Graphic Novels Recommendations

Love reading graphic novels? Here is a list of the best graphic novels starring girls! 

Do you wanna build a snowman??

Ms. Klassen and our class had fun before our winter party by building a snowman!! We had so much fun.

We love coding!

Coding Comes to NHE

We have been trying out our coding skills and so far everyone loves it!! During the week of December 8th schools across the district and the world will be taking part in the Hour of Code!!

Give it a try!

Beginner Coding Activities:

Angry Birds

Frozen

Course 2 

Course 3 - Zombies

Play Lab 

Candy Quest - Design your own candy troll character and go on a multi-level quest for candy using your own custom character.

Puppy Adventure  - Program Pixel the puppy to follow a path while jumping over obstacles.  

Advanced Coding Activities:

Arcade Shooter

2 Player Cannon Game

Eerie Elementary Book Trailer

Sasquatch Escape #1

Holes Book Trailer

Diary of a 4th Grade Writer blog

Our class will be sharing our writing on our new blog, Diary of a 4th Grade Writer. Read some of our writing and post comments.

Bean Planting

All of the fourth graders went out and planted three types of beans- green, yellow, and purple beans with Ms. Klassen and Ms. Blanchard. They used math to figure out how many seeds they would plant in each row. Students are going to be weeding the area weekly. We can't wait to see our beans! Thank Mrs. Tyler for helping us!!

Sweet Potato Pickin'

All four fourth grade classes spent some time in the garden today picking sweet potatoes, cleaning the sweet potatoes, measuring the sweet potatoes, & weeding. We picked over 100 sweet potatoes in 30 minutes. The longest sweet potato was 3 feet long!  Everyone had a blast and can't wait to plant beans in December!

We learned the sweet potatoes need 2-3 weeks to cure and become sweet, then we are going to enjoy sweet potato pie!

  

           

 

Read Aloud Updates

We just finished our first read aloud, The One and Only Ivan and we all loved the book. Such a touching story.

Here is the real Ivan:

Read about the real Ivan here.


Our next read aloud book is Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin. Check out the book trailer:

Inferring with Pixar

This week we practiced our inferencing skills while watching two Pixar short films.  Everyone had some great inferences and did a great job of supporting to their inferences with clues or evidence! The music and facial expressions really helped us with our inferences.

Here are the two short films we watched in class.
For the Birds:

Pigeon Impossible:

Sunny D Book Spree

Help our class earn 20 free books from Scholastic!  

Here's how you can help:

1. Clip the UPC label off eligible Sunny D products. Click here to see a list of eligible products.

2. Send the UPC label to school with your child.

Send all UPC labels by: Oct. 31st

**If you aren't sure what the UPC label is- just send the entire label. 

Welcome to 4th Grade!

I am so excited about the new school year! We are going to have a blast becoming wonderful writers and readers. 4th grade social studies is all about Texas! We will be learning the history of the great state of Texas.  Here are some reminders for the new year:

• If you take your binder home, you MUST bring it back the next day. We will use our binders daily!
• Show your parents your agenda EVERY night with your completed homework and have them initial it. It takes less than 10 seconds. 
• Library Days: Choy - Wednesday   Klassen - Thursdays
• Come ready to learn each day with a positive attitude. 

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by: L. Shurtliff

Rump is a retelling of the story of Rumpelstiltskin.  In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is teased by everyone because of his name.  Rump’s mother died when he was born, gasping out half of his name as she died, leaving him with only half a name. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers that he has inherited his mother’s ability to spin straw into gold, but it comes at a heavy price. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse. He must go on a quest against the pixies, trolls, poison apples, and even a wicked queen. Will he be able to save his friend, Red what does he learn about himself?

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

   I started my summer reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Kyle Keeley isn’t much of a reader. He’s more into games. Board games, video games, you name it. Especially the brilliant world of Luigi Lemoncello’s Imagination Factory, which continuously puts out the best games ever. 

An amazing new library is about to open, but first, twelve lucky 12-year-olds will win a spot in an overnight lock-in at the library, designed by the brilliant game inventor, Mr. Lemoncello, but the children learn the next morning that the first night was just the beginning of their adventures. They are offered the opportunity to play a game to figure out a new way to leave the library. They only have 24 hours to find clues and leave the library to win a big prize. Kyle and the others search for clues using maps, holograms, advanced magnetic levitation, rebus, trivia,

anagrams, and more. Just like on reality TV, some kids form alliances, and some of them scheme against each other. There are tons of references to various book titles and authors. This is definitely a book to inspire reading! Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library is full of puzzles to figure out how the children can escape from the library. As Mr. Lemoncello tells the kids' parents, "It'll be like The Hunger Games but with lots of food and no bows or arrows."  Read to find out how the kids get out of the library!

