Curriculum Updates

Reading - We began a new unit this week: Unit 5:  The Study of Short Test:  Diving into Language.  Students are immersed in poetry this week.  In future weeks we'll dive into Greek Mythology and fables.  In this unit students will learn to understand that singular pieces of poetry, prose and drama as well as collections of these pieces of writing tell a story and teach lessons through specific structures and language.  This study of poetry will focus on the way that poets use language to convey a meaning.  Students will spend time reading, listening to, and speaking poetry, prose and drama to develop a strong understanding of these different types of writing and the messages that are hidden inside.

Writing/Social Studies  Fourth graders also began a new unit this week in writing:  Unit 4:  Bringing History to Life.  This unit connects with out current learning in social studies.  Over the last few weeks, students have learned about the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, trails West (Oregon, California, Santa Fe, and Mormon Trails), and the Pony Express.  In this unit, students will start with the general topic, "All about Westward Expansion" for their first chapter.  We will work as a class to research this chapter so students will have a model for their 2nd chapter.  Students have chosen a more focused topic during Westward Expansion to research for their 2nd chapter.  For this chapter, students will use books to help them research.  Students will collaborate with other kids who have the same topic as them.  Then students will organize their research notes in order to write their rough draft.

Science - We finished up our science unit on weathering, erosion, deposition and the human impact on our Earth this week by taking our test.  Look for tests to come home soon!

Math - In our new math unit, Topic 11:  Fraction Equivalence and Ordering, students began by reviewing factors and multiples.  In fourth grade, students need to be able to find all factor pairs for a whole number in the range of 1-100.  Students also need to determine whether a whole number in the range of 1-100 is a multiple of a given one-digit number.  Once students found all the factors for a number they identified the numbers as either prime or composite numbers.  We ended the week by learning about equivalent fractions and identifying fractions which are equivalent.