Great learning awaits your wonderful fourth grader in week 4. Thursday is Veterans Day and we wish you good holiday. Please take time to thank and honor the veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Read on for updates in each subject area we teach.
Language Arts
Grammar – We continue note taking on narrative perspective/point of view - first person, second person, third person. Third person can be objective, limited, or omniscient. We focus on the narrator’s perspective, not dialogue, to determine point of view. Students will also work with making nouns possessive. When you make a noun possessive, it becomes an adjective that tells whose.
Poetry - "Norman and Saxon" by Rudyard Kipling is our new poem and students will recite it by Friday, December 10th. Kipling imagines a Norman aristocrat in the year 1100 AD, after the Norman Conquest in 1066, giving advice to his first-born son. He warns the young heir to be careful when dealing with the Saxon peasants he is to rule over.
Literature - We read Chapters 14-17 in Robin Hood. Students continue to discuss evidence of how Robin Hood shows courage and noble qualities or the opposite. This is to prepare them for their essay writing.
Composition – Students write two summaries this week and one dictation.
Latin & Greek Roots – Roots this week are -ance/-ence = state of; quality of . Click link on right side for list of words.
Philosophy – We will have a Socratic discussion on whether or not a person should let little things bother them. Students will learn about the stoic, Marcus Aurelius, who lived in 121AD- 180AD.
Math – Last week students simplified fractions and should have made flashcards of the ones they still need to master. For instance, 5/10 is the same as ½ in simplest form, 4/6 is the same as 2/3 in simplest form. Students have been practicing adding fractions and in week 4, they subtract like fractions. Mixed fractions and improper fractions are introduced as well. Students will also read and interpret number lines involving mixed numbers.
Science – In meteorology, we teach students what causes wind and they will learn about the major global wind belts with a fun fold. We explore the four different major types of air masses and how they influence our weather on Earth. Students' science spirals will be checked for completeness and neatness this week.
History – Students learn about heraldry in the Middle Ages. Heraldry is the art of designing, displaying, describing, and recording arms. Students will design their own “coat of arms” in class using the symbols and colors they learn about. If your family has a coat of arms, this is a good week to discuss it. Feel free to send in an image with your child to share with our classrooms.
Have a great weekend!
The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.
Marcus Aurelius