Hour of Code

Coding Success Feels Like This!

Recently Team Gibbas students got to try their hands at coding as part of the worldwide Hour of Code movement.  Each year during Computer Science Week, December 4th - 10th, students get the opportunity to try the basics of coding in a fun one hour session.  This year students got to try to write computer programs in the themes of Angry Bird, Star Wars, Minecraft, Moana, and Frozen.  They could also create a Google logo, use Scratch to create their name, or try beginner's javascript.

  Click here to learn more about Hour of Code.

Thank you, Mrs. Klipfel for bringing this fun and challenging learning opportunity to us!

Winter is snow fun!

As part of Spirit Week at Proctor School students and staff dressed up like snowmen.  Click the video below to see what happened when our class was trapped in a snowglobe!

Fortunately, we were able to escape the snowglobe.  Here we are with a snow friend.

Onomato-what?

Onomatopoeia -  When a word is formed from the sound that an associated thing makes.

Examples: Boom!  Bang!  Crash!  Sizzle!

Team Gibbas students have been learning about different tools that poets use to create poems.  This past Wednesday students choral read/performed poems with examples of onomatopoeia.  Then students searched our vast collection of poetry books to find additional examples of sound words.

Click here for video of poem "Mom and Dad are Home"

Click here for video of poem "In the Kitchen"

Click here for the video of poem "The Game"

How many examples of Onomatopoeia can you think of?

Team Gibbas on the Map

As part of our study of the different regions of the United States Team Gibbas students collected data on which U.S. states they have lived in or visited.  From this data we created a class map using Google My Maps.  An orange heart represents a place that we visited.  Houses represent a place that we or an immediate family member has lived. 

Mrs. Gibbas explains the pins that she placed on the map.

Look at all the places that we have explored!  

Question:  Using our map data, which region of the country had the least amount of visitors?

Why do you think that is?

Thank you Mrs. Klipfel for sharing this learning opportunity with us!

Model of a Canyon

Team Gibbas scientists were given the task of modeling the processes that formed the Grand Canyon over time.  Students began by layering red, white, yellow, and tan sand into a cut half gallon milk container.  Next students propped the milk container onto books and slowly poured water through a funnel.  Students were able to assimilate their prior knowledge about weathering, erosion, deposition and what they witnessed with the model to write some insightful explanations about how the Grand Canyon was formed.

Question:  How do you think the Grand Canyon was formed?

Show The Reader What You're Feeling

Show Don't Tell Writing

For the month of November Team Gibbas students have been practicing writing personal narratives.  Last week students were instructed that instead of telling the reader the emotion they were feeling, they needed to show the reader the emotion by writing vivid descriptions of what their face and body was doing when they felt the emotion.  Students worked in groups of two and three and were given an emotion to create a scene depicting the feeling.  Next groups performed their scenes for each other and as a class we noticed and recorded what the actors' bodies and faces were doing.  Finally, we created an amazing anchor chart for our classroom to help us remember to show our emotions in our writing.

Common Core Writing Standard

4.3  Students will write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using techniques such as dialogue, descriptive details, clear event sequences, and an ending conclusion.

Long Division The Math in Focus Way

Math in Focus teaches Long Division in a slightly different way than many of us were taught.  Math in Focus places an emphasis on understanding the place value of the number being divided.  Please watch the video of Mrs. Steinberg, our math specialist, teaching long division to hear the language that Math in Focus would like you to use when dividing numbers.

Surprise Author Visit

By Student Bloggers Gabriele and John

Last Wednesday 4th graders got to learn about Steven Krasner, a legendary children's author. Steven talked to us about writing our own story and gave us some advice. He told us that when a person makes the “face” that means it does not make sense or you have left something out. This was one of the many pieces of advice Steven gave us.

This is Steve Krasner making "the face".

We discussed how to make a mystery story. He also gave us another piece of advice that was to revise every time you write an idea. A writing piece needs to be changed every time you find that something doesn’t work. Another bit of advice that he told us was that there are no such thing as a bad idea. A bad idea is just a myth.    

He also told us about the books that he made. He made a nonfiction book called The Longest Game, and also wrote an animal fantasy book called Have a Nice Nap Humphrey. He told us that the title is the last thing you do. It’s also usually the last line or sentence in the book. We hope that you'll read Steve Krasner's books.

Thank you TESPTO for bringing this wonderful program to our school.

