* Practice Multiplying * Real World Problems * Understand Fractions * Build with Unit Fractions * Fractions that Add to One * Compared Unit Fractions * Added and Subtracted Fractions with like Denominators * Mixed Numbers and Fractions Greater than One
Language Arts
* Began a personal narratives * Practiced identifying verbs and verb tenses * Spelled short u and oo words * Read "Just Like Home" * Read "Life Doesn't Frighten Me"" * Discussed theme * Read "The Elephant and the Crocodile" * Read "The Wild Horses of Assateague Island" * Read "Wild Ponies of Chincoteaque" * Worked with digraphs
Social Studies - Branches of the Government
* 3 Branches of the Government - Legislative - Executive - Judicial * Checks and Balances
The Three Branches of the Government
In class we have been learning about the three branches of the government. We made a social studies project that was really cool. Here are some facts about the three branches of the government. First we will start with the Legislative Branch. It is made up of two groups called the Senate and the House of Representatives. Another fact is that each state has a different number of Representatives. A state gets their number of Representatives depending on the population of the state. A fact about the Judicial Branch is that there are 9 justices who work in the judicial branch. The justices serve for life or until they retire. Then, the last branch is the Executive Branch. A fact about the Executive Branch is that their main job is to enforce the laws that the Legislative Branch sends them. Now you know some facts about the 3 Branches of the Government!
Martin's Big Words
In fourth grade, we made microphones that had a word on it that has a strong meaning. First, we read a book about Martin Luther King Jr. It told us about how white people had more power than black people and how the black people protested. It also told about a lot of words Martin said that have a big meaning. Each time we thought of a big word on a page of the book, we wrote it down on a big sheet of paper. After we finished the book, we got to pick a word from the big sheet of paper. We wrote our names on the word we wanted to write about. Then, the teacher gave us a piece of paper to write about what the word meant, and what it meant to us and Martin. Next, we got to rewrite it on a final draft and decorate it. After that, our teacher gave us construction paper to make a microphone. First, we glued the papers that we wrote about our word on a rectangular piece of black paper. Next, we cut a gray piece of paper into two circles and glued them on the rectangular piece of paper. Finally, we made lines or dots on the microphone head to make it look like a microphone. As you can see, the fourth grade Martin’s Big Words project was really fun. Nathan K
Steam Egg
For Steam we have been doing an eggsperiment. I mean an egg experiment. So this is the challenge: we have to build a car and the egg has to go in the car and we put it on a ramp. Then the teacher drops the car and the car runs into a brick wall that is six centimeters away. The challenge was to try to make the egg survive. One of the problems was that we only got one of the items such as bubble wrap, tape, tin foil, and some others. Most people got the bubble wrap and one or two got the tape. Another of the problems was that we only got two days, so 30+30= 60, so we had one hour only. Time passed quickly. Finally the day came and it was time to see which team’s egg would survive and which would not. The first team was the science table and the egg broke in the front. The next team was the technology table and their egg surprisingly did survive. Everyone was cheering for them. Then it was time for the engineering table. The egg rolled out of the cart but luckily it survived. After the engineering table was the art table, and just like the engineering table it fell out of the cart and on the floor. Sadly it failed the test and broke. Second to last was the Math table. Their egg stayed tite and did not fall out and it survived. Last but not least was my table. The STEAM table. The car had no roof and had a huge bumper. It also had two sides one on one side and one on the other. We were ready and Mrs. Lazris let the car go and it hit the wall and was about to fall out but the teacher caught it in her hands. It did survive. I was so excited. Everyone was so happy and excited. It was the best day ever. Oskar
Extra-Curricular Bowling
On January 28 we went to the bowling alley with our friends and bowled after school. When we got to the bowling alley, we went to our lane and the balls were there. If one of your team mates had money you could get something for you or for your group. We bowled for I think an hour and a half. We got a cup of sprite and water. We only got one cup of sprite. The rest of the time we had to drink water. Or if you brought money you could get a soda or something to eat. You also got a one piece of pizza. That was really good. Axel & Jack
4th Grade Girls Basketball
The girls basketball practices are on Tuesdays. The games are on Saturdays. Our team name is OP (Optimum Performance but we like to call it Original Pop Tarts). Hi, I’m Katie and my basketball number is 23 which is LeBron James’s and was (is) Michael Jordan’s number. Hi, I’m Hayatulah and my basketball number is 4 which is the same as Antwan Jamison ‘s and Quincy Acy’s number. So far we’ve lost all 3 games. Maybe we’ll win next weekend. This is how to play basketball: The rules are: no traveling, no double dribbling, do not kick the ball, and do not interfere with the game until there is a break to tell someone to sit out. Traveling is when you pick up the ball and carry it. When you pick up the ball you have 2 choices: shoot, or pass. Double dribbling is either when you dribble with 2 hands or when you dribble, pick it up, and start dribbling again. Now this is how you play: You have to dribble down the court to try to shoot a basket. If you drop the ball just pound it and it’ll come back to you. If you are trying to shoot the ball you’re on offense. If you’re trying to stop the other team from shooting a basket you‘re on defense. A layup is a really easy shot. A jump shot is 1 point, a free throw is 2 points, and a 3-pointer is 3 pointer. I hope you enjoyed hearing about the girls basketball.
