November Newsletter

Dear Parents,







Fall is in the air! I think that everyone in our class is enjoying the nice weather.







This month we can look forward to our field trip to the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. Our trip is scheduled for Friday, November 21st. Thanks to Tracy Barkley and Stacey Lincecum for volunteering to be our chaperones!







As we look ahead to the Thanksgiving Holidays, I am thankful that I am able to spend my days with your wonderful children. It is a joy to teach them every day. I am also thankful that we have a great substitute, Mrs. Hedy Gilmore, who is willing to step in for me so that I will be able to spend time with my own little bundle of joy. Mrs. Gilmore has already spent one day with us and plans to spend a few more before I leave. I know that the class will be in good hands.







Thank you for all you do to support your child's education.







Sincerely,



Naletta Galbraith

Science

We have begun our unit on Ecosystems and Earth Science. First, we are looking at the difference between inherited and learned behaviors and how these are related to adaptations. Then, we will delve further into the idea of habitats and ecosystems. We will be looking at the necessary parts of a healthy habitat; what all living things need for survival. We will also discuss food chains and webs and how energy travels through a food web. We will conclude our unit of study with a look at oceans and how they affect both land and weather patterns.

Math

Today we began learning how to multiply 2-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers. We will be learning 4 different algorithms (stretch which uses expanded notation, partial area, lattice, and the standard algorithm) to solve these problems. I know that most of us learned the standard algorithm, but the others work well too. We will practice each algorithm and then the students will choose which one works best for them. For some students the standard algorithm gets very confusing when they have to regroup and remember to put a zero for a place holder. No matter which algorithm they choose, they will get the same answer, so don't worry if your child shows you a new way to do multiplication.

We will also begin fractions and probablity this month. Our math stations will be independent review stations based on the topics we have covered and targeted stations with me. We will be taking the math benchmark on Wednesday which will give me more information about what needs to be covered in the targeted stations. Our groups change so that students get all they need.

Writing

Our writing continues to focus on personal narratives. Currently, the class is working on a piece of their choice. Students take the piece from prewrite, to drafting, to editing and revising, and finally to publication. They are learning to edit their own work as well as the work of others. Each time we complete a draft, we meet with a writing partner to discuss how a reader sees our piece. Partners help each other make editing changes and also ask questions and give feedback so that the author might make appropriate revisions.

Reading

This week we are completing our final project for our first book club. Students are creating a photo album of important events from their stories.

We will then begin a new book club which focuses on the mystery genre. Activities will revolve around the characteristics that make their book a mystery. In book club we will discuss characterization, setting, and plot. We will look specifically at what the mystery is; what clues help the detective solve the mystery; if there are any red herrings to throw us off; and who the suspects are.

Social Studies

We are concluding our unit of study on the regions of Texas by creating a salt dough map of Texas. These will be coming home some time next week.

We will then be starting a unit of study on the Native American groups who lived in Texas. We will focus on the Karankawa, Comanche, Jumano, and Caddo. Our focus will be where these groups lived and how they lived. Using Venn diagrams we will compare and contrast their different ways of life.

Our unit on the explorers to Texas will follow the unit on Native Americans. The explorers that we study are Hernando Cortes, Cabeza de Vaca, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, Rene-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle, Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda. We will look at all these explorers and then students will choose one to study further.

October Newsletter

Dear Parents,



What a start to our year! After our unexpected break we are back into the swing of things.

Progress reports will be sent home on Friday, October 3. Please sign a copy and send it back to school on Monday so I know you have seen it.

I look forward to meeting all who can attend Thursday, October 2 at 4:30 pm. Our wonderful long term substitute Susan Woodard will be joining us. She'll be happy to answer questions after I rush off to my childbirth class.

Sincerely,

Naletta Galbraith


Science

Today, October 2, we take our first science quiz. This is the one that was postponed due to Ike.

We have finished our unit on plants and have moved on to the classification of animals. We learned the way scientists classify animals and have looked more closely at the differences and similarities of invertebrates and vertebrates. We also further classified vertebrates and looked at the similarities and differences among mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and birds.

Next week we begin our unit on the human body. We will look at the systems of the body beginning with the skeletal system. We are lucky to have owl pellets to dissect to see actual bones of small animals. We will try to identify these bones and if possible put together a skeleton. Students will work in pairs for this project.

We will also study the muscular system, the digestive system, and the circulatory system.

Thanks to everyone who is making our science enrichment program possible. We can't wait to do Mr. Bones this Friday as an introduction to our skeletal system.


