Fourth Grade Samples

Here are some examples of what we're up to in the 4th grade so far.  (Well, I only got the camera out for that within the last week or so, so really it's not a sample of the whole year - but anyway, just so you know we're not completely loafing...;-). ) Here are just a few projects documented.

Working on tessellating patterns (sort of). We're just experimenting with possibilities here (brainstorming).

Working with percentages

Comparing percentages with fractions

More comparisons between percents and fractions

Fractions and percentages of dollars and cents (stock exchange stuff) Hmmm, looks like we weren't quite finished here....

Let's see. This is getting perimeter in fractions and drawing geometric figures.

Reciting "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer.  "I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree..."

October's weather (yes, we ran out of suns...)

 Our Tennessee physical map project.

We start out, after pencil drawing it all in, by making a flour and water model of all the various physical features such as mountains, valleys, plains, lakes and rivers.  When the flour dries, you'll notice it becomes shorter and fatter!  (We didn't think of that!)

They're each making their own map. This is at the plaster of paris stage, where we cover the flour and water with strips of POP covered material.  This hardens in minutes.

A different version

A school visitor came to see what the purple butterfly was all about.

Then we had another visitor in the dog pen.  We're wondering if this marbled salamander is "Sallie"??  If so, she's grown fast in the last almost 2 years.

Now we're painting in the rivers.  We have HUGE rivers in Tennessee you know (wink).

I see the Mississippi River is in flood stage!

I'll be adding to this TN project in due time.  We just did the rivers today....
 

Later: Thursday Nov 4:

Painting the green

Almost done

Getting those rivers a little smaller.

In the meantime, we have a field trip tomorrow - actually put on by CHE - for our yearbook party. (It's never too late to party!).  So don't move that dial.  We'll see you back shortly!

Later: Nov 8.  

On the left is the "fertile plain" and the circle (!) in the middle is the fertile valley! Nothing like dramatic exaggeration to get the point across, ha ha!

 November 10

And now we add the cities.  Four main cities in TN.

 Nov 12

Then we add the bushes, trees, grass and crops (pretty much at random!)

More of the same

 Nov. 15

Oh, we found more "trees" in the form of flower arranging foam and stuff from a potpourri.

 Nov. 16

We start to add the city buildings - alas, the glue stuck to our fingers so much we couldn't position them properly! So we later switched to hotgun glue - MUCH better!

Cities slowly being built - Rome wasn't built in a day, you know!

Later: about November 17

Labels, better cities and of course, the orange background.

Another sample

The large metropolis of Memphis

Chattanooga, on both sides of the river...

Some of the Tennessee valley, Sequatchie valley, etc  I even see Lake Ocoee.

The bustling Knoxville

Stately Nashville (maybe just a tad, slightly north of where it should be!). The project is almost done - just a few touch-ups needed and it'll be ready to send home!

 

And lastly, some flowers C drew for a friend with cancer -  a bouquet that we hope will bring cheer and goodwill.

Tennessee Bluegrass Snippets

One'll be a short snippet due to sad, unforeseen circumstances, like....oh never mind!!).

Seems like I'll just go the YouTube route from the get-go and avoid learning my lesson AGAIN....So, you know the routine, just click on the link and enjoy!

Tennessee Bluegrass Collage

And now please welcome our own locally grown country/gospel music group! L to R: Dana, Scott, Christy, Richard, Darlene, Holly and Jim! (What's your group's name, by the way?)

And now.....drum roll.....

The BlueTastic Fangrass group!

And remember, when you see someone taping something, please resist the urge to go over and chat!  You might land up on YouTube!

The Annual Fall Festival

Again, we had wonderful weather for the annual fall festival and picnic yesterday.  This time it started at 3pm and we left at 7pm. I'll let the pictures tell the story.

Friends and sunshine

Getting ready for a short devotional

Listening to the speaker

A group of kids gathered to lead song service

Textures

A very local musical group. L to R: Dana, Scott, Christy, Richard, Darlene, Holly and Jim. (You'll get to hear them in the next post)

My favourite driveway.  This was on the hayride.  When these leaves turn, they're beautiful, and again in the spring when in full blossom.

Coming back by the house and all the people

Another, more professional bluegrass group.  I know I'll get the name wrong but it was something like "The Blue Tastic Fan Grass" group! (You'll get to hear a very short clip of them in the next post - before someone kind of derailed the whole thing - you'll see what I mean!)

A heaped up bonfire - perfect for those marshmallows. (I wish we could just spell them Marshmellows, people - one day I'm going to reBEL!)

We had many options of fun: Pumpkin decorating, face painting, balloons, hayrides, touch football, and the obstacle course which included a zip line (also called a "fooffy slide" in my day). Then of course we had the picnic food, the fire and the music and a (can drive - for those less fortunate) fundraising (combined with the schools, I believe).

