It was a very short week with parent-teacher conferences on Thursday and Friday. Ms. Clark and I enjoyed meeting with everyone and look forward to seeing students back at school on Tuesday, April 3rd. In math this week, we started learning about division and how it is just the opposite of multiplication! We discussed what division is, and vocabulary associated with it (dividend, divisor, quotient, remainder). We watched a great video about some strategies we can use to help us with our division facts. One strategy we have worked on is multiplication and division fact families. If you know your multiplication facts, then you know your division facts too! Students worked on a group division/word problem activity in which they needed to divide fifty apples into different numbers of groups depending on how many were in each group. It was a good visual to see how groups needed to divide evenly with some remainders left over. We also played the game “Burst the Balloons” to practice our division basic facts. Students went on laptops on Wednesday to play “Prodigy” or to play the division game “Demolition Division.” If students have some extra time over the break, they should continue to practice their multiplication/division facts. In science, we discussed building balloon rocket cars after spring break. Students watched a video about how balloon cars work and some ideas on how to build them effectively (the video is attached below for review). We will brainstorm, plan, build and test them after the break. Students were encouraged to look for recyclable materials over the break that they could use for the body of their car and for the wheels (cardboard, water bottles, lids, etc.). I will supply other materials like wooden dowels/skewers, straws, popsicle sticks, adhesives like tape, sticky tack, & glue, and of course the balloons to power them! We also enjoyed visiting the grade 8’s on Wednesday when they led us through some science centres as they are currently studying “Light Optics” which links in with our previous unit on “Light & Shadows.” Centres included refraction, reflection, shadows, optical illusions, convex/concave lenses, and the terms opaque, translucent & transparent. This was a great review for grade 4 students and I think the grade 8’s were impressed with their knowledge!
Have a fun and restful Spring Break! —Ms. Jagger
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Let's hope this is the last blast of winter as we welcome the first day of spring next week. This also means spring break is just around the corner to refresh and recharge our batteries! A reminder that Parent-Teacher Conferences are next Thursday & Friday—please book a time to discuss your child’s progress. We enjoyed touring the grade 8 “Invention Convention” today in the gym and viewing all the creative and innovative projects. Grade 4’s were impressed with all the great ideas! Our monthly letter also went home today for you to read and discuss. In math this week, we reviewed multiplication concepts and students wrote their test on Thursday. They will receive their test back next week to go home for a parent signature. Students had a game day on Monday and Tuesday to practice their multiplication skills by rotating through a number of games in class that included: “Multiplication Snap”, “Helitimer”, “Hangman Multiplication”, “Cover All”, “Wrap-ups”, “Fortune Tellers”, and “Four-in-a-Row.” Students should continue to review their multiplication skills and facts at home. We will start division concepts next week. In science, students examined the inclined plane, the wedge and the screw in more detail. Students learned the inclined plane has no moving parts, and there are examples of inclined planes everywhere: in ramps, stairs, and slides to name a few. We discussed how the wedge and the screw rely on the inclined plane for them to work. The wedge is just two inclined planes put together to make a triangle, and the screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a central post. We demonstrated this by making a screw with paper and used a pencil as the post the inclined plane was wrapped around. Real world examples of these simple machines were also discussed. We also watched an entertaining video in class that showed the simple machines in action.
