Soil's Ability to Retain Water

We are continuing on our quest to learn all the properties of soil.  Today we tested a soil's ability to retain water.  We put soil samples in 4 different beakers using knee highs to hold the soil.  We added 200mL of water and then waited one minute.  We lifted the sample and read the amount of water remaining in the water.  Then, we had to do math in SCIENCE.

Soil Texture

We are beginning our unit on Soil.  We will be exploring types of soil in various ways.  Today we explored soil texture.  It was real educational and messy! 

Building Circuits

The students were given plastic covered wire (conductor and insulator), battery, and several different objects.  They had to successfully build a complete circuit.  They had to know to ask the teacher to cut their wire to expose the conductor.  The circuit wouldn't work if the plastic was touching because it is an insulator.  They had a lot of fun, lighting up the room, buzzing sound energy and watching the battery heat up the thermometer.  Some of them even figured out how to expand their circuit to test more than one form of energy.

Testing Forces

The students had the task of designing a plan to test all 5 types of forces; push, pull, gravity, magnetism, and friction.  They were able to choose from a variety of materials.  They were responsible for designing the plan, testing the forces, and recording their data.  The students did awesome!

Circuit Poster

In the current unit we are studyting we have learned about all different types of energy, forces, and electrical circuits.  Sorry this is behind, but I am combining all the picture and what we have experimented in class.

Relationship Tables

In and Out Charts as we like to call them.  I started the lesson with my "Magic Machine".  The kids love to guess what happens in my magic machine.  (As you can tell, I DO NOT draw well.)  The magic machine does something to a number that causes it to come out differently.  My machine never changes its "RULE" though.  It always does the same thing.  The same is true in a relationship table.  The rule will never change.  We study these charts or tables during our multiplication and division unit because depending on the way you read the labels of the table, the operation or rule would be effected.  In the example above, TRIANGLE x3 = SQUARE or you could say the opposite SQUARE /3 = TRIANGLE.  Also you will notice going from a small number to a large number is multiplication and from a large number to a small number is division.  (We will hit this concept again when converting.)

Multiplication Songs

Often times it is difficult for students to recall their multiplication facts.  We encourage students to look at multiplication as patterns in numbers, or skip counting, and picture the multiplication chart in their head.  However, this concept is still difficult for some.  Song is often a very effective way of memorization.  I did not create these, but I do teach these in my class and have made posters to hang in the hall for the students to see when in line or at restroom break.  They are all set to familiar tunes, except maybe the eights.  Most kids don't know that song anymore.

MORE Division

Here are two posters that explains the process of division.  The students are free to choose which ever method they feel comfortable with.  We only encourage that they stick to one particular method.

Tower of Power

Okay, here is it.  Division the "funny way".  The theory behind this method is that division is connected to multiplication and repeated subtraction.  With this method, it doesn't matter which facts you remember, you will eventually get to the end.  This is very helpful to students that do not know their facts.  The goal is to take big chunks away from the dividend (the number under the house).  Your final quotient is found by adding up all of your factors and including the remainder.  Check by multiplying!

Division

Sorry for the brief delay in division information.  The district has been updating the system and I was blocked from my blog site.  Above you will see how we relate multiplication to division.  They are opposite operations.  Division cannot be solved apart from multiplication.  Dividing is simply putting total amounts into groups equally, you may or may not have any left over.  In my previous post was showing the connection between the two operations.

Division

We connected the model with manipulatives to the algorithm.  The steps are Divide, Multiply, Subtract, and then Bring down.  If there are no more numbers to bring down, that is your remainder.  The remainder can never be larger than the number you are dividing by.

Solutions

Okay, sorry it has been a while since I updated our exciting science experiments.  We created solutions.  First we determined that solutions dissolve much faster in hot water instead of cold water.  Then we tested a race to dissolve.  Which dissolves faster: sugar cube or granual?  Well, the granuals won.  The definition to solution is a mixture that can not easily be separated.  So, we tested that as well!  Can sugar and water be separated after it has been mixed together?  The result was YES!  We evaporated all the water and the sugar started to cook on the bottom of the beaker.  It was pretty cool!

3 Ways to Multiply

Today we practiced and practiced, and practiced some more.  Each student chose for themselves which of the three methods was easiest for them.  Check out our poster!

2 Digit x 2 Digit

There are several ways to find a product.  We learned 2 ways today; traditional and partial product. 
For the traditional method, I taught the students to say "OZTA" which stands for Ones, Zero, Tens, Add.  It helps them to not get lost in the process.
For partial product, the students write each number in expanded form and then multiply and then add the products.  They are taking the number apart and then putting it back together. 

Multiplying Across Zeros

We got this!  We completed a journal entry on how to multiply across zeros today.  It will be our easiest multiplication lesson ever.  We even got to prove it on a calculator!  Check it out! Find the basic factors and multiply then add the zeros to the end.

What do you want me to do???????

How do I know when to add or subtract?  Oh, those word problems.  Questions in Math have changed over the years.  No longer are there "Key Words" like altogther, total, each, separate, etc.  The key words have been removed and the students have to recognize real world situations.  Therefore, we made a poster to help identify situations.  When this happens in the story, we will . . . . .  Check out our poster!

Heshima!

Heshima won last week's House Rally!  Who will win tomorrow?  Bring in batteries to help your team.

Which will float?

Today we completed our final mixture; woodchips, pebbles, and water.  We predicted which solid would float and then combined our mixture.  We stirred it up and allowed it to settle. Then we observed at eye level to determine which solid would sink and which would float.  The pebbles are more dense than the water, so they sank.  The woodchips were less dense, so they float.  We got our hands wet separating the mixture back to its original form. 

Multiplication Chart

Today we made the X chart SOOOOO much easier.  We did what we KNOW for a fact: 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, 11 in orange.  Wow!  Look how much of the chart is complete.  Now we went down the middle with prime numbers. EX: 0 x 0, 1 x 1, 2 x 2.  Then we highlighted the factor on bottom in yellow and crossed off its communicative property on top.  EX: 3 x 6 = 18 so 6 x 3 = 18.  We really only need to know less than half of the chart!

Planting in the Garden

Fourth grade got outdoors yesterday and got down to business.  We planted cilantro and garlic in our garden beds.  YUM!  We turned the soil, measured how far about the seeds need to be planted, and how deep to plant the seeds.  FUN FUN

Separating Mixtures

We used all different tools to separate mixutres; our hands, sifter, tweezers, and even a spoon.  A mixture is two or more types of matter combined that can be easily separated.

Perimeter

Today we learned about perimeter.  Now, in third grade, the students did learn perimeter.  But it was simple, add all sides together.  In fourth grade the students will have to apply that knowledge.  Not only solve, but compare the perimeter of 2 figures.  Find the total of 2 or more figures' perimeter.  They may be given the total and asked to find the missing side.  Or, given the total and find the missing data of 2 sides.  Here is a poster we made in class today to help us remember.

Math Charts

Above are some charts that we made in class.  These posters hang on the wall as long as we are studying that particular concept.  I am posting them here in the case that your child finds them helpful while completing homework.