Making a compass!

      As a conclusion to our study of map skills, we headed to CLIC to learn about compasses with Mrs. LaRussa.  We learned about the origin of the compass and got to make our very own by magnetizing needles and floating them on cork in water!

The first full week!

We're having an excellent first full week and start to our year!

We were the first class to use the new laptops. Thanks to Mrs. Klipfel, we were able to get started with Type to Learn!

We also teamed up with Mrs. Murphy's class during Reading to learn about how to respond to questions. 

It's been a great start to our year!

    I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and is starting to get excited about the 4th grade!  I have just a couple things for you (and your parents) to keep in mind:
1.)  Try to gather some family photos and pictures of things you enjoy to decorate your writing journal
2.)  Ask your parents to put in their email address on the right (to get blog updates) and sign up for Remind using the code @fcd81.  I will have more information about this to send home.
3.)  Make sure to check the supply list on the Proctor website.  You do not need everything the first week, so don't worry!
4.)  Bring a reusable water bottle that can "live" at school
5.)  My school email is down for right now, so if you have any questions, just post a comment below.
Enjoy your last few weeks of summer and I can't wait to see you soon!

Harvard Natural History Museum

On Tuesday, the 4th grade traveled to the Harvard Natural History Museum. We attended an interesting program on rocks and minerals, then were able to explore the rest of the museum. From tarantulas to beautiful pieces of quartz, we saw it all!

Rocks and Minerals

For the past two weeks, we have been studying rocks and minerals.  We started by learning about the different types of rocks (igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary).  We created our own sedimentary "rocks" by layering different types of bread, applying millions of years of pressure (or a dictionary, overnight), and seeing how the different layers blended together.  We also saw how dinosaurs and bugs can be "fossilized" between layers.

Then we made a solution of Epsom salt and water and let it dissolve on black paper. 

We examined the crystals that formed and then used a microscope to look at the shapes (straight edges and angular corners).

MA Science Standards, Earth and Space Sciences; 3. Identify the three categories of rocks (metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary) based on how they are formed, and explain the natural and physical processes that create these rocks.