Explore In Grade Four With Mrs. Pols

This week, we focused on learning two strategies when multiplying two and three by one digit numbers: the standard algorithm and the grid method. Students worked hard to build their understanding of how numbers can be broken apart and multiplied in different ways. To make their learning active and engaging, we did a “Scoot” activity where students moved around the room solving a variety of multiplication problems. This gave them lots of practice both while keeping the energy high and encouraging collaboration. They demonstrated a great effort all around! In this weeks home folders the students are bringing home a check in assessment on both methods. You will notice the titles are underlined in green, yellow or red. This represents if they feel the method feels challenging, they could use a little more practice or they feel confident with the method. The students also starred the method that they feel most comfortable with. A quick reminder that continued practice with basic multiplicat...

Our classroom has been exploring the beauty of seasonal change through Indigenous calendars, using literature, art, and discussion to guide our learning. This work has helped students better understand how the land, animals, and people are deeply connected throughout the year. To support our learning, we read When the Trees Crackle with Cold , a story that explores the changing months and the natural signs that mark each season. This helps us begin to see time not just by dates on a calendar, but by what we observe in the natural world around us. We also read This Is How I Know , which explores the seasons in the Great Lakes region of Canada. This book encouraged students to think about how people notice seasonal changes through everyday experiences — the feel of the air, the movement of animals, and the transformation of the land. Together, these stories helped students understand that the land teaches us, and that careful observation helps us learn. In February, we learned about the ...

  🍀  St. Patrick’s Day STEM Challenge! 🐍 We had some festive fun in our classroom this week with a St. Patrick’s Day STEM challenge! After reading a legend about St. Patrick's day, students were given a very important mission:  H elp 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! 🍀

Our Grade 4 scientists have been exploring how national parks help protect the plants and animals that live there. As part of our science unit, we learned about the important work done by Parks Canada and how parks are carefully managed to keep ecosystems healthy. One of the big ideas we explored was the “trickle effect.” Students learned that even small human actions can have a much bigger impact over time. For example, something that seems simple like leaving food behind, littering, or walking off the trail, can start a chain reaction in nature. Animals may begin relying on human food instead of finding their own, plants can be damaged when people wander off paths, and litter can harm wildlife. What starts as one small action can trickle outward and create many problems for the living things that depend on the park. To show their understanding, students became environmental journalists with a creative twist. Each student selected a human action that can harm a park and wrote a ne...

This week our class had an exciting experience working with Trickster Theatre . Through their unique theatre process, we helped create a performance based on the theme “A Journey Across Canada.” Each class explored a different part of the country, and our class travelled to the province of Quebec . Our story focused on the famous winter celebration called Carnaval de Québec , one of the largest winter festivals in the world. The Trickster artists guided us through a fun acting process. We began by creating movement patterns together as actors . After that, we built a story and added dialogue to bring our ideas to life. One of the most creative parts of the experience was using everyday objects as theatre props . Instead of traditional stage props, we used folding tables and transformed them through movement and imagination. The tables became maple trees for maple syrup tapping, stands for ice sculpting, snowy hills for skiing, and more activities you might see during Carnaval . By f...

This week we kicked off our new science unit with an exciting in-class science program called Cosmic Connections , and it truly was an out-of-this-world experience! This engaging program helped students explore the universe and learn how space connects to our everyday lives. The students investigated planets, constellations, the Moon, and other objects we see in the sky. One of the highlights was the Virtual Reality experience , where students were able to “travel” into space and explore in a way that felt both exciting and real. Anything felt possible as students visited planets, observed constellations, and imagined what it would be like to explore beyond Earth. Along with the VR experience, students participated in hands-on activities that helped them understand how objects in space connect to seasons, plants, animals, and daily life on Earth .  Students were especially fascinated by how the North Star (Polaris) can help people find direction, and how constellations like Orion ...