Exploring Grade 4 with Mrs. Colhoun

Posts

February 9 - 11

This short week, students have been working on adding and subtracting money amounts , with a focus on regrouping (borrowing and carrying) when needed. They practiced lining up dollars and cents carefully and using strategies they already know to solve money problems accurately. To support accuracy, students also learned how to round money amounts to check whether their answers were reasonable . This helps them pause, reflect, and build confidence in their final solutions. As part of our ongoing work in math, we are continuing to strengthen problem-solving skills by identifying key words in questions that help students decide whether a problem requires addition or subtraction . After the break, we will continue building on these skills and applying them to more real-world money problems.

February 2 - 6

Exploring the Hydrosphere: Becoming Water Protectors Over the past few weeks, our class has been learning about the hydrosphere —all of the water on Earth—and why water is essential for life. This learning was inspired by the book We Are Water Protectors , which encouraged students to think about their responsibility to care for water. Students researched different types of water and learned that water is a basic need for plants and animals and provides important habitats for many living things. We also explored First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives , learning that water is sacred because it sustains life and that laws of nature guide people to live in harmony with the land and protect water sources. Students then brainstormed ways they could be Water Protectors in their own lives, such as conserving water, keeping waterways clean, and protecting animals that depend on water habitats. To demonstrate their learning, students worked independently or with a partner to cr...

January 19 - 23

What We’ve Been Learning in Math: Finding Area! This week in math, our class has been learning all about area —specifically, how to find the area of rectangles using the formula base × height . Students practiced identifying the base and the height, multiplying those two measurements, and making sure they included the correct units , written as square units (for example, cm² or square units). We also explored the idea that an area can be found by covering a surface with equal-sized pieces , making sure there are no gaps or overlaps. This helps students understand that area is really about how much space a surface covers. Depending on the situation, we can measure area using everyday (non-standard) units like tiles or paper squares, or standard units like square centimetres.

January 12 - 16

Z oo Field Trip Success! Our zoo field trip on Monday was a huge success, and we were lucky to have perfect weather for the day! Students had a great time touring the zoo and learning more about animals in real-life habitats. One of the highlights was examining owl pellets, which was a fun and engaging way to wrap up our learning about animal senses and structures . Students were able to connect what we’ve been studying in class to what they observed during the trip, making the experience both exciting and meaningful. We are now moving on to our next science unit on biomes , where students will learn about how the geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living things) interact to support different environments and the plants and animals that inhabit them. A big thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers who helped make the day run so smoothly — your support is truly appreciated! There will be more opportunities to volunteer later this ye...

January 5 - 9

Our Grade 4 students are beginning a creative writing project inspired by the picture book . This story helped us talk about big ideas like belonging, kindness, and how being different can be a good thing. Students connected with Barnabus and his journey, and it encouraged them to think about what it really means to be “perfect.” Our Grade 4 students are beginning a creative writing project inspired by the picture book. This story helped us talk about big ideas like belonging, kindness, and how being different can be a good thing. Students connected with Barnabus and his journey, and it encouraged them to think about what it really means to be “perfect.” Using the book as inspiration, students are creating and writing about their own. Each student is designing a made-up creature that may look unusual or have surprising features, but is special in its own way. Just like Barnabus, these pets might not be perfect, but they are lovable and important. In their writing, students are de...

December 8 - 12

This week in Grade 4 math, students extended their understanding of decimals by learning about hundredths . Using a variety of hands-on tools, they explored how decimals represent parts of a whole in meaningful ways. Students worked with money, number lines, meter sticks, place value mats, and hundredths grids to build and represent different values. These concrete models helped them see how tenths and hundredths fit together and how small changes affect the value of a number. From there, students practiced showing the same value in multiple forms —as a decimal, a fraction, and in words . This helped strengthen their number sense and understanding that numbers can be represented in different but equivalent ways. You can support learning at home by talking about decimals you see in everyday life, such as prices, measurements, or distances. Asking your child to explain what a decimal means is a great way to reinforce their thinking! Scope and Sequence: I can represent, order, an...