Crane Country Day School

Fourth Grade

Overview : Fourth Grade

The Fourth Grade is a year where students gain independence and become self-reliant learners. It is a time for putting together the tools acquired during the primary grades with skills needed to successfully complete the upper grades. Students learn to question, research, and solve problems as both individuals and as members of a cooperative group. The focus is on the the class as a community of learners where each individual achievement contributes to the class as a whole.

Core Curriculum Goals

 

GENERAL:

• Explore and appreciate the broader world through reading, discussion, and study.
• Increase independence and confidence in following directions, stating opinions, and supporting ideas.
• Deepen sense of place and appreciation for the natural world. 
• Develop commitment to producing high quality work (i.e. careful, thoughtful, complete, and correct).

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MATH: Everyday Mathematics

• Employ a variety of problem solving strategies. Students will examine several methods for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers; and become proficient at using one of these methods for each operation.
• Learn to study for tests using unit reviews and Student Reference Book.
• Utilize math games at school and with adults at home for review and discovery.
• Study and eventually master basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, geometry, measurement, fractions, percents, decimals, patterns, and problem solving.
• Recognize that strength in math goes far beyond speed and facts.

HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES: Houghton-Mifflin, Oh, California! Text, Historical Simulations, and Class Novels

• Study California history from Native Californians through the Mission Era, Ranchos, Gold Rush, Statehood, and Modern California.
• Appreciate California's diversity: physically and culturally.
• Incorporate artifact analysis, field trips, and special speakers to enliven our study of California's past and present.
• Improve map, chart, table, and graph reading skills.
• Incorporate current events, public speaking, and non-fiction writing.
• Learn reading techniques particular to non-fiction.
• Practice and employ outlining, note taking, and research skills through lessons and projects.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Literature: Novels and Book Projects

• Novel based study of appropriate children's literature.
• Read, discuss, and analyze class novels, such as The Castle in the Attic, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Maniac Magee, Number the Stars, and By the Great Horn Spoon.  
• Study California and U.S. history through literature.
• Demonstrate understanding of genre, theme, and character change.
• Comprehend, analyze, and synthesize literature.
• Participate in independent reading workshop program.

 Reading: Reading Workshop

• Enjoy and attain fluency in silent reading.
• Use appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression when reading aloud.

 Writing: Writing Workshop

• Explore various writing styles and genres, including memoir, poetry, fantasy stories, correspondence, research-based, and essay, through brief and extended writing assignments.
• Creating portfolio pieces that combine writing and art (e.g., Memory Map, Summer Postcard, Artist Trading Card, Jughead/Random Autobiography, California Portfolio).
• Take notes on mini-lessons, and utilize notes to improve writing.
• Build rich, compound sentences and organized multi-paragraph essays.
• Show, not tell.
• Support main ideas with details and examples.
• Understand and refer to rubric used for writing samples.
• Writing Workshop enables students to write about topics that they are interested in and that draw on personal experience along with whole-class writing assignments.
• Demonstrate knowledge about writing topics (e.g., problems to explore in fiction), principles (e.g., narrative leads; passive sentences), genres, and conventions (e.g., proofreading; punctuation; homonyms; comma splices) through various writing projects.

Vocabulary: Great Source Vocabulary

• Appreciate and develop a rich, active vocabulary.
• Increase understanding of subtleties and patterns in language.
• Attain fluency with synonyms, antonyms, idioms, and parts of speech.
• Enjoy using new words in speaking and writing.
• 10 words per week.
• Homework due on Friday. Test on Friday.

 Spelling: Great Source Spelling

• Self-assess spelling through beginning of week pre-test, then study for Thursday's spelling test.
• Recognize rules and patterns, and apply to daily work.
• 25 words per week, plus 5 challenge words. I expect all students to try to spell the challenge words.
• Homework due on Thursday. Test on Thursday.

 Cursive: D'Nealian

• Write legibly in cursive with ease and proper posture by the end of the year.
• Fourth Grade has less of an emphasis on cursive; however, I do encourage students who feel comfortable with it to use it.

 Grammar/English Language Conventions: Writing Workshop Mini-Lessons and Daily Oral Language Exercises

• Employ Daily Oral Language, Writing Workshop Mini-Lessons, and other short, focused activities to study punctuation, capitalization, and grammar.
• Improve editing skills. *Please see "Editing Symbols" handout.
• Recognize grammatical terms and appreciate the structure of the English language.

 Speaking:

• Make both informal and formal presentations throughout the year.
• Utilize oral language to explain, convince, challenge, inspire, and encourage.
• Recognize the importance of clarity, volume, tone of voice, and body language in one's day-to-day life.

 Research:

• Learn to highlight and take notes on non-fiction.
• Explore monthly topics of current interest.
• Create monthly mini-reports in creative formats and a larger research project.

 Service Learning:

• We study bees and support bee research.

 

Behavioral and Social Goals

General Behavior:

 Uphold Crane's Three Principles:

*Be kind. (We will work as a class to define this in greater detail.)

*Pay attention in class. (This includes focusing on work, raising hand to talk, and promptly responding to teacher's "signal.")

*Do the assigned work.

*Participate in discussions about how we want our class to be and how to treat one another.

*Students who have "missed the mark" will assess the situation, take responsibility, and work with me to design an appropriate and relevant consequence.

Pedagogical Goals:

• In the Fourth Grade, I hope my students will feel safe, comfortable, and calm as they improve their ability to successfully participate in a community.
• I will focus on the positive, recognize good behavior, remain calm and in control, and allow students who are struggling to follow our classroom norms to "take a break" in order to re-assess their behavior.
• My goals are to:

*support students as risk-takers in the classroom.

*increase cooperation and decrease competition.

*respond to each student's individual learning style, strengths, and needs.

*create a safe environment for sharing, discovering, and exploring new topics at new depths.

*increase self-reliance.

 

Homework

• Weekly homework will be assigned on Monday in the Homework Schedule in an effort to assist students' organization and planning.
• 30 minutes of nightly reading.
• Homework is an excellent chance for you to participate in and extend what your child is learning in school. It is also an important opportunity for your child to take responsibility for his/her learning as he/she practices and strengthens what we are studying in class. Please, do your best to support their independence. You can be in the same room, you can do reflective listening, and you can ask them to read the directions aloud, but try not to simply explain. It's difficult, but allowing them to experience some cognitive disequilibrium increases the amount of joy they'll feel when they get it!
• Limit homework time. For those who work slowly even when focused, please do not allow them to stay up past bedtime. Have them speak with me in the morning or write me a note, and we will make the appropriate adjustments. 45 minutes to an hour of actual work time should be plenty. The 30 minutes of nightly reading is separate.
• Establish rituals for homework: place, time, and supplies. Please encourage your child to take hi/her time in order to produce high quality work.
• Allow your child to turn in mistakes on their homework. Errors indicate learning needs.

 

Communication between School and Home

Fridays:

• I will send a weekly letter in the "Friday Folder" and by e-mail updating you on our week's work.
• The Friday Folder will also contain: The Horizon, any Crane or community flyers, along with corrected work and tests.
• No need to sign or return work unless specifically stated on the page.

 

Conferences:

• One official conference day per semester is pre-arranged.
• Please request a conference any time you feel the need.

 

Contact Information:

• Email address: ahaddock @craneschool.org
• Phone Number: 969.7732 x308