Q4W1
Hello!
Mr. Smith here again!
I hope you enjoyed the Spring Break! It was much needed and well deserved. Every single scholar has done so much to get to where they are and I hope they took a moment to simply have fun! I know I did! I did some intrastate traveling and even went to the Renaissance Fair. I cannot wait to hear what each student was up to. However, it is time to jump right back into the hustle, as AASA testing is as little as 17 days away. How exciting!
News:
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.
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.
Curriculum:
ELA:
In grammar, we are going over general practice with more daily grams in order to ensure we are well rounded for the upcoming AASA tests. Any extra time will be used for composition.
Literature is beginning anew with Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, but first the scholars will need their copy to participate. Students must have their copy of Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Monday, 3/27. We will be reading Princess and the Goblin in the meantime.
For our poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” the 11th stanza must be mastered by Friday, March 24th. 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 are continuing writing practice with more essay writing and prepping. Students will also look at excelling essays from previous years to analyze what sets them apart.
In Latin and Greek Roots, we will learn the roots pro-, ad- and para-. The students will need to know how to spell the following words: problem, prologue, proceed, proclaim, pronoun, adequate, admit, admire, admonish, adjective, paragraph, parasite, parenthesis, parallel, and parachute.
For philosophy, we will spend the time discussing the break as well as goals/strategies that could prepare students for the upcoming quarter.
RECREATE A 5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY G.O., TOPIC SENTENCE #5
Math:
In math, we are reviewing the tricky subjects from Quarter 3 as well as beginning a new unit on, well, units. We discuss the importance of labeling our work and practice converting between different units, whether they are describing time, distance, ect. GREEN BOOK PG. 155-170 BLUE BOOK PG 89-96
History:
In history, we begin learning about the American Revolution, which first requires an understanding of the geography at the time. For this, students are learning about the 13 colonies and need to memorize all of them by Monday, 3/27, for a quiz about them. We will go over study strategies before then. READ CHAPTER 1-4 IN HISTORY BOOK. PREPARE FOR THE 13 COLONIES MAP TEST.
13 Colonies Khan Academy Video
History Channel 13 Colonies Video
Science:
In science, we will be looking inwards and study the respiratory system. Students will know the physical breakdown of the respiratory system to assist with a model project that will be done as a class. This project is why we need the tall thin plastic bottles. NOTES ON THE HEART, "THE HEART" WORKSHEET.
Human Body System Overview Video
Remember, the blog is updated weekly. Be sure to come back frequently to see any upcoming events or changes in fourth grade.