News and Notes 10/25

News and Notes

From Fourth Grade

SUPER LEARNERS

What is a super learner?  This is the question that the fourth graders were asked to answer this week for morning work.  Without any extra information or guidance, the fourth graders created an amazing list of ideas.  A super learner is:  focused, hard working, someone who never gives up, someone who does their best, and is someone who learns everywhere and from everything (including a cereal box)!  The discussions flowing out of this small question were exciting and impressive.  The students have agreed to create a kind of whole-class challenge.  We will keep track of times when we are “super learners” in our classroom.  We decided after a certain number of super learner moments, we will celebrate.  This means we will be doing more than just the minimum, but will seek to learn and explore and discover to our greatest potential.  It is going to be a very exciting and fruitful venture, and I’m excited to see what these “super learners” discover!

Wondering

Our continued work in reading comprehension strategies has led us to the world of wondering.  “I wonder” is a powerful tool in the hands of a thinker.  This week the fourth grade readers were asked to sharpen their wondering skills while reading expository texts.  Everything from snakes to chocolate to submarines were being wondered about in our classroom.  It is always exciting to see students diving into their reading, and wondering is a great way to make sure we understand what we are reading.  The wondering strategy is an essential for any life-long learner, and these fourth graders are certainly becoming expert wonderers!

History

Most fourth graders have been around for about a decade.  When we talk about social studies and begin exploring topics in history from hundreds of years ago, it is important for students to learn how to look at things from a different perspective than their own.  One of the benefits of studying history is in the opportunity it gives the learner to connect with a different people in a different time and place than their own.  This year we will be discovering some major events in the exploration, colonization, and eventual foundation of United States of America.  The fourth graders are enthusiastic to begin this journey into our amazing history!