We are having lots of fun learning in 4th grade!

Math - We work hard in math. We work in our math groups. We visit the teacher station, Gram station, the computer, do seatwork during each cycle and read Dyna-Math magazine.

We learn about place value and practice our multiplication facts every day (We also practice them every night for homework since we are tested every day in school.) We learn how to do double digit multiplication and long division. We have fun as we practice our measuring skills which include volume, mass and linear. Sometimes problem solving can be difficult but anything is possible with lots of practice!

Science - Science is fun! We will do some hands-on experiments.

We study an animal unit in science. We begin with animal classification. We study each of the five groups of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. We learn about interesting animal adaptations. Animal projects are always fun to complete!

During the water unit we will learn about both fresh and salt bodies of water. Water sheds and wetlands will be an important area of study in this unit!

Hopefully we will be able to learn more about animals and water if we are able to visit R.B. Winter State Park as some classes did in the past.

Pennsylvania History - We learn many interesting facts about our fabulous Keystone state. We will learn about its beginning and growth of Pennsylvania. Learning about the people who made Pennsylvania so great is fascinating! We write a report about a famous Pennsylvanian of our choice, so start thinking about someone you would like to learn more about!

Reading - For the next few weeks, we'll be studying the theme "You Can Do It!" This theme includes stories and articles about serious and humorous school-related issues. Your child will be reading about how real and imaginary fourth-grade students cope with the challenges and rewards of life at school. Students discover the benefits of embracing their own unique ideas, interests, and abilities.

Books You and Your Child Can Enjoy Together

Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger by Louis Sachar. Morrow 1995 (176p) The kids at the famous 30-story school have a series of substitute teachers.

The Cat That Could Spell Mississippi by Laura Hawkins. Houghton 1992 (160p) Linda, the new girl in class, learns the hard way how to make friends.

Anna, The One and Only by Barbara Joosse. HarperCollins 1988 (144p) No matter how hard she tries to be good, high-spirited Anna seems to end up in trouble.

Serious Science: An Adam Joshua Story by Janice Lee Smith. Harper 1993 (80p) When his little sister destroys his science fair project, Adam Joshua comes up with a new invention to save the world.

Mrs. Cole on an Onion Roll and Other School Poems by Kalli Dakos. Simon 1995 (40p) A collection of humorous school poems.

Here are some theme-related activities for you to do together.

When I Was in School . . .
Compare memories of your own school experiences with those of your child. Talk about classrooms, playground activities, teachers, friends, favorite subjects and not-so-favorite subjects, funny moments, and sad ones.

Is School Cool on TV?
As you watch TV together, pay attention to school-related stories and settings. Talk about whether they seem realistic. What are characters' attitudes toward school? How is the "TV school" like and unlike our school?

The Ideal School
Share ideas about your ideal school. Where would it be? What would it look like? What would the schedule be? What would you study?

During another theme we'll be reading stories that explore situations that highlight the benefits of teamwork. Your child will learn that cooperation strengthens relationships, and they are encouraged to apply this concept to their own lives.

Books You and Your Child Can Enjoy Together

The Whittler's Tale by Jennifer Armstrong. Tambourine 1994 (32p) As the whittler tells tales to the townspeople, the wooden animals he carves come to life..

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky. Little Brown 1994 (48p) The story of Eratosthenes, the Greek boy who later discovered the first accurate way to measure the circumference of the earth.

How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World by Faith McNulty. HarperCollins 1979 (32p) A child's imaginary journey through the earth to find out what it's made of.

The Gentleman and the Kitchen Maid by Diane Stanley. Dial 1994 (32p) The subjects of two paintings in a museum share a romance.

Papa Alonzo Leatherby: A Collection of Tall Tales from the Best Storyteller in Carroll County by Marguerite W. Daavol. Simon 1995 Mama Lulie and the nine Leatherby children love the stories Papa Alonzo tells.

Here are some theme-related activities for you to do together.

Another Point of View
Explore how the world looks to a tiny ant. Take turns describing how the ant might see common objects such as a chair, a piece of candy, a fork, a person's foot.

Sunrise, Sunset
Enjoy a sunrise or sunset with your child. Talk about how people would act if such a thing occurred only once a year, instead of every day.

If Animals Could Talk . . .
Choose a favorite animal and invite your child to do the same. Talk about what would happen if you met your favorite animal-and it could talk!

"Make Yourself at Home" is the theme we'll be exploring later in the year. In this theme students read about characters who grow and change along with their environment. In recognizing that change is a part of nature, students will come to appreciate their own tremendous potential for inner growth.

