October 22 and Halloween Info.

This week during our math block, students have been learning to measure different objects and materials using the metric system. Using centimeter rulers, the students have been measuring classroom materials and noticing that the length of the object doesn't change if we move the object to a different centimeter in our rulers, and that to find the length of the object they can either move to the 0 mark, or subtract the lowest centimeter from the highest one. Students have also learned to count centimeters when the objects land on halves. Using pan balances and scales, the students have found how many beans can fit in 100 grams, or the weight in grams of a certain amount of beans. Students have also weighed "bread" dough (clay) and found the measurement on the scale that marks the grams and kilograms. Finally, students have been pouring colored water from one container to another in quantities of 50 milliliters, 100 milliliters and 250 milliliters to get to one liter. The goal of these activities has been to understand the metric system and have some benchmark knowledge on the average quantity of different materials compared to their weight, mass, length and capacity.
During our reading workshop students have continued working with partners, groups or independently on the strategies already learned, as well as worked on updating the book logs, and learning about how readers relate to the characters of the stories that they read.
During writing workshop we have reviewed the different text features for informational pieces, and the students have had a chance to partner up to discuss how they will be using those text features in their own informational pieces, now that most of them have decided on the topic that they will be working on.
During science, we have extended last week's lesson on vision, and related it to our anchoring activity on how an owl catches a mouse. 
Finally, we have started our Social Studies unit on maps and geography, learning about the location of the United States on a map of the world, about the equator and the prime meridian.
Regarding the Halloween celebration, all fourth grade classes will be working on a STEM challenge, and the students will be creating a Pumpkin decoration to express the meaning of a given word that students will have a chance to explore in the classroom. Please read the information about the Halloween celebration on the packet that is coming home today, or find the same information on the file attached.
This week's slide show is attached under the documents.
​Have a great weekend!