Bluebonnet Book Trailers

Summer Reading

Book Trailers using iMovie

Students worked with a partner to read a book, completed their story board, then created their iMovie book trailer.

Holes

 Holes

By: Louis Sachar

Hi,my fellow  readers.Have you ever read a book by Louis Sachar? Well if you haven't try

reading Holes.It is a faboluos book.So let me give you a short summary.In the begging

there is this kid named Stanley.He was just walking on the sidewalk having a nice day.

But just then a pair of shoes randomly falls out of the sky.A few minutes later he heard

police sirens.So he started running.But the police cought him.In the middle he got sent

to Camp Green Lake.There it began Holes. Stanley started digging holes for a long time.

Will Stanley ever get to see his family again? Read this awesome book to find out.

I recommend this book fourth to sixth grade.

Reviewd by: Jackson, 4th grade

Whatever After- Sink or Swim

Whatever After- Sink or Swim

                                By: S. Mlynowski

        

   Do  you like splishy splashy fractured fairy tales?  If you do, you’ll want to read “Whatever after sink or swim”. This  fairy tale princess Sarah Mlynowski  will knock you off your socks. You will hear  Abby, Jonah, and Lana’s names throughout the story.

It all started when, Abby and Jonah get sucked into their magic mirror and fall into “ The Kingdom Of Mustard”. They meet a mermaid named Lana when they arrive.  They  saw Lana rescue prince Mortimer from a storm  that  made the sea rough and the ship tip over. Carolyn’s the royal chef and her great-great grandmother Edith saw a mermaid. She tells  them how  to make a potion  that lets them breath under water for twelve hours. Lana wants to marry the prince. But it will cost a price. Will she do it? Will Abby and Jonah stop her? Will they ever get back home?  Or will they be stuck in this paradise for ever? Read to find out!   This book  is a fantasy and a fractured fairy tale. This book is so exciting that once you start you get attached to it.  Abby and Jonah are realistic. I like  Lana, Abby, and Jonah.I would love to be their friends. I recommend this book to  3rd through 6th graders. I loved it!

  Book review written by: Gabriella, 4th grade

The Mark of Athena

       The Mark of Athena

By: Rick Riordan

 In the Mark of Athena, seven demigods, Jason, Piper, Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel, and Leo, are on a quest to save the world from destruction. The evil earth goddess Gaea is using her giants to take over the world until she can wake. If Gaea wakes up, she can not be stopped. Annabeth has to go on a mini quest to retrieve a statue that might help defeat the giants. She has to defeat a huge spider that is guarding the statute. Meanwhile, Percy and Jason have to kill two giants. Will they all succeed or not? Find out by reading the book.

Reviewed by: Robbie

Franny K. Stein: Mad Scientist

Franny K. Stein: Mad Scientist

By: J. Benton

Do you like funny books? Well I do and I loved Franny K. Stein: The Mad Scientist .It is over 40 books about the mad scientist. The main character is Franny. Franny has her own lab above her room. Franny loves to work by herself and she doesn't like people coming in her lab. All Franny wants is her dad to listen and pay attention to her. Franny’s mom feels bad for Franny, so she gives her a dog. She names her dog Dot. Dot really wants to help Franny. All Dot can do is play with his dog toy. What will Franny do with Dot now? To find out pick up this book! TIf you love funny books about a mad scientist is the book for you. Boys and girls from 3rd-7th grade will love it.

Recommended by Ta'Niyah, 4th grade

Marie Antoinette by Katheryn Lasky

Marie Antoinette

By: K. Lasky 

From birth, Maria Antonia's family knew she was to become a queen. But not just any queen, the queen of France! Now young Antonia must be taught to be very proper and queenlike. She has lessons and lesson and even more lesson every day. But her mother says that now she is a dauphine, she will be called Marie Antoinette. And she is to be married at fourteen to a man she never even met!

What will happen to her? It is a very interesting tale, sharing her hardships and her thoughts through her diary. Being archduchess is now, in me, in a new light!I know that girls a bit older, ten or so would really enjoy this because I have!

Reviewed by: Anne 

Henry's Freedom Box-Claire

Check out the awesome iMovie book trailers!!

