Stone Soup

Incredible Dolphin Rescue - 30 Dolphins Stranded and Saved-Brazil

Onomatopoeia Art

Today students got to experience, draw and create some Onomatopoeia word art. I allowed each student to choose one word from a list I had and then they had to draw out the sound/create a picture of what the word means. The students LOVED doing this and they did an AWESOME job. Check out some of their work below.

Class Artwork

Our class recently created some artwork to go into a Thank You book to the Joshua Officers who direct traffic in front of our school. I gave every student a quarter circle and they got to decorate it however they wanted. Afterwards, as a class, we decided which pieces looked best together for our two pages. I think they all did great and that it turned out so neat! Great job guys and THANK YOU Joshua Officers for helping to keep our school safe.  

Sand Art

Today in class students were rewarded with some free time based on their awesome behavior lately. One site that I showed the students is: www.thisissand.com  This is a great place to visit if you want to create some mess free art. We explored the site and designed our own sand creation on the Smart Board. If your child is stating they are bored have them practice their color palettes, creativity and designing forte here! Tip: Be sure to click the small square at the top of the site for some helpful ways to navigate the website. If you want to combine some colors simply click on one color and drag across to the others you want to use. Have fun!

Spelling Challenge Week 30

BATTLESHIP 

			You will need two of the battleship game boards. One for you and the other for your opponent. Make sure you have a folder or something similar to stand up between players. Each player picks five of their most challenging words from the spelling list. Tip: Specifically try to pick words that varied in length. Both players then add the words, one letter per box, to their grids on the left side of the game board. Note: Words should not be written diagonally. You can go forward, backwards, vertical or horizontal.  To start: Player 1 calls out a coordinate (ex. D2) with the hope that the opponent has written one of the words’ letters in that box. Each time Player 1 calls a coordinate, he/she marks an “X” in that space on the right side of their game board. If a letter is in the space called, Player 2 says so (and can even indicate the word that was hit or the letter), and instead of an X, Player 1 writes an O in the box called. Player 2 puts an X through the box that was called as well, covering the letter, on the left side of their game board. Coordinates that don't hit letters can also be recorded by Player 2 if they so desire. Play alternates between the two players. When the coordinates for an entire word are hit, the player must announce it. The aim is to call coordinates that successfully locate all the spelling words. Whoever sinks all of the others ships first, is the winner
			1. unchanged 2. unnamed 3. restate 4. reverse 5. infrequent 6. invisible 7. prepaid 8. displease 9. action 10. establishment 11. oversized 12. prejudge 13. interstate 14. intersect 15. deflated 16. semiweekly 17. happily 18. kindness 19. finally 20. fearful

Spelling Challenge Week 29

Area and Perimeter

Students begin by writing their words in the boxes. It's kind of like writing when in Kindergarten with the lined paper. Tall letters go up to the roof, and letters like p and q go downstairs to the basement.

Students then must outline each word with a  highlighter or marker. This is where many students make mistakes, so its important for them to go slowly. They outline only the boxes that have writing in them.

Then, they find the area and perimeter of each word. Students need to label each side for the perimeter then cross it off as they add them up so they don't get confused.

Students will have a special sheet to record their information.

1.	spotless
2.	sunny
3.	furry
4.	really
5.	hairy
6.	barely
7.	tasteless
8.	handful
9.	lifeless
10.	illness
11.	hopefully
12.	happiness
13.	goodness
14.	sorrowful
15.	gently
16.	sickness
17.	joyfully
18.	aimless
19.	breathless
20.	certainly

Spelling Challenge- Week 28

Spelling Challenge- Week 28

Gross Motor Practice

It's time to get moving again, break out a sweat and start practice those words! Here are some options to choose from. Do one or do all!

**Jump Rope while orally spelling the words.

**Hula Hoop and spell words out loud.

**Hopscotch Spelling - Write letters outside in chalk or play indoors with large letter cards on floor. Hop from letter to letter to spell words.

