroom!

Friday is one of my favorite days! No, not because it's the end of the week...but I know that Mrs. Seebode always has a performance in store for me when I pick the students up from music class.  I love starting my day hearing these young musicians!  Here's a little sneak peak...

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Halloween!

There was lots of energy surrounding the room this week in anticipation of all the Halloween celebrations taking place this weekend!  We focused that positive energy on our work and with brain breaks here and there, we really had a fabulous week!

In writing, we are still working on publishing our final copies.  We met with our writing partners in the beginning of the week to go over our drafts again and check for spelling errors.  Each partner was very thorough and looked words up in the dictionaries when needed.  We should be ready for a writing celebration by the end of next week!

As you know, we finished topic 3 in math and moved onto topic 4 this week.  Topic 4 teaches us about mental math, estimation, and adding and subtracting whole numbers.  This is another short topic and we will most likely be having another test again at the end of next week.

In reading we are still discussing our character, thinking about how they change, the problems that they face, how they resolve these problems, etc.  We also discussed setting this week and how the setting can affect the character or the plot of the story.  Don't forget that October book logs should be turned in on Monday!

This week we finished up our observations of the minerals.  We still have a few more things to do, however the hands-on tests that we have been conducting have sadly come to an end.  I know the students really loved working hands on with the rocks and minerals!  

We had a great week with our second grade buddies.  We are learning American sign language!  We taught the students the alphabet and how to say "My name is..." in ASL. They loved this, and some of them continue to practice every chance they get! 

Check out the video below! 

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and enjoyed your Halloween.

Thanks for your continued support,

Mrs. Riegel 

We had a  fabulous week in fourth grade!  

It started off with an assembly from a former Glenmont parent and inspirational speaker, Mr. John Robinson. Wow!  This was such an incredible and eye opening discussion for all of us and we loved being reminded that what truly matters is what's on the inside, what's in our hearts. Thank you for sharing your story with us, Mr. Robinson!

In writing workshop we have been working hard at revising our realistic fiction stories.  This is no easy feat and we've been spending a lot of time conferencing with different peers as well as reflecting on what has happened in each scene of our story...some key questions we ask ourselves are; where is the setting?  Is there dialogue?  Is there action? These types of things have been helping to guide us in our revision. 

In math we are still in the place value unit.  We have stretched our brains, thinking about place value relationships, comparing numbers, ordering numbers, and making organized lists. We have a topic test on Tuesday of next week.

In science we have been working hands-on with different minerals.  We've performed many different tests to determine the different characteristics of each mineral.  Color, streak, hardness, light, and magnetism are different ways that we can differentiate one mineral from another.  

We had time to meet with our buddies on Thursday morning. The fourth graders were a big help in giving their buddy their spelling test for the week.  We are looking forward to another fun activity coming up this week!

I look forward to meeting with more of you this week, have a great week ahead!

Mrs. Riegel 

Last week was a shortened week, but we made the most of it!  It was great seeing some of you last week at parent-teacher conferences, and I look forward to seeing more of you this coming week!

We finished our second topic in math and moved onto Topic 3.  This unit is about place value and understanding multi-digit whole numbers.  Practicing math facts is important, please be sure you are going on xtra math and/or practicing facts in other ways (flashcards, math apps, etc.) at home.

This week in writing we continued working on our drafts. We have reached the revision stage, and these fourth graders have been working so hard to make their stories better and better!  They love reading their stories to each other and conferencing to help make each others stories the best they can be.

                           

 We even found a great way to hang our checklists and mentor leads on the back of the train seats!

This week we had a visit from Mr. Steele.  He showed us all about how the Native Americans used different parts of the deer in their everyday life.  The students loved seeing all the different deer parts, and Mr. Steele even played a tune for us on a flute-like instrument that came from the bone of a deer. 

In Social Studies we continue to learn about New York State, specifically focusing on landforms, lakes, and rivers specific to our state.  This week we will begin learning about the Native Americans!

We enjoyed time with our buddies this week, doing a craft project that will soon be displayed in the classroom!  We love our time with them and it's great seeing the fourth graders being such good role models and leaders around the second graders. 

Have a great week!

         

We started off our week with a fire safety assembly from the Selkirk Fire Department.  Thank you to all the volunteer fire fighters who help keep our community safe!  We discussed the importance of having a plan at home in case there is ever an emergency.  This was a good reminder for me to check my smoke alarms at home as well!

I started off my week with a lunch date with my September table winners!  The "Blue Kangaroos" earned the most points for their table and their reward was to eat lunch with me in the classroom.  It was great to get to know them a little more.  :)

In writing workshop we have finished writing our first drafts and have moved onto the revision stage of writing.  Revision is a way to make our best better and really begins with rereading our story.  As writers of revision we can ask ourselves..."What is this story really about?  Have I brought out that deeper story? Have I made my characters seem human?"  We learned how to select a certain lens for revision, based on whatever we value in our story, and to reread with that lens, studying those specific parts in our story.