Math

Our first math quiz will be next Wednesday, October 8. It will cover rounding, the different forms of words (standard, expanded, and word), place value, multiplication facts, 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication, arrays, representing simple division facts, and ordered pairs (input/output tables). With the exception of 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication this should be a review from last year.

This month we will begin a unit on measurement. We will be studying area and perimeter first. We will also begin studying elapsed time. This can be a difficult concept for some students. I recommend having your child wear an analog watch to help with this. The more they use an analog watch the easier elapsed time becomes.


Writing

We are beginning to write personal narratives this month. We are focusing on the writing process and strategies that author's use to really make their writing shine. Most recently we've discussed the inner and outer story of a composition. The students understand the importance of the inner story as it tells how the main characters are feeling about the situation. We will be conferencing with peers and me throughout the writing process.


Reading

This month we will begin to use book clubs for reading. We will begin by focusing on the main character and setting of a story. Book clubs last several weeks. Students do weekly activities in class that relate to the story. I also meet with book clubs to discuss their reading and help them talk about the book.

Social Studies

Our next unit of study in Social Studies is the regions of Texas. We will look at the 4 regions of Texas individually and also discuss their similarities and differences. The culminating project for this unit is a salt dough map. It's a fun and slightly messy project!

September Newsletter

Dear Parents,

Welcome to our first class blog. I'm going to be sending the newsletter once a month via this blog. I will also be adding other important information as necessary. Currently there is a link to our class schedule as well as a calendar that I will update as needed.

So far our class is going very well. We're all trying to get back into the swing of things. I'm not complaining that we had Monday off, but it still doesn't feel like we're really going. By the end of this week I'm sure we'll all know the schedule and be ready to roll!

Each month I will list curriculum topics so that you will know what your children are learning. I hope it will make it easier when you ask what they are doing and they reply "nothing." Don't worry we're always doing something!

Thank you so much for all the beautiful flowers. You made my birthday special.

Sincerely,
Naletta Galbraith


Science

We begin the year with a review of the scientific method or scientific inquiry as well as a look at scientific process skills. We are learning how to conduct experiments so that throughout the year we will be more successful at completing experiments and understanding the results.

Beginning next week we will be looking at the structure and function of plants and then move on to animals. In the life science unit which will last the first quarter, we are paying particular attention to adaptations, habitats, and inherited versus learned traits. It's by far my favorite unit in science!


Math

Math begins with a review of concepts learned last year. These include place value up to the millions, how to round numbers, and multiplication and division facts.

Throughout the year we will be incorporating problem solving into all our units. Each week we will work on an Exemplars problem. These are open ended problems which don't always have one correct answer. The emphasis on Exemplars is not only to find the right answer, but also to communicate how you came up with that answer. We are beginning with problems that we work as a class and in small groups and then will move on to completing them independently.


Writing

Fourth grade is our big TAKS writing year. By the time TAKS comes along, we will all be ready. Right now we are starting to set up our writer's notebook and writer's workshop folder. We have already created a map of a special place with stories marked so that we have something to go to when trying to decided what to write.

We are also discussing what writing is. We pay particular attention to the intended audience of and the purpose of our piece.

Historically speaking, the TAKS is a personal narrative so we will spend much of our time working on personal narratives. They are also often the best place for authors to start. It is usually much easier to write about something you know than something that is completely fictional. However, we will get to other genre of writing throughout the year.

Our first personal narrative will be a piece about the origin of their name. Students will be asked to research where their name came from, it's meaning, and anything else special about it. They will then write an essay about this.

We go through the entire writing process including editing and publishing. Throughout the process they will meet with a writing partner as well as meet with me.


Reading

This year we will do much of our reading in reading groups. We will also have large group instruction to highlight various strategies and literary components. Students are required to read 20 minutes a day and fill out a reading log. The reading log is located in a separate section of their binder. We are just beginning this the first week of September. We will be sharing our comments so that students get a better idea of what to write in response to their reading.

Our class has begun a class read called Eggs by Jerry Spinelli.

This year our book buddies are Mrs. Skinner's pre-kindergarten class. We have met with them once and are eager to share our stories with them. Not only does this help the younger students hear good reading, but it helps the fourth graders practice their fluency. Mrs. Skinner already has plans for us to help with various other projects as well.


Social Studies

Texas is the theme for the year. This month we will be reviewing map skills and studying the various landforms of Texas.

We will also learn to identify all 50 states. We will do this by region beginning with the southwest region.