COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER
Fourth Grade
Fourth Grade Teachers:
Valerie Baxter
Sara Kalinsky
Jill Hipp
Fourth Grade Subject Areas
Literacy
Reading
We use a program called School Wide as our main resource for teaching reading using a readers workshop model. The workshop model provides a mini lesson with the whole class and then an opportunity for students to read books at their level to practice the skills taught during the mini lesson. While students are reading independently, they will either meet with the teacher individually or in a group.
Trimester 1 - Launching Readers Workshop & Fiction
Trimester 2- Nonfiction
Trimester 3 - Roles of Plants & Animals in Ecosystems
Writing
Writing is probably one of the most difficult subjects to teach. Students often get stuck with writers block trying to figure out what to write about. Or you get a student who writes a lot about nothing. Writing can be frustrating for many children not just because they have difficulty figuring out what to write, but the process is slow in comparison to talking. There is also more involved with thinking an idea, developing it, and then putting it down on paper (how do I start? How do I spell this word? How do I make this letter?). So many things to think about!! I won't promise to make the process of writing painless, but we will work on making it an easier.
We use Lucy Calkin's Units of Study for teaching writing. We use a writer's workshop model of teaching writing. This means during our writing time (which we will endeavor to do every day), we will have a mini lesson, time to write, and a sharing session. While students are writing, I conference with students about their writing. The conference will look at what they are working on, what strategies they are using, and a goal for them to keep working on. Instead of doing three "big" pieces of writing, students will be encouraged to write new pieces as inspiration strikes them. So some students may be writing new pieces every few days and others will be working on one longer. They will have opportunities to learn openings, closings, word choice, details, editing, etc. After each unit, students will be given an "on demand" assessment to determine progress in their writing.
Our yearly plan:
Trimester 1 - Narrative
Trimester 2 - Information
Trimester 3 - Opinion
Reading Resources
Words Their Way Spelling City
Math
Parent Information
Parents can find more information about Eureka math at greatminds.org or District 205's Parent Site click here.
What Does a Lesson Look Like?
Fluency Practice - Sprints, Happy Counting, etc..
Application Problem - attempted individually and/or in small groups, brings previously learned concepts into context and connects them with the outside world
Concept Development - daily lesson around the objective, looks different from day to day; homework mirrors concept development
Student Debrief - including an exit ticket to check for student understanding, used by the teacher to identify learning needs for individuals or groups of students
Focus is on concepts, skills, and application until mastery
Eureka Modules
Module 1: PLACE VALUE, ROUNDING, AND ALGORITHMS FOR ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION MODULE
Topic A: Place Value of Multi-Digit Whole Numbers
Topic B: Comparing Multi-Digit Whole Numbers
Topic C: Rounding Multi-Digit Whole Numbers.
Mid-Module Assessment
Topic D: Multi-Digit Whole Number Addition
Topic E: Multi-Digit Whole Number Subtraction
Topic F: Addition and Subtraction Word Problems
Module 2: UNIT CONVERSIONS AND PROBLEM SOLVING WITH METRIC MEASUREMENT
Topic A: Metric Unit Conversions
Topic B: Application of Metric Unit Conversions
Module 3: MULTI-DIGIT MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION MODULE OVERVIEW
Topic A: Multiplicative Comparison Word Problems
Topic B: Multiplication by 10, 100, and 1,000
Topic C: Multiplication of up to Four Digits by Single-Digit Numbers
Topic D: Multiplication Word Problems
Mid-Module Assessment
Topic E: Division of Tens and Ones with Successive Remainders
Topic F: Reasoning with Divisibility
Topic G: Division of Thousands, Hundreds, Tens, and Ones
Topic H: Multiplication of Two-Digit by Two-Digit Numbers
Module 4: ANGLE MEASURE AND PLANE FIGURES
Topic A: Lines and Angles
Topic B: Angle Measurement.
Mid-Module Assessment
Topic C: Problem Solving with the Addition of Angle Measures
Topic D: Two-Dimensional Figures and Symmetry
Module 5: FRACTION EQUIVALENCE, ORDERING, AND OPERATIONS
Topic A: Decomposition and Fraction Equivalence
Topic B: Fraction Equivalence Using Multiplication and Division
Topic C: Fraction Comparison
Topic D: Fraction Addition and Subtraction
Mid-Module Assessment
Topic E: Extending Fraction Equivalence to Fractions Greater Than 1
Topic F: Addition and Subtraction of Fractions by Decomposition
Topic G: Repeated Addition of Fractions as Multiplication
Topic H: Exploring a Fraction Pattern
Module 6: DECIMAL FRACTIONS
Topic A: Exploration of Tenths
Topic B: Tenths and Hundredths
Mid-Module Assessment
Topic C: Decimal Comparison
Topic D: Addition with Tenths and Hundredths
Topic E: Money Amounts as Decimal Numbers
Module 7: EXPLORING MEASUREMENT WITH MULTIPLICATION
Topic A: Measurement Conversion Table
Topic B: Problem Solving with Measurement
Topic C: Investigation of Measurements Expressed as Mixed Numbers
Topic D: Year in Review