Zoo Enclosure Designs

Our class is designing a zoo and we are making enclosures with different areas and arrays. We know the best unit for measuring area is a square. We're taking the dimensions and calculating the total area of each enclosure. This assignment has both (and we are being marked on both) Math and Art.

Here are some student quotes about this learning task: 
"I liked how we got to design animals and figure out how long the width of the enclosure." ~ Olivia
"I found it challenging the detail we had to put in to it because small details are very important." ~ Keagan
"I liked that it has Art and we have to make animals in enclosures." ~ Aarav
"I liked how we got to design different animals in our cages and put lots of detail in them." ~ Abbey
"I learned that it makes the picture look better if you add colour around the outside, not just the inside." ~ Charlie
"I enjoyed putting in different animals and detail." ~ Alice
"I liked that we combined my two favourite subjects: Math and Art together." ~ Sy
"I enjoyed colouring the animals." ~ M
"I learned that squares are the best unit for measuring Area." ~ Arsh
"I really liked that Ms Elder made it fun, like a zoo instead of just having squares." ~ Sage

"I liked that I learned that we are getting an Art mark." ~ Nico
"I liked how we could do animals that are dead or don't exist and that we can make it bigger than just one page." ~ Koen
"I like art so I enjoyed doing art." ~ A
"I like this project because we make me so happy because we have to draw and I love to draw." ~ V
"I liked that the big the area was, the more Math we had to do." ~ Nolan

Shadow Puppet Residency

Testing our Shadow Puppets

Our Designs

Monica is back and this time she's teaching us all about shadow puppets and storyboarding! 

We have seen Monica twice this week in the library. We spent the time creating and testing shadow puppets made out of paper, brads, and wood sticks. We have been able to add details like eyeballs by attaching plastic using double-sided tape. We got to be creative and design our own characters, such as monsters, animals, robots, aliens, food, and even check marks! 

This fun activity connects to our learning in a variety of ways. For Art, we're experimenting with a different medium, how to create movement using brads, how to add detail not through drawing but by cutting so that it shows up when it's a shadow.

For Language Arts, we are exploring story writing. Next week we'll create comics using our characters on storyboards in pictures. Our stories must include a character who demonstrates an emotion, as a connection to our current work for Well-Being. 

Making Puppets

Another great connection is that we learn about Light and Shadows in Science this year. This is a wonderful introduction into opaque objects and how the shadow changes as we move the object closer and further from the light source. 

"I like that we get to design our own puppets. For my snowman, the arms were way too thin and the hole punch was too big, so I had to make the arms thicker." ~ Sage

"I like the Art part. The hole punching has been challenging because you want to get it in the right spot." ~ Keagan

"I love it! I like how we get so much materials and time to make it and I love that there's so much we can do and there are lights so we can do shows and things. Definitely getting the visor out of my Among Us and it's very hard to get the perfect hole puncher to do it. Last time, mine malfunctioned because the hole was too big." ~ Nico

All of our Supplies

"I like attaching these brads to make the arms or legs move. It was challenging to put the small holes on the small legs." ~ M

"I'm liking how we can make our own style of stuff." ~ Nolan

"I like how we get to experiment with the different arms and styles that we get to make in our shadow puppets. At first, when I was making my eyes for my first ghost, it was a little struggle because I was trying to connect it without putting tape on it so it just looked like a circle without the pupil." ~ Abbey

"I liked how we got to discover different ways to make the puppet. My favourite part was putting moveable arms and moveable legs. I had a tiny bit of a struggle putting on the moveable arms and legs." ~ Olivia

"I liked how we could do our own things and I came over a problem when building my shadow puppet. What happened was the stick was too short so I added more so my hand wouldn't come in the way." ~ Arsh

Exploring Stories with our Puppets

"I liked how that arms and legs can move. A problem was that the hole puncher was too big to fit my shark." ~ Aarav

"I liked that there was no limits for how many moveable parts you could put on so you could basically make the head move. Something that kept happening with mine was that the head fell upside down." ~ Koen

"I liked that I could make my own creations. I didn't know that I could make an attachable stick and arms." ~ A

Alberta Debates

We are debating several topics that all connect to Alberta. They relate to Alberta's Land and are all current events. From doing these debates and learning about the topics, we are learning more about Alberta's past and present. 

