Exploring Grade 4 with Mrs. Colhoun

🍀 St. Patrick’s Day STEM Challenge! 🐍 We had some festive fun in our classroom this week with a St. Patrick’s Day STEM challenge! Students were given a very important mission: help rid Ireland of snakes! Using only a limited set of materials, students worked in small groups to design and build a tool that could lift or carry pipe cleaner “snakes” out of Ireland —without using their hands directly. This activity encouraged students to: Think creatively and problem-solve Work collaboratively with their peers Test, adjust, and improve their designs There were many innovative solutions, and it was great to see students experimenting, learning from mistakes, and celebrating their successes together. A fun and hands-on way to bring a little STEM (and a little luck!) into our learning! 🍀

This week, our class had an exciting opportunity to work with Trickster Theatre as we explored the province of New Brunswick through drama and movement. Students learned how to work together using bamboo poles as part of the performance, practicing coordination, timing, and teamwork. As part of the process, students helped create the title of our show, “Fundy Fight,” inspired by the powerful tides of the Bay of Fundy and the stories we explored about the province. It was wonderful to watch students collaborate, share ideas, and bring their learning to life on stage. Everyone did a fantastic job creating and performing, showing creativity, confidence, and teamwork throughout the week. Thank you to everyone who was able to come out and support the show on Thursday night . The students were so proud to share their hard work with you! 🎭

Our classroom has been full of meaningful collaboration and exciting new learning this week! Students participated in a collaborative jigsaw activity to explore how Canada’s natural and cultural heritage is protected. In small expert groups, students read and discussed how governments, conservation groups, and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities work alongside Parks Canada. They learned about important initiatives such as culture camps, science camps, land management, and the preservation of significant cultural and natural sites. Students then shared their expertise with new groups, which led to thoughtful conversations and deeper understanding. They practised important communication skills by explaining their ideas clearly, slowing down, repeating key points when needed, and ensuring their group members understood. It was wonderful to see students supporting one another and building confidence as both learners and leaders. We also had an exciting in-school field trip to laun...

Today was truly a Canadian morning! Our Grade 4 students spent time with their Grade 2 buddies to watch Canada’s exciting win against Finland. The room was full of cheers, smiles, and shared excitement as students celebrated together. After the game, both classes had the opportunity to share narrative writing they had been working on. It was wonderful to see students proudly read their stories and listen to their buddies’ ideas. These moments help build confidence, strengthen literacy skills, and foster a deeper sense of community between our buddy classes. In math, students have been working on adding and subtracting decimal numbers to the hundredths and thousandths. They are learning to carefully align decimal points, use regrouping strategies, and verify their answers for accuracy using rounding—important skills that support their overall number sense. It was a special day filled with Canadian pride, meaningful connections, and learning.  Buddies and hockey—it doesn’t get muc...

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.

  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...