4th grade memories

Since this is your last official blog post of the year, I thought it would be fun to take some time to reflect back on the year and share some of your favorite 4th grade memories. What will you remember most about 4th grade? What were some of the highlights?

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May and was first observed in 1907.

• What is special about your mother?

MSP!!

The MSP starts on Tuesday! Many people get test anxiety, which means feeling nervous before a test. What are some good strategies that you can share with your classmates to feel calm and ready for the days of testing ahead of us?

Earth Day

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd. Think about some ways that YOU can help the Earth. Write at least a paragraph describing things you can do!  

Space Shuttle Launch

The Columbia Space Shuttle was the first space shuttle. It was launched on April 12, 1981 and it returned on April 14 after orbiting the Earth 36 times.

Imagine that NASA has selected you for the next space mission that will last over 6 months. You are allowed to bring 5 personal items with you (food and clothing will be provided by NASA). Which items would you choose and why?

April Fools!

April Fools' Day is observed on April 1 and is sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day. On this day, people play harmless pranks on others or try to get them to believe ridiculous things.

Write about the best April Fools' Day joke that you have played on someone, or write about a joke you would like to play on someone. (Remember that your joke must be safe and not hurt anyone's feelings, and you must write at least 5 sentences.)

Freedom of Speech?

A famous Supreme Court case is Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District, from 1969. Read the background of the case and the Supreme Court's ruling, then discuss your thoughts and ideas about the case and the ruling. Do you agree or disagree with the court's decision? Why or why not?

Background
In December 1965, John and Mary Beth Tinker and their friend Chris Eckhardt wore black armbands to school in to protest the war in Vietnam. School officials told them to remove the armbands, and when they refused, they were suspended. With their parents, they sued the school district, claiming a violation of their First Amendment right of freedom of speech. Ruling
The Supreme Court sided with the students. Students and teachers still have their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the school, the Court said. The Court did not, however, grant students an unlimited right to self-expression. It said First Amendment guarantees must be balanced against a school's need to keep order: As long as an act of expression doesn't disrupt classwork or school activities, or invade the rights of others, it's acceptable. Regarding the students in this case, they only were wearing a black armband and weren't causing any disruptions or invading the rights of others. They caused discussion outside of the classrooms, but no interference with work and no disorder.