During the first part of the year, we have been getting to know the fourth grade team. Students have been learning more about their teachers and each other. At the same time, teachers have been observing students and discovering how they work and learn most effectively.

We’ve done some assessment such as the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) along with pre-tests and individual assessments in math, writing, and vocabulary to determine student levels and learning goals.

We’ve enjoyed events such as the monthly Ranger Club celebration, a lively assembly with the Blue Sky Puppet Company, and the running of the Golden Shoe Classic.

Quarter 2:

A look ahead!

Updates on:

Language Arts

Math

Science

Social Studies

News From

Grade 4

Team 4 News: Issue 1 October 2014

Inside

We’ve had a wonderful first quarter!

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Language Arts Update

CAFÉ Corner: Several fourth grade classes are using the Daily 5 reading routine and the CAFÉ (Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary) strategies for language arts instruction. We are excited about this shift in reading instruction, which is helping us to build needed reading and writing stamina, increase student independence, and teach flexible strategies that students can use to comprehend text on many levels. You may have noticed that your student isn’t in a traditional reading group, but is meeting one-on-one with the teacher and also meeting with small “strategy groups” to work on a particular skill. Students are doing much of their work with self-selected books, which means it’s very important that they choose wisely! We talk about using the I-PICK acronym to remind us how to find a good book. I can choose a book by thinking about: Purpose – why do I want to read? (For fun, for an assignment, to get information?) Interest – does this book interest me?

We’ve been busy reading and writing!

Comprehension – do I understand what I am reading? Know – do I know the words I am reading? You may also have wondered why your student is not bringing home as many language arts papers. This is because the bulk of the work being done in the classroom is independent reading and writing on choice topics. Research has shown that, quite simply, students who read more become better readers! One of the best ways to help our students become better readers is to give them lots and lots of time to practice reading and writing. By selecting their own books, students gain motivation to read, and learn the skills to continue to be independent readers outside of school. Your student’s language arts grade will be based on the work he or she has done with teachers in class; written responses such as the weekly reading homework question in the journal; and the occasional worksheet or other independent assignment. Teachers keep careful notes on the CAFÉ meetings and should be able to share with you their observations about your student’s work and use of reading strategies.

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Your student has been doing Common Core mathematics for several years now, so you are becoming more familiar with the requirements of this curriculum. Students learn flexible strategies based on number sense and mathematical properties in order to solve problems in a variety of ways. No longer do we teach just one way to solve a problem, nor is it enough just to be able to do computation correctly. Students must understand how numbers and mathematical concepts fit together, why the algorithms we have used for centuries work so well, and how the concepts and skills can be applied to new tasks. Students in fourth grade math classes have spent the first quarter investigating place value concepts, prime and composite numbers, factors and multiples, multi-digit addition and subtraction, and multiplication and division. Students studying fifth grade math and GT math have been exploring exponential powers of 10, working with decimals, deepening their understanding of multiplication and division, and problem-solving. There are many ways to support math learning at home:

• Visit HCPSS Smart Pages for lots of resources, games, and links! https://smart.wikispaces.hcpss.org/SMART+Pages

• Ask your student “How did you solve the problem?” To be successful with the Common Core and PARCC assessments, students need to be able to explain their thinking. If your student can successfully solve a problem, ask, “Do you think there are any other ways to find the correct solution?”

Math Matters!

Practice Math Facts!

Daily practice with basic math facts, especially multiplication facts, can help your student build the foundation necessary for success in our upcoming units on division and fractions.

• Use flash cards

• Visit math practice websites

• Play games that require math skills.

Practice Problem Solving!

Involve your student in daily problem solving activities, such as estimating the cost of your total order at the store.

How can I help my math student?

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Science and Social Studies Update

Social Studies

In the first quarter, students studied the state of Maryland. We learned about Maryland’s geography and regions, including the Appalachian region, the Piedmont Plateau, and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. We discovered that Maryland is like “America in Miniature” because it contains so many of the natural features found across the United States.

