Art_Inuit Tapestries

The fourth graders travel the world in art, and it seems appropriate to spend our cold winter somewhere cold, like the Arctic. The girls were first introduced to tapestries like this:

 

Then, they learned about the Inuit way of life and how that way has changed as a result of climate change and politics. They each shared a page from this book and we made a list of recurring themes. 

They began learning stitches and planned their own design for a tapestry. Here are some stitchery samplers and some sketches of their designs. 

 

Next, they will create their tapestries with felt appliqué and a variety of stitches. 

A Reading Challenge for the New Year!

When we returned to school after the winter break, the girls were presented with a new reading goal. By the end of the year, we challenged them to read books that fit certain criteria (see below). Hopefully, this will add one more spark to their 4th grade reading journey. Feel free to ask your daughter about her reading and encourage her to share her thoughts about books that will help her meet this challenge. Of course, there is a prize! Each girl who completes the 2018 Reading Challenge may pick a book of her choice from Scholastic. Happy New Year and happy reading!

A 2018 Reading Challenge!                       

By the end of the school year, complete this challenge by reading books that fit the following criteria. Fill in the title of each book you finish and add other required information on the line below the challenge.

(**If you choose to do so, you may fulfill TWO challenges with one book.)

Can you read a book …

1. published in the year you were born_________________________________

year = _____________ date completed _________________________________

2. that takes place in another country__________________________________

country = _______________ date completed ____________________________

3. with a color word in the title_______________________________________

color = ___________________ date completed __________________________

4. by an author with your initials______________________________________

author = _____________________________ date completed _______________

5. with a one-word title______________________________________________

author = ____________________________date completed _________________

6. with a mostly blue cover___________________________________________

author = _____________________________date completed _______________

7. that takes place during summer_____________________________________

author = _______________________________date completed _____________

8. that is written in verse ___________________________________________

author = ____________________________date completed ________________

9. recommended by a friend__________________________________________

friend = ________________________ date completed ____________________

  

10. about someone you admire ________________________________________

person = __________________________ date completed __________________

11. that is a genre you’ve never read before_____________________________

genre= ___________________________ date completed __________________

12. with some kind of magic in it______________________________________

magic = __________________________ date completed __________________

13. that is the first one in a series_____________________________________

series = _______________________________ date completed _____________

14. that won a Newbery award or honor _______________________________

year = ____________________ date completed __________________________

15. with a cover that you like_________________________________________

why? ________________________________date completed ________________

16. published in 2018________________________________________________

author = ______________________________date completed ______________

17. with a food or drink in the title____________________________________

author = ____________________________ date completed ________________

18. that is a picture book (read it aloud) ________________________________

read to __________________________ date completed ____________________

19. written by a Maryland author______________________________________

author = ______________________________ date completed_______________

20. that made you laugh______________________________________________

why = _____________________________date completed __________________

Hour of Code

This week, your daughter participated in the Hour of Code.  “The Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries” (hourofcode.com).  We use this as an introduction to the programming your daughter will be doing throughout the year.  Learning the basics of programming reinforces problem solving and logic skills.

In fourth grade, students had a choice of Mindcraft, Moana, and Starwars.  By providing choice, students were able to determine what level was best and grow from there.  This helps students to continue to build on what they have already learned from 3rd grade and will be expected to do in 4th grade, using Scratch.

If you would like your daughter to explore more at home, use this link.  Please note, different activities run on different devices and are appropriate for various ages.

Fourth Graders "Cash In"

Our Fourth Grade Girls were very excited to count the money that all the Lower School students brought in their UNICEF boxes. It took both Math classes almost an hour to complete such a tall order, but the result was worth it.  Altogether, the Lower School raised $1032.07!  The Fourth Graders were proud of such an amazing accomplishment, and this project has certainly set the stage for a year of international learning.

Fractured Fairytales

Today the fourth graders are taking home their first major writing project of the year.  After reading folktales and fairytales from different cultures around the world, the girls began writing their own "fractured" fairytales in which they could change one major aspect of a well-known tale. Even just a change to the setting or main character of a story often altered the entire tale's trajectory. The fourth graders loved getting creative with this project, and their published books infuse wit and, often, humor into familiar stories.

Last week, we celebrated the girls' accomplishments with a Publishing Party with the first grade. Each fourth grader read her story aloud to a group of students, and we finished the party off with a "Sparkling Lemonade Toast" to the authors.  Be sure to read your daughter's tale tonight!

French: L'Afrique Francophone

Last week, we concluded our unit on French-speaking Africa. The girls created fantastiques posters on countries such as Madagascar, le Congo, Djibouti, le Mali, and more. They described la géographie, le climat, and le drapeau, among other things. In the pictures below, they are viewing and taking notes on their classmates' projects.

From the Library

Fourth graders started off the year with a few great books:
Charlotte Moundlic's The Bathing Costume
Kate Coombs' The Secret Keeper
Michael Catchpool's The Cloud Spinner
Odile Weulersee's Nasreddine
Lenore Look's Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding

They've also just finished the Partner Book project. In pairs, they chose a book to read together as a mini book group and then presented their book to the class. They included:

Title, Author, Date of Publication
A brief description of the plot (no spoilers!)
Something about the story upon which they enthusiastically agree
Something about the book about which they politely disagree
Their thoughts on who might love this book

The girls enjoyed their five minutes in the limelight.