Mrs. Humphreys' 4th Grade Class

My Book Talk

2011-05-05T09:39:00.002-05:00

I chose the book Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins because it is an action packed adventure. It takes scene in Panem around the east side of America. Katniss is a 16 year old girl who lives in district 12 and loves to hunt. The Hunger Games is a battle made by the capitol, and tributes from all the districts fight to the finish in the arena just for the capitols entertainment! Katniss just wants her family and friends to live. She finds that her partner is a boy named Peeta the bakers son. In the Hunger Games Katniss finds the true reason she lives.

Writing Workshop 4.15.11- Using Clauses to Spice Up Our Writing

2011-04-15T10:36:00.001-05:00

Today in our Language Arts writing workshop, we focused on our understanding goal "How does using a mixture of dependent and independent clauses strengthen my sentence structure?" We looked at a piece of writing with very simplistic sentence structure and word choice as a group and discussed ways it could be "spiced up." Then, using Google Docs, we worked in groups and incorporated dependent clauses and figurative language to strengthen the writing. Wow- look at the difference!!

Version with simplistic sentence structure:

I woke up this morning with a terrible headache. My mom knocked on my door. She said, “Honey, it’s time to wake up!” I rolled over. I threw off the covers. I got out of bed. I walked to my bathroom. I turned on the shower. The water felt freezing cold. So I turned on some warm water. I got out of the shower. I got dressed. My headache felt a little better. I grabbed my backpack from my desk. I walked down the stairs. I smelled bacon. I knew my mom must be cooking us a good breakfast. I felt excited and ready for the day.

4D group's "spiced up" version:

I woke up that morning earlier than usual with a terrible headache. My mom banged on my door, and She said, “Honey, it’s time to wake up!” I rolled over like a barrel falling down a hill. As I flung the covers off my body, I sluggishly got out of bed. I trudged to my bathroom and turned on the shower. The water felt like it was coming from a glacier, so I turned on the steaming hot water. I got out of the shower, and I got dressed. My headache felt somewhat better, so I grabbed my backpack from my desk. I dawdled down the stairs towards the kitchen and smelled some fresh, hot, bacon with a side of pancakes as I neared the kitchen. I knew my mom must be cooking us a 5-star breakfast, and I felt pumped and ready for an astonishing day.

4C group's "spiced up" version:

First I woke up this morning with a terrible headache as bad as a heart attack, and my mom knocked on my door softly. She said, “Honey, it’s time to wake up!” After that I rolled over while I quickly threw off the covers. Finally I rolled out of bed like a rolly poly. When I wobbled to my bathroom, I turned on the soothing shower. The water felt freezing cold like the soft snow, so I turned on some warm water. Then I happily jumped out of the shower, and I went to go get dressed. My headache felt a tiny bit better. I quickly snatched my backpack from my desk and walked down the stairs like I was on fire. When I sniffed the delicious bacon, I knew my mom must be cooking us an awesome breakfast. I felt excited and ready for the day long awesome day!

What Does Collaboration Look Like?

2011-04-07T15:32:00.001-05:00

We talked today about collaboration and what it looks like. After we watched the video below, we each found an example of the way the soccer team demonstrated collaboration skills and made a connection to the ways we collaborate in Literature Circles.

A few examples:
Houston- "Thy showed collaboration when they helped build the soccer (football) pitch. We do something similar to that in Lit. Circles when we help each other with parts that someone doesn't understand and tell our friends our markings. We also build a relationship just like they built their pitch."

Louis- "Those kids wanted to play soccer, but they realized there wasn't enough space in their village. So they worked together and built a floating soccer field, just like we have to work together in Lit. Circles."

Will M.- "They showed how to pass the ball like how you take turns and share things. It showed me how to listen to others and to share."

Writing Workshop: Getting Rid of Nothing Adverbs

2011-03-23T12:22:00.002-05:00

Today in our writing workshop we focused on replacing "nothing" adverbs and verbs (adverbs and verbs that don't add anything to the description) with stronger and more powerful adverb/verb pairs. We used our writing folders and thesaurus as resources, and our sentences definitely improved! Here are some examples:

Boring sentence:

At the dog show, the judges looked carefully at every dog.

Improved sentences:

At the dog show, the judges squinted aggressively at every dog.

At the dog show, the judges attentively inspected every dog.

Boring sentence:

The German shepherd walked very slowly around the ring.

Improved sentences:

The German shepherd coasted extremly sluggishly around the ring.

The bulky German Shepherd swiftly trotted around the ring.

Boring sentence:

The dalmatian jumped easily onto the chair.

Improved sentences:

The dalmatian pounced lackadaisicly onto the chair.

The dalmation bounded effortlessly onto the chair.

Boring sentence:

After waking up, the golden retriever was hungry and quickly ate his food.

Improved sentences:

After waking up, the golden retriever was hungry and viciously munched on his food.

After violently waking up, the golden retriever was starving and quickly chomped on his food.

After waking up, the golden retriever was hungry and instantaneously demolished his food.

Boring sentence:

Sitting on a girl’s lap, the Chihuahua slept very soundly.

Improved sentences:

Sitting on a girl’s lap the chihuahua slumbered extremely soundly.

Sitting on a girl’s lap, the Chihuahua catnapped very nicely.

What Does a 3 Look Like?

2011-02-07T09:07:00.002-06:00

We recently completed a CSI (Color, Symbol, Image) on one of the main characters from James and the Giant Peach. Here are several examples to help you see what a 3 looks like:

Caedmon: “I chose the symbol of an umbrella because James protects all of the bugs. He would rather help others before putting himself under it.”

Reed:

“I chose the color grey because it represents gloomy. The way it represents gloomy is that thunderstorms are grey ad gloomy. James is gloomy because of the way his aunts treat him.”

“I chose the symbol of a cross because it represents hope. The way it represents hope is that Jesus gave us hope. James has hope for fun when he finds the bugs and the peach.”

