Q2W3
Classical Character Day was a success! Great job with costumes, snacks, reading groups, parent readings and participation! We hope your children had an enjoyable day!
This week we have Quarter 2 Galileo testing on Friday 11/3. Make sure your child is present and has a good breakfast. We are looking for growth in Math and ELA from August's Quarter 1 tests.
-Please send students with the Dover Classics copy of "Robin Hood" for Q2.
-Make sure students are studying regularly throughout the quarter: review History chapters read in class, review Science spiral notes, study Roots definitions flash cards, study multiplication flash cards on missed problems from Rocket Math tests, and reading 6-8, 150 page or more books with journal entries.
-We will no longer check agendas for a signature, but please still ask to see their agendas and homework for correctness.
-All late assignments will receive a 10% deduction per day late in Q2-4.
NEWS:
-Math Chapter 4 Test on Monday 10/30. Be sure students are prepared for this test by studying their Green and Blue Math books and making corrections to missed problems. We will also collect the Blue book which is worth homework points. All 4th grade classes sent the answers to the blue book with the students on Friday (or made a link available) so they can make corrections and aid parents in how to help. Please hang onto or throw these away for your student once you have used them. Please do not just let students copy the key.
CURRICULUM:
ELA:
The first poem of Quarter 2 is "Beowulf". It is due on Friday, November 3rd, but students may perform as early as they choose.
Beowulf background- Beowulf was a Danish warrior before there was a Denmark. Written between 700-1000 AD, takes place in roughly 925 AD. Beowulf serves the king Hrothgar, and helps him get rid of an ogre who was a descendent of biblical Cain. He then defeats the ogre’s mother, a water witch, and is finally mortally wounded defeating a dragon once he becomes king for a time. Scyld Scefing (Shield Sheafson) was the great-grandfather of Hrothgar, an orphan who became king because of his skill as a Viking warrior. Vikings would have fought in plain clothes with a wooden shield and sword, meant to end a fight in one or two blows. The mead hall mention in the poem has also been found.
**Scholars will read "Beowulf" in 8th grade at CPA.
LITERATURE We are reading more chapters of Robin Hood this week. This is to complete the tale and set us up for Robin Hood Essays at the end of Quarter 2. Be sure your students have the correct edition of Robin Hood (Dover Evergreen Classics) for all of quarter 2.
We continue our COMPOSITION program with practicing the Narrative Element- drama, writing a summary and taking notes in the red spiral on author's perspective (ie. first person, second person, third person). A journal entry about the Focused Reading book will be collected this Friday.
In GRAMMAR, we review notes in the red spiral on Predicate Nominatives. Students should refer to these notes to do homework and writing assignments to include these types of sentences in summary and essay writing for the remainder of the year. We will review and take a test on predicate nominatives from chapter 5 of WOL. A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb in a sentences and renames the subject. For example: Precipitation is rain, snow, hail or sleet. "Rain, snow, hail, sleet" are the predicate nominatives. Scholars will begin Predicate Adjectives in Chapter 6 on Thursday. A predicate adjective redescribes the subject. For example: The thunder was frightening. Frightening is the predicate adjective.
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
In LATIN AND GREEK ROOTS our roots are -or (a person who) and -ian (a person who). Their derivatives are: dictator, governor, inventor, juror, legislator, translator, supervisor, librarian, vegetarian, veterinarian, physician, electrician, magician, politician, mathematician. For PHILOSOPHY, we will discuss whose responsibility it is to take care of the poor.
Math:
In Math, we will finish begin with a Chapter 4 test and blue workbook collection. We will begin Chapter 5 concepts on Tuesday which is our first chapter on Fractions. Once graded tests are returned in W3 or 4, students should complete test corrections and submit. Chapter 3 test corrections should be turned in on Monday, October 30, no later.
Math Test Corrections:
Students will attach a separate piece of paper to their graded math tests and write the problem number of each problem missed. They will re-do the problem correctly and show their work. They will also write a short sentence about why they missed that problem. Students can earn up to 5 points for their corrections. Students who missed no problems, do not need to submit corrections.
History:
In History, we will read chapters 16 and 17 in the History Book about Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Magna Carta. Your child should be able to share with you about these chapters and answer the big question at the beginning of each. Their herald shields are due.
Science:
In Science, we will continue to learn about Earth’s atmospheric layers and the differences between them.
Remember, the blog is updated weekly. Be sure to come back frequently to see any upcoming events or changes in fourth grade.