Measurement Unit Tuning In

Today we tuned into our Measurement unit today. Our first step was to record everything we knew about our central idea:

The metric system aligns with our base ten number system

Thoughts

Kilometres, decametres, metres, centimetres and millimetres are all in the metric system.

The metric system and base ten number system connect with x10.

ex. metre x 10 = 10 metres

10 metres x 10 = 100 metres

100 metres x 10 = 1,000 metres

1,000 metres = 1 kilometre

Metric system has something to do with base ten because the examples have 10 or 100 or 1,000.

Questions

Does it have anything to do with measurement? - Yes!

What is the metric system? - Measurement based on Celsius, degrees, metres, litres, grams

Does the metric system use base ten blocks to find answers?

Does align mean connect? - arrange things, join

Is this about base ten in another way?

How many types of measurement are inside the metric system?

Through the process of reading books about the metric system and interacting with tools (scales, measuring cups, metre sticks), we began our discovery. Our next step is to figure out how the metric system aligns with the base ten number system.

Finding inspiration

4HR is beginning our journey as Realistic Fiction authors. The first step is to find ideas that make us passionate about writing. Ideas that we are called to write! Today we are looking at how other authors, like Kate DiCamillo, get their ideas and organize (or don't organize their ideas!).

Let's watch this video where Kate DiCamillo is honest about mistakes, rejection, and where she gets her ideas. In your writer's notebook, write down 3 - 2 - 1

3 Thoughts or ideas
2 Questions (for Kate DiCamillo or authors)
1 Piece of advice for you as an author

Nonfiction Reading Strategies

Grade 4 has been working on developing our Nonfiction Reading Strategies. Our big foci have been word attack skills, interpreting visual information, determining main idea and detail, and merging information through synthesizing. 

We have been collecting ThinkMarks aligned with this rubric throughout our Nonfiction reading unit. Now we are going to create a video explaining our thinking about Nonfiction texts and our great strategies with the world.

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Hugo Cabret Visualizing

In Hugo's dark dark house, with Isabelle, they were glancing at the automaton. Their gaze was filled with excitement and shock. The automaton is leaning over the desk, with its pen, hovering over the piece of paper, in its hand. The automaton looks lifeless because its mask has no expression. It looks blank and has black eyes. The automaton looks so fragile and delicate.

Intercultural Humor

Many times comedy or humor plays on how cultural universals look differently from culture to culture.

Here are the cultural universals we are learning about:

• Food
• Clothing
• Communication
• Celebrations
• Beliefs
• Religion
• Customs and Traditions
• Shelter/Architecture
• Family Structure
• Art/Music/Entertainment/Sports

We are going to watch three videos that show cultural diversity (differences in cultures). Your job is to hunt for the differences in the cultural universals. Hint: It is what makes the videos very funny!




Now you have a quick skit! Come up with a quick skit that shows how cultural universals are different.

Where Did Numbers Come From?

Today we are going to inquiry into how numbers came to exist. In your Mathematical Strategies notebook, title a page The Story of 1. Below, answer these questions:

Where did numbers come from?


How did humans start using numbers?

Finding our Values

4HR is exploring beliefs, values, cultures, and traditions in our current Social Studies unit. We began by exploring what 4HR values. We found out that we really value:

Understanding     Learning    Respect     Care     Listening     Collaboration     Fun & Enjoyment

Next we looked at ourselves. We arranged these statements in order from most important to least important, and analyzed our responses to determine our individual values.

I try to understand what other people are feeling.

I am as important as everyone else.

Everyone else is equal to me but different from me.

I know what is fair and not fair. I try to do the right thing.

I look after the environment and don’t waste things.

I try to help others and not fight with them.

I have my own ideas but can alter them when I realize they were wrong.

I want to learn more about the world.

I think I can change things in the world.

What would your responses be?

