Fourth Graders Learn About Ancient Egypt

Who was Djehutynakht (je-hooty-knocked)? Why is a 4,000-year-old tomb like a crime scene? What is an archaeologist? What is the significance of the scarab beetle to Ancient Egyptians? How did Egyptians prepare a body for the afterlife? Fourth graders are currently engaged in a study of Ancient Egypt (along with the Third Grade). Last week we took a trip to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts to view the permanent Egyptian collection and to see the new exhibit, The Secrets of Tomb 10A. Students have explored Egyptian artifacts from the Children's Museum, completed portraits of King Tutankhamen, are creating their own tomb paintings and amulets, and are learning about the topography and rich history of the Nile River valley.

This week Fourth Graders were asked to write poems in the style of William Shakespeare. Using the natural world as their backdrop, students painted word pictures of their surroundings. Here are some examples of their work.

There is a place where the daffodils grow,

Far over the windy hill of beauty the carts go,

Like hawks that fly up in the sky,

Next to blue jays way up high.

There is a place I like to play,

Where the tall pine tree roots like to stay,

The silly squirrels run past the warm, squashy soil,

This place is so beautiful, it almost makes me feel spoiled,

With this horizon that looks like cheddar,

This place shall not get any better.

By Colton

I know a tree where the seasons go by,

The four sisters go by like clouds in the sky.

Gentle Spring makes the tree’s leaves bud,

Awakens the grass, un-thaws the mud.

Scalding summer bids Spring good-bye,

She makes the tree leaf and shield out the sky.

Tender Autumn brings on the cold,

The tree drops its leaves, it does what it’s told.

Then Evil Winter chases Autumn away.

She hates fun, she hates to play.

The tree still lives for it does not mind

If the seasons are mean or the seasons are kind.

By Susan

April 2, 2010

Dear Parents of Third and Fourth Graders,

This week we began our unit on Ancient Egypt by studying borrowed artifacts from the Museum of Science. In two weeks, we will take a field trip to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts to view the permanent Egyptian collection and the new exhibit, The Secrets of Tomb 10A.

WHEN: Friday, April 16

HOW: BY TGS SCHOOL BUS

Please note that we will leave TGS by 7:45 a.m. and return to TGS by 5:00p.m.

While this trip is an important part of our social studies focus on this ancient culture, it is also an important time for us to be together as a whole group. Granted favorable weather and traffic conditions, we hope to have one or two opportunities in the park (across the street from the museum) for outdoor games and a picnic lunch.

There is no need to send money, and there will be no trips to the gift shop.

Please make sure your child has ample beverages and food for the long day of travel (morning and afternoon snacks as well as lunch) and is wearing comfortable shoes.

We will soon begin to prepare the children with our expectations for all aspects of this day. We do request that electronic games/devices be left at home. Travel games, drawing supplies, and books are encouraged.

In split groups they will tour the gallery’s seven rooms and, together, complete a set of questions. Each group will then take an audiotape guided tour through the special exhibit, The Secrets of Tomb 10A. We are hoping to have time for sketching as well.

We are all excited about heading to Boston (Libby and Linda checked it out this past weekend). It has traditionally been a positive experience for all, and we expect that this year will be a great time and a great day of learning!

Sincerely,

Libby and Linda

April 1, 2010

Dear Fourth Grade Parents:

My apologies if this week your Fourth Grader called you a knotty-pated, greasy tallow-catch or a luxurious mountain goat. It is all in good fun as we begin our unit on Shakespeare. We are studying Shakespeare’s use of language and how he employs it to great effect in his plays and sonnets. We read an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream aloud in class, and today we will choose a picture book that the students will re-write in the style of a Shakespeare play. We are researching facts about life during the Elizabethan period. Students are fascinated with this time in history, particularly some of the gruesome details of crimes and punishments.

Our current literature selection is In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. This story, set in Brooklyn, NY, in 1947, is the tale of a young girl who moves from China to New York at the age of 8. It chronicles the challenges and successes she experiences in her new life. Students have engaged in lively discussions about the cultural differences the main character must contend with. It is a wonderful and touching story, rich with imagery and evocative language.

In math, we are exploring fractions and mixed numbers, plotting coordinate points, and investigating probability. In science we have been engaged in a study of bubbles – their properties, the best bubble producing solutions, and what makes a good bubble maker. We will begin a more extensive science study next week when we begin our unit Stories in Stone, in which we will explore rocks and minerals and examine the basic processes that have shaped and transformed the Earth over billions of years.

This week we have also begun our unit on Ancient Egypt, which we are studying with the Third Graders. As part of this study, on Friday, April 16, Linda and I will be taking the class to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts to see the Egyptian collection and a new exhibit, The Secrets of Tomb 10A. A letter will come home tomorrow with further details of this trip.

Thanks to all of you for consenting to have your children be in the cast of The Music Man, Jr. We had our first rehearsal on Monday, and it should be a fun experience for all. Several parents have asked if 4^th graders need to be at the after-school rehearsals. They do not. Alli and Lili are not sure if they will need the children for any Saturday rehearsals but will let us all know a.s.a.p. if they do.

A few housekeeping items – cross-country ski equipment can go home. Also, given how muddy it is outside, I request that students have inside shoes so that our rugs and floors sustain minimal mud damage. Thanks in advance for your help with this.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your wonderful, curious, and engaging children.

Best,

Libby