How's the Weather?

My 96-year-old oma (grandmother in Dutch, my dad's family is from Holland) lives in California like the rest of my family and checks the weather in Jacksonville in the newspaper every day (She had all boys, who had more boys, and I am her only favorite granddaughter.  :-)).  When I talk to her every other week, the topic of weather always comes up.  Why?  Weather is something that happens all the time, all around us, so we are constantly observing it.

It is only about 4 weeks into the school year, but have you observed any changes in the world around you?  We're just a little over a week away from the Fall Equinox (which is September 23 this year), or the first day of Fall.  To understand the reasons for and effects of seasons in our Science studies this year, first we must be able to make observations and collect data about our climate, which is related to, but different than weather.

Need a refresher about weather and climate?  Have you heard about Study Jams?

Study Jams are terrific Math and Science tutorials that are great for introducing or reviewing concepts.  Watch this Study Jam on Weather & Climate to prepare for upcoming reading, discussions, and activities we'll be doing to explain why we have seasons!

Have you ever lived somewhere other than Florida?  Where?  What is the climate like during the different seasons of the year there?  Post your response below or write it down and bring it to class this week to earn Chief Cash for Always Doing Your Best!

I was born and raised in San Diego, California, but have lived in Jacksonville nearly half of my life.

San Diego's climate is similar to Jacksonville's in that there are not huge differences between seasons.  San Diego's temperatures, like Jacksonville's, are mostly mild throughout the year.  However, in San Diego, the air is much drier, and San Diego receives a lot less precipitation than we do here in Jacksonville.  Summers in San Diego are warm and dry, winters are cooler and dry.  It is strange to think that I never owned a winter coat until I moved to Florida!  :-)

Common Core "Math"

(Thanks to Ms. Kirkham for sharing this with me.  I got a good laugh because if anything, it supports the need for Common Core Math standards, which include understanding place value and not relying on "cute" tricks and shortcuts.)

Sometimes I feel like Math shouldn't be called "Math" anymore because arithmetic (computation) is just one part of the problem-solving process.  The methods for teaching Common Core Math are vastly different than simply teaching arithmetic because the end goal is not just a correct answer, it is genuine understanding of what is happening during the problem-solving process.

Outside school, I'm often asked what I think about Common Core Math.

Is it perfect?  No.

Do I agree with everything?  No.

Is there value in it?  Yes.

Most educators argue that the point of Common Core is to ensure that students are college-ready, but honestly, it goes beyond that.  For many reasons, we live in an intellectually lazy world, and that is a dangerous thing.  Kids will eventually be adults, citizens who will make decisions that affect not only themselves, but others.  We need to raise up a generation of thinkers and communicators who are able to question, analyze, and evaluate what they observe.  Our world needs problem-solvers.  "Math" is just one way to develop and practice these critical life skills.

Making Observations, Collecting Data, & Recording Observations

In Science this week, we learned that we make observations whenever we receive information (data) from our senses.  We can describe our observations qualitatively, with words, or quantitatively, with numbers, measurements, and/or units.

Today we observed, collected data, and recorded data about gummy worms.  We used hand lenses to observe qualitative characteristics and rulers to collect quantitative data (length of gummy worm and stretched gummy worm).  We even tied in some Math (fractions) when we used a number line to practice measuring to the nearest half, quarter, eighth, or sixteenth of an inch.  We also discussed how we can tell equivalent measurements in simplest form using the fewest units possible.

Read Draw Write

During Math Centers the first few weeks of school, we are learning about Mathematical Practices, or habits of successful problem-solvers.  Two of these habits are persevering (keep trying) and think about Math.  This year, we will use the Read Draw Write (RDW) problem-solving process to help us be successful problem-solvers.

Before solving a problem,

READ the problem carefully.  

• Read the problem a second time to visualize the situation.  
• Think about what you know.
• Think: in your own words, what you are trying to solve?

During the problem-solving process,

DRAW a picture or a model (equations can be models).  

• Solve the problem.  
• Think: does your work make sense?

After solving the problem,

WRITE an equation.

• Write a complete sentence that tells your answer.  
• Check your work with another strategy or inverse operation.  
• Think: is your answer reasonable?

Welcome 2015-2016 Fourth Graders & Families

Ms. Kirkham and I enjoyed meeting many of you on Friday during Meet and Greet!  Thank you for bringing school supplies and helping us organize them so the First Day of School will go smoothly.  I forgot to tell you this, but your student will need a personal dry erase marker to practice for weekly Math fact fluency assessments, so please send that in as soon as possible.  Thanks!

Fourth grade students report to their homeroom teacher's classroom beginning at 8:00.  Ms. Kirkham and I host Study Hall from 7:50 (TOTs)/8:00-8:25.  This time allows students to copy home learning assignments and reminders, get organized, ask for help on home learning assignments or classwork, and get started on make-up work upon returning to school from an absence.  Students may also use the computers for online resources such as Reflex Math, Achieve3000, and i-Ready during this time if the student does not have access at home.  Each class has four student stations, which are used on a first-come, first served basis.

Students: To earn Chief Cash for reading the blog, please write me a note and tell me, What has been your favorite part of fourth grade so far?

Florida Standards Assessment: Math--It's Almost Time!

Tomorrow and Wednesday, fourth graders will take the new FSA Math tests.  Our students have worked hard, and I am excited for them to show what they know!

Our classroom is ready:

 We are ready:

Thank you for writing cards and notes of encouragement.  We know our students cherish these and many students wanted to share theirs with their peers!

First Formulas!

Last week, students learned their first mathematical formula!

Though adding all the sides is still an effective strategy ("gets the job done") for finding a figure's perimeter, when finding the perimeter of a rectangle, it's much more efficient (faster, involves fewer steps) to use a formula, which we learned is an equation that can always be used to find the answer efficiently in a certain situation.

When finding the perimeter of a rectangle, most students prefer using the formula P = 2l + 2w, but we discovered that P = 2 x (l+w) also works and discussed why it does.

Today students learned another formula that can be used to find a rectangle's area.  Most students made a connection to working with arrays when learning multiplication last year in third grade.  The rectangle's length and width are the factors; the area (how many squares cover the inside) is the product (total) of the array.  We can efficiently use the formula Area = length x width, or A = l x w,  to find the area of rectangles!