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Muhr Messages
cmuhr@sd25.org 847-398-4282 www.sd25.org
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Fourth Grade Newsletter November 15, 2013

NATIVE AMERICANS
This week and next week, our class is exploring the Artic Ice Fields, home to the Inuit people. We are learning about some of the ways people have lived and thrived despite harsh weather conditions and scarce resources. Chapter 2 in our History Alive books has been our primary source of information, but we have also used some other resources such as watching video clips on Discovery Education. Do you know the migration route of Native Americans? Is Siberia a real place, and where is it? How was the land different during the most recent Ice Age? Do you know the origin story of the Hopi tribe of the southwest? These could be great conversation starters with your child. After Thanksgiving break, we will dive into Chapter 3, discovering the tribes of the Northwest Coast, California-Intermountain, Southwest, Plateau, Great Plains, Northeast Woodlands, and the Southeast regions. Our class will be learning how Native Americans used all of the natural resources in their area in which they lived.

COMPARING TRIBES
During some recent LMC class periods, OMS fourth graders researched the Cheyenne tribe, who lived on the Great Plains like the Pawnee. They used both books and websites. Then they researched one of these three: Iroquois, Nez Perce, or Pueblos. Last, they compared and contrasted the tribes, noting advantages and disadvantages to living with each one. Using a program called Inspiration, the children displayed these these along with their personal decision of which tribe they would rather live with. You will have the opportunity to view these in the hallway during parent-teacher conferences.

S.O.S. STORIES
Our class has been working on writing personal narratives. We started by reading a book called the S.O.S. Files, which is a collection of surprising or challenging moments in kids lives. The children have been applying their skills of IFRUIT focus, showing, mechanics, and paragraphing in writing about their own S.O.S. Moments. They have been typing, revising, and editing their essays on googledocs. After printing their final copy, they have illustrated a scene from the story. These final drafts will be displayed in the hallway during conferences, and during the conference, I will show you all of the steps and stages of their writing. They have done an outstanding job, and I know you will enjoy their stories!