A Book Review Source For Kids: DogEared

Are you looking for a new book to read?  Do you want to learn a bit about a story before you read it? Do you like book recommendations from other kids? National Geographic has a book review site called DogEared and it may be just the digital tool for you!

Follow the link to the website and you will find a list of book reviews.  One page of the website has information about the kids that write the book reviews for National Geographic.  Another part of the website lets you examine the different book covers of previously reviewed books.  There is a helpful list of literary genres down the right side of the page to help you locate book reviews that might be helpful as you search for a book.  I think you will find this website helpful.

Can you guess why they named the website DogEared?

http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/dogeared/

Guyku-A Poetry Friday Celebration!

What is Guyku?  Is this a strange new meal?  Is it a new class pet?  Could it be a new Pokemon character?

Nope!

It is a book, an idea and a great challenge….It is POETRY!!!!!

Bob Raczka and Peter Reynolds have teamed up to bring you the most interesting collection of poetry.  We have the book in class and a version on Kindle so we can share it on the Smart Board!!!! Better than that….we will start writing our own Guyku and Galku (don’t worry girls, you can participate in this too!)  What is Guyku or Galku?  It is a play-on-words describing a kind of Haiku poetry.  Rather than focusing on nature like traditional haiku, Guyku and Galku are poems that focus on the lives and interests of kids.  How fun is that?!?!

Let’s get ready to enjoy some Kidku today!!!!

Here is a link to Bob and Peter’s website:  http://hmhbooks.com/guyku/

Here is a link to Peter Reynold’s interview about Guyku:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwhGKOhjA0Q

Here is an interview with Bob Raczka: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTAG4j3HE9c

The Gift of Poetry

This week our Fourth Graders took the first half of the Stanford Achievement Test.  Each testing day involved Jolly Ranchers and Lifesaver Mints.  Each day after testing, the third graders noticed how the classroom smelled "minty" when they returned to Room 137.  On Poetry Friday, the third graders decided to surprise the fourth graders with the gift of poetry and they created this Lifesaver poem using similes and metaphors.  We worked in pairs and created many similes and then we revised and crafted this poem.  Enjoy!  You will never think of Lifesavers in the same way again!

Lifesavers.....

An alarm clock for your mouth!!!

A mouth preserver- pocket toothpaste

for pepperoni pizza lunch days

A cart-wheeling flavor dancing in your mouth

A steering wheel driving you to the cold wintry Arctic

An "OH" that burns all spicy like a

bouncing hockey puck!

A surprising candy doughnut that sprinkles fun

on testing days.

Congratulations 4th graders for finishing the first half

of the Stanford Tests!!!!

Good Luck next week!

What Do Humpback Whales Really Eat?

I am so intrigued by whales and their secret lives in our oceans.  The latest Humpback Whale story circulating the Web is certainly one to think about the next time you are swimming in the ocean!  

Check out the short article on eNature.com, learn a few things about whales, and then watch the video of some boaters and a surfer who had an unexpected visit with a Humpback.

You can read the article and see the video here:  

http://wild.enature.com/blog/what-do-humpback-whales-really-eat-for-dinner/

Word Study Unit: Compound Words and Prefixes

Dear IMA Families:

In Word Study, we are working on a vocabulary unit.  We are learning about compound words and prefixes.  Students are dissecting compound words and understanding how 2 base words are joined to form a new word with distinct meanings.  Students are exploring how the meanings of words are altered when prefixes are added to words.  At the beginning of the unit we will look at the prefixes: un- (unable),  re- (reboot), and dis- (dislike.)  Here are resources that your child can use at home to extend his or her understanding of compound words and prefixes.

At our Spelling City website:   http://www.spellingcity.com/andreasmithchapman/
I encourage students to play the vocabulary games because this unit of study focuses on the meaning of these vocabulary words.  Students can practice spelling these words but will not be assessed on spelling compound words. They will only be assessed on their abilities to define compound words.
•    Unit 7 lists: Compound Words
•    Prefix lists

Word Study Wonders: http://wordstudywonders.weebly.com/unit-7-compound-words.html
•    Explore the resource links at our website.

Students are enjoying the exploration of vocabulary words that help them become better readers and writers.  Happy Learning! 

Another New Resource To Share!

 

A BIG THANKS goes out to Nick, one of our IMA students.  He discovered a FANTASTIC website called, Wild Facts.  The writer's mission is interesting.  His goal is to write 1,000 posts about animals with the hope of educating his readers about the natural world. You can read about his mission here:  http://www.wild-facts.com/about/

Each weekday, the website creator and naturalist-writer introduces readers to a unique animal and highlights interesting information about the daily animal.  The videos are secured and child-friendly.  The website's index will help readers locate animals of interest.  We are so excited to explore this site!  Thanks again Nick-you discovered quite a treasure!

Calling All Nature Lovers!!!!!

The Wild Classroom is a website I just recently discovered.  This is an amazing resource for you nature lovers and science learners!  Are you interested in exploring the various habitats and ecosystems that create so many special places on the planet?  Are you looking for a great website to help you learn about the various plants and animals that make our Earth a special place?  Then this is the site for you!  

Follow this link:  http://www.thewildclassroom.com/

While you are there, meet the scientists that founded The Wild Classroom and their mission as scientists and educators: 

http://www.thewildclassroom.com/home/nav/about.html

Happy Exploring!