Sunday, 11/16, So, how did we do on Fridays test... I finished grading all the tests and the scores look good. The average grade across all the students was a 91.7%. Test scores matter, but what I think is more important is that you participated in class discussions and projects, put the time in to studied and learned about the Northeast... that is all I can ask. See you in science...
Friday, 11/14, The Northeast unit is finished and the students will get their graded tests back on Monday. This link will bring you to the "Place the State" game that some of the students tried (and enjoyed) after they finished their test on Friday.
This attachment has the textbook pages for Chapter 4 - The Middle Atlantic States
| Chapter 4 - The Middle Atlantic States - Textbook Pages |
This attachment has the textbook pages for Chapter 3 - The New England States
| Chapter 3 - The New England States - Textbook Pages |
Thursday, 11/13, We finished the lesson on immigrants and wen over the entire study guide. I am sure everyone has the correct answers... but just in case, here is the study guide with the answers.
| study_guide_-_middle_atlantic_-_with_answers.pdf |
| study_guide_-_middle_atlantic - no answers.docx |
Wednesday, 11/12, We reviewed the study guide for the New England states. Your child should have all the correct answers, but if something doesn't seem correct, the file below have all the answers.
| Study Guide - New England - with answers |
Tuesday, 11/11, We will continue our journey of exploration into how transportation lead to the growth of the Middle Atlantic states. The two other classes had their turn at putting on the play "An Erie Situation" and had a special guest in the audience... Principal Kirkman.
Below is the study guide for New England. The students should do the best they can to fill this out at home. We will go over this sheet on Wednesday.
Below is the study guide for New England. The students should do the best they can to fill this out at home. We will go over this sheet on Wednesday.
| Study Guide - New England |
Monday, 11/10, "You say you want a revolution..." We finished our lesson on the how the Middle Atlantic colonies went from farming to revolution. One class also started their lesson on "Transportation" by putting on an impromptu play... "An Erie Situation". We discovered a brief history of how the Erie Canal was developed and the impact it had on New York. Considering it was their first run through (one performance only), I think it went really well.
We will have a test on "The Northeast" this Friday, 11/14. I will post the study guides on Tuesday. The students will work on "New England" for homework on Tuesday and we will go over it in class on Wednesday. Wednesday homework will be the "Middle Atlantic States" study guide and we will go over this in class on Thursday. The students should know the capitals of the "Northeast States".
We will have a test on "The Northeast" this Friday, 11/14. I will post the study guides on Tuesday. The students will work on "New England" for homework on Tuesday and we will go over it in class on Wednesday. Wednesday homework will be the "Middle Atlantic States" study guide and we will go over this in class on Thursday. The students should know the capitals of the "Northeast States".
Tuesday, 11/4, Our lessons on the Northeast have brought us to the Middle Atlantic Colonies. Since there are a couple of different ways these states are broken up, I figured I would let you know how we are defining them... NY, NJ, PA and DE. As we learn more about the Middle Atlantic, we are building an understanding of how the people (came from all over Europe), land (fertile soil) and ideas (freedom of speech and freedom of religion) shaped the region.
Below is the first set of postcards. There are some missing, but I will gather them up tomorrow and post them. This project was a way for the students to practice their computer skills, researching and writing. I think they did a great job.
Below is the first set of postcards. There are some missing, but I will gather them up tomorrow and post them. This project was a way for the students to practice their computer skills, researching and writing. I think they did a great job.
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Mr. Liddy's class...
Mr. Liddy's class...
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Mrs. Bangs' class...
Mrs. Bangs' class...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ms. Freeh's class...
Monday, 11/3, Most of the classes finished their postcards of New England. One class lost some time, because of dance practice... they will finish up tomorrow. I will try to post all the work by the end of tomorrow. Check back and see if your child can find their postcard and explain the pictures and why they chose them.
Friday, 10/31, Halloween was the main topic today, but we were able to get school work in. We started a project on the New England states. The students are researching their randomly assigned state and will make a post card. Might sound odd, but when they are done I think it will make a lot more sense. We need to work on our computer skills, so this entire project will be done of the computer. I am hoping to be able to gather the finished work and post them on this website.