“I chose the image of a man climbing a cliff because it represents adventure. It represents adventure because it is an adventure to climb. James feels adventure because he finally has friends and hope of more friends.”

Ethan:

“I chose the image of lightning because he (James) is aggressive like when he called the Silkworm a fat-lazy-brute.” (*add—why is lightning aggressive?)

Ev:

“I chose the color yellow because yellow is the color of the sun and the sun is bright. James is bright because he makes up the idea with the seagulls.”

Ryan:
"I chose the symbol of a biohazard because Centipede is grouchy and full of poison. It shows that when he gets splattered with paint and yells at everyone."

Ty's Book Talk

2010-12-14T11:20:00.001-06:00

My book talk was on Hatchet. It's about Brain Robeson a boy whose parents are divorced and is going to visit his dad for the summer. He is the only passenger on the plane but when the the pilot has a heart attack and the plane crashes Brain will have to find a way to survive. The only thing he has for survial is his hatchet and he his camp skills he has learned. Now he must wait for help or must die alone in the wilderness.

25 Things About Thomas as a Reader

2010-12-13T10:31:00.001-06:00

1. I have to read it quiet.

2. I can’t read in the car because everyone talks and the radio is always on.

3. My favorite series is the Percy Jackson series.

4. I am not a fastest reader, but I am a fast reader.

5. My favorite book is the Lost Hero.

6. My reading level is in the fours.

7. My favorite author is Rick Riordan.

8. I can read in slow music.

9. I can’t read lying on my stomach.

10. I like books with lots of action.

11. I read in bed when I’m tired so I can fall asleep.

12. My favorite book in the Percy Jackson Series is The Last Olympian.

13. Reading is one of my favorite things to do.

14. I got 98.1 AR points in second grade.

15. The longest book I have ever read is 553 pages.

16. If I get a chance to read I read a lot.

17. I also like books with adventure.

18. My favorite setting in a book is New York.

19. I can’t hear a peep when I hear or else I might stop reading.

20. One of my favorite things about reading is you can get a better grade, and all the books aren’t the same.

21. I can’t read two books at the same time.

22. I like books that have lots of humor!

23. I like nonfiction books!

24. I like books that are about sports.

25. I can’t read more than 20 pages a day because I don’t have time.

25 Things About Liam as Reader

2010-12-09T10:38:00.002-06:00

1. Fiction is my favorite genre
2. I like reading in quiet
3. I like to read AR books
4. I can’t read after I finish my work in class
5. I really like descriptive books
6. My favorite author so far is Rick Riordan
7. My favorite book so far is Found
8. I like books that have 180-300 pages long
9. I don’t like books over 350 pages.
10. I like my reading level books.
11. I like hard book covers
12. I don’t like books under 100 pages
13. I do not like violent books
14. I can’t read in the dark
15. I can’t be forced to read
16. I really only like reading in my room
17. I like reading on rainy days
18. I usually don’t read as much as I do now
19. My favorite series so far is Hunters
20. I do not like books that came from a movie or show
21. I love mystery books. They make me want to keep reading
22. I am a slower reader than others
23. I would prefer reading at home than at school
24. I can’t read when people are talking
25. I don’t like reading in groups (my opinion)

Thomas's Book Talk

2010-12-09T10:32:00.001-06:00

The Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is a bout a boy named Peter. He has a annoying younger brother named Fudge.Here is an example like he squirted ketchup and mustard on the walls when the were out to eat and it made his brother Peter very embarrassed. My favorite part of this story is when Peter won a turtle and Fudge ate his turtle which made Peter very upset with him. He had to go to the hospital and turned out to be ok. In the end of the story Peter gets a new pet dog and Fudge had to buy it for him. The reading level for this book is inbetween 4.5 and 5.0. I would recamend this book to people who have a younger brother and people who like funny and wacky stories!

25 Things About Hall as a Reader

2010-12-03T09:50:00.001-06:00

I. I don’t like to read two books at one time.
2. I don’t like to read in the car/plane
3. I don’t like the Percy Jackson serious.
4. I like the Judy Blume Fudge serious
5. I like to read before bedtime.
6. I do not like to read in the morning.
7. I like to read to my little cousin.
8. I like to read by a fire.
9. I use to like to read the Dr. Sues books.
10. I like to read in quietness.
11. I like to read on trips.
12. I like to read after a long fun day.
13. I like to read at the beach.
14. I like to read AR books.
15. I don’t like to read when a friend is over.
16. I like to read after I am sick.
17. I like to read after a shower.
18. I like to read after I do my homework.
19. I like to teach my cousin how to read.
20. I like to read kids books.
21.I do not like to check out books because I feel like I have to read really fast.
22. I like fiction.
23. I like to read caption underpants.
24. I think the books are better than the movies.
25. My favorite book is Frindle.

Advent Conspiracy Video

2010-11-30T08:38:00.001-06:00

In devo today, we watched this video from the Advent Conspiracy and talked about how we can hold the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts this season. Watch this with your families and think about ways we can share true, Jesus-filled JOY this Christmas.

25 Things About Michael as a Reader

2010-11-29T11:03:00.000-06:00

1. I love fiction.

2. Sometimes when I see a friend reading, I want to read.

3. Usually I have funny books to read sometimes.

4. I can read during dinner.

5. Sometimes when I’m grounded, the only thing I can do is read.

6. I try to find good books.

7. My favorite books are Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe, Captain Underpants, and Lunch Money.

8. Sometimes I read in bed.

9. Anytime I read, I can see it happening in my head.

10.I love to read when I’m sad.

11. Funny books catch my attention.

12. A book of adventure feels like the scene is playing on a movie screen.

13. Battle scenes in a book is like being a soldier in the book.

14. In second grade, I got 111.5 AR Points.

15. Reading is my 3^rd favorite thing to do.

16. I just love reading.

17. I’d read anything but a kid book.

18.Action books are really good to me.