A Day in the Life of an ISKL Student

To investigate how Where you live impacts how you live, 4HR watched documentaries about a day in the life of children in Thailand and Vietnam. But there was no documentary on Malaysia! We decided to make movies that show how the natural, capital and human resources of Kuala Lumpur affect our daily lives. Take a look!




And Afterschool and Weekends!

Our feedback:

What went well:
-the editing process
-the timeline
-timing of audio and video

What we would change:
-equal collaboration
-quiet room for recording
-audio difficulties
-keeping on task
-keeping to agreements

What we learned:
-what impacts our lives
-video and audio in YouTube
-collaboration on YouTube
-pros at tech

Geometry Practice

Today we are going to practice our Geometry skills and strategies. Look at your "I Can" statements to determine which skills and strategies are most important to practice.

Geometric Shapes
I can look for, identify, and draw points, line segments, angles, and perpendicular lines and parallel lines in two-dimensional figures. Splash Math

Classifying Triangles
I can classify triangles as right angles or not. Splash Math

Area and Perimeter
I can use the area and perimeter formula. Ship Builder, Compare Area and Perimeter
I can use the formulas to solve problems. Area and Perimeter, Party Planner

Angles
I can explain that an angle is measured in degrees. - Estimating Angles, Hitting the Target
I can measure an angle using a protractor. - Protractor Game, Random Angle
I can use a protractor to create a given angle.
I can sketch angles when given a measurement. - Banana Hunt,
I can explain that the angle measurement is the sum of its decomposed angles.
I can write an equation with an unknown angle measurement. - Angles Games, Add and Subtract Angles
I can solve word problems involving unknown angles. Kung Fu Angles

Choose wisely!

NYC: Where I Lived Impacts How I Lived

When I lived in New York City, the physical and human characteristics impacted how I lived. Firstly, New York City is an island and it impacted my transportation choices. Then, the climate impacted the clothing I had to buy. Lastly, the museums and cultural places impacted the activities I would do in my spare time. Therefore, my time in NYC was different because of these physical and human characteristics.

There were so many physical characteristics that affected the way I lived. First of all, it is an island! I couldn't just walk to neighboring states. I had to take bridges and tunnels, which had expensive tolls. So it wasn't cheap to get to New York City or leave it. On the other hand, we can take ferries as a form of transportation, and really lovely beaches were nearby.

Did you know the winters in NYC are brutally cold? They are ridiculously cold. This would impact how I lived because I would need an arsenal of hats, gloves, scarves, and coats to help me through the winter. My closets were full of sweaters, warm pants, and socks. Bet you didn't know that summers in NYC are as humid as KL? It's true! You sweat all the time when you are walking around NYC. Therefore you need to also have dresses, shorts, and sandals to help you keep cool. Not every apartment has air conditioning, so people love to go to restaurants or cafes to enjoy the cool air con.

In NYC, we have so many museums and places with culture. If it was a rainy day, no need to stay inside your house! You can go see a play or look at art. During the summertime, many cultural events happen outside, so you don't have to miss a second of fresh air or sunshine. I recommend going to concerts in the park and outdoor art exhibitions to anyone visiting New York.

I hope you understand why my life was so different in New York. I had to adapt to living on an island, with seasons, and so many cultural things to do. I miss some things (like the museums), but don't miss others (like the brutal winter winds!). If you ever decide to move to New York, please know it is a unique place to live.

Flipped Classroom!

4HR is learning about different geometric shapes and attributes. To help us get comfortable using the new vocabulary in class, let's practice at home.

For each concept, choose one way of finding out. Then, on Friday, bring in your Way to Show Your Learning.

