-Please send students with the 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.
NEWS:
-Math Chapter 4 Test in Q2W4, Tuesday, November 3rd. This is a short and fast and difficult chapter. 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.
-10/28 Classical Character Day. Parents are encouraged to come to school and read a beloved passage, poem or story book to their child's class. Parents may also choose to dress up as a favorite story character. Students may dress as Classical Character from a Literary selection if they have returned their permission slip by 10/23. No popular culture characters turned into books. The Fourth Grade Team will dress from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" if you'd like to match that theme. Classroom parents are organizing the snack and a sign-up for reading slots. These emails have already gone out to sign up to help with snack and read with classes. Consider reading your child's favorite picture book to their class, sharing a beloved poem, or reading a portion of a personal favorite chapter book.
Q2W4 Upcoming
-11/5 In-Class Spelling Bee in the am and On-Campus Field Trip in the pm.
Q2W3 CURRICULUM:
ELA:
The first poem of Quarter 2 is "Beowulf" and your children have received a copy to practice over break. Listen to it in Old English here. This is due this Friday, October 30th.
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 its entirety 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 for all of quarter 2.
We continue our COMPOSITION program with writing an intro and conclusion paragraph about Charlemagne.
In GRAMMAR, we finish our chapter on Predicate Nominatives. We will also finish pages from the WOL book in chapter 5 lessons. 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 later in Q2. A predicate adjective re-describes 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. Scholars should study their 22 Roots Cards every day for 5-10 minutes.
Math:
In Math, we will finish the week with a Chapter 4 test in W4 and blue workbook collection for chapter 4 pages. We will also begin Chapter 5 concepts in Week 4 which is our first chapter on Fractions. Once graded tests are returned in W4, students should complete test corrections and submit.
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:
This week in history, scholars explore the evolution of medieval leadership and the delicate balance of power in Middle Ages England. We begin by investigating how William the Conqueror permanently transforms English society, government, and language following the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Scholars then examine the intense struggle between royal authority and religious power through the tragic conflict between King Henry II and Archbishop Thomas Becket. Moving into our study of notable leaders, we identify Eleanor of Aquitaine as one of the medieval era's most formidable and influential queens across both France and England. Finally, scholars engage in an interactive simulation on government corruption before analyzing the Magna Carta, connecting this historical "Great Charter" to modern democratic principles found in the U.S. Constitution and recognizing how it establishes that even monarchs must obey the law.
Science:
In Science, this week, our young scientists explored the fascinating world of light and color in Chapters 3–4 (pp. 13–26) of their science readers. Through hands-on experiments with flashlights, mirrors, water, and lenses, they discovered that light travels in straight lines, bends when it moves through different materials (refraction), and reflects off surfaces to help us see color. From bending pencils in water to making rainbows with prisms, students are learning how light brings color and clarity to the world around us!
W3 Links:
Transverse and Longitudinal Review
Concave and Convex Lens Demonstration
Light Waves, Invisible and Visible
How Light is Absorbed, Reflected, Refracted
Is Light a Particle or Wave- Quantum Mechanics
W2 Links:
Transverse and Longitudinal Waves 1
Transverse and Longitudinal Waves 2
Longitudinal and Transverse Waves
Q2W1 Links:
Sound and Light Travel in Waves
Remember, the blog is updated weekly. Be sure to come back frequently to see any upcoming events or changes in fourth grade.