The Toy Guy

Would you like to have a job where you get paid to play with toys? We would! This week in reading we were learning about facts and opinions. Mrs. Braymer introduced us to Chris Byrne whose nickname is "The Toy Guy." First, Chris got a job writing instructions about how toys work or how to put them together. Next, he started going on television to explain new toys. Then, he began writing reviews about the toys in order to persuade people to buy them. Today, he still plays with toys and writes the good and bad about each one. We were able to look at some of his toy reviews and find facts and opinions.  You can check out his website at www.thetoyguy.com/index.php. Make sure you go and read some of his reviews about this year's best toys.

Anne Frank

   Imagine what it would be like to live in a tiny apartment with eight other people and no one can know you are there. Anne Frank, her family, and friends were Jews in hiding during World War II. Earlier this year, we read Number the Stars which was also about Jews in hiding. In that story, AnneMarie helped her Jewish friends hide.

   The story of AnneMarie is fiction, but the story of Anne Frank is non-fiction. Anne Frank kept a diary while her family hid for about two years. Months before the end of the war, the Nazi soldiers discovered the Frank family and their friends. The Nazis separated them onto different trains. Anne and her sister Margot had their heads shaved and were made to work very hard in concentration camps. Before they were given their freedom, Anne and Margot Frank got dysentery, which is a disease. The Nazis stopped feeding the girls, and Anne died at the age of fifteen.

   Of the eight people who lived in the apartment, only Otto Frank, Anne's father survived. Years later, someone found Anne's diary and gave it to her father. He had it made into a book that has been translated into many languages. Anne Frank was not only intelligent, but she was very brave. You can read about it in her diary.

FALLING UP

"I tripped on my shoelace

And I fell up...

I got sick to my stomach

And I threw down."

This is part of a poem from a book called Falling Up by Shel Silverstein. This book is a collection of silly and hilarious poems. Mrs. Braymer reads them to us during a time she calls "Poetry after Lunch." We are always entertained by these poems. We get so excited you can hear us begging, "Please, read us one more!" whenever Mrs. Braymer finishes one. The pictures in the book are also funny.

Because we love them so much, we're going to give you another.

SNOWBALL

by Shel Silverstein

I made myself a snowball

As perfect as could be.

I thought I'd keep it as a pet

And let it sleep with me.

I made it some pajamas

And a pillow for its head.

Then last night it ran away, 

But first - it wet the bed.

Origami Frogs

"Go! Go! Go!" The class cheers as three students in the class race their frogs across the finish line! On Monday, Mrs. Braymer showed us how to fold a note card into an origami frog. Origami is the Japanese art form of folding paper into shapes and figures. Next, we decorated our frogs and gave them names. After that, Mrs. Braymer made a start and a finish line on the carpet in our room. Three students at a time raced their origami frogs by pushing down on the back of it to make them jump. The winners in our class were Adrian and Arely. 

Thanksgiving Lunch

Mmmm! We can smell the turkey coming from the oven as we walk down the hall. Today is Thanksgiving lunch at school. On this day, parents and other family members can come and eat lunch with Tisinger students. Because there are always a lot of people that come, we have to wait a long time before we can eat. As we sit in the classroom, we can imagine the taste of the juicy turkey with gravy, dressing, and the buttery mashed potatoes. Most of us really don't like the cranberry sauce. Our stomachs are growling and our mouths are watering as we wait for the principal, Mrs. Carpenter, to call for us. While we wait, Mrs. Braymer is making us do lots of work. We wish we were already in the cafeteria enjoying our Thanksgiving lunch!

African Dwarf Frogs

Have you ever seen an African dwarf frog? This week our class got some frogs. First we had to build a habitat by adding gravel, water treated with aqua-safe, and elodea which is a type of plant into a clear container. Next, Mrs. Braymer put the dwarf frogs into their new habitats. Some groups had two frogs and some had three. So far two of our amphibians have passed away. We had a small funeral before flushing them in the toilet. This makes us feel sorrowful and disappointed. Finally, we fed our frogs brine shrimp flakes. We are thrilled to have these new animals in our classroom! 