Queen of the night

A side view

Worth waiting for, but short-lived.

I'll post the bluegrass music in the next blog post because I'm sure I've passed the GB limit on this one!

Peek at a Cello lesson

Working on the Rondo from Breval's Concerto #2 with Teacher Annie.  Well, Blogspot, you did it again - or DIDN'T do it!  Tried to upload a video - after an hour or so it says it couldn't do the job - and it's only, what? 2 -3 minutes?! So I'll have to go the YouTube route again....Kindly click on the link below.

Peek at a cello lesson

 

Let's hope we can work our practices up to 30 minutes a day! Pretty reasonable I'd say! Dja hear that, girl? (She doesn't read these, ha ha - I can gossip all I want!)  And please excuse the friend's sniffling in the background! Ugh, I can't EVER seem to get videos right - you're prolly saying "Well, give it up already!"   OK, I will  -  just after the next blog about our fall festival if that's fine with you!  We had some interesting Bluegrass music which got RUINED by someone while I was taping it SO NICELY!!  (slow, deep breaths.....calm down, serenity NOW!) but I'll include "snippets" of it.  Ugh!

Hey wait, what's that blood-curdling screaming I hear??  Oh, it's me! 

Grandparents Day

Friday was Grandparents Day with two musical programs.  One at Spalding and one at CAMS.  They both went off very well although we had a rush from one to the next with barely enough time (actually none) to eat lunch.  Fortunately we were able to grab a sack lunch at CAMS.  At first we were told a call time of 12:45pm but that changed to 12:00, hence the hurry!

The day was sunny but with a cold wind blowing.  We were thankful for the sun all weekend though!  As you'll see in a later blog, we had a fall festival today too with perfect weather.

All set and ready to go.

Spalding 4th and 5th grade orchestras playing Fiddle Song or something similar. Cute piece.

The CAMS strings group

They played 3 or 4 pieces. I have video of all the pieces....maybe will add them here sometime.

 We're glad you made it up from Florida, Grandpa and Grandma J!  (They always make grandparents day coincide with SAU alumni w/e thankfully!)

Woulda if I Coulda.

This isn't actually going to be a blog cos Grandpa and Grandma J are here and this computer happens to be in "their" room.  Will try to get back to it later in the weekend or next week.  Today was Grandparents day and we have 2 musical programmes to report on....so pease wait patiently, and with baited breath for the full report later!  We survived the tornadoes, the storms and the rain - so don't worry about us!

Hope all is going well with the move! Wish we were there to lend some muscle...

Love from us all and Happy Sabbath!

Good and Evil

Two forces; two powers.  Only two: Good and evil.  Good was before evil.  Good is more powerful than evil.  Good will destroy and overcome all evil.  Evil paints a false picture of Good and calls itself good, and Good, evil.  Evil deceives and lies, hurts and kills, but lays the blame at the foot of Good. Good cannot lie. Good will not lie because Good is thoroughly Good.  If Good had even a speck of evil, it would be Good no longer.  But evil mixes itself with good to deceive.  Evil only serves itself; Good willingly serves all, even evil.

I believe this painting is by Lars Justinen? or Nathan Greene? (Sorry, I don't know, exactly)

We have a choice between Good and Evil.  Good has chosen us, but will not force itself on us.  Evil tries to force itself on all.  Evil claims us.  Good redeems us from evil. Good is LOVE. Love drives out all fear, all fear of what evil can do to us.  We are safe in love.  We are drawn to love. We belong to love.  Evil fears love, hates love. Evil twists love into something evil. Love willingly transforms evil into something good. We can choose.  Good allows that.

Painting by Lars Justinen

 
We all have to make the choice. No one can decide not to choose because we are either in one camp or the other.  To choose Good is a conscious decision because evil has claimed us.  (How it did that will have to be subject of another blog sometime) Anyone who doesn't specifically choose Good, is allowing himself to remain in the camp of evil.

Good has allowed Evil to exist because Good will not compromise Good in order to force a choice. If Good uses force, it will not be Good anymore.  Good allows evil to manifest itself FULLY that there will be no doubt, no wondering ever again, whether evil is actually good or not. If it is not clear now, it will be at some time.  Evil tried to destroy Good forever in AD31 but Good cannot be destroyed. God is Good; always has been, always will be. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is positive evidence that Good will triumph over evil.

"Let not your hearts be troubled.  Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-3

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved". John 3:16,17.

Happy Sabbath!

PS: Although I mostly talk of these two sides as "forces", I want to emphasize that they are, in fact, two very real beings - God and Satan.  One is good and one is evil.  And never the twain shall merge!