Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly (VIDEO)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said his 'I Have A Dream' speech on August 28, 1963.

"I have a dream that little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" is what Dr. King told an audience of millions in August of the year 1963.  As America continues to struggle with racism, students at PS4 honored the great man by listening to presentations by our students and inducting fifteen new members of our National Elementary Honor Society.  Hosted by our Social Studies Teacher, Mr. Harris, this celebration included students reading excerpts from Dr. King's most famous speeches:

• Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (December 10, 1964)
• Montgomery Bus Boycott Speech (December 5, 1955)
• I've Been to the Mountaintop Speech (April 3, 1968)
• Letters From A Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963)

After learning about the meaning of each speech, Mr. Harris spoke about why we celebrate Dr. King and encouraged students to learn more about his life by doing some research.  Here are some kid-friendly websites about the life of this great man;

• Brainpop.com - Martin Luther King, Jr. (VIDEO)
• Time For Kids - Honoring King's Dream (VIDEO)
• Social Studies for Kids - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Our assembly to honor Dr. King also included a candle-lighting, induction ceremony for the fifteen new members of PS4's National Elementary Honor Society (advised by Ms. Lennon), a great vocal performance of Estelle's song 'Conqueror' from Kasiyah O. (class 502) and a poem from the Ellington Poets (directed by Mr. Cantu).  To see their performance, click the video below.

Ms. Lennon with the new members of the National Elementary Honor Society.

Kasiyah O. (502) sings 'Conqueror' by Estelle.

MLK Jr. Celebration - Ellington Poets from PS4M on Vimeo.

This Week In Social Studies: A Word From Mr. Harris

This week in Social Studies, I am preparing the Kindergarten and 1st grade classes for their next holiday; Thanksgiving!  Most people think of food and family at the end of November. I thought it was important for the students to know two things about thanksgiving that hey may not have known or perhaps forgotten.

1. Thanksgiving celebrations in America date back to the Pilgrims and the Native Americans sharing a meal in the 17th century.  The Pilgrims were new to America and did not know how to grow food or live in the cold environment of Plymouth, Massachusetts.  The Native American men and women already living in the area felt sorry for the Pilgrims and taught them how to survive!  They taught them  how to plant crops and how to build shelters.  The harvest that they produced became the food that they ate together.  That was how Thanksgiving began!
2.  Thanksgiving means more than food and that people should remember to "give thanks" for the things that they do have in their life. Giving thanks means to be happy with what you have.

Thanksgiving is a special time that we should all give thanks for the things we have.  Happy Thanksgiving!

This Week in Social Studies with Mr. Harris

Social Studies is the study of history, the land and people who have lived on lands for thousands of years. Social Studies is also the study of governments and how the laws they make affect the people that live under those laws. Understanding Social Studies is also about understanding the culture of men and women that lived in the past so that the men and women of today can learn more about their own culture. This is why I take social studies so seriously and why I want my students to do the same. Each and every week I will update you on what our students are learning and hopefully this can encourage you or a parent to do some additional research.

This Week in Social Studies our third graders have been learning how to label a map of the world. They have been taught how to construct a map using a map key with colors, a compass rose and how to identify the 7 continents and 5 oceans. After finishing their project, students will know the names of the seven continents, the names five oceans, and the roles of the equator and the prime meridian on a map.

Our 9th Annual Talent Show

Our 9th annual Talent Show was a success!  Thanks to all of the teachers, family members and student-performers for making the show so successful.  Take a look at the slide show below for some highlights of this fundraising event.

Slideshow design personalized with Smilebox

PS4 Celebrates Black History: Black History Month Assembly

Under the direction of Social Studies Teacher Mr. Harris, students create a timeline.

At our annual Black History Assembly, students from grades 2 through 5 celebrated a few of the many achievement by African-Americans.  Two students were awarded with certificates for participating in an essay contest and representatives from the Harlem Swing Dance Society showed how Swing Dancing in 1930's Harlem has influenced the hip-hop dancing of today.  Under the direction of Mr. Means, class 501 shared a powerful poem about Harriet Tubman and Social Studies Teacher Mr. Harris guided students in creating a timeline with the names of seven African-Americans in the fields of science, literacy and civil rights.  To see the full video of the performance by class 501, click here or click the photo below!


