Spelling Words: Homophones

This week we are studying some homophones. A homophone is a group of words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings, such as "to, too, and two." Homophones are a special kind of a homonym, which in addition to words that are spelled differently, includes words that are spelled the same but still have different meanings, such as the stalk of a plant (a noun) and to stalk a person (a verb.)

Try out some of these homophone games and let me know what you think! http://www.gamequarium.org/dir/Readquarium/Vocabulary/Homophones/

Toymaker

Today Rick Hartman, the Toymaker, visited the fourth grade classes. He connected our learning of magnetism to the creation of a pendulum toy. Ask your child to demonstrate how changing the poles of the magnets changes the forces. See if they can tell you when the magnets are attracting or repelling and how they know (Same poles repel and opposite poles attract). We then created a toy using the principles of electricity. Students used a d-cell (AA battery) and motor to create a spinning top. Our next focus in science will be electricity. The final portion of our science will be combining magnetism and electricity to create an electromagnet similar to the one used in recycling plants to separate out steel. A big thank you to Kim Thompson, Irena Pekker and Dave Simpson for helping today keeping us organized and safe. As a class we are very grateful to the PTA for FULLY paying for the experience.

Mr. Duey Long Division video

Today long division was introduced. This video is a connection to our learning, but is not how it was taught today. I linked the video to show how math can be fun!

Most importantly remember:

÷ divide
X mutiply
- subtract
bring down
check work

Spelling- Short and Long I Words

What strategies do you use to learn the spelling pattern for the week? What is your goal for yourself?

Short and Long i words

skill

crime

grind

tonight

brick

flight

live

chill

delight

build

ditch

decide

witness

wind

district

inch

sigh

fright

remind

split

Challenge :
ignorant
recognize
advice
twilight
rigid

Happy Trails

You are and your family caught "Oregon Fever". You aren;t sick, but you have heard about some wonderful opportunities out West. You have decided to leave your homes, businesses, farms, and friends and families to join a wagon train. The wagon train will lead you and other families through rugged country to a settlement in Oregon Country.

Happy Trails to You!

Long "e" and Short "e" Spelling Words

Long "e" and Short "e" Spelling Words

west

steep

member

gleam

fresh

freedom

speed

steam

beast

believe

speck

kept

cheap

pretend

greed

shelf

least

eager

reason

chief

Challenge : echo, menu, creature, reveal, restaurant

Multiplication Help

Need homework help? Watch this video on how to solve 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication.

Excellence- Yes, You Can!

"Yes, You Can!"

What are you thoughts about Rick and Dick Hoyt that we learned about today in our virtues lesson on excellence? What are some ways you are going to show excellence? What goals do you have for yourself? What challenges are you over coming?

Virtues

Need to remember some virtues for your biography project paragraphs?
http://www.virtuesproject.com/virtuesdef.html You can click on each virtue and get a definition.

assertiveness caring cleanliness compassion confidence consideration courage courtesy creativity detachment determination enthusiasm excellence *faithfulness flexibility forgiveness friendliness generosity

gentleness helpfulness honesty honor humility idealism joyfulness justice kindness love loyalty *mercy moderation modesty *obedience orderliness patience

peacefulness *prayerfulness purposefulness reliability respect responsibility *reverence self-discipline service *steadfastness tact thankfulness tolerance trust trustworthiness truthfulness unity

Need Graphic Organizer Ideas?

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/

 

Magnetic Breakfast Cereal with Science Bob

You need iron to be healthy. It is used by your body amongst other things to make haemoglobin, which holds the oxygen in red blood cells where it is moved around your body. It can be hard to get enough Iron, especially for children, so it is added to various foods such as breakfast cereals. It can be added in various forms, many are not magnetic, but if it is in the form of fine metal particles or ferric oxide (FeO) it will be magnetic.

So when you put the magnetic particles near your big magnet they will stick to it. You have to crush the cereal first because the whole flakes don't have many magnetic particles in them, breaking up the flakes means you can just pick up the lumps which contain magnetic particles, this means each magnetic particle has to lift less cornflake.
(Written by Dave Ansell)

Magnetic Cereal

Resolutions- Promises to Yourself

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS By Bruce Lansky

Last year I did some rotten things.
This year I will be better.
Here are some resolutions
I will follow to the letter:

I won’t make dumb excuses
when my homework isn’t done;
when the truth is that I did no work
’cause I was having fun.

I won’t fly paper airplanes
when the teacher isn’t looking.
I won’t sneak in the kitchen
just to taste what they are cooking.
I will not twist the silverware

to see how far it bends.
I will not take the candy bars

from lunch bags of my friends.

I will not skateboard down the hall
or skateboard down the stairs.
I won’t run over teachers,
and I won’t crash into chairs.

I will not do these rotten things;
my heart is full of sorrow.
But I have got some brand-new tricks
to try in school tomorrow.

Resolutions are specific promises to yourself  that you are going to do your best. 
What do you resolve to do this year?