19. The book I am reading is the Lost Hero, and I like it.

20. My favorite series is the Captain Underpants.

21. I read books all the time when I was 6 and under.

22. Reading cheers me up.

23. I always want a book to read.

24. Eating while reading was a bad idea when I was 5.

25. I love reading!

25 Things About Me as a Reader

2010-11-23T13:35:00.003-06:00

1)  I love to read on the couch.
2) I love Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.
3)  I read best with my dog on my lap.
4) I love reading a new book.
5) I love to draw an image of what’s happening.
6) I dislike when books leave you hanging.
7) I love fantasy books.
8) I love when there is a series of books.
9) I love reading in a cold room.
10)            I love hardback books.
11)             I love describing scenes.
12)            I don’t feel good reading in the car.
13)             I dislike when they make a movie and it is nothing like a book.
14)            I love books about animals.
15)            I love mystery books.
16)            I love the A.R Auction.
17)            I love to read outside in my tree house.
18)            I’m not good reading when there’s a noise or distraction.
19)            I love when an author makes a series.
20)           I love long books.
21)            I love LWW just like everyone else in my family.
22)            The best things about books is getting a new one.
23)            I love reading when it’s dark.
24)           I love to read outside.
25)            I love to read about Christ.

25 Things About Me as a Reader

2010-11-16T13:29:00.000-06:00

1. I like fiction stories with a lot of mystery!

2. Action has to be included in stories. (That’s my opinion.)

3. I’ve learned that I like reading books that aren’t short.

4. With all honesty, reading is not a hobby that I do constantly.

5. Reading on a rainy day tucked into my bed covers is like heaven if I’m in the mood to read.

6. My two favorite book series to read are the Harry Potters and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

7. I just bought all these books at the Book Fair, and I’m so excited for the next Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

8. I’ve learned when reading the same book and movie, you can contrast things that didn’t happen in the book that did in the movie, or things that happened in the movie that didn’t happen in the book.

9. I much more often read in my head than out loud.
10. Reading at nighttime is best time for me.

11. Reading makes me sleepy.

12.I also like books to have good personality.

13. I am picky about the spot and what it feels like when reading.

14. I LOVE books that at the end of a chapter leave you hanging

15. PLOT needs to be included

16. Solutions need to be included in that certain story for the problem in that certain story.

17. I like paper- back books more because they cost less.

18. My favorite author is J.K. Rowling.

19. I like book series that are continued book by book.

20. I like learning a lesson on how maybe to be Godly man.

21. I honestly learn how to write better when I read books with such good wording etc.

22. I don’t like small books.

23. I don’t really like nonfiction.

24. But I like reading nonfiction books about sports players.

25. Has to be AGE appropriate.

Coon Creek Field Trip

2010-11-15T14:57:00.000-06:00

We had an AWESOME field trip to Coon Creek on Friday!! What did you learn on our Field Trip? What was your favorite part?

4C Chapel

2010-11-15T11:26:00.000-06:00

I was so proud of the 4C boys today! You did an excellent job planning, filming, and speaking in our chapel today. Parents, this is the video we showed, so hopefully you'll get a glimpse of what a fantastic job they did!

Boys, what was your favorite part of planning our chapel?

4C Chapel on Fairness from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

My Book Talk- by JoJo

2010-11-10T13:39:00.004-06:00

The Shore Road Mystery Is about to boys named Joe and Frank they incounter a gang the leader named Slagel they are known for stealing cars and popping them over the border to Mexico. But when The Hardy Boys find there hideout they get stuck and they can’t get out. The boys see people painting and replacing the new cars with old ones. In the end the gang starts to shoot at them. Then Joe unscrews one of the CO2 Tanks sitting on the ground. The CO2 poisons the thief’s the boys see gas mask near by so they grab two of them and they ‘call the police and the gang is captured.

My Book Talk

2010-11-10T13:39:00.003-06:00

The Fighting Ground is my book and it about a boy who goes to get water from the wel a he sees a battle field in the Revaloutionary War. He gts his dad's gun and goes off to fight without permison. He gets captured. You will have to read it to find out what happens next.

25 Things About Jack as a Reader

2010-11-10T09:46:00.003-06:00

1.Has to have adventure

2.Along with action

3.Has to be long

4.Love to read at nighttime

5.Have to have AC when reading

6.have to be comfy while reading

7.always in bed

8. favorite book: woods runner

9.needs to be awesome

10. has to be funny

11.has to have me wondering at the end

12. has to have an ontimontipia

13.has to have a happy ending

14.has to have a person!!

15. book always needs to happen outdoors

16.needs to lead to the movie of the book

17.HAS to have more than one character

18.It must be something that actually happend

19.No gross things in the book

20.must have a problem

21.always needs two main characters

22.can have history in the book

23has to have a lot of prepisitions

24.needs an awesome ending

25.needs to have a solution for the problem

My Book Talk

2010-11-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

The Fire of Ares is about Lysander , a Heliot slave , learns that he is a descendant of two of the greatest warriors that ever lived. Can he survive the training in the Barracks or the agoge? I would recamend this book to a reader who likes ancient civilizations , action , and some shocking twists.

My Book Talk

2010-11-09T14:11:00.001-06:00

The Sorcerer's Stone to me is a great book. I would recommend it to people who like Adventure, magic, and people who like a lot of AR points. Finally, it is about a boy named Harry Potter and about his first year going to a school of witchcraft an wizardry called Hogwarts.

Turkish Delight!

2010-11-04T07:52:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we finished The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in class and tried some Turkish Delight to celebrate. The recipe is below if you want to try it out at home. There are LOTS of other Turkish Delight recipes online if you didn't like the kind we had in class.

Did you like Turkish Delight? Do you think it was similar to what Edmund tasted? Generate a SIMILE about Turkish Delight from LWW and explain it. (example: Turkish Delight is like an intoxicating drug because once Edmund tasted it, he only wanted more.)

