Q4W5
Hello!
Half way through the quarter! 87.5% way through the year! And almost done with AASA testing! This week marks great progress as we are rapidly approaching the end, but not before a few keynote trials. Such events to keep in mind include the final AASA test, the Cumulative Singapore Math Test, the Spring Concert, and more. That being said, if the students keep up their sheer dedication, what remains will fly by in a flash.
News:
Grade-wide recital for “Paul revere’s Ride” for parents to see this Wednesday, 4/19. Students will be performing their Paul Revere poem for parents to see. This recital will include all 90 fourth graders and can be viewed by any and all parents who would like to come. It begins at 10:00 am.
AASA Testing Dates Remaining: April 21st. Please do not schedule any absences for these dates. These are important tests in which we spend a lot of time preparing. The second ELA/Math test is this Friday.
History Comprehension Check on April 24th. This will be quizzing students on all the specifics that occurred on the 18th of April in 1775, which should be familiar to students thanks to the 13 stanza poem that they have mastered.
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.
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 diving back into the WOL book, mastering all forms of pronouns; including subject, object, and possessive pronouns. This means students need to be ready for intensive diagramming and sentence analyzing.
LITERATURE is continuing with Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, and we will be reading chapters 10-12 throughout the week, using them as an excellent springboard for discussions about self-advocacy in education and perspective. Students must have their copy of Carry On, Mr. Bowditch if they do not already.
A Video on Celestial Navigation: https://youtu.be/DrAkrgZRb9Y
We finally have a new POEM; George Washington by Stephen Vincent Benet. It will be due April 21st, where students will be reciting in pairs. Additionally, we will have a grade level recital for “Paul revere’s Ride” for parents to see this Wednesday, 4/19.
In WWE, we are continuing writing practice with more essay writing practice and test prep packets.
In LATIN AND GREEK ROOTS, we will learn the following roots:
corpus/corporis – body
cor po real (adj) pertaining to the body
corpse (n) dead body
cor pus cle (n) small part of the body
in cor por ate (v) to make into a body
cio/scitum – know, understand
sci ence (n) knowledge of the natural world through observation and experiment
sci en tist (n) a person with expert knowledge of science
con sci ence (n) an inner feeling or voice that guides right and wrong behavior
om nis cient (adj) knowing everything
con sci en tious (adj) wishing to do what is right, especially to do something well and thoroughly
corps (n) a military division organized as a body
For philosophy, we will spend the time practicing testing, as this is a week of AASA Testing.
Math:
In math, we are continuing to review the entire year’s worth of content. We are going chapter by chapter to review and quiz each subject that we have conquered in the past. This week includes chapter 3-5 of the Singapore math books.
History:
In history, we see the inevitability of violence unfold with the vital night of April 18th, 1775 with its shot heard ‘round the world. We review this night through a few lenses, including a historical one detailing events, a poetic one detailing significance, and a visual one outlined by an informative movie. This will prepare them for the comprehension check on 4/24.
Shot Heart Round the World: https://youtu.be/Y6ikO6LMxF4
Science:
In science, we will be beginning our new unit on the Respiratory System. We will be introducing the unit and will be visited by Dr. Cheroske to better visualize our understanding of the human body through models. Furthermore, we need those plastic bottles soon, as they are for a small project dealing with the Respiratory Unit.
Pathway of Air to the Lungs: https://youtu.be/kFZpwBOrAKE
Remember, the blog is updated weekly. Be sure to come back frequently to see any upcoming events or changes in fourth grade.