Mr. Sassman's 4th Grade Class Blog
Martin Luther King, Jr., was a great man who worked for racial equality and civil rights in the United States of America. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Martin had a brother, Alfred, and a sister, Christine. Both his father and grandfather were ministers. His mother was a schoolteacher who taught him how to read before he went to school.
Young Martin was an excellent student in school; he skipped grades in both elementary school and high school. He enjoyed reading books, singing, riding a bicycle, and playing football and baseball. Martin entered Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, when he was only 15 years old.
Martin experienced racism early in life. He decided to do to something to make the world a better and fairer place.
After graduating from college and getting married, Dr. King became a minister and moved to Alabama.
During the 1950's, Dr. King became active in the movement for civil rights and racial equality. He participated in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott and many other peaceful demonstrations that protested the unfair treatment of African-Americans. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Commemorating the life of a tremendously important leader, we celebrate Martin Luther King Day each year in January, the month in which he was born. August 28, the anniversary of Dr. King's 1963 I Have a Dream speech, is called "Dream Day."
Last week
We have started our Biography book reports with some delightful presentations! I have been mostly impressed!!! Art specialists were in school all week and we had our lesson on Thursday morning! This week we will finish our own art lesson on Andy Warhol - adding items to our cans of soup! Universal screening went extremely well and I am pleased to announce that every student in our class has improved in their reading fluency and accuracy. We will go over the numbers at our student-led parent/teacher conferences in February.
Students should have picked an appropriate, relevant, and current event in the news (domestic or foreign) to read about and report on to the class for their next Google Slide Presentation.
I have picked some new computer programs to implement for differentiated instruction. The kids logged into Kahn Academy and Prodigy Math last week and have set sail! I will send home flyers this week with additional information and log-ins if you want to practice at home with your student.
Thanks for your support with these!
This week
- Reading Logs (con't) - more information down below
- Literacy Groups
- DOL
- GOOGLE SLIDES PRESENTATIONS CONTINUE THIS WEEK
- Our Solar System
- Kahn Academy
- Prodigy Math
- Moon Journaling
- Current Events (finish picking topic/article)
In January
- Biography Google Slides Presentations
- Current Events - Social Studies Class Topics
- Tableaux
- STEM LESSON: Force and Motion (Exploding Canisters)
Tuesday looks like:
9:00 - 9:10
Planners
Class Meeting
New Seats
New Jobs
9:10 - 11:00
Moon Journals
DOL
Spelling Lesson 12
StoryTown Lesson 12
New Year Resolutions finish
11:00 - 11:40
PE
11:40 - 12:10
Lunch
12:10 - 12:40
Recess
12:40 - 2:00
Math Block
2:00 - 3:30
Our Solar System - Saturn
Biography Google Slides Presentations
TFK: The Coolest Inventions of 2015
Read Aloud - Tale of Despereaux
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please feel free to call or email me anytime to discuss things further. I hope you find this information helpful and useful.
HOMEWORK DUE Friday, January 22, 2015
-- Spelling Lesson 12
-- TFK: The Coolest Inventions of 2015
-- Moon Journal Week Two
-- Current Events Article Finalized
HOMEWORK DUE Friday, January 22, 2015
-- Spelling Lesson 12
-- TFK: The Coolest Inventions of 2015
-- Moon Journal Week Two
-- Current Events Article Finalized
MATH HOMEWORK DUE THIS WEEK (only if you are in my math class)
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
-- TOPIC 9 REVIEW PART 2
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
-- NONE (TEST WAS TUESDAY)
Thursday, January 21, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-2
Friday, January 22, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-3
-- TOPIC 9 REVIEW PART 2
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
-- NONE (TEST WAS TUESDAY)
Thursday, January 21, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-2
Friday, January 22, 2016
-- Practice/Reteach 10-3
ONGOING INFORMATION
I have decided to implement weekly reading logs as a regular part of our class for this next quarter. Students will receive "points" for for each day that they read a minimum of 20 minutes at home. The purpose: for students to read each day (not 100 minutes over the weekend or 40 minutes on Tuesday to catch up for Monday).
The logs will be due on a rolling basis and should have dates read on them. I will give credit as they are turned in and filled out correctly (please initial these). The points students receive will be added to their overall reading grade, counting towards their final grade.
It is simple, if students read and turn in their logs, they will see their grade improve significantly while naturally benefitting in fluency and accuracy. If they do not, they will not be given a "0" on the assignment, they simply will not receive any points.
Please look for these to come home this week. I have a yellow folder by the classroom front door filled with new reading logs. Email me with any questions or concerns please.
GOOGLE DRIVE
You can access all of your student's digital assignments online and work at home if you would like. Just go to www.gmail.com and type in their email address and password. Then find the Google Menu (where you will find the Drive, Docs, and Slides) icon in the top right corner (it is a nine square grid next to their s-number). This is where they will make their Google Slides Presentation for their Biography Book Reports. It is as follows:
Username: s#@student.k12northstar.org (for example: s123456@student.k12northstar.org)
Password: s#g (for example: s123456g)
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Friday, February 5, 2016
Teacher In-service day (NO SCHOOL)
Monday, February 15, 2016 and Tuesday February 16, 2016
Student-led parent/teacher conferences (NO SCHOOL) - please speak to Mrs. Lisa Corbett at the front office for your scheduled time if you have questions. I will send home papers with your confirmed times when we are closer.
Friday, March 11, 2016
End of third quarter and beginning of spring break - early dismissal at 2 PM
Monday, March 14, 2016 thru Friday, March 18, 2016
Spring break (NO SCHOOL - not including weekends)
It's a good life!
Mr. Sassman