Tubman Poem By Class 501 from PS4M on Vimeo.

Special thanks to Ms. Barbara Jones and Ray Davis from the Harlem Swing Dance Society!  For more information about their organization, click here!  Take a look at the photo collage below for highlights from the event!

Create a collage

Social Studies With Mr. Harris

All year long, our 3rd Grade students will be learning about various cultures of the world.  This month, Mr. Harris (Social Studies teacher) will be teaching lessons about the history of Nigeria!  Nigeria is a country on the continent of Africa. There are at least 250 languages spoken in Nigeria and possibly more than 400!  Music and art spring from strong tribal roots.  To see a video about Nigeria, click here. 

Nigeria's capital city of Abuja.

Students will be asked to create a timeline charting the ancient days of Nigerian civilization up to its current government that exists today. The students will also learn about the colonization of Nigeria to European countries and its move towards an independent government that exists today. Third graders are looking very forward to tying together all of their past lessons that will give them a complete comprehensive understanding of the country of Nigeria.

Social Studies with Mr. Harris

This year in Social Studies, our 3rd Grade students will be learning about various cultures of the world. By learning about different countries and its citizens, students will have a better understanding of the outside world and a better appreciation of the world that they live in. In this video, produced by the BBC, David Attenborough discusses all of the wonders of the continent of Africa, the continent that the third grade is currently learning about. In this Youtube video (not accessible in school),  he mentions geographic areas that Mr. Harris has discussed in 3rd grade classes; the Rain Forests in Africa and the deserts in Northern Africa. Enjoy the video and take notes!

To go to the BBC website, featuring the full video about Africa, click here!  For more information about the continent of Africa, click here!

2013 Talent Show

Congratulations to all the students who performed at the 2013 Talent Show!  Thanks to all the parents, family members and teachers who saw the show!  Principal Bonnie D. White-Jones would like to give special thanks to Mr. Harris (host), Mr. Means (sound/video engineer) and Ms. Lennon (show director) who, along with the following VERY important people, produced a very successful show:

• Ms. Torres - Backstage Director/Decorations
• Ms. Salce - Talent Coach/Decorations
• Mr. Theodore - Talent Coach/Spotlight/Budget
• Mr. Cantu - Talent Coach (Ellington Poets)
• Ms. Cabral - Decorations
• Mr. Conrad - Stage Props/Decorations
• Ms. Martin (Assistant Principal) - Front House Manager/Tickets
• Lucy Perez (Parent Coordinator) - Snacks & Water
• Morena (School Aide) - Snacks & Water
• Officer Rosario - School Safety
• Sergio Larios & Clave Azul - House Band
• Kayla Morales & Elizabeth's Modeling Agency - Fashion Show
• Custodial Staff - Building Maintenance

Check out the slideshow below for backstage photos from the show!

Free digital slideshow made with Smilebox

What Is The 5th Learning About?

After the Social Studies Quiz Bowl, the 5th grade is changing their focus from The United States Government to the expansion of America. Students will be learning about the Louisiana Purchase, explorers like Lewis and Clark and the history of Native Americans living in this country. Look forward to the students gaining their knowledge by constructing timelines, Venn Diagrams and completing a research paper about the expansion of America. "I think our students will be ready for the challenge", says school's Social Studies teacher, Mr. Harris.

For great resources to help you learn about the expansion of America, check out these websites!

• History.org - Westward Expansion
• PBS.org - Lewis and Clark Trail Interactive Map
• Bookrags.com - Timeline of Westward Expansion Events
• Westward Movement

Social Studies Bowl - 2012

Recently, each 4th and 5th grade class celebrated their knowledge of Social Studies in front of family members and friends as they competed for class prizes in a Social Studies Bowl!  Hosted by Ms. Thomas and Mr. Harris (Social Studies teachers), students answered questions related to American government, geography, history and facts about the recent presidential election.  Each student was given an opportunity to answer a question with support from classmates in teams of three or four.  "Our students really had to study", said Ms. Martin (Assistant Principal), "and they were prepared for this challenge - I'm  proud of them".

