We decorated for Christmas and worked together to build a Christmas chain around the room.  Scholars earned links for many tasks including points on AR quizzes, completed homework, extra effort and more.  It made the last two weeks of December lots of fun.

We continue to use the Great Artist program to "brush up" our art skills.  In November we studied Diego Rivera.

We have tried this several times.  Using spaghetti and marshmallows of various sizes, student built structures.  We're using this to explore earthquakes and engineering.

We studies lava again using more flour.  The focus was on studying how volcanoes react with thicker lava.  It takes more energy to blow a bubble and then...all of a sudden...

We started our first Great Artist project of the year.  Edgar Degas was the first artist we studied and after a few days students created their own versions of "Green Dancers".  We also spread colored chalk all over the desks so cleanup took a while.  I'm impressed with their efforts.

The class has worked really hard these first few weeks of the year.  So, it was time to celebrate Friday with DONUTS.  It was a fun way to start the day.  The sugar rush also helped us learn some new math skills.

We went outside to study waves.  Small groups were given ropes, a ruler and some basic instructions.  They spread out and studied different sizes waves while enjoying some beautiful weather.

I recently shared Flip.com with my students.  They created videos of themselves sharing important details about their interests and hobbies all in a private grid where students can watch and comment on videos created by their classmates.  This tool will be used throughout the year to practice presentation skills.

We had fun that past friday creating customized Funko Pops of ourselves.  My class is very creative and really enjoyed this task.

It was time to build again.  We did this activity twice.  Groups of four were given a stack of newspaper and a roll of tape.  With 10 minutes on the clock they had to design the tallest structure but with an important rule.  It must be able to stand for at least three minutes.  This activity was used to start exploring earthquakes and building design. 

Time for Mystery Science!  We studied different types of lava using flour and water.  It was hands-on and gave us a chance to understand the difference between cone and shield volcanoes.

Students were given a handful of wooden toothpicks and a cup of mini marshmallows and a mission - Build the tallest structure your can.  We are studying earthquakes in science so this was an exciting way to test out some designs and get to know my scholars.

One of the strategies I use to help students learn is using a variety of activities that appeal to various learning styles.  I also give frequent breaks and embed engaging and enjoyable "choices" as rewards for completing required work.  Sometimes we do art together but other times I allow students to go to ArtforKidsHub.com and choose their own art tutorial.  These kid-friendly videos walk them through the drawing progress.  They love it!

Having fun is an important part of learning in my classroom.  Playdoh was given out on the first day of school and is probably the most requested activity.  My students love creating with it though sometimes it ends up on the floor.  Back to School should mean Back to Fun!

Today we started our unit on fractions.  With PlayDoh, plates and plastic knives on our desks, we are building conceptual understanding by comparing medium and large "pizza" slices.  It will take time to understand what a fradtion really is but some students learn this easier because they are visual.  It's a nice change from the division algorithm.

​We hit a self-inflicted roadblock.  Some PlayDoh was old and dry.  I should have checked first.  We'll hit the concept again tomorrow but with better PlayDoh.

Mr. Rubio is so dedicated to supporting students.  He put together a dessert celebration for all students who had earned at last 10 Soaring tickets.  Students earn these tickets each week by completing all their homework, serving others, doing something extraordinary or just remembering to use the bathroom at recess or lunch.  I wasn't here but the word on the street was this - It was sweet!

I believe that children love to build and create.  Legos makes that easy and fun!

The first part of fourth grade I focus on getting my students excited about reading.  The two charts show our STAR reading assessments from the beginning of the year (August) and our most recent test in January.  We have made progress.  We moved from 49% proficient or advanced to 68% proficient or advanced.  More work still needs to be done but a little celebration is in order.

Today we used Legos to better understand the concept of division while practicing the algorithm to divide three digit numbers by one digit.

There was lots of excitement in the air when the Legos came out.  We put them in equal groups, took a break and worked through the algorithm.  We are making progress!

 ​My students worked so hard last week.  We have completed the state testing!

Now, we are completing the final iReady Math Diagnostic.  Our goal is at least 100% growth for the year.

With 30 students done, we are doing well.

I am so proud of my students.  They are tackling the CASSPP testing with determination and perseverance.  Despite some difficult problems, they are working hard and doing their best.  Language Arts is next week!

Using Mystery Science, we used marbles to study motion.

This is a great story of a boy, his Grandfather and a loyal dog.  The ending gets me every time.  We had to pass out some tissues for a few tears.  Great book!