Welcome!

Dear Students and Families,

This blog is for Grade 4 and 5 students to continue to reflect on our curriculum.

Each week the blog will be updated with a new post and poll. Select one question in the post to think deeply about and respond in the Comment section below.

I can always be reached at dorit.perlmutter@tdsb.on.ca.

Happy blogging,
Ms. Perlmutter




Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Final Week News

Wed. June 20, 2012

Today we did an activity with NEWSPAPERS. 

Why are newspapers important?
What are examples of Canadian newspapers?
How are they organized?
What sections do they have?




"Which is NOT a fossil fuel is?"
The answer: water.  Coal, oil and natural gas are indeed fossil fuels that we use to get energy.  What can we use the energy for?

This Friday June 22 will be a busy day.  Our class will have an end-of-year celebration and the school assembly will begin at 1 p.m.  Everyone is invited to the assembly.  Our class celebration will include a 'snacky' pot luck, short video and fun centers. Thank you for helping to make this happen.

Check the poll to vote on a video! As for the pot luck and fun centers, read over the lists we came up with:

POT LUCK
*REMEMBER:
-Each participating person is recommended to bring in 1 item
-Make sure the foods are pig free (i.e. no gelatin) and nut free
-There are 21 students

Drinks
1,Victor (Ginger Ale)
2. Ann-Marie (Soda)
3. Roman (Soda)
4. Daravone (Nestea)
5. Dany (Orange Juice)
6. Ziad (fruit punch)
Ms. Perlmutter to provide cups

Fruit - pre-washed and cut
1. Ms Perlmutter (watermelon)
2. Satyam (berries)

Salty Snacks
1. Thomas (Lays)
2. Ann-Marie (Doritos)
3. Roman (spicy chips)
4. Adea (salt and vinegar chips)
5. Dejaun (Smartfood)

Sweet Snacks
1. Inas (cupcakes)
2. Ziad (cookies)
3. Daravone (rice krispie squares)
4. Min (chocolate)
5. Inaya ??
6. Aaron (cookies)??

Frozen Treats
1. Yosef (ice cream sandwiches)
2. Sabrina (freezies)
\


Fun Centers
*Remember:
-You can visit at least 2 centers
-Each center will last for about 20 minutes

1. Art - Pottery

2. Art - Painting

3. Chess

4. Games - Use a class game (i.e. Pictionary, Quirkle, Piktureka, Sort it Out)

5. Video Games - bring in your handset of your choice

6. Monopoly (Min?)

7. Spinning Top (Daravone?)

8. Velcro darts

9. A game that you would like to bring in


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Thursday June 7 UPDATED

Field Trip
*Please bring your signed form to school on Friday June 8th.

Swim to Survive is a water survival program. 

Important Information: We will leave Jesse after lunch at 12:10 p.m. and walk (TTC if raining) to Jarvis CI located at 495 Jarvis St. south of Wellesley St. on: Monday June 11, Friday June 15 and Tuesday June 19.  We return to school at around 2:40 p.m. 

Aboriginal Celebrations at the Toronto Reference Library

 

Shares with us the Teachings of the Aboriginal Tribes
 We learned about the different styles of dance and the significance of the drum to the Aboriginal peoples. 

What are some key teachings of your culture?

A key teaching of the Aboroginal peoples is that they are connected to the Mother Earth in every part of life.

What examples can you think of?


                             

Visit these websites to learn more:
                        
http://www.ecokids.ca/ (search for first nations)
                      


Round Dance







Medicine Wheel

Regalia


Here are some questions to think about and discuss:
-Why is culture important?
-How does your culture, language, traditions shape who you are?
-How do the Aboriginal Canadians preserve their culture and history?
Science
*Conserving Energy

Part 1 - What is energy?

What is energy?
Energy is the ability to make things move and do work.

There are different types of energy. Try to find all the different kinds in the picture below.
Hint: chemical, elastic, electrical, gravitational, heat, kinetic, magnetic


Part 2 - What are renewable and non-renewable energy sources? 

Renewable energy = a source of energy that is being replaced all the time, like sunlight, water, and wind

Non-renewable energy = A source of energy that is used up when the energy is taken out of it. 
 For example, coal, oil, natural gas and uranium.


Why is using renewable energy sources better for the environment?







Part 3 - Look around your home for different energy sources - renewable and non-renewable. 

What types of energy sources do you have in  your home? 

Solar Panel - Renewable Energy Source (Sun)

Fan - Renewable Energy Source (Wind)

Math
*Algebra
Key words - variable, equation

Music
*Sound
*Band
*Steel Pan - Song: Macarena
*Musical Stories

Drama
Performance of Reader's Theatre plays!

