Mrs. Jackson's
4th Grade Class
Curriculum Updates
Reading
We have wrapped up exploring genres and learning how to pick “just right” books. Over the next couple of weeks we will be working on summarizing texts in 6 seconds (yes, just 6 seconds!). We will also learn how to use context clues to identify unknown words that we encounter while reading. Readers will be tracking their reading in class and should continue to complete their reading logs to track their at-home reading. A rubric was glued into your child’s Homework Folder on Friday so that they have a reminder of exactly how their reading log will be graded each week. Be sure to check that out if you haven’t seen it!
Writing
Last week we had an opportunity to read The Best Part of Me. This book is based on a collaboration between a school and a photographer in North Carolina. We were able to complete a brainstorm based on the writings in this book. This week students will be working on writing organized paragraphs including a topic sentence, detail sentences, and a closing sentence. They will then use this structure to publish a piece about the best part of them! We will then move on to writing personal narratives about important small moments from our lives.
We will also begin our first official word study. Each word study unit will last two weeks. On the first day of a two week word study cycle, students will be bringing home their assigned lists and a “Spelling Board” in their spelling notebooks. Students will need to complete at least 4 of the activities and have you initial to confirm their practice. These boards will need to be returned the following Thursday, and students will be assessed on Friday. I will not be testing students on all of the words. I will choose 15 words. Our first unit of study is prefixes. Some prefixes we will be learning are un-, re-, dis-, and im-. Please make sure Spelling notebooks are returned September 18th. We will assess on September 19th.
Math
We will continue our study of large numbers by working to add and subtract numbers up to the one millions. Students will be completing some in class projects that have them applying these skills to potential real-life scenarios. We will also be working to learn key words in word problems that help us know which operation to use. Next week students will be completing a review of Chapter 1 and will be bringing home a study guide. The Chapter 1 math test will be given during the week of September 15th. Once a date is finalized it will be written in your child’s planner, so be on the lookout for that!
Science
Our class began a new science unit on Soils, Rocks, and Landforms. We will observe soils and explore how the weathering of rocks provides the basic ingredients that form soil. Through stream-table investigations, we will investigate how erosion and deposition move earth materials and shape new landforms. We will study how changes in Earth can be due to slow processes, such as erosion, as well as rapid processes, such as landslides, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
Dates to Remember
If you'd like to order online, visit https://clubs2.scholastic.com/ and enter the code: NB427. Every book purchased earns bonus points, which I can use to build our classroom library!
September 18th - Spelling Notebooks are Due!
Students should have completed four activities
September 19th - Spelling Assessment
Students will be assessed on 15 words from their list