Books You and Your Child Can Enjoy Together

Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree by William Miller. Lee & Low 1994 (32p) As a little girl, Zora loves to sit in the top of the chinaberry tree and dream of living in cities far away.

Apache Rodeo by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. Holiday 1995 (32p) A contemporary White Mountain Apache, Felecita takes part in the annual summer rodeo.

Shaker Boy by Mary Lyn Ray. Harcourt 1984 (48p) A young boy raised by the Shakers learns the Shaker way of life.

One Nation, Many Tribes: How Kids Live in Milwaukee's Indian Community by Kathleen Krull. Lodestar 1995 (48p) Focuses on two young students who attend the Milwaukee Community Indian School and how they are learning and preserving their culture.

Mama Is a Miner by George Ella Lyon. Orchard 1994 (32p) A young girl is proud of her mother's unusual occupation.

Here are some theme-related activities for you to do together.

Grocery Store Geography
At the supermarket, check out the "ethnic foods" aisle. Look at the foods from various cultures to see what you can find out about the country of origin. If you want to try some of the foods, look for packages with recipes on them.

Festival Time!
You can find out more about various cultures in the U.S. by attending food, music, and arts festivals in or near your community. Newspapers and radio stations usually advertise these. Libraries often post flyers about them, too.

Multilingual TV
Tune in a TV program that's in a language you don't know well. Listen to the language. How is it like the language(s) you know? How is it different? Can you figure out what the people are saying? How?

We will also spend a few weeks of the year investigating stories where characters overcome obstacles by thinking creatively. Using their own problem-solving abilities and creative imaginations, students discover the characters' ability to enhance their environment for the better in the theme "Creative Minds."

Books You and Your Child Can Enjoy Together

Black and White by David Macaulay. Houghton 1990 (32p) In this popular book, the author tells four stories simultaneously, with a quadrant of each page devoted to each story.

The Seven Treasure Hunts by Betsy Byars. HarperCollins 1991 (80p) Two friends devise treasure hunts for each other.

The Case of the Absent Author by E. W. Hildick. Macmillan 1995 (144p) The McGurk Organization is hired by a famous mystery writer to find a missing manuscript.

I Spy Mystery: A Book of Picture Riddles by Jean Marzollo. Scholastic 1994 (38p) Every page of this rhyming book features a mystery to solve.

The Secret Code Book by Helen Huckle. Dial 1995 (56p) Explains how to make and break codes and ciphers, some of which have puzzled the experts.

Here are some theme-related activities for you to do together.

Eyewitness
Check your powers of observation! First, both of you close your eyes. Then take turns describing what the other person is wearing. Open your eyes-would you make a good eyewitness?

Clue Hunt
While out walking, look for clues that show a person or an animal has passed by: footprints, animal tracks, a lost coin, litter. Make up stories about who the passersby might be, what they were doing, and where they were going.

Home Mysteries
Is your home ever the setting for The Case of the
· Missing Sock?
· Empty Cereal Box?
· Vanishing Remote Control?

In the theme "Community Ties", students discover both the joys and the responsibilities of belonging to a community. They gain a better understanding of the interactions that bind and strengthen a healthy society.

Books You and Your Child Can Enjoy Together

Everglades: Buffalo Tiger and the River of Grass by Peter Lourie. Boyds Mills 1994 (48p) A former Miccosukee chief guides readers through the Everglades.

The Summer Sands by Sherry Garland. Harcourt 1995 (32p) Children vacationing by the sea learn to appreciate the nearby sand dunes.

The Night of the Pufflings by Bruce McMillan. Houghton 1995 (32p) Halla and her friends rescue hundreds of stranded pufflings when the young birds attempt their first flight.

V for Vanishing: An Alphabet of Endangered Animals by Patricia Mullins. HarperCollins 1994 (32p) A visually stunning collection of endangered animals, from the armadillo to the zebra.

Monk Seal Hideaway by Diane Ackerman. Crown 1995 (36p) The author visits the last refuge of the Hawaiian monk seal, the most endangered of all seal species.

Here are some theme-related activities for you to do together.

Earth-Smart Shopping
While shopping, invite your child to help make choices that are "earth-smart":
· Avoid products with excess packaging.
· Buy things packaged in recyclable materials.

Beat the Clock
Keep track of the length of time you leave water running while showering, brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc. Come up with suggestions for how your family can use water more wisely.

By the Numbers
Encourage your child to keep track of the number of bottles and cans your family recycles in a week. Work together to figure out how many bottles and cans your household saves from going into a landfill in one year.

Adopt-a-Classroom- Coca-Cola (Kris Caffey)

www.cokecce.com