Math, Science and Number Corner


This week in math we have still been working on plotting points and different kinds of symmetry. We have been taking a shape, making a frame for it (tracing it on a piece of paper), then putting the original shape in its frame and rotating it to see how many times it will fit in its frame (the starting position counts). This method is called rotational symmetry. Some shapes have only one order of symmetry, but then other shapes could have thousands. We’ve been using other symmetry such as reflective symmetry, and just plain old line of symmetry. Reflective symmetry is the exact reflection of a shape, and regular symmetry is taking a shape and seeing if it can be folded over to match the other side. We have been doing the same things as last week in plotting points.
In science, we have started a new unit on matter, force and motion. All we have done so far is to work on motion and force. No matter yet! Motion is where an object is pushed or pulled by force. We’ve been learning terms like gravity, velocity, acceleration, orbit and friction. I could give you a whole lesson this, but it would take up several pages! It’s seriously complicated! The basics are: an object must be moved by force (a push or pull) and then it will be in motion. Friction might slow it down; velocity is where you measure an object in motion by its speed and direction. Acceleration is the speed an object is moving. We have also learned about Galileo and how he changed the way people thought about force and motion. Another thing we learned was Newton’s three laws of motion. His first law says that an object must stay in its state of motion unless pushed or pulled by force. The second law shows that the greater the mass of an object, the harder it will be to make it move and accelerate. It will also be harder to slow down. The third law is that for every action, there is an equal reaction. This means that when an object is moved by force, the object it was on will react by pushing back at the same rate and acceleration. That’s pretty much a summary of our work in science.
In number corner this week, we have not recognized the calendar grid very much but been focussing more on water evaporation experiment. We took two cups filled with exactly 200 ml of water (we were only supposed to do one cup, but we took it farther). One is near the window, and one is near the sink (away from the window). We have been recording how much water evaporates each day. At the start of the month we predicted how much water there was going to be at the end of the month and how much the water would go down each day. At the end of the month, we are going to compare the 2 cups and their water levels to see if they evaporated differently. Only our number corner workers know, so far, what the measurements are, because they are recording this.
Stay tuned for next week’s news!

Reading And Writing

In reading this week we have been working on non-fiction strategies while reading on about our new theme in science. Our new theme in science is force and motion. We’ve been reading a book all about force and motion with a partner. We’ve been focusing on reading deeply, “like a scientist” and finding answers to questions that have to do with force and motion. While reading to find the answers to the questions we have to do a lot of deep reading, because some of the answers aren't always as obvious as others. It helps us be a better learner because we are practicing to read deeply and go back and reread.
In writing this week the Vermont author Natalie Kinsey-Warnock came to talk to all of the fourth and fifth graders here. After she talked to all of the fourth and fifth graders in the cafeteria, she came to each team separately to talk to them about ways to make the reader feel like they are there.
We are also beginning an informational essay about a state. Everyone has chosen a state to write their essay on, and now we’re starting to do research on our states. We are using a computer program called Culture Grams which has information on every state in the U.S.A. We took some notes using that, but we also each got a book all about our states, which we are also using to get information about our states.

Important News and Events

-Report cards come home March 18!
-Conferences start on March 28 and March 29 is set aside entirely for conferences. If you still need to sign up you can email Mrs.Crowther or you can send the paper sheet that Mrs. Crowther sent home. She will keep the online one current.

By Nigel Wormser and Heidi Berger