Thursday, 10/30, What is a New England town like... Newfane, VT was the example we studied today. Since the 1700's, the town has changed in some ways (there are now modern roads, electricity and technology), but in many ways it has stayed the same (the town common, town hall meetings and size and layout). We compared Newfane to Montclair to understand our similarities and differences.
Tomorrow is a busy day... Halloween!!! The parade starts at 2:00 and the class party will follow. If you want to take your child early, I am hoping to have a sign out sheet in the room... otherwise you will just have to sign them out in the office.
Tomorrow is a busy day... Halloween!!! The parade starts at 2:00 and the class party will follow. If you want to take your child early, I am hoping to have a sign out sheet in the room... otherwise you will just have to sign them out in the office.
Wednesday, 10/29, All the classes caught up to each other and we are ready to learn about a typical New England town. Some classes got to try putting states on a map. Here is a link if you want to try at home... http://www.history.com/games/puzzles/place-state/play
Some students got to research a New England state. They had to find the information, type it into Word (we are going to start using Word and PowerPoint in school) and than read it to the class. The homework is not due until Friday.
Here is an example of the finished notes...
Some students got to research a New England state. They had to find the information, type it into Word (we are going to start using Word and PowerPoint in school) and than read it to the class. The homework is not due until Friday.
Here is an example of the finished notes...
| cornell_method_-_new_england_countryside_-_freeh.pdf |
Tuesday, 10/28, The New England countryside was todays topic. We covered "The Land" (mountains and valleys shaped by glaciers), "New England Farms" (rocky soil and dairy land), "Forests and Orchards" (logging, maple syrup, fruit) and "Stone Quarries" (marble, granite... many uses).
Monday, 10/27, New England… How did a colony of 100 Pilgrims become an
industrial powerhouse? That is what we
worked on today. Ask your child why a
deep water harbor is important, why whales were hunted, the importance of water
power and if children worked in factories.
All this was part of the building of New England.
Some of the classes also learned about the difference
between Pilgrims and Puritans. Some classes
had the extra gym class, so they will catch up tomorrow.
Friday, 10/10, The tests went home today. Please sign and have your child return them. I will hold on to them until the end of the semester and than they will be sent home. Overall, the students did very well. The average score was 91, but did they learn anything? The students took a pre-assessment before the unit and a post-assessment today. The results and questions are below... I think there was some learning!
Thursday, 10/9, The students did their best today on the test and now I need to do my best... grade all the papers for tomorrow. I plan on having them in the students hands tomorrow and hopefully it will add more joy to the long weekend!
The Social Studies test will be on Thursday (10/9). Here are the two study guides. The students do not need to memorize the definitions in Part 1. They just need to be familiar with the words. Since we learned how to take notes this week, the students will be able to use them during the test.
| a_view_of_the_usa_-_vocabulary_study_guide_-_part_1.pdf |
| a_view_of_the_united_states_study_guide_-_part_2.pdf |
| a_view_of_the_united_states_study_guide_-_part_2_-_with_answers.pdf |
Wednesday, 10/8, The groups gave their Key Note presentations today. I would have shown a few examples, but the Mac files are not compatible with my PC. I will see what I can do about that tomorrow, but take my word for it... the kids did a great job for their first researched, created and presented project. Tomorrow is the Social Studies test. Again, the students should be familiar with the vocabulary, know the info on Study Guide Part 2 and make sure they have their classroom notes.
Tuesday, 10/7, We put our tax dollars to work today by using the new MacBook Air laptops. We have been using the older Macs (2006), but now it is time for them to retire. Anyway, the students finished up their presentations and will show their stuff tomorrow.
Monday, 10/6, We didn't just continue working on our presentations today, we also harvested the garden in the backyard. Tomorrow is school pictures, so make sure you comb your hair and where a nice outfit.