Landforms on Another Planet

LANDFORMS FROM ANOTHER PLANET

By: Student Bloggers Emma and Sadie

Last week, Team Gibbas students made topographic maps of landforms from an imaginary planet out of modeling clay, a ruler, dental floss, graph paper, and a pencil. Here is how they did it.

                                                                      

 LANDFORM PREPARING 

Before the students made the map, they had to choose a landform from the choices given. Then they had to make it out of clay. They had the option of making a mountain range, a volcano, an ocean trench, and ocean ridges. After they made the landform, they pushed a pencil through the middle of the top of the landform so they could line it up on the map. Then they measured 1 cm up from the bottom and marked it. Then they kept doing that until they got to the top. On the marks between each centimeter they took the dental floss held it tightly between their thumbs and sliced their landform  on the mark.

MAP MAKING

When the students were done slicing their landforms, they traced the slices from the top to the bottom on the paper. Then they created topographic maps from the tracings.  As a final step students were given a random map and they had to find the landform that the map was made for.

Learning About Landforms

During the last week of September Team Gibbas students became landform experts.  To enrich students learning of the scientific landform vocabulary students sculpted 3D landforms out of clay and created vocabulary word walls to showcase their learning.  Not sure what a delta is?  Ask the Team Gibbas vocabulary experts!

Grade 4 Science Standards:

ESS1.  Earth's Place in the Universe

4-ESS1-1:  Use evidence from a given landscape that includes simple landforms and rock layers to support a claim about the role of erosion or deposition in the formation of the landscape over long periods of time.

• Examples of simple landforms can include valleys, hills, mountains, plains, and canyons.

How Do You Navigate A Large Fair?

Question:  How do you navigate a large fair?

Answer:  You use a map and your map skills!

Last week Team Gibbas students practiced using their map skills to navigate one of their favorite events, the Topsfield Fair!  Students imagined walking through the fair and had to answer questions based on the map.  One question they had to answer, "When you are at the petting zoo your little sister is so excited that she runs, trips on a feed bucket, and scrapes her knee.  What direction do you need to go to get to the First Aid station? N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, or NW?"

Question:  Imagine that you are going to go to the Topsfield Fair.  What would you like to do there?
Add your answer to the Topsfield Fair padlet.

Learning to Use Science Tools

Fourth graders were able to dive into science this week and to practice using many different science tools.  Students used graduated cylinders and measuring cups to measure liquid amounts, thermometers to measure temperature, timers to measure elapsed time, and pan balances to measure weight.  We also measured our arm spans and heights.  What tool do you think students used to determine those measurements?

When will we have gym?

Hello Team Gibbas students,
I am so excited that we will be able to meet each other in only a few days!  To help you decide whether or not you should wear sneakers on the first day of school I want you to know when we will have gym and our other specials.
Monday & Tuesday:  Gym Wednesday:  Music Thursday: Art Friday:  Library
See you soon! ~Mrs. Gibbas

Welcome to Team Gibbas!

Welcome to Team Gibbas!
I am looking forward to meeting everyone on Wednesday, August 30th!  When I learn our specialist schedule I will post it here so you will know what days to wear sneakers for gym.  Enjoy the rest of your summer.
~Mrs. Gibbas

Mystery Skype

                                                         Mystery Skype

By Angie, Fourth Grade Student

         On Monday, May 8th our class had our first Mystery Skype! It was challenging at first but we came up with some great questions. The other classroom found our state first but soon we found out they lived in New Mexico. After that it was a battle to find the town. It was tough but our class quickly found out that they were in Albuquerque, New Mexico! We soon gave the other class hints and they found out that we were in Topsfield. We never had time to figure out their school but we all had fun trying to find where in the world they were.

Math Madness

Students feeling excited to be reviewing for the upcoming math MCAS?  You bet!  That is if it means creating t-shirts in the CLIC lab to review fourth grade math skills.

Today, Team Gibbas students followed explicit directions to create "Math Madness" t-shirts that displayed their knowledge of symmetry, fractions, multiplication, division, lines, rounding, and area and perimeter.  Students showcased their math pride with positive math statements such as, "I am good at math facts!","I'm great at fractions!", and "I love division!"

Thank you Jan Brown for this inspired idea!

