4th Grade MP3 Campus

School Data is open on the first of each month for parent reviews. These are due by the 5th. We hope the cut and paste grade level newsletter will be helpful to supplement your remote learning plan reviews. Thank you for submitting in a timely manner and if you need help, please reach out to your SLPC.

Topics: unit conversion, algebraic reasoning, equivalent fractions, logic puzzles

Activities: This month we tackled a variety of puzzles and tasks that centered around algebraic reasoning, and we tackled a challenging question (If I walked 10,000 steps how far would I go and how long would it take?). The 10,000-step question was a great jumping off point for talking about mathematical tools like rulers and stop watches and led to some great practice with unit conversion as we moved from feet to yards to miles and seconds to minutes and hours. This month we also circled back to our work with fractions. We reviewed our understanding of equivalent fractions and used logic to solve a Valentine puzzle and then used our data interpretation and mixed number skills to tackle a multi-step problem that highlighted several fourth-grade level math skills.

Teacher Tip: Are you taking advantage of the targeted lessons available in iReady? When your student took the winter iReady assessment their learning path was updated to reflect their current strengths and areas that are in need of practice and growth. Having your student use this resource a few times a week for a total of 30-45 minutes can make a big difference.

Teacher Info: Mrs. Kurashige, skurashige@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: information writing, essay format/organization (ex, introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, conclusion paragraph), linking words and phrases (ex., for example, for instance, because, in addition to), facts, writing process

Activities: In this review period, our big focus continued to be information writing. Students are crafting their individual essays with the support of our class essay as a model. Each student is using their web to draft an essay with a topic and 3 subtopics.​ We are committed to each body paragraph having a topic sentence, detail sentences, and a wrap-up sentence. ​Students are keeping track of their progress on our Writing Process poster (i.e., plan, draft, revise, edit, publish, share).

We also took time this month to celebrate Valentine's Day. We had so much fun decorating bags, passing out our valentines, and enjoying the wonderful valentines and treats!

Teacher Tips: ​1.) Ask your student to share their information writing with you. Students have been working hard and have a lot to be proud of! ​2.) I am encouraging everyone to participate in our Silverwood Theme Park’s reading program, Read 2 Ride! During the month of March, students in Kindergarten through 6th grade are invited to read for 10 hours (600 minutes) to earn a free ticket to Silverwood Theme Park and Boulder Beach Waterpark. Please return the completed logs to any campus teacher by March 29th! Look for all the details (and the reading logs) in your MP3 Weekly Updates! Note: even if you do not need a ticket to Silverwood, keeping a reading log can be a fun and motivating celebration of reading.

Teacher Info: Mrs. Giesen, jgiesen@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: Washington State geography; the five regions

Activities: Fourth graders launched our Washington State studies with a collaborative trivia game. In table groups, students decided whether various statements about the state were true or false. Examples included: “The mountain range separating eastern and western Washington is the Olympic Range,” and “Seattle is the capital of Washington.” This activity helped us gauge prior knowledge and set the stage for new learning. Next, students tested their geography knowledge by completing a Washington State map with 20 missing features, including regions, mountain ranges, cities, rivers, and neighboring states. Most students were able to correctly fill in 0–5 features. This baseline assessment will serve as a comparison point at the end of our geography unit to measure growth. Students then followed a slideshow presentation to complete a booklet titled Washington Geographical Features. They labeled mountains, lakes, and rivers; reviewed natural and political boundaries; and classified Washington’s borders. Many were excited to recognize places they had previously visited or seen in photographs. New vocabulary introduced during this lesson included plateau, basalt, archipelago, peninsula, and tributary. To deepen their understanding, students explored Washington’s five regions: Coastal, Western Lowlands, Cascade Mountains, Columbia Plateau, and Okanagan/Northeastern Highlands. Working in small groups, each team researched an assigned region, highlighted key details, and selected images to add to our large classroom map of Washington. These visuals included major cities, Native tribes, significant landforms, and important places of interest. For example, the Western Lowlands featured the Space Needle, a basket of raspberries, and labels for Seattle, Olympia, and Bellingham. The Columbia Plateau included an apple to represent its well-known crop and an image symbolizing the Blue Mountains. Students are preparing to present their work to the class. Through this process, they gained a clearer understanding of Washington’s diverse geography which varied from deserts to rainforests and from mountain ranges to coastal beaches. To conclude the unit, students will complete a post-assessment using the same map they attempted at the beginning of our studies, allowing us to clearly see and celebrate their growth.

Teacher tip: Reinforce important Washington features by playing a state scavenger hunt. Use a Washington state map and create a game by asking questions such as: Which region has the Space needle? Where would you find the Columbia River? What is the name of the rainforest in the Coastal Region? What region is famous for apples?

Teacher Info: Mrs. Elgersma, gelgersma@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: This month’s topics were to observe the movement of the body in the act of jumping, locate some of the major bones in the body, determine how many bones are in the human body, learn what bone is.

Activities: Students partnered up to observe the movement of each other’s bodies while jumping rope. We determined that bones don’t bend but joints do! Students were able to observe a real bone. They observed the hard and spongy bone, the marrow cavity and were even able to see the periosteum. Students attempted to count the bones in their body by feel. They then used a poster to more accurately count the bones in the body. They learned there are 206 bones in an adult human body. Students put together a skeleton puzzle. They then used an information sheet to find any problems or mistakes. Students have learned the difference between the spinal column (part of the skeletal system) and the spinal cord (part of the nervous system).

Teacher Info: Mrs. DeWaard, hdewaard@meridian.wednet.edu

Topics: Barcode Programming, Infrared Light, Line tracking, Sound Sensors, EdScratch, EdRemote Driving, EdCreate Kit, EdRoboclaw

Activities: We are off to a great start with Robotics this month! We started with a review of Eddie’s systems and abilities and spent several days learning his various sensor systems as we tested different barcode programs. Then we got to code the new EdRemotes to drive Edison remotely and compete in a Robot Soccer game. The kids are almost done with their first big build of the year - they built the EdRoboclaw and are in the process of learning about the new EdScratch platform that they will use for their coding challenge activity to finish this unit. We have 30 new Edison V3 robots this year and they have been named for famous scientists. So we added a short Scientist of the Day biography segment at the start of each class. Scientists this month include: Thomas Edison, Katherine Johnson, Nicola Tesla, Hedy Lamar, J. Ernest Wilkins, Marie Curie & Albert Einstein.

Teacher Tip: If you’re not aware of Scratch (https://scratch.mit.edu/), it is a coding platform created by MIT. Basically, MIT is talent farming and they’ll teach your child to code for free in a safe environment online. I know Scratch Jr is on the approved list for our district and I just want to highly recommend this platform. My own children have been having fun with it since it was new. The EdScratch platform used by Edison in 4th grade is based off a scratch style engine and so it’s good software building practice.

Teacher Info: Mrs. Clayton, aclayton@meridian.wednet.edu