Number the Stars

Over the last three weeks, our class has read a book called Number the Stars. The main character of our book was AnneMarie. She wanted to help her friend Ellen and other Jews escape from the Nazi soldiers during World War II. We think you should read this book to find out what happens to Ellen and some of the Jews. 

You may also want to read this book because it is filled with emotions. You will read about a war, a funeral, escape plans, and secret meetings. 

Lockdown

Earlier today, when we were with our kindergarten book buddies, Mrs. Carpenter announced a "Code Red" alarm. We had to stay in our classroom; we couldn't even go outside. Later we found out that someone robbed a bank in Mesquite and is on the run. Since the police have not caught him, we are still not allowed to go to recess and the "Green Team" can't empty the recycling bins. 

We think it's really sad when someone hurts other people or does bad things. Mrs. Braymer talked to us about being safe and not living in fear.

Cross Multiplication

This week in math we learned about equivalent fractions. Mrs. Braymer taught us a trick to see if the fractions are equivalent. First, we have to figure out the two fractions based on the parts that are shaded in on the fraction bar. Second, we multiply the denominator from the left with the numerator from the right. Next, we multiply the denominator from the right with the numerator from the left. By multiplying diagonally, we can figure out if the fractions are equivalent.

BENCHMARKS

This week we took two Benchmarks. First we took a writing test on Tuesday, and then we took a reading test on Wednesday. There were two parts to the writing benchmark. We edited four stories; then we wrote our own story about an adventure. While we took the reading benchmark, we practiced using the PIRATE strategy. During the test we had to read two stories that were combined. They asked us to compare and contrast them. After Mrs. Braymer graded them, we got to take them home to show our parents. 

Have any of you taken the Writing and Reading Benchmarks?

Love,

Mrs. Braymer's 4th Grade Class

"Time Tables the Fun Way"

This week we learned about times tables. Our teacher is reading from a book that has lots of fun stories to help us remember our times tables. First, we learned about how "O" is KING! Second, our teacher taught us that "1" is like a mirror. Third, the book said you have to be 16 to drive a 4x4, so we can remember that 4x4=16. We then learned a cheer to helps us remember 3x4. It goes like this, "1, 2, 3, 4, I like math let's do some more!" (Which means 12=3x4)

This book has lots more multiplication facts and riddles. You should read it!

Sincerely, 

Mrs. Braymer's Class 

Earrings by Judith Viorst

This week we talked about writing a persuasive letter. Our teacher read a book to us called Earrings. A little girl is trying to persuade her parents to let her get her ears pierced. She promises to be nice to her brother, have better posture, clean up her room, walk the dog for a year, and read a book every week. She thinks she needs earrings because everyone else has them, and it will make her look and feel good.

We learned that we don't always get what we want.

You should read this book to find out if the little girl gets her ears pierced.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Braymer's 4th Grade Class

The Inca Empire

This week Mrs. Braymer's class read a book called The Incas. First, we learned that the Inca Empire was located in South America in the Andes Mountains. Next, we read about some of the Inca Kings and how they ruled the people. Then, Mrs. Braymer's class read about how the Inca lived their everyday lives. Finally, we learned about Spanish conquistadors who took over the Inca Empire.

Did you know that back in the Inca Empire they had messengers called "runners" instead of mailmen?

Love,

Mrs. Braymer's Class

LETS

This week, Officer Coyle from the Mesquite Police Department came and talked to us about the six categories of drugs. He showed us pictures of other police officers, their training, and his family. He also showed us his "duty" belt and all the stuff that is on it.  We've been talking a lot about how drugs (including cigarettes and alcohol) are dangerous and can kill you.

We want to know if Miss Botrager's class is doing LETS right now.