Turkish Delight:

1 c. peanut butter
1 c. honey
2 c. non-fat dry milk
1 c. powdered sugar
Measure all ingredients into a large bowl. Stir until well mixed. Spoon into a buttered 12x9-inch pan. Press out mixture to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into squares while soft. Cover and refrigerate.

25 Things About Me as a Reader

2010-10-26T14:48:00.000-05:00

It's really interesting to think about your own life as a reader. I've noticed a lot of bloggers creating these lately, so I wanted to create one of my own. If you'd like to make a list, send it to me and I'll post it!

25 Things About Me as a Reader

1. Fiction is my favorite genre.

2. I love to read stories of people’s lives (memoirs) that teach me more about a culture or a certain way of life.

3. I can read more than one book at the same time.

4. I can’t go on a trip without a book; it just doesn’t feel right without one.

5. My absolute favorite thing to do is to wake up and read in bed, especially on a rainy day.

6. My favorite book of all time is The Prince of Tides, with a close second going to To Kill a Mockingbird.

7. When I was in fourth grade, my friend Victoria and I had a competition to see who could read the most. I read a LOT that year!

8. I loved the Nancy Drew series and the Madeleine L’Engle books.

9. I’ll never forget reading The Giver.

10. I would much rather read alone than read aloud.

11. I love the smell of a new book.

12. I feel a sensation of joy and satisfaction when I walk into the library.

13. I deeply enjoy talking about and sharing books with others.

14. I can’t read in the car because I get carsick.

15. I can read on a beach all day as long as someone brings me food and water!

16. I get distracted by books on tape.

17. I rarely like the movie as much as the book, and often it bothers me when the movie doesn’t portray scenes or characters the way I imagined them.

18. I am deeply affected by the books I read. I often think about them for days or sometimes weeks.

19. When I can’t sleep, I turn the lights back on and read.

20. I don’t have a Kindle, and I don’t know if I would like one or not. I think I like the feel of the pages of a book too much.

21. I love to read books again and again. I enjoy pulling a book off my shelf that I’ve read before and seeing how I read it differently for the second, third time..

22. I am amazed at the way authors develop characters. I really like the little details authors add that make characters seem so real, like I know them.

23. Reading a truly beautiful books makes me want to write one.

24. I’ve never been in a book club, but I think I would really enjoy one.

25. When I read, I feel like I am whisked away to another world.

How Well Do You Collaborate?

2010-10-21T08:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we worked in groups to create a visual representation of our understanding of chapter 11 of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In order to complete this activity, we realized we had to be able to work well with others. What did you realize yesterday about your collaboration skills? Do you struggle in this area? Is it easy for you to work with others? Why is it important to be able to work with others?

Writing Workshop 10.1.10

2010-10-01T14:43:00.005-05:00

We had such a good time today during our Writing Workshop! We played a fun game called "Where am I?" Each group wrote a vivid description of a specific setting after filling in a Sensory Word Bank in Google docs (see below). Then we shared our writing on Edmodo to see if everyone could guess our setting-- some examples are below. Excellent writing, guys! I'm already looking forward to our next Writing Workshop.

Writing Workshop 10.1.10 from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

Football game:
4D:
As I walk into the stadium the sound of crackerling popcorn fills my ears. As I sit down in my chair I feel the gum under the chair. While I watch the sport I see the beads of sweat falling off the man's face. I can smell the strong scent of caromel crackerjack. I the sweet taste of buttery popcorn. We can hear the sreams of the people in the crowd. Finnally the game is over.
4C:
I here the sound of the crowd yelling when I enter the staduim. I taste the hot sweet taste of funnel cake. I feel the cold metal seats when I sit down. I smell the sweet smell of cotton candy. I hear the colition of helments.

Circus:
4D:
As I walk into the crowd, I can hear the roar of the tigers and lions. When I sit down, I can smell the sweet flavor of cotton candy and the warmness of the funnel cakes. I love to see the wacky dressed men run into walls. As I hear the gray animals sounding their trumpets, I can feel the exitement in the crowd. I love the people yelling having a good time while I smell pies smashed into faces. The wacky music started to play, and I was even more exited. Now the fun has just begun!
4C:
As I walk into a huge arena I smell salty popcorn, and sweet cotton candy. I smell gas from motorcycles and other stunt machienes.I taste juciey hot dogs and hamburgers. I see people on durt bikes doing stunts and flips. I see funny men playing jokes on people. As I sniff the air I smell delicious foods. I hear a announcer introducing a show as he shouts the faumous 'ladies and gentelmen' theme.

Birthday party:
4D:
As we walked in to the backyard we heard the ripping of wraping paper, the yelling of kids on the bounce house,and we here a speicial song. We see kids shovling down ice cream and the flame of the lighter. The scent of the smoke of the lighter and the sweet scent of candy. We taste the ice cream in our mouths. We feel the sticky spoon in our hands.
Mall:
4D:
When I walk down the escalator I can hear the people chattering. I can hear the cha ching of the cash registers. I can see clothes in each and every bag. I smell the new leather shoes. I smell the strong scent of coffee. I can feel the fabric of new clothes. That is how my day was.

Grocery store:
4C:
I hear shrieking of a woman saying"but I love this dress". The taste of crunchy and salty rotisery chicken in my mouth. I feel the cold hard surface of the marble an the floor. Two little girls having a smackdown over shoes.
4D:
I hear the beeps of the price scanner, I sense the begging of children, as I walk in I can hear the sliding of the automatic doors.I see children roaming around, I watch people giving their money to the clerk,
I smell the scent of old spices, I smell the aroma of honey roasted peanuts, I sniff the scent of cookies being sampled. I taste the sweetness of sampled brownies, I taste the saltyness of sunflower seeds.
I feel the roughness of the money as I give it to the clerk, I glide my hand across the smooth peelings of an apple.
4C:
I trot into the glass doors that led to the wonderful islels that have the condiments on them. As I walk down that isle I hear the wheels on the floor go clickity clackity. I see the wonderful frozen popsicles and ice cream, and I feel the chills of the frozen section.

