IPC Integration

This morning's language arts pods found students integrating their IPC topic: Explorers and Adventurers, with various language arts tasks.  While we still did our pods with technology (Into the Book) and continuing to work on our novel study final project, the students also did a read and respond activity where they read a nonfiction card about early exploration while the teacher led pod worked on eliciting information from an article we read yesterday, Ancient Adventurers.  I was extremely pleased with the amount of focus and on task work the students showed this morning.

Explorers and Adventurers

New unit alert!  4th grade purple is entering their final IPC unit of the year: Explorers and Adventurers.  In this unit students will be learning about history, geography and international aspects relating to the topic.  To begin our unit, students worked with partner to brainstorm what they thought geography was, and then terms related to it.  As a whole class we collaborated our ideas, then began applying the geographical terms to describe Genoa.

IPC - Article Reading

Students do a lot of learning through non-fiction in 4th grade.  One way they do this is by reading articles that fit our IPC units topics.  This week we read articles that pertain to our Nature of Life unit, and did so in two different ways.

The first article we read about was "Monarch Butterflies."  The students listened as I oral read the story and we discussed the information together.  They then partnered up, reread the article and answered questions pertaining to the information found in it.

Next, students were put into three groups, with each group getting an article about an adaptation that animals use.  In their groups they read the article by taking turns aloud.  Some groups started answering the accompanying questions and they'll also do a summary of their adaptation to share with the class.

Comparing Decimals

Students are getting to the point in their math decimals unit where they are comparing fractions.  Therefore, they are looking at 0.1 more/less and 0.01 more/less, along with then increasing this amount to find numbers that fit their clues.  Today we introduced this concept using place value mats, with places consisting of tens, one, tenths, hundredths, and place value chips.  First we practiced building given numbers using these tools, and then we extended this knowledge of find more and less than numbers with clues.  Using manipulatives helps us build our understanding of the concept, and to see it visually before we enter the abstract math world.  Comparing numbers will also have us ordering and using our >, <, and = signs again.

Animal Life Cycles

In our current IPC unit, students are studying Nature of Life: animals, habitats, growth, life cycles, adaptations, etc.  Today we read a non-fiction story about various animals, focusing mainly on differences between birth and hatch.  I love how inquisitive the students are and that they just want to know so many things within our study units.

One of today's tasks was that, after reading, students broke into groups to reread an article and illicit information about aspects of animals life cycles.  The conversations that I heard between students was great as they worked to locate evidence for their answers.

Technology Jigsaw

During IPC today students participated in a jigsaw activity with technological inventions.  In groups of 4, students read and elicited information about a specific technological invention.  They then formed an independent opinion of whether that invention makes life better or not and why.  Next they jigsawed.  So one person from each group came together to make a new group: a person with a different invention comprising each group.  The inventions and information were shared as well as the perspectives on if this technology made life better.  I was pleased at how most groups really took well to this task and held some focused discussions.

TAG for Inventions

Students are creating their own inventions for IPC.  A week ago they were given their task with specific outline of events and a couple of different due dates.  Today, students had to bring a visual design, list of materials and be prepared to share their invention idea with others.  In small groups, students shared their inventions and then they with their group members participated in a TAG activity: Tell one thing you liked about the design, ask a question, give a suggestion.  At the end of the period, students had talked about their design with two other people and were give value feedback and suggestions to consider that they may use in the next week as they prepare a model of their invention to share with the class next Wednesday.

Collaboration

4th Grade Purple is really working hard at collaboration skills.  We're learning to listen to everyone's ideas, allow everyone the time to present their thoughts, and how to come up with a single answer for a questions through constructive discussion, especially when there's a disagreement.  Some of us have it already!  Way to go!

Summary Performance

As our chapter 3 activity for Leonardo da Vinci that we're reading, the students were given a hands-on activity that was structured to utilize their creativity.  In groups students needed to first write a summary for chapter 3 of the story, then, using a narrator, find a way to enact their summary.  I enjoyed seeing the various interpretations of events that the students did.