All About Geometry
Watch BrainPop video
Glorious Geometry on Big Universe

Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
Watch BrainPop video
Stone Age Geometry: Lines on Big Universe

Line segment, Lines, Rays, and Points
Khan Academy tutorial
Lines Segments, Rays, and Angles on Big Universe

Angles: Acute, Obtuse, Right
Lines Segments, Rays, and Angles on Big Universe
Stone Age Geometry: Squares on Big Universe

Big Universe Log-in Information
Username: student panther apps

Password: student panther apps

Group Username: libiskl

Ways to Show Your Learning
1) Go on a geometry hunt. Find at least 15 objects that demonstrate different geometric attributes (parallel & perpendicular lines; acute, right and obtuse angles; lines, line segments, rays, and points). In a Google Slide or poster, includ a picture or drawing and identify each attribute.

2) Draw a piece of Art: In your beautiful drawing, include the following geometric attributes (parallel & perpendicular lines; acute, right and obtuse angles; lines, line segments, rays, and points). Make sure to label all the attributes.

3) Brain Pop shape sorter: Sort the shapes. Take a screen shot or print final results to bring in on Friday.

4) Your choice: Talk to Ms. Rich before Wednesday to have your choice approved.

Grade 5 Service Learning Fair

4HR attended the Grade 5 Service Learning Fair. The 5th graders had been inquiring into social issues and organizations since October. Today they presented their learning and actions with the Melawati community.

What we learned:

Ashton - Human trafficking sells body parts.
Colin - Body parts cost a lot of money from human trafficking, over $100,000
Jacob - same as Colin and Ashton
Tessel - Sun bears are very endangered.
Joshua - same as Colin and Ashton
Alicia - Sun bears can climb trees. I never knew what sun bears were!
Julie - Some 5th graders were helping 2nd graders be tuned into school.
Juliette - Rhinoceros only have 10 left.
Kaelyn - Syrian refugees had to run from their homes because of the war.
Aron - There is an island made of trash. That is bad.
Leila - Same as Julie.
Beckett - Melawati is not recycling enough things. We should recycle more.
Rea - Panda bears are endangered.
Mikaela - Same as Rea.
Linh - 7,700 seas animals die each year.
Jack - There is a sign on most cartons of juice or other products that says if they are recyclable.

What we could do next:

Start looking for recyclable sign on cartons to throw it in the correct bin. - Beckett & Jack
At lunch, we could remind people to put recyclables in the correct bins. We could start a little group to organize bottles and cartons. - Colin
Donate money to the SPCA. - Mikaela
Eat tuna, salmon, seaweed, but leave the others alone. Or stop eating fish. - Joshua, Jacob, Ashton
We can make a video about pandas and red pandas. - Juliette and Alicia
Write Ms. Cheng a letter that says we need to recycle more. - Tessel and Rea

Kindness Fair

Today 4HR shared our projects about Kindness. We could respond to one of these three quotes from our class read aloud Wonder by R. J. Palacio.

How do we know we have been kind?

What is it to be kind, anyway?

Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary.

We had so many different responses: skits, essays, posters, presentations, books, and flip books.

What did we learn about kindness from the book Wonder and our opportunities to respond? Go to our individual blog to read our blog post reflections!

3-2-1 Multiplying Fractions

4HR completed a Visible Thinking Routine about multiplying fractions. We recorded 3 thoughts or ideas, 2 questions, and 1 simile about multiplying fractions before we began learning about this concept. Here are some of thoughts, questions and similes.

Thoughts
I think the answer will get smaller when multiplying fractions.

It might be easy, it might be hard.

I think multiplying fractions is the same as multiplying. Adding and subtracting fractions were the same as with whole numbers.

Questions
Would it be the same or similar to multiplication with whole numbers?

How do we multiply fractions?

Similes
Multiplying fractions is like looking at yourself in the mirror because you double yourself.

Multiplying fractions would be as easy as doing nothing.

Go to this LearnZillion lesson to see what we did next!

Creating Line Plots

4HR is learning how to to use line plots to organize and display data. Are you curious about line plots? Here is a quick video to teach you more about making line plots.




What did we learn?
Line plots go from the smallest (or least) to the biggest (or most)
Use Xs to show how much or how often
It is similar to a graph (only x axis)
At the bottom, you need to label
At the top, there is a title

Today we will use line plots to interpret data on different athletes. On this site, we will make a line plot and determine the information it is telling us.

