Mathematics Update

There are five strands of mathematics in the PYP program. Those strands are Number, Measurement, Pattern and Function, Data Handling, and Shape and Space.

Fourth grader's first math investigations came from the Number strand. We started with place value concepts and then used our knowledge of rounding to review adding and subtracting 3 and 4 digit numbers. Some children are still working on having a variety ways to record their thinking. Ask your child to show you a few algorithms for addition and subtraction.

This week our math learning intentions come from the Shape and Space strand.

After activities to focus the children on sorting shapes by properties, not names, we investigated polygons.

They challenged themselves to create polygons with a certain number of sides from smaller polygons.

The children used polygons to play a game called Guess My Rule. One player thinks of a property and places two polygons that share it on a paper. She also places a polygon without that property nearby. Other players try to place another polygon with that property onto the paper and hope to guess the property.

Global Mindedness Day 2016

                                                               

                Games Around the World

House teams who visited the grade 4 classrooms learned how to play various games from around the world. Students made comparisons to the traditional games they play to the games kids their age play across various games. These included card games and traditional games.

                                    

                                             

                Here they are trying out a popular game played by girls in Ghana- Ampe. They noticed that it is much like "Rock, Paper, Scissors," but it requires you to use your entire body. 

                  

                              Here they are playing "5 Stones," a game played in many different countries. 

 Students celebrated their diversity and connectedness during a final assembly.  They dressed in clothing from various cultures they identify with.

Parents' Day 2016

We would like to thank everybody who attended our annual Parents' Day on Monday 19th September. Below are the slides from 4B.

You can also download all the Grade 4 learning outcomes for the first semester by visiting the Curriculum page of our school website here.

4B PE-Students are inquiring of the skills we need to play volleyball with success

The students have learned the proper technique and success criteria needed to set, bump and serve a volleyball.

 Success criteria for setting a volleyball: 

1. Triangle at your forehead 

2. Knees bent, elbows bent-Body position Z to I 

3. Stand up and extend knees, straighten arms

4. No noodle wrist, strong hands! 

「きつつきの商売」音読会

All the students in both advanced Japanese classes nailed reading the story that we've been practicing reading for the first couple of weeks of school "Kitsutsuki no Shoubai" ❤️

Class 4A

 Group 1 きつつきの商売　音読会　2016 (4A Group 1) - YouTube

 Group 2 きつつきの商売　音読会　2016 (4A Group 2) - YouTube

Class 4B

 Group 1 きつつきの商売　音読会　4B Group 1 - YouTube

 Group 2 きつつきの商売　音読会　4B Group 2 - YouTube

Good job everyone⭐️

Japanese Summer Reading Challenge

Linah is the Champion of the Japanese Summer Reading Challenge! She read the most Japanese books over the summer.がんばりましたね！

Grade 4 EAL Students Write Their First Narrative Pieces

The students first listened to a memorable moment that happened to their EAL teacher over the summer.  Then, the students were asked to think about a memorable moment which happened over their summer holiday. Once they had decided on their ideas, the students were asked to think about the sequencing of their narratives to help plan them out orally. "What happened first? Next? After that? Finally?"  Then, they used their communication skills to share their stories orally. After that, they started drafting their narratives.  Next, with support from their EAL teacher, they edited their narratives, and finally, they worked on or are working on producing a published piece.

Finding Out about Explorers

During units of inquiry, students inquire! There are many models of inquiry, but all of them catalogue a universal process. Here are two models of inquiry your fourth grader may be familiar with:

Getting Started, Investigating, Collecting Ideas, Going Further

Tuning In, Preparing to Find Out, Finding Out, Sorting Out, Sharing What was Learned, Taking Action

Since a simple Google search will produce many results that will be difficult to make sense of, fourth graders should always begin their research on the Seisen website. To do this, they use the Academics tab to go to the ES Media Lab. Links for research are available there.

Please sit down with your daughter one weekend and give it a go. Hopefully, she is already using the research links to go further with her school learning as well as to find out about anything else that interests her.

During the Explorer unit, students will use their research findings to create explorer cards. The explorer cards are useful for comparing and evaluating explorers and their explorations. Here are a few teacher created exemplars:

Here, fourth graders use the research links on the Seisen website to research an explorer:

During the Explorer unit, Fourth Graders also practice presentation skills. Some shared personal explorations while Tuning In to the unit. All fourth graders presented research in groups while Sorting Out. All fourth graders will also present research at the end of the unit as part of the Living Museum. Please take a look at last year's Living Museum to get an idea of what to expect: http://seisen4.blogspot.jp/2016/03/explorer-unit-living-museum.html

Narrative Writing in Fourth Grade

Fourth grade writers collected ideas for stories. One source of inspiration for fiction ideas are small moments from our lives. They selected an idea and developed a character by focusing on the character's internal and external characteristics. They also got to know their character by creating scenes that may or may not end up in the final story.

A recent lesson was about story arcs. We stressed that fiction writers do not just sit down and start writing. They rehearse. Students may end up creating several story arcs for their idea and their character. Author Rick Rioridan told his son many versions of the Lightning Thief before finally committing it to paper.

In these pictures, students work on their story arcs. At the end of the lesson, some students shared their ideas.            

   

  

From Database Information to Summary...it just takes practice

This week Ms Lea and Ms Ingrid are supporting the current Grade 4 Where We Are in Place and Time unit by sharing two new databases available from the ES Library Media Centre home page. These are World Almanac and Learn 360. 

Following on from lessons about how to locate information and articles in the World Almanac, we discuss how highlighters can be used to select keywords about the explorer Captain James Cook. Using these keywords, the girls practice skills of summarising this new knowledge, before sharing their ideas orally in their classrooms. 

Welcome to 4th Grade!

Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year! We are off to a great start! 4th graders collaborated this week and last week as we tuned into the Seisen Learner Profile. Groups of learners brainstormed the meaning of each profile word. They created examples of how their word applies to various learning experiences throughout the day.

                           

Using communication skills, each partnership represented their learner profile word in drawings and words. These creative posters will be displayed in our classrooms for reference and reflection throughout the year.

                          

In addition to tuning into the profile words, 4th graders revisited other elements of the PYP such as Attitudes, Concepts, and Skills. Our first unit of inquiry theme this year is Where We Are In Place and Time. Ask your daughter the title of our unit!