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Students celebrated Lunar New Year with festivities organized by their classmate Luca and his family! Students learned the meaning and symbolism behind each stage of the traditional Chinese lion dance and then enjoyed watching their classmates perform a lion dance! Afterwards, students were very excited to eat their special Lunar New Year treats. 🤗
Fourth graders have been studying textile arts with Ms. Tye, and in February they had the special privilege of meeting Sunshine Joe Mallard, a highly accomplished quilter. Joe has a long list of accomplishments – and one of his quilts will be featured at the new Obama Presidential Library! Thank you to Ms. Tye for bringing him to Lab for students to have this incredible learning opportunity. Our class had the extra special privilege of getting 1-on-1 time with Mr. Mallard after his formal presentation to the school. Enjoy the photos of students engaging with his work!
As we launched our poetry unit, students learned about the different pairs of "glasses" they can put on when reading and analyzing a poem. The first pair of glasses is our "Mind Movie" glasses, which students are familiar with from our personal narrative unit. While listening to the poem for the first time, students draw "poetry graffiti," doodling any images or phrases that arise in their mind while listening to and visualizing the poem.
Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for our class publishing party! Students worked incredibly hard on researching their social studies topics and drafting, revising, and publishing their informational books to share with you all. It was a joy to see them celebrate their learning and growth with their loved ones! đź’ś
A lot of work went into crafting the published books you enjoyed at our Publishing Party! Before to publishing, students met with randomly assigned partners to give and receive feedback on the book's writing content, as well as its design and formatting. Students also proofread their own work to catch and fix errors in punctuation, capitalization, etc. In every writing unit, students learn that feedback adn revision is a critical part of the writing process – maybe eve the most important part!
Our next 4 Book Talks covered a wide variety of genres!
L presented Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, a fast-paced mythology adventure. He explained how Percy discovers he is a demigod—the son of Poseidon—and must go on a dangerous quest to clear his name after being accused of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt. L highlighted the humor, cliffhangers, and modern twists on Greek mythology, as well as themes of friendship, identity, and bravery.Â
A presented on White House Clubhouse by Sean O'Brien, an action-packed historical adventure. He explained how sisters Clara and Marissa discover a secret clubhouse in the White House that can transport them back in time to the early 1900s, where they meet Theodore Roosevelt and his son Quentin. A highlighted the suspenseful mission to save a 2,000-year-old tree and emphasized the book’s themes of friendship, curiosity, and growing up.
C shared Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, a powerful realistic fiction story about Melody, a brilliant girl with cerebral palsy who cannot speak. C described how Melody’s intelligence is underestimated by others and how she fights to be heard and understood. She emphasized the book’s themes of disability, perseverance, and finding your voice, noting that it allows readers to see the world from a new perspective. Â
S introduced Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko, a heartfelt animal fiction story set in a shelter. She described Chance, a three-legged dog, and her unlikely friendship with a robot dog named Metal Head. S explained how the story explores themes of animal rights, belonging, and friendship across differences, while also inviting readers to think deeply about what it means to have a home.Â
All student Book Talk slides can be found here. Families are encouraged to scroll through the slides together and use them as inspiration when choosing your next read!