Henry's Freedom Box-Dylan

Henry's Freedom Box-Jackson

Henry's Freedom Box-Robbie

Henry's Freedom Box -Tyler

Henry's Freedom Box-Patrick

Henry's Freedom Box - Eamon

Henry's Freedom Box - Kyle

Habitat movies

The Family Under the Bridge

The Family Under the Bridge

By: Natalie Savage Carlson

If you like adventure and mystery books you might like this book.the main character was Armand. Armand was an old hobo how lived under a bridge in the street of Paris .then one day just before Christmas a struggling mother and her three children walked into his life. Armand soon found himself caring for the family and sharing his unusual home under the bridge with them.but the children missed having a home of their own.what could one old man do to make their Christmas wish come true? I think boys and girls age of 10 and up should read this book.

Reviewed by: Aye

The Lemonade War

       The Lemonade War

 By: Jacquline Davies

If you like war than this is the book for you.While Jessie and Evan are having a boring last week of summer they get a letter from the school that says “Jessie is now going to be in fourth grade with Evan Treskey.”Evan was so mad because Jessie in his in his class.He said some really hurtful things to Jessie so they decided to have a lemonade war.This is a really good book because when Evan needs help he calls on his friends and Jessie calls on hers.This is a realistic fiction book and if you want to out  who wins read this amazing book.I think that 4th through ^th graders would love this book.I learned a lot about business and selling lemonade so if you want to learn then read this book!

Reviewed by Katie D.

Invasion of the Appleheads

Invasion of the Appleheads

    By: Annette and Gina Cascone

 If you like scary books this one is for you! The characters are Katie and Andy. Andy and Katie went to the apple orchard ,but their parents disappeared. Then they saw some appleheads .After they escaped they saw nobody else in the whole town but each other.They do not  know what to do. Find out by reading this book! This book is good for 3rd to 6th graders, all genders.

-Eamon

Geronimo Stilton The Fast and the Frozen

Geronimo Stilton The Fast and the Frozen

Do you like to read some adventure book? Let me tell you about my favorite adventure book series, Geronimo Stilton The Fast and The Frozen.The main character is Geronimo Stilton, Thea Stilton, Benjamin Stilton, Trap Stilton, and the Professor. The book is a fiction story. In this story Geronimo Stilton was a lot fun acting and in this story Professor saw some a big giant mamoswine. The mamoswine was the extinct animal but the Professor find the mamoswine. That my exciting happened. I like this story  because Geronimo Stilton and his family were running from the bad creatures and a rock fell on them! When I was done reading this I felt like I really wanted to see the mamoswine.

-Kitaek

Book Review: Wait Till Helen Comes

Wait Till Helen Comes

 By: M.Downing Hahn

 Do you like getting scared and freaked out while reading a book? This book is Wait Till Helen Comes the wonderful author is Mary Downing Hahn.The main characters are Molly, Michael,Heather,and Helen.Sadly Molly and Michael have recently moved to an abandoned church with a graveyard in the back with their step dad and step sister. Heather their step sister becomes friends with a ghost named Helen.Helen sabotages Molly and Michael over Heather's rules.What will Helen do? Will Heather become a ghost?You’ll have to read it to find out.I like this book because it is a fantasy ghost story. I really like Molly and Michael, Molly is really nice and caring, but Michael is very adventurous. Heather is so mean almost wicked. What I love about this book is their are a lot of surprises and secrets
. -Catherine P.

Book Trailers using iMovie

After writing book reviews we will be creating book trailers using iMovie! Take a look at some of these examples.

Book Review: The Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid

By: Rick Riordan

In The Red Pyramid, Sadie and Carter Kane's dad is an undercover Egyptian magician. When their dad tries a spell that he can't do, he ends up blowing up the Rosetta Stone and releasing 5 Egyptian gods. Sadie and Carter get pulled into the world of Egpytian magic, where the evil god Set is trying to destroy the world, and it's up to Sadie and Carter to stop him. In the end, will they be able to stop Set of not? Find out by reading the book!

-Reviewed by Robbie, 4th grade

Cattle Kingdom

Students have enjoyed studying the cattle kingdom in Texas this week.  Here are some fun games you can play and websites with more information!

Lead a Cattle Drive

Stampede

Stock a Chuckwagon

Crossing the River

The Cattle Kingdom - Website of information

Indian War

Red River War
  Interview with a buffalo hunter

Civil War

We will spend the next two weeks studying the Civil War. We will not have enough time to go into a lot of detail. If you would like to read more information about it check out these links below!

Civil War for Kids
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad: Journey to Freedom - Game

Adverbs

Read Aloud Book Trailers

Running Out of Time




The Humming Room

Nouns