Hover Crafts

Hover Craft Project By Guest Student Blogger Natalie
Our class made hover crafts with Mrs. Sabatini. We were doing it to see which hover craft would go the farthest. The materials we used were a CD, the top of a bottle, and a balloon. On the first day we met we built it and put 1 hole in the bottle top. The next day, we blew up the balloon and attached it to the bottle cap. We tested the hover crafts by letting the air out of the balloon which made the hover craft move down the ramp.  We timed them and we gave the hover craft a nudge down the ramp.  Then we put the initials on a sticker and put it on the graph. Then we repeated the process two more times. So when we finished the process we had 3 holes in the hover craft. When we finished we put it on a graph that was in our packet and drew a picture. After that we talked and looked at the data that was on the graph.  
Which hover craft do you think traveled the farthest, one hole, two holes, or three holes?

Marble Challenge

 Can you create a track that guides a marble into an 8" taped square?

Students were given this STEAM challenge today and they were successful in many creative ways.  Teams were awarded 25 points if the marble stayed in the blue square and 1 point for every inch that the marble traveled.

Students should feel proud of how well they worked together as teams to collaborate and problem solve.

Coming to America from El Salvador

As part of the fourth grade Social Studies curriculum, students have been learning about immigration. Today, Kylie's grandmother visited our classroom and talked to the students about her experience immigrating from El Salvador.  Students learned that El Salvador is a tiny country in Central America; it is even smaller than Rhode Island!  Students also learned that El Salvador is known for its volcanoes, coffee, and artists.  Students were a bit envious when they learned that in El Salvador children get a two hour break from school every day from noon to 2pm.  

Thank you Mrs. Connelly for sharing your immigration story with us!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Team Gibbas students brought creativity to the classroom with many unique designs for their valentine collection boxes!  Students voted for the "Most Creative", "Prettiest", "Most Valentiney", "Best Theme", "Coolest", and "Best Overall" using ipads and a google form.  Results were tabulated instantaneously, prizes were awarded, and fun was had by all.

Techsplorations

On Thursday, February 2nd fourth graders explored the world of electricity with Mr. Wahle, an expert in magnetism and electricity.  Mr. Wahle began the day with a lively interactive electricity show where students learned about different ways that electricity is generated.  The show ended with a surprise performance by the fourth grade teachers who sang an electricity song.

After the show students were able to explore electricity with a hands-on circuit lab!  Students had multiple electrical components to use including switches, resistors, lightbulbs, and even doorbells.

Thank you TESPTO for sponsoring this fabulous educational program!

Dissecting Owl Pellets

Can we discover what an owl eats by dissecting an owl pellet?

As part of our study of food webs and food chains students had the opportunity to discover where an owl gets its energy from by dissecting an owl pellet.  After carefully separating the bones from the hair students matched the bones to an identification chart.  Students learned that the owls had eaten rodents and birds.  Finally, students assembled the bones into partial bird and rodent skeletons.

Massachusetts Science Standards:

Energy and Living Things (Grades 3 - 5)

11. Describe how energy derived from the sun is used by plants to produce sugars (photosynthesis) and is transferred within a food chain from producers (plants) to consumers to decomposers.

Let's stop creating trash!

Change is Simple is an organization that inspires elementary students to adopt a lifelong environmental and social responsibility.  On Wednesday, January 25th fourth graders participated in a trash sorting relay race and learned ways to reduce the amount of trash that they produce.  Students then held a large water bottle snake made from 228 water bottles and learned that the average person uses 228 water bottles a year!

Click here to learn more about Change is Simple 

What are Simple Machines?

Mr. Woodley, a science and engineering enthusiast visited fourth graders on Friday, January 20th. Students were able to use a pulley to lift a cinder block, lift Mr. Woodley using a lever, and learn how a screw can be used to pump water.  This demonstration was a preview to the Simple Machines unit that Team Gibbas students will be exploring later in the year.

Thank you Mr. Woodley for volunteering your time to help our students learn!

Me on the Map Southeast Region

During the month of December Team Gibbas learned about the climate, natural resources, cities, and landmarks of Southeast Region of the United States.  After learning about many different features of the region students were assigned a partner and a particular landmark in the Southeast Region to explore further.  Each student pair has been hidden on the Southeast Map below.  Click on each map icon to find the Team Gibbas members and to learn more about a few important Southeast Region landmarks.

Grade 4 Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Standards 4.10 Identify the states, state capitals, and major cities in each region. (G) 4.11 Describe the climate, major physical features, and major natural resources in each region. (G)