SENSORY WORD BANK

What do you hear?

What do you see?

What do you smell?

What do you taste?

What can you touch/feel?

My Book Talk

2010-09-30T08:42:00.000-05:00

The book The Magicians Nephew is a book about Narnia's past, and it shows how Narnia came to be in the LWW.It starts out with the characters Digary and Polly who find an old man in the attic of a house.The man's name was Andrew who had made rings that led into the land of Narnia.If you would like to know more about this book and the White Witch this is the book for you! If you have read the Percy Jackson this may be a good series for you. This is all I can tell you for now, but I encourage you to read this book!

Reflection Journal Prompts

2010-09-27T11:35:00.001-05:00

Reflection Journal Prompts

· What was your favorite part and why?

· Can you make any text-to-self, text-to-world, or text-to-text connections?

· What do you like about the way your author writes?

· What is the theme of your book? What makes you say that?

· What part of the plot are you in right now?

· Has the author used humor? Have any parts made you laugh? Why?

· How does this book make you feel?

· If you could talk to the author, what would you ask him or her?

· What kind of person is the main character? Make claims and support them with evidence from the text.

Twiddla

2010-09-21T07:35:00.002-05:00

Click here to go to Twiddla.

C.S. Lewis Sites

2010-09-17T07:25:00.003-05:00

Site 1- click here
Site 2- click here
Site 3- click here
Site 4- click here

After your group has read through the sites and discussed the information you read, go to Wallwisher (click here for 4D and here for 4C), and answer this question: How did C.S. Lewis's life story affect the story of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?

Additional questions to consider: If C.S. Lewis's life had been different, would he still have written the book? If he had, would it be different?

My Book Talk

2010-09-13T10:07:00.000-05:00

The book I brought was Warriors Moonrise . I brought this book because it has a lot of adventure. I've read all the books up to this one so you might want to read the first series first. It may sound weird at first because I thought so to. When I read it figured out I was wrong. The plot of this story is that the cats homes are getting destroyed and the six cats are wanting to get back to tell them before it is to late.This is why I chose this book to talk about.

Wallwisher Page on THEME

2010-08-25T09:56:00.002-05:00

Click here to go to our Wallwisher page.

Our Class Wordle

2010-08-18T09:47:00.005-05:00

Today was our first day in 4C! We are so excited to learn and grow together this year. We each generated an adjective to describe ourselves today and created a quick Wordle of the results. Let's have a great year!

Wallwisher Page on THEME

2010-04-30T10:05:00.002-05:00

Click here for the link to the Wallwisher page on theme.

The Giving Tree

2010-04-28T08:49:00.001-05:00

Click here for our Wallwisher page on the theme of The Giving Tree.

JOY

2010-04-14T08:06:00.007-05:00

Our virtue this month is joy, and we've already heard some great chapel talks that have taught us more about joy. One definition of joy (by John MacArthur) states, "Joy is the flag that flies on the castle of the heart when the King is in residence." Can you think of a simile or metaphor that explains what joy means to you?

Wallwisher

2010-04-08T08:36:00.001-05:00

Today we used Wallwisher at the end of our Literature Circle meetings to post discussion highlights. It was our first time to try Literature Circles, and we will continue to post as we meet this quarter. Click here to see our Wallwisher page.

WrAP It Up!

2010-03-29T08:34:00.004-05:00

We have the WrAP test tomorrow, and we have spent some time discussing and commenting on other students' writing. We looked at one example from the WPP website, and the screenshot below is from that discussion. What do you want to remember tomorrow when you start writing? What do you want to improve on in your writing?

Facebook Projects

2010-03-28T21:04:00.007-05:00

We made mock Facebook profiles for the main character of The Twenty-One Balloons,Professor William Waterman Sherman, after we finished reading the book. Everyone found their own profile pictures to represent the character and then decided on categories such as his interests and favorites, song now playing, and latest blog post. We wanted to share our creative thinking! If you click the "open in new window" button next to the slide numbers, you can see the entire screen.

Literature Circle Survey

2010-03-21T16:09:00.007-05:00

Click here to take survey

Please fill out the survey above to rank your top choices for Literature Circle books.

Author's Purpose

2010-03-16T09:29:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we discussed author's purpose in class, and everyone had great ideas to share. Smith came up with the acronym "PIE" to remember the three main reasons authors write: to persuade, inform, and entertain. What is your favorite type of writing? What is your purpose when you write?

World Math Day 2010!

2010-03-03T08:36:00.004-06:00

Today is World Math Day, and the competition has begun at PDS and all over the world! What are your favorite things about World Math Day? How does it strengthen your math skills?

Moment of Truth!

2010-02-18T15:05:00.004-06:00

It has been exciting in our room lately as everyone is finishing up their narrative writing. We use an excellent program called WPP (Writing Practice Program). When we submit our writing entries, we get a score that assesses us in six different categories. The highest score to get is a 36, and it's really fun to see the anticipation before someone gets their score back. This was yesterday when Baugh submitted, and he got a 36!! Go, Baugh!

What do you like about WPP? Do you think it helps you develop your writing skills?

Hello, iPad!!

2010-01-28T07:45:00.004-06:00

We were all huddled around my laptop yesterday watching Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) release Apple's newest product, the iPad. As we talked about the way rumors were circulating for weeks about Apple's newest product, we began to see some connections between this innovation and the innovations of William Waterman Sherman, the main character in The Twenty-One Balloons. How are William Waterman Sherman and Steve Jobs alike, and how are they different? What makes the iPad an innovation?

Preposition Song

2010-01-26T07:43:00.000-06:00

Untitled from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

The 21 Balloons

2010-01-15T07:46:00.012-06:00

We are about to begin reading The 21 Balloons by William Pene du Bois, and we used the thinking routine "See, Think Wonder" yesterday to begin our discussion of the book. After looking at the collage above, we talked about what we saw, thought and wondered about the images. There was a hot air balloon, computer, a map, a volcano, and a diamond mine. As we looked for connections and made predictions, we realized this is probably a book full of adventure! We look forward to sharing what we learn about this fantastic book.

