“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”
―
Fourth Grade would like to extend a warm thank you to parent and author, Mr. Coulter for joining us during Week 5 to teach a special literature lesson. His visit invited scholars to think more deeply about what makes stories powerful and timeless. Students explored the classical themes of truth, goodness, and beauty, and how every great story—whether ancient myth, fairy tale, or modern adventure—contains a moral struggle between virtue and vice. Beloved stories end in the Greek tradition in comedy-goodness saving beauty through truth. Stories with sad endings show the hero falling victim to chosing vice and therefore ending in tragedy. Mr. Coulter helped students see that these aren’t just old-fashioned ideas, but living truths that appear in every culture and every time period. They are woven into the stories we love because they are woven into the fabric of life itself.
Using familiar examples, students examined how this struggle plays out in stories such as Robin Hood. They noticed that Robin’s courage, sense of justice, and self-sacrifice represent virtue, while Prince John’s greed, cowardice, and pride embody vice. This conflict gives the story its tension and meaning, revealing that goodness often requires risk and that true heroes act not for reward but for the sake of what is right. Mr. Coulter guided scholars to see how this same pattern—virtue battling vice—appears in countless tales, from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to The Princess and the Goblin and even The Wizard of Oz.
Students also reflected on the famous words of G.K. Chesterton: “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” In this light, fairy tales and legends are not just entertainment; they are moral training grounds for the imagination. They teach children that evil can be confronted, that courage matters, and that beauty and goodness are worth defending. Through this classical approach to reading, fourth graders are learning to see literature not just as stories to enjoy but as mirrors of the soul—helping them recognize virtue, reject vice, and pursue what is truly good, true, and beautiful. We encourage families to continue these rich conversations at home—ask your child how the hero’s “sword of truth” defeats falsehood or how beauty is restored when virtue triumphs. You may be inspired by the depth and clarity of their insights.
Thank you, Mr. Coulter!
NEWS:
No School November 26-28 in observation of the Thanksgiving Holiday.
On December 16th, Fourth Grade is holding our annual Robin Hood Party. Stay tuned for details!
CURRICULUM:
ELA:
The last poem of Quarter 2 is "Norman and Saxon". It is due on Friday, December 12th, but we encourage students to perform as early as they choose.
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.
We continue our COMPOSITION program with writing our 5 paragraph persuasive essays about Robin Hood.
In GRAMMAR, we review predicate elements in chapter 7 of WOL. We review predicate verbs, predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives.
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
In LATIN AND GREEK ROOTS our roots are hydros and aqua, they both mean "water". Their derivatives are: hydrogen, dehydrate, hydrology, hydrologic, hydroelectric, hydroplane, hydrant, hydrophone, carbohydrate, aqueduct, aquamarine, aquarium, aquifer, aquatic, aqueous. The Roots test will be held on Friday. Scholars should study their 28 Roots Cards every day for 5-10 minutes. Q2W9 will have a cumulative test on all 30 roots.
Math:
In Math, we will begin with an open-note quiz on adding, subtracting and simplifying fractions. Simplification of fractions is a key concepts scholars should hone. We will continue with Chapter 5 concepts which is our first chapter on Fractions. Scholars will add and subtract fractions in the context of word problem solving.
Khan Academy Help for Adding with Unlike Denominators
History:
This week in History, students explore ancient China through Dynasties of China, learning about the powerful leaders and innovations that shaped thousands of years of civilization. In Chapter 1, “The First Emperor,” students met Shihuangdi, China’s first emperor, who unified the country by creating a single system of writing, currency, and roads—but ruled harshly and sought immortality. Chapter 2, “The Han Dynasty,” showed how China’s isolation led to the creation of the Silk Road, a trade network that connected China to the wider world and helped make the Han era a golden age of culture and invention. Finally, in Chapter 3, “Wu Zhao,” students learned about China’s only female emperor, who rose from humble beginnings to rule with strength and intelligence during the Tang Dynasty. Through readings, map work, foldable activities, and vocabulary practice, students deepen their understanding of how leadership, geography, and innovation shaped one of the world’s oldest civilizations.
Shi Huangdi, First Emperor of Unified China
Science:
This week, fourth graders explore how living things depend on each other and how our bodies help us sense the world. Students learn how plants, consumers, and decomposers form food chains that pass energy through all life. They discover how decomposers return nutrients to the soil, keeping ecosystems balanced.
We end the week by studying the ear and how its parts work together to help us hear through sound vibrations. Students practice observing, modeling, and using scientific vocabulary like structure, function, and energy flow.
Families can support learning at home by noticing examples of energy use, plant life, and sounds in the environment.
Decomposers- Watermelon in soil
Remember, the blog is updated weekly. Be sure to come back frequently to see any upcoming events or changes in fourth grade.