Hello!
We survived a long day of testing this previous Friday, spring boarding ourselves into a plethora of new units with new concepts to learn about. This is exciting, but it is still vital to keep up the hard work and dedication. The pacing does not relent as Paul Revere’s Ride only grows in size and standard test practice begins operating in full swing. So please keep up all the wonderful work that you are doing as well as praise the efforts of your students. They have done so much in such a short amount of time, but they must not let any fatigue set in.
News:
This Friday, February 3rd, is a half day for students. This is to allow teachers to further develop the Great Hearts Community through activities with schools within the district.
The fourth graders will have their final Galileo Tests on February 6th, making it an important date to not miss.
Progress Reports are around the corner. Be sure to check in with your scholar to ensure they are caught up on late work, resubmitting assignments when necessary, and preparing for tests. Their Paul Revere poem will have a heavy influence on ELA grades. This will prevent any surprises when the progress reports arrive in the coming weeks.
Our next field trip is February 16th to the Phoenix Liberty Festival. Chaperones must be cleared in the Raptor system. If you were able to chaperone our last field trip, please refrain from signing up again until you hear from us, this way everybody gets a chance to volunteer. Here is the link: https://archwaychandler.configio.com/pd/3883/22-23-4th-grade-chaperone--phoenix-liberty-fe?cid=389&returncom=productlist&source=search The sign-up goes "LIVE" this Tuesday, January 31st at 7PM. No field trip waivers are required; you handled this for your child at the beginning of the year.
Description: Students will be inspired in a unique and creative "Immersion Into 1776" learning experience. The American Liberty Festival is an educational living history event focused on the experiences of soldiers and civilians of both the American and British sides during the American Revolution. (To see a video of images from a previous Liberty Festival please click on this link.)
AASA Testing Dates: April 6th, 14th, and 21st. Please do not schedule any absences for these dates. These are important tests in which we spend a lot of time preparing.
Although our month of reading is coming to a close, scholars should still strive to be reading. Remind your scholars to be filling out their reading logs. They should be adding a new entry after reading 150 pages of a book. If they are not reading enough for entries to be made, please encourage them to do so. The goal for students is 15 pages per day. This allows them to reach the overarching 30 “books” in a year and be rewarded with a small prize. However some scholars have catching up to do.
Curriculum:
ELA:
In grammar, we recognize that standardized testing is looming on the horizon. To prepare for this, we will begin the ongoing task of continuous practice. We will be doing this through practice testing packets that address areas that will be assessed for the AASA tests.
Literature begins by reading the book Prince Caspian. Make sure that your scholar has their copy as we will begin reading immediately. We will also be using the text as means to practice summarizing and Socratic discussion. They will no longer need their copy of “Harp and Laurel Wreath,” but be sure to keep it as it is used in fifth grade.
For our poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” the fifth stanza must be mastered by Friday, February 3rd. It is important to note that Paul Revere’s Ride is our only poetry recital for this quarter, meaning it has a tremendous impact on ELA grade, so please ensure that your scholar is studying it every week.
In WWE, we will practice for standardized testing with reading packets that discuss different forms of narratives. This in class practice will also include questioning that will prepare scholars for testing in the future.
Latin and Greek roots pick up next week with the following roots: pyro-, ignis-, and Vulcanus-. Students will be expected to spell the following words: pyrotechnics, pyre, pyromaniac, pyrometer, pyrite, igneous, ignition, ignite, volcano, volcanic, and vulcanologist.
For philosophy, we ask: “Should you let the little things bother you?”
Math:
In math, we continue our dive into decimals. We will master understanding of tenths and hundredths so that we can begin arithmetic using such numbers, beginning with addition and subtraction. Do note that the Unit 7 math test will be on February 8th, as therefore is rapidly approaching.
History:
In history, we will be further analyzing the complex era known as the Age of Exploration. We do this through discussing the figure of Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, analyzing text documents, primary accounts, and further completing our lapbook foldable. We will also spend time using these figures to introduce new forms of note taking that will better prepare them for the future.
Science:
In science, we further learn about geologic events. We will be continuing our discussion about earthquakes, breaking down terminology and the workings of a seismograph. We then will learn about tsunamis; how they are caused as well as their devastating aftermath.
Videos to support this week's learning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbd1FcuLJLQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7h0JfQ-oHg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCn6H3JKY4M&feature=fvst
Remember, the blog is updated weekly. Be sure to come back frequently to see any upcoming events or changes in fourth grade.