Videos from Today

2009-12-08T18:57:00.011-06:00

We watched several videos this morning during devotional and had a great conversation about Christmas. After watching the Advent Conspiracy video during Coach Brady's chapel, we feel challenged and excited about the ways our hearts our changing. Click the link below to share these videos with family and friends.

Advent Conspiracy

Living Water International

Voicethread

2009-12-07T15:36:00.002-06:00

Perseverance

2009-11-18T08:40:00.005-06:00

We made a Wordle today during devotional to capture our ideas about perseverance, our virtue for the past month. Click on it to see!

Coon Creek Field Trip

2009-11-17T06:50:00.003-06:00

Our field trip last Friday was a blast! We learned so much about fossils: where they come from, how they are formed, and how we can find them and clean them. What did you learn on our field trip? What did you find and bring home with you? Click on the movie to see some great pictures from our day.

Our Chapel

2009-11-16T18:32:00.004-06:00

I was SO proud of you all today!! You did an excellent job on our chapel, and I was reminded yet again of what remarkable boys you are. I hope you enjoyed preparing and presenting today, and I know your parents were as proud as I was. Thank you to the parents who were able to attend, and I'm also posting our iMovie here for those who weren't able to make it.

4C Chapel on Perseverance from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

LWW Final Projects

2009-11-10T15:53:00.003-06:00

I was so impressed with your final projects for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe! After hearing your presentations this week, it is clear that you all put much thought and effort into your projects. I loved hearing your creative headlines, advertisements, colors, and images.

What did you like about this project? What did you learn from the Ladder of Feedback? If you were going to do this project again, what would you do differently?

A Turkish Delight Party!

2009-10-16T15:20:00.005-05:00

Today we enjoyed a very special treat as we celebrated reading the final chapter of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in class! Mrs. Humphreys made Turkish Delight (recipe is below), and it was a gooey, slimy, tasty treat. We also reflected on how our understanding of this novel has changed with the thinking routine "I used to think, but now I think." It's clear that we have all realized there is a much deeper meaning to this book, and it has been such an adventure to unpack the symbolism together.

Turkish Delight recipe:

6 (3 oz.) pkgs. Jello
1/8 tsp. salt
1 c. boiling water
Confectioners sugar
1 tsp. lime, lemon or orange juice (optional)
1 tsp. grated lime, lemon or orange peel (optional)

Put 6 (3 ounce) packages of lime Jello in saucepan. Add 1 cup boiling water. Stir to mix. Simmer over low heat 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice and lime peel. Pour into WET 8 inch square pan. Cool and chill until firm. Cut into 1 inch squares and toss pieces in confectioners sugar.

Enjoy!!

Problem-Solving Day!

2009-10-06T14:51:00.003-05:00

George Rodrigue Comes to PDS

2009-09-29T07:46:00.003-05:00

George Rodrigue on Art from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

This is a short clip from George Rodrigue's visit to PDS yesterday. I hope all of you learned something new about what it means to be an artist; I know I certainly did! It was amazing to hear how his Blue Dog series developed over time (he said he has been working on Blue Dogs for almost 25 years). In this clip, Mr. Rodrigue speaks about what art means to him. Watch the clip and listen for the simile he uses. What does he compare art to and why? What is art like to you?

National Punctuation Day

2009-09-24T12:17:00.004-05:00

Did you know that today is National Punctuation Day? I had no idea until I saw it on Twitter today! You can see on the website above that schools all over the globe are celebrating this new "holiday" (founded in 2004). What does it mean when something or someone has a day dedicated to it? How could we have celebrated National Punctuation Day today? Why is punctuation important to you?

Turkish Delight

2009-09-21T15:01:00.005-05:00

Here are a few examples of the Bridges we wrote in class using the routine, 3-2-1 Bridge. We began by generating words we associated with Turkish Delight, and then we asked questions about how the words were connected. Finally, we "built our bridge" by creating a simile to represent Turkish Delight.

VA Lesson 3 on Quizlet

2009-09-21T14:42:00.002-05:00

Click below to study your VA words on Quizlet. You may need to ask a parent to help you log in.

VA Lesson 3

3-2-1 Bridge

2009-09-14T14:46:00.004-05:00

Today we tried a new thinking routine called 3-2-1 Bridge. It was new for all of us, but it went really well! We began by brainstorming words that we associated with the wardrobe in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Several examples were a tunnel, a mystic portal, a train, a time machine, and a wormhole. We then generated questions about how our words fit together. Finally, we "built our bridge" by writing a simile to connect our ideas. Here is an excerpt from 4C's bridge. Great job painting a picture with your words!

The wardrobe in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is like a stairway, wormhole, or time machine to Narnia. The wardrobe transports the Pevensie children into a lost, once-discovered land. A stairway, wormhole and time machine are pathways to different places like bridges over a ravine or chasm. The wardrobe in the book takes the children from the real world to Narnia and back from Narnia to the real world. A stairway is a path from one place to another, and a wormhole shoots you to a new place. Narnia is frozen in time, so the wardrobe is like a time machine that takes the children to a mythical world where time stands still.

Study VA on Quizlet

2009-09-09T08:17:00.002-05:00

Click the link below to study your VA words on Quizlet!

VA Lesson 2

See, Think, Wonder

2009-09-08T15:24:00.004-05:00

Since we are about to begin reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, today we examined the historical context in which C.S. Lewis set his story. We used the "See, Think, Wonder" thinking routine as we viewed photos and a video about the London Blitz. As we studied the pictures, we realized children (just like Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) were being evacuated from their homes because of the air raids in London during World War II. After we participated in the thinking routine, we watched this video which enhanced our understanding of what was happening during that time.

As we read this incredible story, we will continue to discuss what it means to "read like a Crusader." We know it is important to be an active reader, not a lazy reader! What does that mean to you? How do you plan to read like a Crusader this year?