Art
*Sketching - using geometry to draw
*Mural for play background


Friday, May 18, 2012

Friday May 18, 2012

Dear Friends,

Happy May 2-4 Long Weekend!

This week, we accomplished a lot! Here's a rundown:
-wrote CASI reading tests
-experimented with probability using 2 number cubes and a grid
-investigated the properties of water with an ice-cube melting race
-discussed novels in literature circles
-some of us attended Track and Field events at Varsity Stadium
-ran in relay races
-described the characteristics of a rock and a cotton ball (Understanding Properties of Matter)
-wrote a paragraph about friendship including a topic sentence and supporting details
-practiced reading script for Reader's Theater
-sketched first draft of setting for mural (Reader's Theatre)

Next week, be prepared for the following:
Monday - no school
Tuesday - Literature Circles meet, hand in journal entries #1 and #2
Wednesday - afternoon rehearsal for Spring Concert
Thursday - Spring Concert at 6:30 in the gym
Friday - possible Reader's Theater performance with props, costume

*Science 
Understanding the Properties and Changes of Matter (Grade 5)

The term characteristic refers to a feature of the substance itself, such as:
-colour
-mass
-hardness
-flexibility
-strength
-texture

AT HOME ACTIVITIES
Play a game of I Spy!  Use the characteristics of an object.  For example, "I spy something that is flexible."
Use vocabulary that describes how an object looks and feels.

Check out a website! Visit http://www.linktolearning.com/ and view your Grade level in Science.  Explore, read and learn!

Light and Sound (Grade 4)

The term reflect means to bounce back.  The term reflector means a material that reflects light.

You have seen that mirrors are good reflectors of light.  Kaleidoscopes both make use of mirrors and their ability to reflect light.

In class, we built kaleidoscopes.  How do they work? What do you see inside?

The term transparent refers to light that can pass through a material so taht anything behind it can be seen.   The term translucent refers to some light that can pass trhough but scatters it so that anything behind it cannot be seen clearly.  The term opaque refers to material that does not allow light to pass through.

What do you think can happen when light rays hit an object in their path?
a) light rays pass through
b) scatter off the object
c) be absorbed by the objects like a sponge absorbs water
d) any of the above answers, depending on the object!

AT HOME ACTIVITIES
Search for objects at home that are transparent, translucent and opaque!

Check out a website! Visit http://www.linktolearning.com/ and view your Grade level in Science.  Explore, read and learn!

Friday, May 11, 2012

Friday May 11, 2012

Dear Friends,

To all the Moms this Sunday: Happy Mother's Day! Here's a poem and flowers for the occasion:

When Mother Says
By Charles Barnes

When mother says, "Do this," or "that,"
Don't say, "What for?" and "Why?"
But let her hear your gentle voice
Say, "Mother dear, I'll try."

Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers
Reading
*Literature Circles meet on Monday May 14th. 







Come prepared with:
1. section read (section 2)
2. 3 strong questions on a post-it note
3. pick a passage to read aloud and explain your choice (write explanation on a post-it note)
4. a written journal entry from last week's reading

Tips & Strategies:

The passage can include:
-your favourite part
-the most important part
-something that confused you
-something that surprised you
-an excellent description
-a part that reminded you of something


Visual Art
*We met Kevin Sylvester, a Canadian author and artist.  His lessons on drawing teach us to keep a loose wrist, experiment and use geometric shapes!





Science
*We designed cover pages for our unit on Matter and Energy.
Gr. 4 - Sound and Light

Prism of Light
Gr. 5 - Properties and Changes in Matter


The 3 States of Matter




What do you know? What do you want to know? What have you learned?

P.P.T. Presentation Schedule
*In June, you will present your final presentation on the category you haven't done yet - is it PERSON, PLACE or THING?

June 6 - Sultan
June 11 - Inaya, Lauren, Min
June 12 - Dejaun, Jaiden, Victor
June 13 - Thomas, Roman, Adea
June 14 - Dany, Amir, Satyam
June 15 - Inas, Daravone, Afnan
June 18 - Yosef, Aaron, D'Wayne
June 19 - Ziad, Sabrina, Ann-Marie


 

Friday, May 4, 2012

Friday May 4, 2012

Dear Friends,

Happy May! Keris sends a message to everyone: she misses you. She also sent us a picture.

Inside Room 16


Literature Circles
*First meeting is on Monday May 7.  Read your section, bring in 3 questions on a post-it note and be prepared to read aloud a short passage followed by an explanation. 