Debating will help us develop our listening skills because we will need to listen to the other team's arguments are rebut them. It also helps us understand different people's perspectives.

Today, we had to prepare for the debate without knowing which side we're going to be on. We understand that we need to be prepared for both sides so we know what our opponent is going to say. This will help us be better debaters. 

The Four Debate Topics Are: 

• Should Fossils be in Museums?
• Should Oil Sands Continue?
• Should Protected City Parks have Paved Pathways?
• Should we Change the Names of Schools/Places that are Named After People who we now know did bad things?

"I liked writing down the Pros and Cons for each side." ~ Clover

"I liked writing down different words that are persuasive." ~ Alice

"I like arguing with people so this will be fun!" ~ Keagan

"I really liked working with a team." ~ Arsh

"This teaches us how to be a person that can take decisions without struggling and they can say that they are right." ~ Kashvi

"I learned how to debate." ~ Aarav

Hugo Read Aloud

Now that classes are settled for Term Two, we were able to start our new class Read Aloud: The Invention of Hugo Cabret. 

This book relates well to our current Science work on Simple Machines & Building Devices that Move as it is all about a clock-maker's son who likes to tinker and create moving machines. 

The style of the book, by Brian Selznick, is very unique. The pictures tell parts of the story that the words do not. It is a great book to "read" for students learning English because so many of the pictures tell the story's events in the place of words. 

As we read this book, we will take part in lessons on Asking Questions. Over the next couple of weeks, we will discuss what the difference is between a Simple and a Complex Question and practice asking questions related to Hugo. We know that readers pause throughout a book to ask questions and make predictions. This is why we will work on this strategy as a whole class. 

I encourage you at home to ask your child what is happening in this story, but to also ask them what their questions are as the story unfolds. :)

Multiplication Art

We have been finding fun ways to practice our multiplication facts. A reminder that students in Grade 4 are required to memorize their facts up to 7x7. We practice in class up to 12 x 12 because it is helpful when they start working with larger numbers to have those facts memorized. Here are some ways we have been practicing our facts in class: 

• Multiplication Strategy Posters (click here to see our previous blog post)
• Games: 
• Multiplication Luck (see Google Classroom for rules)
• Array Capture (see Google Classroom for rules) 
• Bury the Bones (in class with dominoes) 
• Multiplication Bingo (to come next week)
• Multiplication Rock Songs (search on Youtube and sing along at home!)
• Practice worksheets

Today, we made Math Art! Students go to choose the times table they most need practice on. They created a design with flaps and wrote the numbers 0-12 on the flaps. Under the flaps, they put the products. Now they have their own device for practicing one of the times tables. 

HOMEWORK: Prepare for Multiplication Quiz

Students, this is a reminder that you have a Multiplication Quiz on Friday, February 10. You need to be prepared to: 

• Multiply numbers up to 9 x 9
• Match multiplication equations with the appropriate picture (groups) and array
• Problem-solve, showing your answer using a picture (groups or array), numbers (multiplication equation), and words (sentence answer)
• Use vocabulary, such as factor, product, array, equal groups

If you are looking for extra practice, go on to Mathletics and do activities for Multiplication 1-digit by 1-digit.

If you have questions, please contact me. :)

~ Ms Elder

Book Talk Presentations

For the past few weeks, our Language Arts program has focused on preparing for and presenting our Book Talks. This encompasses a few different outcomes. We have done mini-lessons as a class to learn about and practice the following skills:

• Reading skills (pausing, re-reading, asking questions, making predictions)
• Note-taking
• Summarizing texts in our own words
• Presenting skills (being loud, clear, looking up at the audience, using cue cards)
• Representing the main idea of a story in a creative way (book jacket, diorama, mobile, etc)
• Using persuasive language

My favourite part of the Book Talk assignment is that students end up with a whole list of books that they may be interested in reading. I have posted the list here, as well as on the Google Classroom for the students' reference. 

Thank you for all of your support, parents, in helping your child come prepared for each of our in-class work times. The creativity was amazing!

Happy Reading!

~ Ms Elder