In math we have been learning about patterns, how to find rules for patterns, and how to use those rules to complete tables and word problems.  We have practiced reasoning and learned a lot about the importance of thinking about the information that is given to us first before trying to solve the problem.  Drawing a picture helps too!

As scientists, we discussed how to test different types of minerals.  We learned that many different tests can be performed in order to identify different minerals. We read about the Mohs Hardness Scale, and how we can test for hardness using different objects.  The streak test is another way we can identify minerals.  Sometimes the streak has a different color than the mineral itself!

Yesterday we were so lucky to have two visitors from Five Rivers come into our classroom.  Mary and Lauren taught us a lot about invasive species. We learned about native and alien plants and animals, specifically the Emerald Ash Borer and Water Chestnut.  They brought in some Water Chestnut seeds, and a sample of what the Emerald Ash Borer does to the Ash Trees. We even got to do a simulation of what it is like for the Emerald Ash Borer to spread among a large group of Ash Trees!

I hope everyone has a great long weekend!

Mrs. Riegel

Happy October!

We made it through our first full week of school!

Last week was a busy week for us, and our first full week!

We have been writing, writing, writing, working on our realistic fiction drafts. Last week we planned our story using a story arc, learned how to write strong leads, and discussed how to include setting so that our readers can really get lost in the story.

In reading we are studying characters, using the beautiful mentor text, The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo.  Last week we learned some different reading strategies we can use to grow ideas about our characters.  Characters tend to act a certain way and when our character acts "out of character" we can think about why this has happened and come up with new theories.

We began studying minerals this week!  We compared rocks to minerals and thought about the  different minerals that are found inside each rock.  We love exploring and learning about different rocks and minerals!


Not only did we stretch out minds, but stretched our bodies as we learned from a master yoga instructor!

As you can see from the photos, these little yogis loved learning about yoga, and practicing some moves.  We can't wait for Erin to come visit us again soon!

It's starting to feel like fall!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed two beautiful days.  We have talked a bit about setting goals and certain things that we want to achieve in fourth grade.  Today I achieved one of my personal goals in running a half marathon!

This past week we started a couple new units of study!  We learned about different types of rocks and each student brought in a rock to observe from home.  They really enjoyed studying their own special little rock and jotting down some of the properties their rock displayed.  We looked at the website below to learn about some of the different properties of rocks.

http://ed101.bu.edu/StudentDoc/Archives/ED101sp07/rjayneb/propertiesrocks.htm

We began our narrative writing unit, realistic fiction.  As writer's of realistic fiction, we often find story ideas from things that have happened in our lives.  Each fourth grader started this unit by thinking of different small moments that have happened in their life.  This may a memory of a special person, place, or event that happened in their life.  We wrote lots of small moment stories to help us brainstorm a story idea.  It has been fun to read all these small moments and get to know your child better through their own writing.  

On Friday morning we have music with Mrs. Seebode.  I was lucky enough to hear a sneak peak of a new chorus song the kids are learning.  I absolutely loved hearing them all sing Bruno Mars!!!  I'm already looking forward to their mini performance for me this week. :)

We also got to meet our class buddies in Mrs. Klugman's second grade last week.  We will meet once a week with our buddies and are looking forward to many fun activities with them throughout the school year!  Check out some pictures below!

See you in school tomorrow!

Mrs. Riegel 

We all had a wonderful first week in Fourth grade!  We did some teambuiding games and activities, and it was great getting to know each one of the members of our classroom. I'm looking forward to getting to know them more throughout the year!  We were certainly busy getting our classroom ready for Open House!  We created self-portraits inspired by famous artist, Paul Klee, and thought about reasons why we were "Wanted" in Fourth Grade.  

We dove right into our first social studies unit, and learned about some important New York State Symbols. 

Enjoy your long weekend, and I'll see you back in school on Tuesday! 

Mrs. Riegel 

Welcome to Fourth Grade in Room 5!

Welcome!  I hope you are having a fantastic summer.  I have been busy traveling and spending lots of time with my family.  I can't wait to hear what you have all been up to this summer. This is going to be a great year filled with wonderful learning adventures!  If you're feeling a little nervous about starting a new grade, that's ok!  Guess what?  This is a new grade for me too!  As some of you may know, I taught third grade at Glenmont when you were all in second grade.  Last year I taught second grade at a different school.  I am so excited to be back at Glenmont and for us to share the year together!

This blog will be used throughout the school year.  You will find things we worked on throughout the week, important school and classroom notices, pictures, upcoming events, and much more!  Be sure to check back often to see what's new.  I can't wait to meet all of you in September!

Mrs. Riegel