Our next step is to use these skills to help us interpret data in the real world! Watch out for our next steps.

Tuning Into Unit Fractions

 4HR is beginning to find out about unit fractions. We learned that there are many types of unit fractions, based on the denominators. Take a look through our presentation to see all the different types.

Consolidating Our Knowledge of the Rock Cycle

4HR got to experience the rock cycle last week in the Science Lab. This week we are going to review our learning and share it out! Use one (or more) of the resources below. Then pick one way to share your learning.

BrainPop Rock Cycle video

PowerScienceKnowledge

World Book


Options to show your learning

Share a rock cycle demonstration (ideas at PowerScienceKnowledge)

Take the BrainPop quiz (and email Ms. Heather your results)

Make a BrainPop idea map (and take a screenshot and add it your Google Drive)

Learning about Caves

4HR went on our field trip to the Batu Caves today. We investigated the following questions:

What changes have happened? And who/what caused those changes?

Here is what we found out.

Alicia - The farmers put dynamite in the cave and blew it up. So the floor was a lot deeper than it was naturally (before).

Jack - They did this to find limestone (or dinosaur fossils). The limestone was valuable for cement.

Julie - Humans carved their names into the walls.

Questions to be answered: Is limestone valuable because it is a sedimentary rock? Or it is shiny?

Omar - Water used to be in the cave by coming through holes.

Ranvir - Acid water causes a change in the cave by making holes.

Ashton - This is how stalactites and stalagmites are formed. Over a hundred million years, it will form a column.

Rea - Acid rain has a special kind of carbon dioxide that has calcium.

Kaelyn - Water drips from a stalactite to make a stalagmite.

Resources to Answer Our Questions

From learning about Earth layers, we have become curious about how the Earth began. We understand that scientists only have theories (no one was around when the Earth began).




Here is a resource about how plate tectonics began.

Volcanoes in Snow?

Yesterday, scientists aboard a research ship witnessed Big Ben, a volcano in Antarctica, erupting. 4HR discussed the following:

-Are volcanoes linked to hot weather? How can there be a volcano in the snow?

-What comes out of the volcano? It looks like steam or ash.

Watch the video here to see and learn more.

Finding Equivalent Fractions

Today we are going to continue our investigation into equivalent fractions by using the program Illuminations. We can use lots of our strategies to find equivalent fractions.

Strategies:

-compare sizes of models

-represent on a number line

-find common factors and multiples

Which strategy was most effective and efficient for you?

Studying Earth's Structure

4HR has started learning about the Earth's structure. We will spend time in class reading and studying the different layers, and for homework, keep learning more! Use the suggested resources below:

BrainPop - has an excellent video explaining the different layers, as well as a timeline game that teaches you about geological discoveries and advancements!

KidsGeo - quick video about the layers. Read on to learn about the crust!

WatchLearnKnow - this video goes beyond the layers of the Earth if you are interested in knowing about Pangea and plate tectonics.

And lastly, here is our favorite resource: Journey to the Centre of the Planet!

BBC.Richard.Hammonds.Journey.To.The.Centre.of... oleh DocumentaryHD

Make sure to learn as much as you can and record it on your See Think Wonder note taking sheet. On Friday, we are going to use this knowledge to make Earth models!

Random Acts of Kindness Week

With Random Acts of Kindness Week coming up, 4HR started to brainstorm how they could be kind in their words and actions.

Kind things to say
Thank you for all the things you have helped us with. 
Thanks for the cookies, they were delicious. 
You look beautiful today! 

Kind things to do
Get up and do the chores that your parents said and don't complain.
Make a Thank You card.
Play with everyone.
Stand up for your friends in a way that is caring and helpful.

Watch this video to see how a small act of kindness affects others in a community. How have you been inspired by this video?