Inquiry Investigations

Gr3 Math - Schoolcraft:   Third grade mathematicians continued to work through concepts of geometry this week.  Our focus was on identifying and sorting quadrilaterals, including the special quadrilaterals:  parallelogram, rhombus, square, rectangle and trapezoid.  Our May calendar has us collecting odd v. even products when rolling two dice five times in a row in each class.  Ask your mathematician if odd or even products are more likely!  In addition, students were treated to a fun math project on Wednesday with Ms. Weegar, using Google Tools to collect data and show results using a bar graph.  

Gr4 Math - Weegar:  Students were able to revisit the idea that angles involve rotations around a fixed point.  They worked together to solve and discuss problems that involve adding angle measures.  Students worked on a variety of geometry measurement problems.  Through the discussion we were able to analyze how some learners use strategies that are more spatial in nature and others use strategies that are based in computeration.  Friday, students took their Unit 5 Post Assessment on Geometry.  

Gr3 Writing - Stewart: In Gr3 Writing students have continued to rehearse their Fairy Tale adaptations.  They have written flash drafts of their work and are now evaluating their writing using the Narrative Writing Checklist to set goals and improve their own pieces.  Next week we will work on revisions to their work for Learning Restaurant.

Gr4 Writing - Ward:  Now that all writers have prepared their writing for the “Learning Restaurants”, grade four students are able to launch a new unit of study for writing; Literary Essays.   These Literary Essays require all writers to push their thinking to grow new ideas.   Learners are diving into individual reading books to read deeply, submerging themselves in the text, getting pounded by the waterfall of interesting details.   Ask your writer about the water analogy and about Fox by Margaret Wild.   

Theme: On Thursday this week students took the CSSU Science Inquiry Task.  Fourth graders looked at animal adaptations and third graders used magnets in their experiment.  Next Tuesday and Wednesday, fourth graders will be taking the Science NECAP.  Please support your child by making sure they are well rested and have a healthy breakfast available.  

Learning Restaurant will be May 26th.  The schedule information will be sent home on Monday in home folders.  Please contact me if you have a specific time request.