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Fourth Grade Teachers Chatboard

Project-based Learning - NYS social studies in 4th grade

by Fourth Grade Teacher

Apr 26, 2014

I am looking for a fourth grade teacher of New York State history who is interested in collaborating on creating a project-based curriculum for fourth grade social studies in our state. If interested, please e-mail me. SEE NYS Chatboard

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TXTeacher586 On 4/26/14, Fourth Grade Teacher wrote: > I am looking for a fourth grade teacher of New York State > history who is interested in collaborating on creating a > project-based curriculum for fourth grade social studies in > our state. If interested, please e-mail me. > SEE NYS Chatboard

Have you checked on symbaloo? If you h...See More

Jul 7, 2014

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plants

by Miss BTL

Apr 17, 2014

I've never done spout the bean or anything else for that matter, but I want to have the kids plant a seed and have it grow. How can I make it more grade-appropriate than the beans they sprouted in kgtn. Are there certain seeds that do better than others. What are the steps...any good websites.... HELP.

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On 4/17/14, Miss BTL wrote: > I've never done spout the bean or anything else for that > matter, but I want to have the kids plant a seed and have it > grow. How can I make it more grade-appropriate than the > beans they sprouted in kgtn. Are there certain seeds that > do better than others. What are the steps...any good > website...See More

Jun 26, 2014

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TXTeacher586 I do a number of things with my students... Though I am a language arts/reading/social studies teacher, I try to integrate all subjects. So in early spring, when we were studying myths and legends, my students studied the Legend of the Bluebonnet (covered my SS, reading, and writing TEKS) and got them excited about spring time and wildflowers. ...See MoreI do a number of things with my students... Though I am a language arts/reading/social studies teacher, I try to integrate all subjects. So in early spring, when we were studying myths and legends, my students studied the Legend of the Bluebonnet (covered my SS, reading, and writing TEKS) and got them excited about spring time and wildflowers.

To make it more relevant, we planted them in terrariums (made of 2 clear plastic cups). We placed the soil about 1/2 up the bottom cup, planted a few seeds, covered them, watered them, and placed the top cup over it as a cover. We sealed the seam with duck tape and place them in the window. The students then wrote up a how-to essay on the project and kept observations in their writing journals from day to day.

It was a real-world application that brought the water cycle to them day after day! They saw the condensation form... the "rain" falling from the top of the top cup... how water was absorbed into the soil... They were so excited to come in my classroom every day! You would have thought I hung the moon when the first sprouts appeared!

We reviewed "after care" so when they took their treasured plants home, they knew where and how to transplant them. They loved this so much that they wanted to plant more plants and experiment with different types of seeds, soil, light, and water. It was great!

I was even able to tie in root words and affixes into our lessons -- like "terra" meaning earth, "hydro" or water, "-ation" or the process of (i.e., respiration, condensation, perspiration) It was so much for all of us.

And the kids are never too old or young to participate in this.

One morning, one of my students asked, "Hey, Mrs. G, can we use the seeds in our apples from breakfast to grow an apple tree?" We had just finished reading "Johnny Appleseed" for folktales so here was perfect application and connection of the story! Then another student asked if you could do the same for the oranges they got for breakfast. Another student chimed in about how his mom kept the avocado seeds, dried them and grew avocado plants! Well BOOM!!! the whole classroom exploded into a million ideas so I brought them to order and we explored creating an experiment with our breakfast fruit seeds!

The next morning, I had students walking in with clear baggies full of fruits and vegetables! One said he wanted to harvest strawberry seeds but didn't know where to get them, so he researched it on the internet and had a bag with a damp paper towel inside and a number of little black seeds on the towel!

When they start to question, you can really hook them in to reading or writing ANYTHING! It was a blast!

We did a second planting with store-bought seeds and a few students used their seeds to conduct an experiment about which grew faster -- their own harvested jalapeno seeds or the store- bought! So cool!

On 6/26/14, SuperTeacherWks wrote: > On 4/17/14, Miss BTL wrote: >> I've never done spout the bean or anything else for that >> matter, but I want to have the kids plant a seed and have > it >> grow. How can I make it more grade-appropriate than the >> beans they sprouted in kgtn. Are there certain seeds that >> do better than others. What are the steps...any good >> websites.... HELP. > > Lima beans are one of the easiest to grow. To make it more > grade-appropriate, try doing a seed dissection project > first. > > Just soak the seeds, and cut them open down the middle. The > kids can see plant embryo, the endosperm, and the seed coat. > > You can also have them measure the growth weekly, and create > bar graphs. Perhaps you could have them find the average > growth per week too (add the growth of three seeds, and > divide by 3). > > Good luck! >

Jul 7, 2014

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The Silent Playground – Why Students Need Daily Recess

by Teachers.Net Gazette

Jul 7, 2014

The school playground was once the highlight of most elementary students’ days. It was an escape where children could socialize with friends, participate in free play, take part in sports, and explore nature.

The endless laughter that once echoed from elementary school playgrounds has unfortunately turned into silence. [Click below to r...See More

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Common Core Website Suggestion

by Mary Ann

Apr 19, 2014

Our school district (in California) hasn't adopted any materials and doesn't plan on doing it for the 2014-2015 school year either.

I'm looking for any internet sources that you have used and liked. Even if I have to pay out of pocket- I just want my kids to be ready. Thanks for any help you can offer.

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On 4/19/14, Mary Ann wrote: > Our school district (in California) hasn't adopted any > materials and doesn't plan on doing it for the 2014-2015 > school year either. > > I'm looking for any internet sources that you have used and > liked. Even if I have to pay out of pocket- I just want my > kids to be ready. Thanks for any hel...See More

Jun 26, 2014

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"It seems that I work with many over-achievers."

by Teachers.Net Gazette

Jun 19, 2014

Click below to read a teacher's appealing, lighthearted but wise perspective on what summer break can and should be.

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How to Change your Classroom and Yourself with Gratitude

by Teachers.Net Gazette

Jun 17, 2014

Teacher Owen Griffith writes:

Would you like to improve the culture in your classroom and your life? Try gratitude. This is the most powerful tool that I know. [Click below to read the article.]

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