With our first two weeks of school finished, we’re off to a great start in fourth grade!  Our first two days were comprised mostly of learning classroom routines (such as what to do with homework, where supplies go, etc.) and getting to know one another!  These activities carried over to the second week because our school schedule got pushed back thanks to Hurricane Irene.

In the past nine days of school, however, we’ve accomplished so much!  In reading, we have finished our first story of the year and are learning about narrative elements of stories (characters, setting, events, problem and solution).  We are also studying the structure of sentences in Language Arts.  In math, we are learning about geometry and are currently focusing on line segments, lines, and rays, and on some of the more common polygons.  While we have yet to begin our formal writing curriculum, we have started two different writing projects.  One is a short poster that the kids are making all about themselves, and the other is an expository article about the kids’ summer activities.  (Unfortunately, a busy schedule has gotten in the way of us making much headway in either of these projects this week.)  The kids have also started chorus along with their other Unified Arts specials, and they’ve done a great job getting used to fourth grade routines.  Overall, it’s been a great start to the school year.

Throughout the coming months (until June!) you can expect to see periodic updates on classroom activities, resources needed for homework, and much more.  If you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me.

Confused about simple, complex, and compound sentences?  This website will help.

Here are the descriptions that your child aught to have brought home today.

Subject Who or what the sentence is about.  (Ex:  The blue ball rolled down the driveway.)

Predicate What happens to the subject.  (Ex:  The blue ball rolled down the driveway.)

Simple Subject Just the noun that makes up the subject.  (Ex:  The blue ball rolled down the driveway.)

Complete Subject All the words that show who or what the sentence is about.  (Ex:  The blue ball rolled down the driveway.)

Compound Subject A subject that has two or more people or things.  (Ex:  The blue ball and red baseball bat rolled down the driveway.)

Simple Predicate The verb that shows what the subject does.  (Ex:  The blue ball rolled down the driveway.)

Complete Predicate All the words that show what the subject did.  (Ex:  The blue ball rolled down the driveway.)

Compound Predicate The words that show multiple things that the subject did.  (Ex:  The blue ball rolled down the driveway and hit a passing car.)

Dependent Clause Part of a sentence that cannot be a sentence on its own.  (Ex:  I came to school late because of the late bus.  “Because of the late bus” cannot be a complete sentence.)

Independent Clause Part of a sentence that can be a sentence on its own.  (Ex:  I came to school late because of the late bus.  “I came to school late.” can be a complete sentence.)

Simple Sentence A sentence that has only an independent clause.  (Ex:  The blue ball rolled down the driveway.)

Complex Sentence A sentence with an independent clause AND one or more dependent clauses.  (Ex:  After Mary kicked it, the blue ball rolled down the driveway because of the blacktop’s slope.)

Compound Sentence A sentence that is actually made of two sentences that are joined together with the words and, but, so, or other words.  (Mary kicked the blue ball, so it rolled into the street.)

Want the answers to tonight’s homework so you can help your kids?  Click the link (right below this line) to read more!

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Tonight’s reading homework is web-based.  Please go to this website:

http://www.dowlingcentral.com/MrsD/quizzes/grammar/AlphaExer/compsubandpre.htm

Complete Mrs. Dowling’s cool quiz about compound subjects and compound predicates.  No need to print anything!  Just come in tomorrow and be ready to tell me if you did your homework or not.  We are relying on the honor system, so tell the truth!

Have fun!

Today, while finishing our first story, we enjoyed a vivid illustration of a high rise’s roof filled with colorful flowers.  (The story was about a girl who loves gardening and created a floral masterpiece just to make her uncle smile.)  We thought of our own experiences that this setting reminded us of.  Many students remembered Mark Twain’s elaborate greenhouse that remains flourishing in his house today.  I also remembered another field trip I had gone on a few years ago: a trip to Magic Wings in southern Massachusetts.  What a neat place!  It is a butterfly conservatory, and once I got over the initial (uncomfortable) sensation of having butterflies zooming around my head, I really enjoyed the beautiful foliage and the unique experience.  It isn’t too far away and would be a great day trip on a dull weekend or over a school vacation.  Highly recommended!

http://www.magicwings.com/index.php