The final round consisted of one member of each class reciting the preamble of the United States Constitution:

In the end, classes 401 and 501 received gifts for their class.  However, each student should be proud the the amount of effort they put into studying.  Congratulations! See the photos below for some of the highlights below!

Members of class 501 - the winning team.

4th grade students who recited the Preamble!

4th grade students from class 421.

5th grade winners who recited the Preamble.

Social Studies with Mr. Harris: November

Mr. Harris working with 5th grade students.

Before school was interrupted, due to Hurricane Sandy, Mr. Harris has been teaching the upper grades about our Nation's constitution and how it was created to make a better government. The nation's first plan of government was a document called The Articles of Confederation. Unfortunately, for the government at the time (1783), the document made the country weak because the country's citizens didn't respect the laws. Because of that, the nation's leaders decided to create The Constitution (1787)!  What the constitution did was make America a stronger country with laws that people respected. It also set the framework for the way American citizens vote for the President.  Those are the same basic rules that Americans still follow today!

For more information on our Constitution look in the back of your Social Studies textbooks or click here!

Coach Harris and the PS4 Boys Baseball Team Salute Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson's legacy was memorialized on April 15, 2010, by fans, players and Major League Baseball, marking the 63rd anniversary of the Hall of Famer breaking baseball's color barrier. For the second consecutive year, every baseball player at the 12 different ballparks where Robinson played, were asked to wear his retired number; 42.

Click here to see video clips by professional baseball players discussing this historic moment.

Social Studies with Mr. Harris: Famous African-Americans

This month, Mr. Harris (PS4's Social Studies teacher) will be highlighting Jackie Robinson; the first African-American baseball player signed to Major League Baseball (MLB). Robinson broke the color line when he started with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. As the first black player to play in the major leagues since the 1880's, he was instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in professional baseball. For sixty years, African-American players were forced to play in the Negro Leagues. Over ten seasons, he played in six World Series' and contributed to the Dodgers 1955 World Championship Game. He was the recipient of the 1947 NMLB Rookie of the Year Award and won National League's Most Valuable Player Award in 1949-the first African-American player to do so. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 and in 1997 Major League Baseball retired his uniform number, 42, across all Major League Teams.

As we celebrate the achievements of African-Americans, feel free to check out these great websites:

• FactMonster.com (Hip-Hop Quiz)
• Scholastic.com (Black History Month Activities)
• PBSkids.com (Matching Game)
• History.com (Videos)
  

Respect For All!

Speaking with the Dean of Discipline, Mr. Cantu (pictured here, with Mr. Harris), The Duke Ellington Express has learned about a program, named Respect For All. This program is dedicated to ensuring that students learn in a safe environment. "It is something that we take very seriously here at P.S. 4," says Mr. Cantu in the Dean's office. "We would like every student to be tolerant and respectful towards each other. The Respect For All program helps us do that." Each month, students are awarded for their academic achievements, but students are also awarded for showing tolerance and respect. Last week, the "Golden Rule Award" was given to ten 5th graders including Alex G. and Michelle H. (pictured above-both from class 521).

P.S.4 will continue to support the Respect For All program by hosting a series of anti-bullying workshops for students. On Wednesday, January 26th, a bully-proofing program called the Power of One (series of skits presented by actors) will review the roles of the Bully, Target, and Bystander. The program teaches students the importance of reporting bullying when they see it.

To see games, videos and information about what you can do to stop bullying, click here.

If you or someone you know is being bullied, immediately contact Mr. Cantu in his office, e-mail him at jcantu@schools.nyc.gov or call the main office at (212) 928-0739.

Social Studies with Mr. Harris: The American Revolution

This month, students in grades 3-5 are learning about early American history, the thirteen colonies and The American Revolution. Throughout the many lessons, they will learn how America became independent, how George Washington became the first President of The United States and how the founding fathers created The Constitution (the document that all of our laws are based on).

For games, videos and information on these important historical events, click the links below:

• Exploration of North America; 1492-1700 (Interactive Map)
• Social Studies for Kids; American Revolution
• George Washington
• The Constitution of the United States