Class 4-408 goes to see Charlotte's Web the Movie!

"Even though the old cartoon movie had corney songs, it was more true to the book than this version"
- Kate

Homework - Week of 12/18/2006

Reading - 20 minutes
*Read 20 Minutes (or more) each night
*Fill out Reading Log - DUE FRIDAY 12/18
Reading Log

Writing

*Dragon - Test Essay Packet - DUE FRIDAY
This essay (last 2 pages of the packet) must be 5 paragraphs

*FINISH CHARLOTTE'S WEB LITERARY ESSAY* At home
This essay must be 5 paragraphs

Paragraph 1 - Introduction
1. Mention the title, author, and genre
2. Restate your thesis (or Main question on TEST ESSAY)
3. Mention examples or parts you are going to talk about

Paragraphs 2, 3, 4 - Body Paragraphs
1. Mention specific examples from the story that support the thesis or Bullit Point Questions on TEST ESSAY
*For example
*For instance
2. Connect back to the thesis/main question in your own words
*This shows
*This matters

Paragraph 5 - Conclusion
1. Restate the thesis/question and say that you have proven it
*So
*Therefore
*In conclusion
2. Make a connection to yourself or to the lesson the thesis is teaching us
*By giving the character of the Goose an idiosyncrasy, I think E.B. White is trying to teach us...


Math - 10-15 minutes
Problem of the Week
POW Due January 4th

WOW – Words of the Week - 5-10 minutes
Word Study Packet - Due January 4th

Test Prep - 10-15 minutes - DUE FRIDAY
"The Wishing Flower" Poem and Questions

Tips:

Before reading the passage, be sure to:
*Read the directions
*Read the title
*Look at the picture
*THINK about who is in the story and what you think happens

THEN,
*Read the question stems
*UNDERLINE key words in the questions
*Answer as many questions as you can by matching key words from the questions in the passage

THEN,
*Read the passage in chunks
*Stop and THINK about the MAIN IDEA in each paragraph
*Stop and THINK
*Who is in the story?
*What is the setting?
*What is the problem?
*How is the character facing the problem?
*What is the lesson we are learning from this story?

THEN
*Double check your answers!

Homework for Week of 12/11/06

NEW Homework Policy - ALL HOMEWORK is Due MONDAY
This week's Homework is due MONDAY DECEMBER 18th

Reading - 20 minutes
*Read 20 Minutes (or more) each night
*Fill out Reading Log
Reading Log

Writing – 10-15 minutes for EACH entry
*Write 3 WNB entries on topics of your choice
*FINISH CHARLOTTE'S WEB LITERARY ESSAY* At home
This essay must be 5 paragraphs

Paragraph 1 - Introduction
1. Mention the title, author, and genre
2. Restate your thesis
3. Mention examples or parts you are going to talk about

Paragraphs 2, 3, 4 - Body Paragraphs
1. Mention specific examples from the story that support the thesis
*For example
*For instance
2. Connect back to the thesis in your own words
*This shows
*This matters

Paragraph 5 - Conclusion
1. Restate the thesis and say that you have proven it
*So
*Therefore
*In conclusion
2. Make a connection to yourself or to the lesson the thesis is teaching us
*By giving the character of the Goose an idiosyncrasy, I think E.B. White is trying to teach us...


Math - 10-15 minutes
Problem of the Week

*PLEASE NOTE NEW TEMPLATE FOR POW*

WOW – Words of the Week - 5 minutes
WOW Packet
Students are self-selecting 10 words from the list of 24 WOW words to study

Science - 10-15 minutes
Science Packet - *Carmelo Preps this packet and if it is ready, it will be handed out Mid Week*

Test Prep - 10-15 minutes
"Lemonade Stand" Story and Questions

Tips:

Before reading the passage, be sure to:
*Read the directions
*Read the title
*Look at the picture
*THINK about who is in the story and what you think happens

THEN,
*Read the question stems
*UNDERLINE key words in the questions
*Answer as many questions as you can by matching key words from the questions in the passage

THEN,
*Read the passage in chunks
*Stop and THINK about the MAIN IDEA in each paragraph
*Stop and THINK
*Who is in the story?
*What is the setting?
*What is the problem?
*How is the character facing the problem?
*What is the lesson we are learning from this story?

THEN
*Double check your answers!

Helpful ELA Testing Info

We've officially started preparing for our fast-approaching ELA test coming up in January. I wanted to pass along these tips. Not to make too big a deal of it, but these are simple tips that 4th graders are expected to do in ALL of their work, and can make a difference for a HIGHER SCORE on the test, believe it or not!

ELA TIPS:

*Practice writing in answers (short answers, graphic organizers)

*Practice essays and essay structure (turn question into thesis statement, 3 pieces of evidence, introduction, conclusion - restate thesis statement)

*HANDWRITING MATTERS! Practice using the lines and ALWAYS using legible handwriting

*INDENTING PARAGRAPHS matters! Students may also skip lines, in addition to indenting, for each new paragraph. 4th graders at this point are EXPECTED to organize their writing into paragraphs! We work on this at school A LOT!

*Spell words that are given in the text/questions CORRECTLY!

*Length matters -- try to write long, reminding kids that REPETITION IS BETTER THAN RAMBLING (without overdoing it!)

*Practice reading many SHORT passages, and keeping kids to a time frame. Build stamina by building up the number of short passages over weeks. Remember there are 5 passage on the 4th grade test! There were only 4 last year.

We are working on ALL of these in school, but our kids are asked to do more than they needed to on the 3rd grade test, so please help by using the tips above to reinforce these at home. Your participation really matters & helps tremendously.

Let me know if you have any questions, and remember that we don't want to overdo it and overwhelm our kids -- a little bit 3x a week should be plenty on top of what they are getting at school.

LINKS:

General info on testing, as well as practice tests you can USE AT HOME!
www.edinformatics.com/testing/ny.htm

Ed Helper: customize test prep materials to print and use
www.edhelper.com/testprep_grade4.html

4th grade skill builders - scroll down to the green section for ELA
www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_4th_original.htm

Online test maker - customize short answer, fill in the blank... Try finding an interesting article your kid would enjoy and making up a few questions to go along with it. Good resource.
http://www.easytestmaker.com/default.aspx

South Street Seaport Trip Date Change

*DATE CHANGE*
Our original date of December 21st
has been CHANGED to:

THURSDAY December 14th

On our trip to the South Street Seaport we will participate in the “Taste of the Sea” program. We will board the tall ship Peking and experience the excitement of New York City during the height of the shipping era without ever leaving port.


We will discover what it's like to walk in the footsteps of sailors: haul the lines, raise a sail, and witness the past conditions that carried the Transatlantic trade of people, goods and ideas into the present day.

When: December 14, 2006 from 9:15am – 12:30pm (returning to school by lunch)

Where: South Street Seaport

Travelling by: Subway

Revised Permission Skip
*Please sign and return to school ASAP