Abbe Museum

Last month, the Asa Adams fourth grade classes took a field trip to the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor to enrich our learning about Maine Native Americans. We left school close to 8:30 and had a relatively quiet bus ride as most of our class brought books to read.

We were greeted by the friendly staff of the museum and split up into groups before beginning our tour. Our first stop was the Layers of Time exhibit. We learned about how archaeologists excavate different sites and what they learn from their findings. To make it more relevant for students, a trash can was shown to students and they were asked to tell about the people who threw those things away. From the diapers and baby food jars, students could conclude that these people had at least one child. Travel brochures suggested that these people had leisure time and enjoyed traveling. Students also got to explore the exhibit more thoroughly as they went on a scavenger hunt for artifacts such as baskets, animal bones, and tools. 

Next, we got to look at a replica of an archaeological dig site. Students examined artifacts and made educated guesses about what the people living there might have done. Shells with holes suggested that people were making jewelry. Large rocks suggested people were using tools to build. A pile of shells indicated that people were preparing food. 

Before leaving, we got to demonstrate what we'd learned. We got to handle some of the tools we had been hearing about and explain what they were used for. Most tools were made from rock or bone because those were the materials accessible to Maine Native Americans. 

                                                                                      

Prime and Composite Numbers

In Unit 3 of Everyday Math, we have been practicing multiplication and division.  We've used fact triangles to look at the relationship between these two operations.  Practicing division brought up many new concepts such as factors and multiples.  When finding factors, some students noticed that some numbers only have 1 and themselves as factors.  We took a detour away from our math journals and did an activity to learn more about prime and composite numbers.  


To start, the students were given a table with several numbers.  Their job was to come up with a list of factor pairs and then decide if the number was prime or composite.  After, they chose one of each type of number and drew arrays on centimeter grid paper.  Next, they cut out the arrays and glued them onto construction paper.  We used these as a display on our giant classroom bulletin board.  

Text Connections

In reading, we have been learning about how to make connections between books we're reading to other books we've read, to ourselves, and to the world around us.

Recently, we read "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss and discussed how, even though it seems like a silly story, it has connections to the real world.  Here are some of the connections the students made:

"In this text the Once-ler dumped all of his glumpy stuff in the pond.  That is like the great oil spill which affected thousands of sea animals' lives." -C.K.

"In this text the Bar-ba-loots go hungry because the Once-ler is cutting down the trees.  That is like some animals go hungry because people cut down all their food, like plants or trees." -E.W.

"In this text, the Lorax said, 'Your factories are polluting the air.'  That is like on the news I heard that a certain bird species is dying mostly because the air is being polluted by factories." -T.M.

"In this text, they were filling the sky with funk so the wunk birds could not sing.  That is like big factories, cars, and buses are polluting the sky."  -S.H.

"In this text, they cut down all the trees.  It is sad for all the animals that needed them to stay alive.  That is like how pandas eat and use the bamboo for their homes but people cut it down to use it for a fence or home."  -S.W.

"In this text they were smoking up the sky.  That is like from the news, we should be fuel efficient." -X.L.

"In this text, the Once-ler didn't think what would happen if he cut down a tree until it was too late.  This is like in our world, we have to think before we do something or we might do something we don't mean to do."  -N.S.

"In this text, they cut down so many trees the little bears could not live.  That is like if they cut down too many trees it will affect the food chain so most things will die." -L.G.

"In this text, the Once-ler didn't listen to the Lorax's warning.  That is like people sometimes don't listen to warnings and ignore them, even when something is really important."  -E.W.

We were surprised to find that a book with silly words and rhymes had such a deep meaning!

Saying Goodbye

On Friday, we said goodbye to one of our classmates.  Aarynn is leaving us to go to sunny Florida for part of the school year.

As a send off, we gave her a goodie bag of stickers and a diary.  We made her cards and told her how much we would miss her while she was away.  If we're lucky, Aarynn will be coming back to join us at the end of the year.

Have a safe trip, Aarynn!  We'll miss you!

Aarynn opens her present

Spelling City

Here is a great resource for students to use when it comes to practicing their spelling words.  Spelling City gives students several different opportunities to learn about their words.  Students can hear their words pronounced as well as read in sentences and then take a spelling test.  There are also games available for students to play to help reinforce what they are learning.  Spelling City makes practicing spelling words fun and easy.  This would also be a great resource for when students need to use their words in sentences or a story.  Check out the link and have fun practicing!