Katie & Hayatulah
Science
* Where do you get energy? * What are some kinds of energy we use? * Energy Hunt * Potential Energy * Kinetic Energy
Paw House
The Paw house comes every Friday. It goes around the whole school. You put your paw in the paw bucket. Then the teacher closes her eyes and she picks 4 paws.There are really good prizes in the bucket. There are coupons like teacher helper, chew gum in class: bring your own gum, tech time (10 minutes), individual PJ day, write with anything but pencil, draw or read for (10 minutes), homework pass, choose the movement break, and cut the line in the cafeteria. Some of the prizes are erasers, snap bracelets, Culver School t-shirts, slime, squishies, socks, folders, rubber duckies, prickly animals, notebooks, sticky hands, books, pencils, bouncy ball, emoji, key chain, cars, dinosaurs, and mini footballs. In conclusion we love the paw house so, so much.
Bianca and Sarah
Spelling Bee
There was a spelling bee in our school on January 9 this year. There were 4 students from each class from 4th-8th grade that competed in the spelling bee. How they got into the school spelling bee was this way. First, everyone from 4th-8th grade was given a list of words to study for their class spelling bee. We were given about a week to study until the class spelling bee. Then, the class spelling bee was about to happen. In our class we did a practice round. In the practice round, even though you got out, you would still be in for the actual class spelling bee. After the practice round, we started the class spelling bee. Some people got out and some people stayed in longer than others, but the four people that won the class spelling bee in our class were Alina, Oskar, Kathyrn, and Leander. On January 7, 2020, some of the people that won their class spelling bee went to Ms. Conklin’s room to practice and go over the rules of the school spelling bee. We also asked some questions. After that, the 4th and 5th graders stayed in Ms. Conklin's room to practice and 6th, 7th, and 8th graders went with Ms. Chmura to a different room to practice. Next, the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders went back to Ms. Conklin's room and everyone started to get ready to leave. On January 9, 2020 at 3:45 p.m. almost all the spellers were sitting in chairs on the P. E. stage. We were each given a number, then all the spellers waited. Some went to get apple slices or water on a table right outside of the gym and some went to use the bathroom. The judges were Ms. Conklin, Ms. Chmura, and Dr. Smolinski. After a while, one teacher talked to the audience about something and another teacher talked to all the spellers about a different thing. Then, we started the practice round. If you got out in the practice round you didn’t get out for the actual spelling bee. After some words were spelled, we started the real spelling bee. If you got out you flipped your number necklace backwards and you sat down in your chair and watched the other spellers. You could leave if you wanted to, but most didn’t leave. Some of the spellers went off the stage to get apple slices, water, or to use the bathroom. Some people got out in the first round and then the second round came. The words got a bit harder. More people got out and then we started the 3rd round. Every 2 rounds we switched from spelling round to a definition round. In a spelling round you had to spell a word and you could ask for them to say the word again, the definition, the language of origin, or the part of speech if you needed it. In the definition round, they gave you the words and how to spell them. Then they said a right definition and a wrong definition. Next, you said A or B and they said if it was correct or not. After a lot of rounds, there were only a few people left. Then, only two kids were left. An 8th grader and a 5th grader. The 8th grader misspelled a word and the 5th grader was given the word successor. She spelled it right. The winner of the 2020 Culver spelling bee is Zainab Nathani.
Leander & Jack
4th Grade Boys Basketball
Saturday, February 8th, 2020, at 8:30 am, some people went to Culver to watch the 4th grade boys’ basketball game. It was OP versus Culver. Both teams were warming up. Our team warmed up with layups and rebounds. Then, the actual game started. The Hoovers won the tip off. Our team was on defense and their team had the ball. They dribbled it down the court and scored. Their parents cheated then they got the rebound but they missed. Then we got the rebound and dribbled down the court and got a turnover. So the ball went to their team. After some scoring, passing, dribbling, and some more things, the first half of the game ended. Each team got to huddle up and our coach talked to us about what we needed to do in the second half of the game. We were losing but we knew we needed to turn it around. Five players from our team got on the court and the second half started. They were leading by a lot. It was like 20-8. There were only a few minutes left and we were losing by a lot and there was about 2 minutes and the score was 26-10. The 2 minutes passed and we lost like the warriors lost in the NBA finals against the Raptors. Isaac & Leander