Friday, 10/3, The class began working on a presentation that they will deliver next week. The students, working in groups, picked a topic that is connected to the unit we just finished. They decide how the work will be divided, research the topic, create a Key Note presentation and next Wednesday they will deliver the presentation to the class. Everyone is responsible for the prep and everyone will be speaking during the presentation. I will be out on Monday (10/6), because I need to go to a professional development day for 4th and 5th grade science teachers. The class will continue working on their presentations on Monday, so hopefully the day will be OK. I will come to school early on Monday to make sure everything is set up and ready to go.
Thursday, 10/2, The class used their notes for filling in part of the study guide. The Social Studies test will be next Thursday (10/9). The students should study from the review sheet from today and list of vocabulary that was given out earlier in the unit. They don't need to memorize the words and definitions, but they need to be familiar with them. The students will be able to use their notes for the test.
Wednesday, 10/1, We are coming to the close of "A View of the United States" unit. Next week will have a test. There will be a review in class the day before and the students will receive a study guide. Since we have been practicing taking notes, I figure we should "literally" put them to the test. Yes, the notes that the students created can be used for part of the test. There is still plenty to do, so check back here or ask you child what there next big project will be (don't worry, it will be done in class).
Tuesday, 9/30, We said good bye September and hello to note taking. The students were introduced to note taking today. I am working with the 5th grade Science/Social Studies teacher to make sure the students are ready better prepared for what is waiting in the years to come. Although note taking is such an important skill, most students in middle/high school, college and work are not very good note takers. There are many styles of note taking, so for consistency, we are using the Cornell Note Taking Method. What's that mean... don't ask your kids yet, we just started and they need some more time to develop an understanding. Take a look below for what our notes looked like today...
Monday, 9/29, Rivers! After Fridays lesson, we followed up on rivers by working on our map reading skills. We did a great job. What else... Climate is the kind of weather a place has over a long period of time. We know that our country is really big and geologically diverse. Today we found how mountains, distance from the equator, elevation, and large bodies of water affect our weather. Ask your child if you need more info.
Friday, 9/26, We looked at the river systems in the USA with a focus on the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River system drains most of the land between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains. That is about 1.2 million square miles or about a third of the land in the USA and includes all or part of 31 states. A little fall up from Wednesday was a look at Mt. St. Helens. We watched a 4 minute movie from the History Channel that was really interesting and used the The Clash's Should I Stay or Should I Go for background music. And no, none of the kids knew The Clash.
Wednesday, 9/24, Focus was on the land of the USA. We looked into the mountains, canyons, plains and basins. We even found out that we live in the piedmont section of the Appalachians. Piedmont is a French word that means... ask your child.
Tuesday, 9/23, Where in the world is the United States? That was our lesson for today. We also worked on our "World Products" project. The goal is to help the students understand that we are connected and need each other. True, our focus is on the USA, but I didn't think it was possible for the students to figure out what state different products come from.
Monday, 9/22, Today was the start of the unit on "A View of the United States". This is an overview of the country. We will look at maps, landforms, rivers, climate and resources. The second half will involve how the regions change and connect. Check out "Science" for the closeout of the unit.
4th grade Social Studies will be focusing on the United States of America. We will begin by discovering the locations of the major landforms and than move onto familiarizing ourselves with the four regions of the United States of America. We will explore the history, economies and capitals of the North, South, Middle West and West regions. Towards the end of the year we will turn our attention inward and build a strong understanding of New Jersey. The students will take away an appreciation for the geography, people and history of the Garden State.
Our first unit of study will be the major landforms of the USA. To help us start our journey, we will will be using the Horizons States and Regions textbook by Harcourt along with other interesting and thought provoking material. This is a pretty good sized book, so I will try to limit the amount of times that this will be needed at home.
The lessons will include...
The lessons will include...
- Where on Earth is the United States?
- The Land
- Looking at Rivers
- Climate across the USA
- Natural resources
At the end of the unit, we will have a test. There will be no surprises and the main focus is to see if the students can recognize, summarize and apply what the we have discussed. I will send home a study guide and we will review in class. The students will complete the study guides at home and we will discuss them in class. Just to make sure that we are all on the same page, I will also post a study guide with all the correct answers.