Spelling City

Meet Joy!

We here in Room 30 are so happy to welcome Joy Wasson into our classroom!  We look forward to getting to know her, although some of our students know Joy from when she came here previously or from exta-curricular activities.  Here's a little bit about Joy!

     My name is Joy Caron Wasson. I am transferring to Asa Adams from Stillwater Montessori. I live in Orono. My mom (Sandy Caron) is a college professor at UMaine. My dad (Sean Wasson) is a high school teacher in Old Town;  he grew up in Orono and went to Asa Adams when he was in elementary school! 

     I have 2 cats. Some things I enjoy are: swimming, horseback riding, dance, and piano. I love summer and going to our camp which is on an island - my favorite things to do there are swim and row my boat (and watch the moose, eagles, and loons). I look forward to going to school at Asa Adams and making new friends!

Open House

The students and I would like to say a big thank you to the families and friends that were able to come to our Open House on Thursday.  I know it meant a lot to the kiddos for everyone to come in and see all the hard work they've already done this year.  


The students did an excellent job of sharing their goodie bags.  I loved listening as they explained the ingredients in their bottles and read their poems.  I also know how proud they were to show off their book boxes, the classroom library, and the water bulletin board.  Folks were reading Bio Poems on the walls and admiring the circle constructions the students made in math class.  


One of my favorite parts was seeing parents writing notes to their students.  It was very validating and rewarding for the students to have their families spend time writing something personal for them to read.  I hope families enjoyed receiving their thank you notes from the students, as well!

Math Sites

Here are some sites that would be great for kiddos to use at home for practicing math skills.

Multiplication:

Multiplication Baseball
Multiplication Concentration
Number Invader
Space Racer X
Monster Multiplication (Great for Halloween!)
www.multiplication.com (This is a great site-lots of variety and students can choose the fact family they want to work on.  Highly recommended!


Division:

Division Matho
Division Baseball

Geometry:

Pattern Blocks
Geometric Solids
Sort the Shapes
Banana Hunt (measuring angles)

Notes for the Calendar

Just a couple of things for you to mark on your calendar:


*Open House has been changed from September 29 to October 6.  
*School pictures are September 29th.
*The students will be having a strings demonstration here at school on September 27th


Have a great weekend!

The Great Water Race

Yesterday, we used wax paper to show how water droplets are cohesive.  The students dropped several beads of water in a small area on a sheet of wax paper.  Next, they gently shook the paper and observed.  The students noticed that the droplets came together to form one large bead.  In some cases, when the small droplets got near one another, they seemed to attract each other like a magnet.  


For the second part of our demonstration, we taped a maze on top of a piece of cardboard and then taped the wax paper on top of the maze.  Students were asked to guide their drop of water from start to finish without going out of bounds.  The students noticed how the water slid on top of the wax paper instead of being absorbed into it.  Almost all the students participated but only six were able to make it through without going out of bounds.

Unfortunately, my camera died before I could get pictures of all the contestants.  Our contestants and their times are as follows: 

Contestant                                     Time

S.W.                                                 34 seconds

A.G.                                                 36 seconds

E.W.                                                45 seconds

J.M.                                                 53 seconds

I.L.                                                   1 minute 3 seconds

M.S.                                                 1 minute 31 seconds

                                                                                          

Tin Foil Boats

In our study of water, the students were charged with the task of creating a vessel that had to meet three standards: 1) be made of tin foil 2) float 3) carry cargo.  The students created vessels of varying shapes and sizes.  Some were rectangular and some were rounded, some were tall and some were shallow.  Next, they took turns floating their boats.  We added pennies one at a time to see how much "cargo" each vessel could hold before sinking.

The results were surprising!  We had three boats that held over 100 pennies!  The owners of these boats were very excited and proud.  They were all good sports, encouraging each other and cheering each other on as the pennies piled up.  Here are some photos from our activity.

100+ Pennies!

We decided that the best floating boats had large surface areas which helped the pennies to be spread out across a larger area.  The walls of the boats were thicker, meaning they were able to push back against the force of the water.  Who knew studying the properties of water could be so fun?