Math
*Probability - Describe events that are impossible, unlikely, probable, likely, certain.  Play games that involve chance. How do you predict the outcome?  Does the outcome match your prediction?

Social Studies
*Folk Tale Project is underway. 
1. Read a folk tale.
2. Write a summary and define the problem and solution the main character faces.
3. Illustrate a key scene and write a caption describing it.
4. Vocabulary
5. Choose an option - write an original folk tale; change the ending of your folk tale; write a diary entry in-role as a character from the folk tale; compare your folk tale with Makanda Mahlanu

*We've already begun to write stories set in either an early civilization or medieval times! This can go towards your project.

*Research a topic of your choice. Draw, list key words and summarize your learning in a paragraph.

Art
*Understanding the elements of art
1. colour
2. line
3. shape and form
4. space
5. texture
6. value

*Answer your art question! Use researched facts, your opinion and an image.

Music
Respond to a musical experience, like Panfest.  Write a metaphor and sketch!  Prepare to paint it.

*Band

*Musical stories

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Sunday April 22, 2012

Dear Friends,

To acknowledge the end of National Poetry Month, I thought I'd share a poem with you.  Remember, if you have a poem of your own that you've discovered, bring it into class.

The Red Wheelbarrow
By William Carlos Williams
(Published in 1923)

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white 
chickens.


What is most important about this poem?

Some say the thing that is most important about this poem is the subject matter.  A wheel barrow seems like an ordinary object, plain and simple.  Perhaps the simple things are actually the most important and to be celebrated!  What "ordinary" thing can you write a poem about? 

Here's a glimpse at the week ahead:

*P.P.T Presentations - Talk about something you know and care in a 3-4 minute presentation.  Speak from what you already know about.  Use appropriate language, practice speaking loudly and clearly, make eye contact and have a visual aid.

*Folk Tales - Read, write and extend!

*Fractions - In-class investigation with Tangrams!
(review concepts: equivalent, improper and mixed fractions)


*Talk Show - The topic is Alfie, The Little Werewolf


*Social Studies - "Why do some civilizations die while others survive?"
Satyam's Armour


Think about what you've learned about civilizations through stories, textbooks, artifacts and innovations seen at the ROM.


*Panfest - Tuesday morning we're taking a field trip to celebrate steel pan (music appreciation!) For more information, check out:

http://www.tdsb.on.ca/about_us/media_room/room.asp?show=allNews&view=detailed&self=25331


*Art - Answer your 'big' question from our Yorkville Gallery Art Walk.  Can you give each artwork below a different title?  
'Big' Questions

The Inside-Out Clock

Abstract: "Acting Wild"

Realism: "Airport"

Contemporary: "Fractured World"

Realism: "Urban Nights"


Realism: "East Coast"

Aboriginal: "Healing"

Aboriginal: "Nunavut"

Abstract: "Colour Flash"
Mixed Media: "Shipwrecked"

Aboriginal Canadian Artist
Abstract & Sculpture


Friday, April 13, 2012

Friday April 13, 2012

The week ahead:

Monday
- hand in field trip form.  The only cost is for the TTC.  Please bring 2 bus tickets OR your bus fare ($) on the day of the trip.
-hand in good copy of Cookbook Cover Page and Poem (Fractions of Me)

Tuesday
-Math quiz : FRACTIONS - equivalent fractions, mixed and improper fractions


using cuisenaire rods
adding fractions
in pictures and numbers


 

 For extra practice, you can find online games and activities to try.

*I randomly came across this great math idea: MY LIFE IN NUMBERS.
What would YOUR life in numbers look like?
Wednesday
-field trip to the Toronto International Film Festival Lightbox cinema located at 350 King Street West for FREE screening of Alfie, the Little Werewolf.  The film's themes include: family, identity, acceptance and anti-bullying.

The Learning Goal:
-explain how a person's actions can affect the feelings and reputation of themselves and others

Film Synopsis:
When the full moon rises on the night of his seventh birthday, strange things begin to happen to shy little Alfie: he suddenly grows sharp claws and white fuzzy hair, and begins to howl at the moon.  Alfie soon realizes he is no longer a regular kid - he has turned into a werewolf!  Only his brother Timmie knows, but with Alfie attacking his neighbour's chickens and biting a bully in the leg, it won't be long until his secret is revealed.  Alfie just wants to be an ordinary boy again, but with the help of his loving family and a mysterious, hairy stranger, he may learn that what makes each person different is also what makes them special.
A Scene from the Film

Understanding Perspective (Point of View)


TIFF Bell Lightbox on King Street West
 Friday
-house league kickball

*Running club is offered every day.