CSI

2009-09-01T14:15:00.005-05:00

No, we're not talking about the TV show! CSI stands for Color, Symbol, Image, a thinking routine we used in class today when talking about Frindle. We each generated our own CSI about either Nick or Mrs. Granger. Everyone had such unique ideas, and it was really exciting to see the creative colors, symbols and images that were generated. We used our Flip camera for the first time today, and Ross was willing to be recorded as he did his CSI. Excellent job, Ross!

How did this thinking routine help you understand your character better? Did it change the way you thinking in any way?

PDS in the News!

2009-08-28T16:06:00.003-05:00

Did you see the article in the Commercial Appeal about the opening of the new Early Childhood Center? If not, click here to check it out! It's a very exciting time at PDS, and I can't wait for all of us to experience this incredible space together. Did you know that there were over 25 drafts of the plan for the new building? What characteristics would you need to have in order to help with the planning of such a big project? Have you ever helped plan something that took a lot of time and effort? Tell us about it! (photo by John Sale, Commercial Appeal)

Tweets, Wikis, and More!

2009-08-24T19:34:00.004-05:00

In our class this year, we are going to learn a lot about technology and ways we can connect with people all over the world. We have a class Twitter account (pds4c), and we are always looking for new classes to follow. Starting this week, we will have our Tweet Team (two boys each day) tweeting about what we are learning together. In addition to Twitter, we have a class wiki page where we will display class projects, writing, and more.

Why do you believe it's important for us to learn about technology in our classroom?

Oh, the Things You Can Think Up if Only You Try!

2009-08-20T15:40:00.009-05:00

It was our first full day today, and we continued our discussion about how we will treat each other in our community. 4C and 4D each generated a set of norms in class, and as Smith said, these will be "things to live by" throughout our year together. Through this process, we realized that we are able to create a much better product when we all work together. Some examples of norms we generated are "Settle arguments with debate", "Have the Growth Mindset. Don't be afraid to ask questions or try new things", and "Live truthfully." We believe these norms will be an excellent guide for us this year.

We also figured out what the Thinking Jar is all about! Now we will all be careful about saying the word "think" (I certainly gave away a lot of Starbursts today), and we have some new vocabulary words which allow us to be more specific about our own thinking. I am eager to see the ways our language will evolve over the course of the year as we integrate these words into our vocabulary. What thinking words are you excited to use?

Our First Day!

2009-08-19T14:46:00.005-05:00

We had such an amazing day together in 4C, and I can already tell it is going to be an incredible year! Not only did we create headlines about our summer vacations, but we also used the "Chalk Talk" thinking routine to jumpstart our conversation about how we will treat each other in this community. We will have more photos and videos to share soon!

End of the Year Video

2009-05-19T14:05:00.002-05:00

We watched this Animoto video today as we celebrated our year together in 3D. We each received special awards, too. Here is our video.

Eli!

2009-05-19T13:56:00.003-05:00

We will miss Eli very much when he and his family move away this summer. Share a special memory of Eli or let him know what you will miss about him next year.

Voki Book Report

2009-05-12T10:48:00.019-05:00

Will M.

Get a Voki now!

Barry

Get a Voki now!

Eli

Get a Voki now!

Will O.

Get a Voki now!

Michael

Get a Voki now!

Jason

Get a Voki now!

Alberto

Get a Voki now!

Bo

Get a Voki now!

Evans

Get a Voki now!

Joe

Get a Voki now!

Bradley

Get a Voki now!

Richard

Get a Voki now!

Luke

Get a Voki now!

Daniel

Get a Voki now!

Austin

Get a Voki now!

Graham

Get a Voki now!

Yankee Doodle!

2009-05-11T15:55:00.006-05:00

I was so proud of the entire 3rd grade today as we celebrated the year at our Class Day ceremony. You all did an incredible job reading your headlines and advertisements, and it made me realize

even more how much you have learned this year. Here's a video of your final song, "Yankee Doodle."

Field Day 2009

2009-05-04T07:39:00.003-05:00

Field Day was so much fun, and I'm so proud of our 2nd place finish! I know you all had a great time.

Our virtues for this year have been compassion, faith, integrity, empathy, forgiveness, sportsmanship, and respect. Think about Field Day. Did you have the opportunity to display any of these virtues? Choose one (or more virtues) and give specific examples from Field Day. I look forward to reading your comments!

3D Ark of the Covenant projects

2009-04-22T21:07:00.001-05:00

Our Friend from London

2009-04-14T16:24:00.008-05:00

Shep (Evans' cousin) came to visit us today! He is from London, and we were able to learn a lot about his life there. Each student thought of one question to ask Shep, and Evans did a quick interview before he left. We learned that although there are many cultural differences between America and Britain (Shep's favorite sport is rugby), our lives are similar in a lot of ways. Great job, Evans and Shep!

We Love Our Flip!

2009-04-08T15:51:00.006-05:00

We've already thought of many ways to use our new Flip video camera. Here is a video we recorded today of Graham, Richard and Austin. They wrote their own script to teach us about rays, line segments and lines. What do you think?

Cricket Glogs

2009-04-08T13:21:00.003-05:00

Here is an example by Bradley of the projects we are working on for The Cricket in Times Square. Each student wrote a claim about friendship and then supported his claim with evidence from the text. We have learned a lot about what it means to be a true friend!

Bo's Songwriting Debut

2009-04-07T15:34:00.007-05:00

We wrote songs using the past or past participle form of irregular verbs. Bo performed his today in class. He did an excellent job on the assignment, and we all had a really good laugh! Can you name all the irregular verbs he used? (Comment below and see if you can find all six.)

PDS Goes to Chess Super Nationals

2009-04-06T16:00:00.001-05:00

Square vs. Rhombus

2009-03-30T15:13:00.005-05:00

We created this Venn Diagram together in class today as we were discussed quadrangles. Did you learn anything new today? How might we use geometry later in life?

