Welcome to Fourth Grade

1. Welcome to Fourth Grade Curriculum Night Mrs. Joy Buettner Beaulac Mrs. Jessica Bixler Zajac

2. Language Arts • Our 3rd year for Harcourt Trophies • Exposes children to good quality literature • Includes weekly spelling lists tested on Fridays • Includes skills and grammar practices • Supports a variety of reading opportunities and levels

3. Writing Workshop • We are teaching genres determined by the PA state standards. • Your child will write: • Narratives • Reports (on a state) • Responses to Literature • Procedural Writings • Poetry • Some persuasive attempts • Prompt styles as needed for PSSA testing

4. Social Studies • A new series called Social Studies Alive by TCI • A reader friendly text with many hands on activities • Study of the regions of the United States; map skills and social sciences

5. Math • Scott Foresman & Investigations – new curriculum • Concepts taught will include: • Place value • Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division • Graphing • Geometry • Fractions • Measurement • Decimals

6. Joint usage plan: using Scott Foresman Addison-Wesley texts and Investigations units • SFAW • Traditional text focusing on procedural understanding • Teacher-centered • Learn, Check, Think About It, Practice learning cycle • Problem solving, technology, and manipulatives integrated into lessons • Technology piece – online usage

7. Investigations • Organized into units that offer 3 to 8 weeks of mathematical work in number, data analysis and geometry (Students require time to build understanding.) • 4 units are being used at each grade level. Each unit is blended with corresponding SFAW sections. • Activity-based program focusing on conceptual understanding • Teacher as facilitator • Student-centered to encourage creative thinking (students construct knowledge) • Students develop and articulate their own problem-solving strategies • Students participate in engaging games that reinforce their understanding of important mathematical concepts and skills • Students work cooperatively with their classmates. • Students are asked to answer questions that go beyond “What is the answer to this problem?” in order to think, reason, and share their mathematical ideas.

8. Communication • Communicating mathematically is emphasized both orally and in writing. • Calculators are assumed to be standard classroom materials, available for student use in any unit. • Family letters communicate essential information about the Investigations units being used at a particular grade level. Each letter gives families an idea of what their children are doing in class, explains how this is connected to the rest of their children’s lives, describes some of the homework children will be doing, and provides ideas for families about how to expand on the mathematics that is being done at school.

9. Cont. Math • Homework on a nightly basis (worksheets, text book, supplemental activities) • Timed tests • Hands-on manipulation/technology integration/review games and activities • Enrichment when appropriate • Practice facts/concepts at home (flash cards, worksheets, etc.) • Study guides

10. Science • ASSET Science Curriculum • Extremely hands-on/ technology integration • FERA Learning Cycle • Tests – study guides • Units to be covered with ASSET • Ecosystems • Land and Water • Electric Circuits

11. Housekeeping • Monday/Tuesday Envelopes • Only tests and signed forms need to be returned • Assignment books get filled out everyday even if work is done • Take home folders are for homework to be done

12. Housekeeping Cont. • Spelling pre-test Mondays (test out by Thanksgiving and be the “test giver”) • Homework time varies according to student concentration and ability. • An hour average Monday through Thursday • Please make sure homework is complete! • More than 5 Missed Assignments = a difficulty on the report card & Recess work sessions (2nd semester it drops to 3 possible misses)

13. Homework you can expect on a weekly basis • Reading • Read weekly story aloud to an adult • Vocabulary • Reading logs • Practice book pages • Spelling • Packets • Test • Math • Assignments on daily basis

14. Housekeeping Cont. • Class and school rules are expected to be followed • Seating changes often to teach co-operative learning skills and create diversity in learning • Spanish is twice a week for a half an hour

15. Fun Stuff • Three parties: Halloween, Winter Recess and Valentine’s Day • District wide discussion is taking place on universal grade level field trips. • More fun is on the way!

16. We both look forward to working with all of you and your children throughout the school year! Our goal is to make your child’s fourth grade year as positive as possible!