2013-2014 Projects

Song Writing- "Happy 401"
With the help of high school student Muzahid Abudullah, the class wrote a song about being Happy! Lyrics encompass our idea of happiness: the overall theme for the school year. We are grateful for Muzahid's experience with music and his passion for sharing it with others. Not only did he mix the music, he patiently sat with the fourth graders to show them the process of writing a song.

Happy, Happy, Happy
(Lyrics)
Verse: Music make us happy
and so does family.
Heart pumps like fireworks
like going on a shopping spree.
Singing make us happy
like lying under a tree.
Christina makes us smile
with her personality.
Food make us happy
because its so yummy.
Friends are so cheerful
won't you all agree!

Happy, Happy, Happy,
We are happy, Happy Happy
(x3)

Chorus:
We are so happy
Can't you see? See
Smile with us please
set your happiness free.
Happy, Happy, Happy
That's all we wanna be.
Happy, Happy, Happy
Dance, with us please.

Realistic Fiction Books

In my opinion, all written stories must be published properly. Writing stories in the fourth grade is very time consuming: brainstorms, to several drafts, a title, publishing, and binding. At times we lost the battle with Dropbox or the school computers, but in the end all students were rewarded. This time we sewed the bindings. We used cardboard covered in paste paper for the hardcover and duct tape to finish it up. They turned out great.

Road Trip: See The USA Project

Students are working for a Travel Magazine, trying to find the coolest Points of Interest in the United States. With a $12,000 budget, a rent a car, checkbook, debit card, and a few personal items, travel groups are heading out on one the following Interstates: 90, 84, 80, 70, 40, 10. The trip takes a total of 16 days. Throughout the adventure, groups are responsible for both team projects and individual projects: billboards, discovery posters, point of interest worksheet, daily expenditures, and postcards. Before moving on to a new state. groups share their findings.

Paint Your Bedroom Project

While working with perimeter and area, students were sent home to paint their bedrooms (not really). Using their imagination they decided on all the different colors they could paint the walls and ceiling of their room. Browsing through paint swatches online or visiting a hardware store, students were asked to price out the entire project. But first, they had to find the area of their bedroom, by calculating the area of each wall, while subtracting the areas of doors, windows, closets, bookshelves, etc. that they were not painting. Using the perimeter of the floor, children were able to measure the area of the ceiling. After totaling all areas, they determined the cost of the paint, primer, and other supplies needed. Children presented their work in small groups.

Should Children Have Cell Phones Debate?

One day during Morning Meeting, we were discussing cell phones. Some fourth graders insisted that children should have cell phones. However, they couldn't give much evidence as to why, other than "because we should!" I dug up some articles for them to read during Literacy. Throughout the week we analyzed the articles and looked at both the pros and cons of children having cell phones. On a Friday, we debated the topic. It was fun to see how the kid's perspective changed. Students wrote an essay arguing his or her opinion.

Geometry In Your Neighborhood Project

On avery sunny day, we headed out into our Jackson Heights neighborhood on a mission to find Geometric features in our surrounding. Kids were on the prowl looking for perpendicular lines, acute angles, polygons, and prisms sketching what they saw to be shared in class. After a class discussion on the important of those shapes on structures, they were sent home with a project finding a building in their neighborhood with interesting geometric features. Students were asked to make a sketch and label all features that they saw. All kids put together a presentation. Presentations consisted of posters, models, and ,books, and multimedia projects to be shared with classmates.

Character Project

In Literacy we analyzed characters in fiction stories. Each student chose a favorite character and favorite part in a story. Using what they know about the character and story they illustrated the part in the story as well as practiced reading that same part in a story telling voice. Reading was recorded and added to illustration to create a mini movie. Enjoy.

WORD BOWL POETRY
As a reflection project, fourth graders were asked to think of one word to describe the second marking period in fourth grade. Each student had the opportunity to share his/her words with the class. We created a list of twenty six words. Using and organizing these words, students created a poem that reflects his/her thoughts about fourth grade.

Word Bowl Poetry Continued...

Book Making
In class, we studied both nonfiction texts and Lenape Indians. Students made nonfiction books about a Lenape topic of choice. Kids learned how to fold pages using the accordion method. They attached pages to paste paper covered cardboard.

Ordinary is Extraordinary

Mural: We were asked by El Museo del Barrio and artist Carlo Nieva to help participate and design a mural for Rory Staunton Field. The mural will largely be based on students' interests in combination with Carlo's expertise and thematic interests as well.
We took a trip to the wall and practiced working on a LARGE-SCALE project. THINKING BIG WAS IMPORTANT!!!!

Mural Painting begins in March. Two sessions in...Tag Names and The Brainstorm are complete!

Tag Names

Graffiti

The Brainstorm

Vacation on Mars

In Science the students studied the Solar System. The students then created Persuasive Skits and Slogans convincing the audience to visit a planet. During Creative Movements, Rebekah, worked on interpretive dances that we incorporated into the final performance. Parents came to visit one snowy afternoon and it was such a great success. Enjoy the show.

Ordinary Is Extraordinary: What Can A Square Be?

The Fourth Grade was presented with a blank square and the question: What could this be? In small groups the children brainstormed different ideas.

Their answers grew and changed as the one, then two lines were added to the square. These pictures are the expression of each of their vision.

Lenape Artifacts

To complete our study on NYC Native Americans, students created artifacts that represented the clothing, housing, tools, weapons, and wampum of the Lenape People.

Culture Bubble

On Friday, December 20th our elementary students invited friends and families to visit the gym and experience the multicultural museum in the fabulous "Culture Bubble" created using artwork that the students drew on transparent plastic windows, depicting their family holiday traditions.

The bubble was crafted by cluster 1 teachers out of black plastic and held aloft by an ordinary box fan.

It was a wonderfully innovative, exciting museum to walk through and students happily pointed out their artwork and explained their traditions. It was terrific exhibition of our diverse, multicultural Renaissance family.

(Excerpt taken from Renaissance Newsletter)

Portraits

Instagram Project

To end the first marking period, fourth graders created a picture that expressed their opinion about school, reflecting on what they learned, loved, found challenging, or maybe disliked. They learned that writing is not the only way to reflect, but much like artists they can use pictures, drawings, photographs etc. to express feelings and opinions. The photos included a creative caption and were posted to class Instagram page.

Paste Paper
What's better than a messy, kid friendly art project? The kids made some wonderful masterpieces. I'm excited to see the paper cover the handmade books of our published stories. Thank you to our parent volunteers for getting down and "dirty" with the fourth grade.

Ingredients: White Rice Flour, Water, and Dish Soap
Add rice flour and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until it thickens to the consistency of pudding. I used two cups of flour and 14 cups of water. For each cup of flour used, you will need to add seven cups of water. Once the paste is complete, add dish soap to prevent odor and refrigerate until use. Add paint to paste. (The more paint you use the bolder the color will be once it dries). Moisten drawing paper and design. Hang to dry. See the final product.

Collage Resumes

For our first project each student made a collage using words, photos, and drawings. The posters show interests, abilities, favorites, family, friends, goals, and dreams of each student. Everyone is getting a chance to share his/her poster with the class during Morning Meeting. We are having fun learning about one another.