Word Choice

    In our study of the 6 Traits of Writing, we have been exploring word choice.  Having good word choice means using varied and accurate vocabulary, staying away from bland and overused words, and making our writing more interesting and fun to read.     We started of by reading My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray.  In this book, the little girl describes a year with her mother using fantastic word choice.  You can see a reading of the book here:
  We then read a poem that had very similar word choice, Jefferson.

     Then, before setting off to write our own tribute poems while practicing quality word choice, we practiced as a class by writing a poem about Mrs. Murphy.  We were able to share it with her and, I think it's safe to say, she loved it!

    Next week we will be writing our own tribute poems.  Stay tuned!

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. 

Adaptations of a Beaver

     On Friday, Mrs, LaRussa visited our class to show us adaptations of a beaver.  Some things we learned were:

• Beavers have two sets of eyelids; one is clear to enable them to see under water
• They can hold their breath for 15 minutes!
• Beavers use their tales to slap the surface of the water, sending messages to their young.  A mother's slap means "come back to the lodge" while the father's is more of a warning.
• They have one toenail that is split, acting like a comb to spread oil, helping them be more waterproof.

A BIG thank you to Sophia who served as our "beaver" for the afternoon.  She did a great job!

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!