Understanding 4th grade Multiplication

Multiplication today is different from the way that many adults learned it.  The focus is on a strong foundation of understanding place value.  Students learn how to "break apart" large numbers into more manageable numbers to multiply by.  For example, when multiplying 637 we divide it into hundreds, tens and ones as shown below.   This is the expanded form.

We also learn the traditional algorithm, but now the students understand the numbers that are carried.

When multiplying a 2-by-2 digit number, we break the numbers up first.  For example, 26 becomes 20 and 6 and 34 becomes 30 and 4. Then we draw "a box" and figure out the 4 equations that would multiply each number.  These are the partial products.  Finally, we add the partial products to find the final product.

Common fourth grade mistakes are:

        1. Creating the 4 correct equations.

        2. Basic multiplication fact errors.

        3. Making mistakes in addition.  

Ways to help:

        1. Reminding students that their equations should always                have a number from the top and one from the side.

        2. Helping them with basic multiplication by encouraging                them to do REFLEX or other fact games.

        3. Being sure that they line up their numbers correctly when            adding.

        4. Asking if their answer is reasonable by rounding the                original equation.

        5. Practice!

These will certainly assist in success with multiplication of larger numbers.

Please ask your child to explain how they are multiplying. Allowing them to be the teacher will reinforce skills learned in class and help you to understand how they are learning.

What's The Matter?

We have kicked off our unit on matter with an interesting quest.  The students explained what they think they know yesterday about the topic and also came up with some rules for the three states of matter, which are solid, liquid, and gas.  Today Mr. Musselman joined us with 6 cups filled with a mystery matter.  Using the rules that we came up with yesterday, we tried to figure out if our mystery matter was a solid, a liquid, or a gas and then we presented it to the class.  It got a little messy, but we definitely had fun!

Next week, Mr. Musselman will be back for some more interesting exploration.  We can't wait!

Pillow Pets for a Good Cause

I have run the past 3 Boston Marathons for Massachusetts General Hospital to raise funds in the fight against pediatric cancer. This year the Student Council is helping to give back by hosting a Pajama Day for Pillow Pets on Friday, January 16th.  Please consider helping this cause by donating at least $1 on or before Friday of next week.
During February vacation I will bring the Pillow Pets that we are able to purchase with the pajama day funds to Mass. General and give them to the children that our marathon team runs for.  Trust me, the smiles are HUGE when the kids see the pets!  These Pillow Pets are comfortable and provide a sense of home to kids who spend a considerable amount of time in the hospital.  We appreciate your support!

Ancestor Dolls

As part of our immigration unit, the students of 213 have interviewed family members to learn about their ancestors.  This has facilitated wonderful conversations among families about their heritage, culture and traditions.  Our first project was to create a doll inspired by their ancestors.  The students were extremely proud of their dolls and couldn't wait to share them with their classmates.  This is one of my favorite projects that we do because of way the students choose to represent their ancestors, as well as the variety of materials that they use.  Each doll is different and unique.  I love hearing about my students' family history because I always learn new things.  Below are a few examples:

The students used many different materials.  Catalina's doll was from Poland.

Mia was very proud of her doll's outfit based on her Puerto Rican heritage.

Ellie opted to make two dolls to represent her great grandparents.

Some of the students even brought in pictures of their ancestors. Ayden's doll was from Italy.

Tristan's doll is Irish.

Alyvia based her doll on her Papa's father who was from Ireland.

 

Paul's doll was from Ireland and he dressed her with a shamrock dress.

Some students even added accessories to their dolls.

CJ did a wonderful job explaining how he made his doll.

The woman who inspired this doll was the oldest of 12!

Turkey Trot

First, second and third!

        It was a bit chilly and began to rain, but we had a very successful Turkey Trot and Walk-a-thon!  The Turkey Trot was one lap around the school.  The students who participated in this event (and even many who didn't run) brought in non-perishable items for the local food pantry.  The bin was overflowing at times, which was a wonderful example of the generosity of Pine Glen families.  In addition, many of our students raised funds for the Walk-a-thon to benefit our own PTO.  We walked 4 laps around the school with the enthusiasm of fourth graders chanting "Left...right...left, right, left."

 Here are a few photos from our run and walk: 

Ready, Set, Go!

Ya, Theo!  3rd place!

CJ and Joey are headed toward the finish line!

Great job Paul!

Ayden is about to cross the finish line!

It's a Risman sandwich!

Smiles as we cheer on our friends...

Go, girls, go!

Alyvia breaks the tape!

Awesome run, Ella!

Alright Mia!

Catalina was our Walk-a-thon leader!

A Short Week in Review

We had a very busy week in 213 even though it was so short!

Cups, Quarts and Gallons...

We did some predicting this week to determine how many cups are in a quart and how many quarts are in a gallon.  Then we figured out how many cups are in a gallon!  Do you know the answer?

Judy read a fun story to us this week about a little boy that attempts to persuade his librarian to allow him to bring a woolly mammoth into the library.  The author used a lot of figurative language that created awesome imagery.  The book also had fantastic illustrations.  We looked up facts about Melvil Dewey who created the Dewey Decimal System.

Ella was one of our buyers this week!  She opted to buy "time with Tremont."  Ella enjoyed some time holding our little furry friend and petting him.  "He's very soft," she said.  Mia and Caitlyn are also our DJ's for a day on Monday.

Student Council Representatives

We all voted!  This week our Student Council representatives were chosen by room 213.  Each candidate read their speech about why they were the best for the job.  The students had some really great ideas to improve our school!  Once the ballots were filled out and the votes were tallied, the students who will represent Student Council are Emma N. and Ella G.  Congratulations to all of our candidates and to our new representatives!