Weekly Blog Post #20

May 16, 2014

Written by:  Gavin, Eliza and Owen

Upcoming Events!

May 20th (Tue) - Basket Raffle items due (Beach Party theme)

May 21st (Wed) @ 8:45 -  Math MAP

May 23rd (Fri) from 9-11 - Grandparents’ Day

May 26th (Mon) - Memorial Day (no school)

June 4th (Wed)  from 6pm - 7:30pm - Ice Cream Social at Rowe (books, basket raffle, ice cream)

June 5th (Thurs) - Field trip to Pineland

June 9th (Mon) - Step-up Day to HMS

June 11th (Wed) @ 2:30 - 4th Grade Celebration

June 12th (Thurs) from noon to 3pm - Field Day (rain date:  June 13th)

June 17th (Tues) - Last day of school (noon dismissal)

TBD - Caoimhe's plaque dedication and poetry tree planting

 

MAP Testing

On Tuesday, we took our MAP reading test.  We had a technical issue in the morning, but the problem was fixed by the afternoon.  Students worked extremely hard and were very focused, despite the computer problems.  We will take our MAP math test on May 21st.

 

Spring Concert

The Spring Concert was held on Wednesday.  The band, chorus and orff ensemble performed for a huge audience and got rave reviews!

 

Math

We have finished Unit 12, which is our last unit of Everyday Math!!  The Unit Assessments will be coming home soon for review.  Some students are practicing their multiplication and division facts, while others are practicing concepts that were difficult the first time around.  

Reading

This week, we finished Runaway to Freedom.  At the end of the book, Julilly and her friend Liza made their way safely into Canada and gained their freedom.  You'll be happy to know that Julilly was reunited with her mother and Liza became part of their family.  It was a happy ending.

 

Writing  

We are working on persuasive writing by writing letters to Abraham Lincoln.  We are pretending to be freed slaves, abolitionists or a Union soldier.  We are trying to convince President Lincoln to end slavery.  Here are some of our points:  

1.  Everyone has the right to be free, no matter who you are or what you look like.

2.  Slaves aren't being treated well and aren't being paid and that's not fair.

3.  Families are being separated.

  

Social Studies

We are learning more about the Underground Railroad.  We have learned that it wasn't really underground or a railroad.  The Underground Railroad consisted of safe houses and churches that slaves could stay in while they traveled North to gain their freedom.  We also learned that if it was a starry night, the slaves used the North Star to guide them.  Slaves referred to the North Star as a "drinking gourd".   This was a code word to slaves that gave them instructions and a map to their next destination.  Taken at face value, it was a hollowed out gourd that was used to drink water.  We also learned that if it was cloudy, slaves looked for tree moss, which grew on the north side of the trees.  

 

Some of us worked on an Underground Railroad project (see below).  We discussed the following topics:  Harriet Tubman, the journey, 3/5 clause, a slave's life and cruelty.

 

Poetry Writing

We are all writing poems for our poetry book that we will be selling at the end of May or the beginning of June.  We will be taking pre-orders next week, so we can buy our tree in time for our tree planting celebration.

 

Maine Maritime Museum Field Trip 

Last week, we went the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath.  We learned all about the ships that have been built in Bath, including the biggest wooden ship built in America.  Here are some of the pictures from the day...

  

Come back and see us next week!