Thursday, January 12, 2017

The revised calendar has been released by CMS to account for the snow days earlier this week.  You can download a copy HERE.  January 24th and February 17th are make-up days so Monday, February 20th will remain a teacher workday.  This day could still be used as another make-up day should school be closed again due to inclement weather.

In math we continued with reducing fractions but I also reviewed equivalent fractions as well since they are related.  The focus for this week and next is on the basic skills of fractions:  equivalent, reducing (simplifying), comparing, and converting mixed to improper and improper to mixed.  Once the basics have been mastered we can move on to adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers.  4th graders are only concerned with adding and subtracing fractions and mixed numbers with common denominators.  It is in 5th grade where fractions with unlike denominators are added and subtracted.

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In science we completed the unit test on energy that was started yesterday.  Tomorrow we will go over the test as time permits.  Next week will be the reteach and retest (or enrichment) process.  Students who score below 80% (mastery) will get two days of review in science and then will have the opportunity to retake the test.

After that, we will begin the Earth in the Universe unit which has two parts:

1)  The Earth's relationship to the sun and how the 23.5 degree axial tilt is the cause of the seasons.  We will study how the Earth's rotation on its axis is the cause for day and night as well as how the time of day determines the lengths of shadows.

2)  The Earth's relationship to the moon and how the gravitational pull of the moon is the main cause of tides.  We will go over the phases of the moon and why they occur as well as why we only see the near side of the moon.