Have a great weekend! —Ms. Jagger Learn more about Pi at the website below:
http://www.piday.org/learn-about-pi/ In math this week, students are finishing up our unit on multiplication by continuing to practice their basic facts and solving multi-digit problems. We practiced estimating products and deciding when it is appropriate to estimate and when an exact calculation is needed. We worked on three-digit by one-digit multiplication using expanded form. Another strategy we learned this week for solving multi-digit equations is using regrouping. Students are free to choose the strategy that they are the most comfortable with. In preparation for our upcoming test next Thursday, students were given a multiplication practice sheet to complete over the weekend and return on Tuesday to go over in class. The sheet is attached below in case it was misplaced: Multiplication Practice Sheet In science, we learned all about gears and how they work. Gears are wheels with teeth that mesh together to transmit torque. We watched some videos about different kinds of gears and discussed where we find gears in everyday objects. We built machines with gears using the K'NEX kits such as a crank fan, a car window, a blender, a phonograph, an eggbeater, a stationary bike, and a chainsaw. Many students enjoyed the challenge of playing an on-line gear game and were able to master many of the levels! Students also had the opportunity to build levers and pulleys in table groups using additional K’NEX kits. Students worked together to build such levers as a hockey stick, scissors, a seesaw, a balance scale and a wheelbarrow. Pulleys were also built including a sailboat, a flagpole and a block and tackle. Great teamwork and problem solving was evidenced as students worked cooperatively in their small groups.
Enjoy the warmer weather and remember to turn your clocks forward this weekend! —Ms. Jagger March certainly came in like a lion as we participated in anti-bullying week with daily activities. The biggest highlight of the week was attending the “Be Brave” Hitmen game at the Saddledome on Tuesday. Students showed lots of Kodiak Spirit as we cheered on the home team! As well, 4A is currently in art option this term and have already created some amazing pieces. Please visit the visual art blog below to view what your child has been working on! https://kodiaksart17.weebly.com/ In math this week, we started multi-digit multiplication by learning to use a strategy of using arrays to split up larger factors. Example: 5 x 14 = 5 x 6 + 5 x 8 5 x 14 = 30 + 40 5 x 14 = 70 We also learned and practiced how to use expanded form to multiply 2-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers. Students practiced their multiplication skills by playing the game “Four in a Row” with their peers. They were able to choose different game boards to practice specific times tables that they felt they needed more practice in. Today we looked at vocabulary associated with multiplication word problems. Students practiced their skills by working on an art/multiplication activity in class in which they answered multiplication word problems and depending on the product they chose, it directed them what to draw and colour on their car outline. In science, we studied the pulley in more detail this week. We read a book together and watched a short video about what pulleys are and how they make work easier. We talked about where we find pulleys at home (garage doors and blinds) and at school (the flagpole and elevator). We learned about the fixed pulley, which is used to lift lighter loads like a flag up a flagpole, and the movable pulley, which moves with the load and is useful in lifting very heavy objects. Movable pulleys provide a big advantage because they reduce the effort by one half. Students worked together in groups to build a simple movable pulley using string, a paper clip and a plastic spoon. By combining pulleys (using a fixed and movable pulley together), very heavy items can be lifted. We experimented with different kinds of pulleys by using the pulley simulator on-line. I’ve attached the link so students can continue to experiment at home (Pulley Simulation Link).
Stay safe and warm this weekend! —Ms. Jagger |
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at:
[email protected] Here's to a great year! Archives
June 2018
CategoriesNeed extra practice? Below are math printable e-books for extra practice at home:
Patterns and Algebra Reading and Representing Whole Numbers Addition and Subtraction Multiplication and Division Time Length, Perimeter & Area Fractions “Math Makes Sense” Practice and Homework Book: Can be found at the Virtual Learning Commons under “Student Links”: http://nckodiaks.ca/lc/ Username: kodiakstudent Password: M@th15fun! Practice Problem Solving Questions Math Dictionary Math Websites: Demolition Division Multiplication Games Multiplication Interactive Games Subtraction Games Hour of Code Prodigy Abcya.com Math Facts Games Math Fact Fluency Activities & Games Plant Growth & Changes: Plant Growth and Changes Glossary of Important Terms Seed Survivor Plants for Kids Easy Science for Kids Plants Elementary Science Wheels & Levers Resources: Wheel and Levers Glossary of Important Terms Simple Machine Facts Simple Machines Interactive Sites Light & Shadows Resources: Light and Shadows Glossary of Important Terms BBC Light & Shadows How We See Things Light & Shadow Activities Interactive Tutorials Waste & our World Resources: Waste and our World Glossary of Important Terms Recycle City Game EekoWorld |