Click here for full screen version

Great Math Site

2009-03-27T10:43:00.005-05:00

I just found out about a great math site that is perfect for practicing your multiplication and division. Thanks to Mrs. Garner for tweeting this! Click here for the site.

Go Tigers!

2009-03-26T07:36:00.004-05:00

Tonight the Memphis Tigers will take on Missouri! Do you think the Tigers will win? Or will Missouri come out on top? Why? Give specific evidence about the teams to support your claim.

Sportsmanship Chapel

2009-03-25T18:09:00.007-05:00

We had a great time preparing for our chapel this past Tuesday. The boys came up with all the ideas on their own, and I am very proud of their hard work. I finally figured out how to post the video for friends and family who weren't able to be there, so here it is!

Wordly Wise 7

2009-03-24T15:15:00.004-05:00

We created a Voicethread to help us study for our Wordly Wise test this week. Each boy wrote and illustrated a creative sentence with his word. We would love to hear your comments!

Wordly Wise 7 on Quizlet

2009-03-23T07:59:00.003-05:00

Click here to study for Wordly Wise Lesson 7 on Quizlet. Our test will be this Friday!

3D is on Twitter!

2009-03-16T21:36:00.005-05:00

We learned about Twitter today and began "tweeting" throughout the day about the things we were doing in class. We have a class name (PDS3D) and mascot (Idgie!), and we are looking for other classes around the world to follow who are doing the same thing. A class in Australia is following us already, and we can't wait to hear from them once they get back from their Spring Break next week. 3D parents, we would love for you to follow us as well! Email me with any questions.

World Math Day

2009-03-04T16:11:00.003-06:00

Here is a Wordle displaying some (definitely not all!) of the countries we learned about while competing in World Math Day today and yesterday. What did you enjoy about World Math Day? Did you learn anything about ways we can connect to people all over the world?

Happy Square Root Day!

2009-03-03T09:15:00.005-06:00

Today is March 3, 2009 (also written 3/3/09). Since 3 x 3 = 9, today is one of only nine Square Root Days that will occur this century! Click here to read a news story about this special day. Can you figure out the dates of the other Square Root Days?

Movie Reviews

2009-02-26T20:58:00.006-06:00

Here is our Prezi presentation with all the movie reviews we have created so far. Each boy chose a movie to review using present tense verbs. We have been editing as a class and learning how to give constructive criticism.

Venn Diagrams

2009-02-24T12:58:00.004-06:00

We used Classtools.net to create Venn Diagrams to illustrate the similarities and differences between the Earth and moon. Here is an example by Michael and Austin. You can click on it to zoom in closer.

Quizlet and Spelling City

2009-02-23T13:30:00.004-06:00

Here are the links to study this week:

Quizlet

Spelling City

Prezi Presentation on Verbs

2009-02-23T07:52:00.002-06:00

Super Maths World

2009-02-18T12:07:00.004-06:00

Click here for a great math site. Click on guest, and then go to the kids tab for a free game on decimals. We talked about the tenths and hundredths place values today; did you learn anything new? Can you figure out what 9 thousandths would look like in decimal form? If so, post here!

Wordly Wise 6

2009-02-18T09:43:00.000-06:00

Wordly Wise Lesson 6

Our Thinking Caps

2009-02-12T08:48:00.003-06:00

We recently completed our Thinking Cap project in 3D. Each boy created a "cap" with visual reminders to help him with his thinking. I was so impressed with all of the creative ideas! If you have a Voicethread account, we would love to hear your comments. If you don't have an account, you can post them here.

Quizlet's Back!

2009-02-09T09:29:00.006-06:00

Click here to go to the Quizlet vocabulary site. You don't need to log in anymore; instead, I will give you the specific link for each set of words. Have fun!

Writing with Wordles

2009-02-07T15:53:00.005-06:00

Here are two Wordles I made by copying and pasting your writing from WPP. Does anyone recognize whose writing you see here? Can you think of any ways that creating Wordles from our writing can help us with the editing process?

Scratch!

2009-02-05T15:57:00.005-06:00

Click here to see our Scratch projects from today. Groups chose a specific scene from the novel we are reading, The Cricket in Times Square. We will be collaborating with a class from New Hampshire that has completed the same project.

3D boys, Mrs. Brock and I were just talking about how proud we are of the way you all experimented with this new program. We learned so much by observing you. I'm sure we will do another Scratch project soon!

Rags to Riches

2009-02-04T09:24:00.002-06:00

Click here for a fun Quia game about helping verbs. Did you learn anything new? Think of some common helping verbs and post them for others to see.

Snuggie!

2009-01-29T16:05:00.004-06:00

Barry, this one's for you. I know how much you love the Snuggie commercials. Did you know there was an article recently in USA Today about how wildly popular the Snuggie has become? The article says, " Snuggies seem to be everywhere. See them on Facebook — nearly 250 groups, pro and con; one fan club lists 5,999 members. Fox News even spotted someone wearing a Snuggie in the crowd at President Obama's inauguration last week.The Snuggie concept is not new, nor is it the only such product on the market, but the Snuggie proves once again that an attractive price (two for $19.95, plus free book light online and on TV, about $14.99 for one in stores) and clever marketing can take you far in American retailing."

Why do you think 4 million people have ordered Snuggies? If you could create a slogan for the Snuggie, what would it be?

New Vocabulary Site

2009-01-26T20:51:00.002-06:00

Click here for full screen version

Tutpup

2009-01-26T15:19:00.002-06:00

I know a lot of you are excited about Tutpup after playing a quick round today! Click here to register. Our class code is 4025. You have to enter this code to be a part of our class. Email me if you have questions.

Freddy in Peril

2009-01-26T13:24:00.004-06:00

If you were writing a book review of Freddy in Peril, what would you say? Would you recommend this book to other 3rd graders? Post comments about what your reflections on the book, and we will write a review together in class to post on the Shelfari website (the site I use to create our bookshelf on our blog).