What's up with Water

On our path to learn more about water and the water cycle, we took a side road to talk about properties of water.  We did an activity where we dropped water onto the head of a penny.  In their predictions, students guessed they could fit anywhere between 4-8.  They were very surprised that you can actually fit a lot more than that!  The reason for this is cohesion.  Water tends to stick to itself, meaning the droplets will come together and form one large drop.  Here are some pictures from our demonstration.

Seasonal Poems

The students did a great job writing their poems about ordinary things.  Their words create such a beautiful picture in the reader's mind!  Here are a few that go along with the season.  Enjoy!

Tree
I am a tree.
I am cut down for a lot of reasons. 
I help you live.
I have a lot of sisters and brothers. 
Our mother is Red Wood.
I can almost touch the sun.
There is life in me, scampering
through the branches, in every leaf,
every root and every twig.
Even if I am a moldy old tree
don't forget I help your life.
I am an important tree.

By T.M.

Leaf

One little lush green leaf,
Unnoticed, unimportant.
In the Spring, it catches small,
silvery drops of water like a bucket,
In the Summer it soaks up sunlight
Like a sponge.
It desperately clings on to the tree
In the wind and in the rain,
Until Fall, where it flutters to
The ground,

                      And dies.

By N.S.

Dirt

You make plants and trees grow,
what I would do without you, I don't know.
I love you running through my fingers.
You are where the worms all linger.
You are colored gray and brown,
and you are all over town.

By E.W.

Leaves

Leaves, leaves all around
They fall swiftly to the ground.
Leaves come in some of the most
magnificent colors I have ever seen.
Crunch, crunch the leaves are crunchy
fun to play in.
But soon the fun is over because
a blanket of snow has buried the leaves
farewell leaves farewell.

By M.S.

What makes a door hinge so special?

Today in writing we talked about having a "Poet's Eye."  A poet looks at an ordinary, every day object and thinks about what is extraordinary about it.  Poets give inanimate objects feelings, hopes, and dreams.  We read poems by X.J. Kennedy, Valerie Worth, and Kristine O'Connell George about topics such as a pencil, popping popcorn, an umbrella, muddy sneakers, and an onion.

After reading the poems, we brainstormed a list of items that we might pass by every day without noticing. After narrowing the list down, we chose door hinges to write about.  Next, we came up with a list of things that made door hinges special, including the fact that they're small but they hold up a lot of weight!  Lastly, we did some shared writing and combined our ideas into one poem.  We hope next time you pass by a door hinge, you'll give it a little recognition!

Door Hinge
Be happy because
you have one friend
and you never let
him down.
You see many people
come in and go out,
they don't even notice you.
You are small, flexible, and tough.
Gray, silver, and brass.
People make you for a reason.
To open doors.

Welcome back!

We are back into the swing of things here in fourth grade!  The students are entering their first five day week of school and they seem to be handling it nicely.  We have already started some specials, including P.E., music, art, computer, and library.  We'll soon be starting keyboarding (after testing is done), recorder/strings, guidance, and some students will choose to participate in chorus.

The students are currently in the middle of taking their NWEA testing, which they do once in the fall and then again in the spring.  We test in the areas of reading, language, science, and math.  I can tell already that we have some pretty smart kiddos in our room!

In math we are learning about the properties of polygons and circles.  We are learning how to use tools such as rulers and compasses.  In writing we are practicing the art of poetry.  We have written Bio Poems about ourselves as well as a character we read about named Philippe Petit.  In reading we are choosing "good fit" books and applying different reading skills to what we read.  Water and the water cycle make up our science curriculum.  The students already know so much about it!

I have sent home Scholastic book order forms for anybody that might be interested in ordering some books.  You can also order online if it's easier!  Just use the activation code that's written on the top left of the book order form.  Please send them back to school by September 29.

September also brings with it lots of special events.  We will be having a character education assembly on Friday, September 16 at 1:30.  Students will have an instrument demonstration on Tuesday, September 13.  We will be finishing up our NWEA testing this month and will get started with NECAP testing early next month.  School picture day will be on Thursday, September 29.  Our school will also be hosting an Open House on Thursday, September 29.  We also want to wish J.M. a very happy birthday on September 28!