February 2020
February 24-28
Worms, worms, and more worms!!! This week through observation and experimentation, students discovered the critical role earthworms play in decomposing dead material and releasing nutrients into the soil. The first experiment tested the conclusion that worms like damp places. Students worked in groups to observe our red wigglers. It was so interesting to watch the worms find the darkest, dampest place on the paper plate. Throughout the week, the students continued observing the mold terrariums they created last week. They recorded the amount of mold that grew in their mold terrariums. So far, the plate with the least mold is the one that added heat. This was surprising to all of us! We will finish the mold terrariums this week to find out which dependent variable made the most difference. In math this week, students finished up the unit on long division by attacking multi-step word problems. By breaking the problems down, taking notes and drawing pictures students were able to confidently solve the word problems. As we prepared for conferences, students worked in groups to brainstorm all of the concepts they have learned in math this year. There were a lot of smiles and students saying, "Wow, we learned a lot!" Students are continuing to add to their fiction narratives by finding areas where they could add stronger verbs and adjectives and incorporate transitions into their pieces. Seven students from our class represented Roycemore at the fourth through sixth grade Battle of the Books competition. We are so proud of all of the hard work and effort these students put forth this year. One of our teams won third place!
February 17-20
This week the fourth graders dove into our study of Ecosystems. We began the week by learning about the relationships in ecosystems and the roles of the decomposers. Students are trying discover the role fungi play in decomposing dead materials and in creating soil. Students are conducting an experiment and investigation to discover the factors affecting decomposition. Students worked in groups and created Mold Terrariums using bread, bananas, an orange slice, a piece of cheese, and an apple. Each group chose a different environmental condition to test to see how it affects the mold growth. The dependent variables added to the basic terrariums were: salt, sugar, hot peppers, heat, darkness, and sugar. We will be observing the terrariums and recording our data over the next couple of weeks. In writing we are continuing to work on our fiction narratives and since we have received letters from our pen pals, we are working on a three paragraph letter that explains what our week is like at Roycemore School. Students are working on paragraph structure, adding vivid verbs, and writing more complex sentences. In math we are wrapping up our unit on long division and working on breaking down multi-step word problems, using a graphic organizer to help us organize all of our information so that we can successfully solve the equation(s) and answer the word problem confidently and correctly.
February 10-14
The fourth through seventh graders at Roycemore competed in a Battle of the Books Competitions to see which teams would qualify to represent Roycemore at the competition between two other schools in the area. The fourth graders worked hard to read as many books as possible before the competition. They formed teams, discussed the books, and excitedly anticipated this day. Out of all of the teams, the fourth graders won 1st, 2nd and 4th place! I am so proud of the dedication and determination of these students! CONGRATULATIONS! Hard Work Pays Off!
This week in our Ecosystems Unit, students were asked, "What do plants eat?" and "Does air weigh anything?" Students explored the answers to these questions by researching on Moby Max and by working together to complete experiments.
February 3-7
Fourth graders and their Upper School buddies colored their Chinese Zodiac animal.
The entire school gathered together to learn about Lunar New Year.The Upper School International Students gave an amazing presentation explaining the history of and how they celebrate Lunar New Year.
Students are enjoying learning about Current Events from the perspective of their peers. There are many meaningful discussions that follow these presentations.
We are continuing to add to our fiction narratives. This week we focused on adding details to describe our characters and "show, not tell" about the setting. Students love sharing and getting feedback from their classmates.