We also studied the first Americans. In our study, we focused on the Native Americans of the woodland tribes who lived in our region. Students presented information about Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands to their classmates. We extended our thinking by learning about Native Americans in other parts of the United States and comparing them to the people who lived in Maryland. We discussed the impact of early European explorers and settlers on the Native Americans.

Science

Our science investigations moved from the very large to the very small! We began by studying our Solar System and doing a planet research project. Then we focused on our Earth and learned about the atmosphere and the layers of the Earth.

We learned about the Earth’s crust by studying rocks, minerals, soil, and fossils. We discovered that rocks have different properties and that minerals are the building blocks of rocks. We read about what is contained in soil, and investigated fossils. Some students made their own fossils from modeling clay and Super Dough.

As we conducted our investigations, we focused on the properties that make our Earth livable.

We will visit the Maryland Science Center on November 20.

This trip will complement our science curriculum. We will visit the Planetarium to learn more about our Solar System, and we will watch an IMAX movie about the Star Spangled Banner that will give us a preview of our upcoming Social Studies unit on colonial Maryland.

What’s Next:

Next in Science, students will study ecosystems and biomes in depth.

Next in Social Studies, students will learn about Maryland’s transition from Settlement to State.

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In Health, we learned about nutrition, fitness, and building healthy habits. In quarter 2 we will discuss personal safety and child abuse prevention.

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Spelling Tips As you may have noticed, Howard County’s new “Building Vocabulary” program is really about studying words and their roots: prefixes, suffixes, and bases. Students are no longer being given a list of spelling words to study. However, some students still need practice with spelling so that they can bring their spelling up to grade level expectations. Here are some tips to help your student practice spelling at home:

• Visit websites to play spelling games, such as “Spell Check” which can be found on FunBrain.com

• Write a letter to your child. In the letter, make three spelling errors.

Challenge your student to find the three errors and to write you a reply

telling you the correct spellings.

• When checking

your student’s work at home, you

might notice spelling errors. Rather than

point out the specific error, tell your child, “I see two misspelled words. Can you go back and find them?” This will help your student gain practice self-monitoring and recognizing when words are misspelled.

PARCC-ing Lot One major shift as we get ready to move from the MSA test to the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career) test is that the PARCC requires students to be able to read lengthy passages and also write longer, multi-paragraph essays in response to reading. We are preparing in class by building our reading and writing stamina. You can support this goal at home by encouraging your child to continue to practice reading and writing for stamina. Here are some tips to build stamina at home:

• As a family, set a stamina goal for reading. See whether all of you can sit down in the same room and read quietly for 15, 20, even 30 minutes at a time!

• Choose a fun writing topic and challenge yourselves to writing stamina practice. Can you write about the topic for 5 minutes? 10 minutes? Even longer? Practice alongside your child and share your writing with each other when you are done!

PARCC is going to be given on computers, which means that students will need to compose, revise, and edit their writing on the screen. You can support this preparation at home by encouraging students to type whenever possible!

• Students may type their weekly reading homework and glue a print-out into their reading journal.

• Do you have relatives with email? Could your child type email messages to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins?

• Type a letter to your child and have him or her type back to you.

Thank you for

Reading

The 4th Grade Team:

Mrs. Berry Mrs. Dean Mrs. Garris Mrs. Runner Ms. Weiser Mrs. McQuaid Mrs. Scott Mrs. Leaf

Each month, we celebrate students who are doing a great job with Rockburn’s expectations of being Respectful, Responsible, and Ready. We watch a video broadcast from Mrs. Wolf that includes highlights from the past month at Rockburn as well as lessons on character education. Then we gather together as a team to recognize students who really stand out as role models.

During second quarter, we will celebrate Ranger Club on December 5 and January 9.

Ranger Club

http://res.hcpss.org/about/grades-programs/fourth-grade

Important Dates:

November 12 – Report Cards issued November 13 – Picture Day November 20 – Science Center Field Trip November 21 – Holiday Shop November 24-26 - Parent/Teacher Conferences December 4 – Winter Chorus Concert December 12 – Progress Reports issued Winter Break – December 24 – January 2