Q3W9
Hello!
10 Days left of the quarter! Start your countdown because Spring Break is almost here. The name of the game for this week is writing, as we prepare for the first AASA test on April 6th. It is vital that students master composition and essay writing to show the vastness that exists between a fully prepared fourth grader and the intrepid third grader that they were such a short time ago. Remember those times? Those were simpler days.
News:
History Comprehension Check on Thursday, 3/2.
NO SMART WATCHES! Fitbits are fine. If there are any questions about what constitutes a smart watch, let us know. Students can keep them powered off in their backpack for after school use, but not on them. This is for many reasons, one of which being that certain tests can be completely invalidated by the presence of such a device.
Please donate tall plastic bottles! In the first weeks of the fourth quarter, each student will be making lung models using such bottles. They should not be too wide, easy to cut through, and tall. A perfect example is a 16 oz “SmartWater” bottle.
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.
Curriculum:
ELA:
In grammar, we are practicing our easy writing. Using some time for extending the lesson in WWE, and spending other time mastering topic sentences. General ELA practice packets will also be given.
Literature is mainly wrapped up for the quarter. We will use the time for other writing practice and to introduce the book The Princess and the Goblin, a smaller focus primarily read during snack time.
For our poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” the 9th stanza must be mastered by Friday, March 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 tackle an entire essay in one day, while spending more time practicing writing in less intensive ways.
Latin and Greek roots pick up next week with the following roots: metron, astron and stella. Students will be expected to spell the following words: meter, measure, geometry, symmetry, diameter, astrology, asteroid, aster, astronomer, astral, constellation, interstellar, stellar, stellate, and stellerid.
For philosophy, we will spend the time practicing our writing, intensifying our focus in order to be prepared for the AASA testing.
Math:
In math, we are dissecting the concept of angles. We will be exploring the nature of lines and shapes by looking at different types of angles, comparing them, and doing math that relates them. This includes protractors, measuring degrees, styles of lines, complementary/supplementary angles, etc. This unit is dense but short, so it is important to keep up to date as the Unit Test is before the quarter end.
History:
In history, we will continue to see the path Arizona takes to become a state. The next steps include analyzing Arizona’s ongoing history as indigenous land and looking at the process of transforming from territory to state. There will be a Comprehension Check on Thursday, 3/2, asking scholars to choose a step in Arizona’s Path to Statehood and describe it in detail.
Science:
In science, we are continuing our study of Geology, but shifting focus away from specific events and towards the earth itself. We have introduced types of rocks and will understand how such rocks are affected by weather conditions. We also look at how different properties in rock are expressed.
Remember, the blog is updated weekly. Be sure to come back frequently to see any upcoming events or changes in fourth grade.