**Bounce a Ball - bounce a ball as you spell words - 1 bounce per letter.

1.	discourage
2.	disappoint
3.	disbelief
4.	distrust
5.	disloyal
6.	misplace
7.	mislabel
8.	mislead
9.	misstep
10.	misnumber
11.	nonfat
12.	nonfiction
13.	nonsense
14.	nonstop
15.	unable
16.	unplug
17.	uncertain
18.	uncomfortable
19.	uncover
20.	unclean

Spelling Challenge- Week 27

Spelling Challenge- Week 27

Fun Flap Spelling

If you do not know how to make a cootie catcher/fun flap, the directions are below. We have been making these in class for several other reviews so your child should be a pro already with how to fold the paper. 

 http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Cootie-Catcher-%28Origami-Fortune-Teller%29

Think of some fun fortunes for the middle and then write them in. It would be a really fun surprise if you (the parent) made the fortunes and maybe even put in special surprises, i.e. "Get to stay up an extra 10 minutes tonight", "10 minutes of extra TV time", etc.

On the outside flaps and middle flaps write in the spelling words for the week. 

 

How to play: The first person asks to pick a word and then the second person spells the word, then he/she asks again and spells the next word. On the third time they ask the student opens up the flap and tells their fortune. Your goal is to make it all the way through to the fortune. This is so much fun! 

1.	root
2.	tale
3.	wade
4.	tail
5.	prince
6.	dough
7.	moose
8.	prints
9.	we've
10.	weave
11.	whose
12.	who's
13.	route
14.	boulder
15.	bolder
16.	weighed
17.	patience
18.	patients
19.	doe
20.	mousse

Going For The Gold!

Look out Sochi Winter Olympic Games! Fourth graders at Caddo Grove are "Going for the Gold" with their writing! Students began on February 19th, a 12 day focus on their Revising and Editing skills through their scheduled RTI (In School Tutoring) time. Students began their Olympic Journey by taking the released STAAR Writing test from April 2013. The scores they received on their tests were used as their Olympic "Time Trials". Those who scored a 70% or higher on their time trials got to decorate their own flag for display. Over the course of the program, students will strive for first mastering at least 70% of the content to earn them their flag. From that point on they will be competing for Bronze (80% mastery), Silver (90% mastery) and Gold (100% mastery) medals. Just like Olympic athletes our students are focused and training for their goal! Lets go Fourth Grade!!!

Spelling Challenge- Week 26

Spelling Challenge- Week 26

Secret Code Spelling

Have your student write each spelling word then draw the picture for each letter next to the word to make a code. For a variation, you can mix up their spelling words and write the code only, then give it to your child to "break the code".  No matter how you do it it will be a favorite. 

1.	robin
2.	button
3.	bacon
4.	reason
5.	cotton
6.	sunken
7.	eleven
8.	cousin
9.	woven
10.	raisin
11.	wagon
12.	muffin
13.	widen
14.	wooden
15.	ridden
16.	common
17.	proven
18.	often
19.	penguin
20.	skeleton

Spelling Challenge- Week 25

Spelling Challenge- Week 25

Word Search Fun

Create your own word search. You can visit sites like PuzzleMaker, plug in your child's spelling list and create a word search that you can print. Then have your child search for the correctly spelled spelling words and circle them. Let them use different colored highlighters for some added visual fun. If you don't have access to a computer or printer, simple take a piece of paper and make lines like a grid- similar to the grid above. Write in the spelling words on the blank grid first, then when finished, fill in any remaining blanks with random letters. Have fun searching!

1.	uncle
2.	turtle
3.	total
4.	pencil
5.	oral
6.	pebble
7.	channel
8.	local
9.	paddle
10.	pupil
11.	symbol
12.	medal
13.	bubble
14.	settle
15.	vessel
16.	bugle
17.	pedal
18.	special
19.	ankle
20.	docile