WELCOME BACK- HAPPY 2018!

It seems like it has been forever since we updated the blog! Welcome to our last semester of fourth grade.  There are many exciting things happening over the next few months.  One thing to remember is that are getting into some of our most important content. Students have settled into our routines and progressing!  Here is what is happening this week:

Reading: This week we will be reading Adelina's Whales and continuing our discussion about patterns in nature that guide the lives of animals.  We will focus on identifying the main idea and supporting details in the text as well as discussing text structures that help organize informational text.
Grammar skill: Main and helping verbs
S.Studies: The Watauga Purchase, Causes of the Revolutionary War

Writing:
Johnson/Maestri/Derry/Fortson/Stansberry/Russ - Narratives
DeBolt/McCoy- Informational writing


Math (Fortson/Derry/Maestri/Johnson):  This week we will continue our understanding of fraction equivalence building on the models that we learned last week.  We will apply multiplication and division strategies to generate equivalent fractions.  Students should be able to "prove" fractions are equivalent by drawing models and using multiplication or division.  There is a Topic Test on Thursday for these classes. We have worked through Module 5 Lessons1-11 if you are following along online.

Science- (Fortson/Derry/Maestri/Johnson):We will continue our learning of the moon phases and the earth, moon and sun relationship.

Weekly Updates for November 13th

Please note the following:

Tuesday- Nov 14th- PTA meeting


ELA/Social Studies/Writing
Reading: We are reading Coyote School News this week and talking about teamwork.
Grammar skill: Grammar review
S.Studies: Colonizing the New World

Writing:
Johnson/Maestri/Derry/Fortson/Stansberry/Russ - Informational writing
DeBolt/McCoy- Opinion writing


Math-(Fortson/Maestri)
There will be a Division checkpoint on Wednesday this week. Students will use one of the following to solve problems: place value chart; area model; partial quotients.  They will also have to write an equation using the distributive property that matches the model.  Please see Problem sets 20 and 21 for examples of expectations.  On Thursday, we will begin factors/multiples/prime and composite.  This will be our content through Thanksgiving.  We will review division further as well as start with 2 digit x 2 digit multiplication after the holidays.  There is a classwork packet that is due on Friday. 

Science- (Fortson/Maestri)
We will continue our mini unit Life Science unit- ecosystems.  This week our focus will be the flow of energy in an ecosystem including food chains and webs.  Students have been assigned an ecosystem project that will be due on Monday, November 20th.  Please see the assignment sheet that was given out last week for additional information.

Happy Last week of October!  What a fun time of the year!  Please note the following for this week:

4th Grade ELA and S.Studies (Johnson, Derry, DeBolt and Stansberry)

Reading:  Continue reading Little House in the Big Woods.  We are nearing the end of the novel!  Our focus this week will be on summarizing the text and looking at themes from the novel.
Grammar: Review subjects and predicates/sentence structure. Advanced word study (spelling) focus is -ar and -or words.
Writing: Johnson/Maestri/Fortson/Derry - Informational writing
                DeBolt/McCoy/Stansberry/Russ - Opinion writing
S. Studies: European explorers/Settling of the Colonies

Math and Science (Fortson/Maestri)

Math:  This week we being Module 3 Lessons 14-17 (tentative).  This is our introduction to division.  Please check your student's agenda nightly for homework assignments.  Weekly classwork is due on Friday (Q2W3). 

Science:  This week we will continue our Life Science Unit- mini unit focus: Ecosystems.  Students receive resources for the interactive notebook. Please check your students' agenda for any assignments. 

Weekly updates for October 23rd

Happy Fall! Our month of October is coming to an end quickly!  The end of 2017 will be here before we know it.  There are some important things to note:

All Pro Dads- October 27th
Fall Make-up Pictures- October 30th
Halloween-October 31st
Flu Shots-November 3rd
NO SCHOOL- November 7th

Here is what is happening this week:

Johnson/Stansberry/DeBolt:
Reading: Continue reading Little House in the Big Woods.  We will focus on describing characters and events in depth.
ELA: Advanced Word study focus - plural nouns.  Grammar skill - subject/object pronouns.
S. Studies: Continue learning about and tracing the routes of early European explorers.

Fortson/Maestri Math:
This week, we will continue with our multiplication unit.  Students took a pop quiz on Monday in all four classes.  We have identified students who need additional instruction and will be working in small groups to help struggling students.  We will also focus on problem solving with multiplication word problems. Parents! You can help us by practicing multiplication facts nightly at home.  The process takes quite a long time when students are trying to figure out basic facts! There will be a unit test on FRIDAY, October 27th.

Derry/Fortson:
Reading: Little House in the Big Woods Ch. 9-11
We work on reflection questions weekly where students have to go deeper in their thinking. If students do not complete work by due date, they can turn in late for an automatic 70 if completed.
Language: Subject and Object Pronouns
Advanced Word Study: Unit 2 Week-2: Irregular Plurals
Writing: Informational writing-
Social Studies: We will begin Module Three: Settling the Colonies
Our guiding question is Why did the English and other Europeans build colonies in North America? I do all testing through the Social Studies Weekly's.

Mrs. Fortson's class and Mrs. Derry's class have been working on an in class project on Explorers. Your child is learning how to do research and cite how they found the research. We will continue to work on these during centers and free time. This project is only done in class and students are not allowed to bring home. Right now the project's projected date is October 31st. I plan on extended that date to Friday, November 3rd.

Weekly Update for September 25th

We are counting down the days to the end of the nine weeks! Please remember that the end of the first nine weeks is October 6th.  All late, missing and redo work needs to be turned in by Wednesday, October 4th.  This allows us to get all grades in prior to the post date.  Please note the following:

Field Trips- Next week is our field trip to Smokey Mountain Heritage Center.  Please note the following dates:  Monday, October 2nd-Derry/Fortson/Maestri/Johnson    Tuesday, October 3rd-Russ/Stansberry/McCoy/DeBolt.  Please make sure your child has a lunch if he/she is bringing a lunch.  Reminder- NO cell phones or electronics are allowed on field trips.

Here are a few updates:

Johnson/Maestri:
Reading-Continue work on Little House in the Big Woods.
ELA-Common and Proper nouns and pronouns.  The word study will focus on the long u sound.  Test will be Wednesday, October 4th.
Social Studies-We are learning about European exploration of the New World.
Writing-Opinion writing using text evidence
Math- We will take a unit assessment on Tuesday/Wednesday.  We will begin Module 3 on Thursday.


Fortson/Derry:

Math- We will take an assessment on Tuesday/Wednesday.  We will begin Module 3 on Thursday.  

Science- We have started our new mini unit on cells.  Students have some good resources in the interactive notebook.  A homework assignment will be given this week and students will need the resources in the notebook to complete it.  We will also look at some cells under a microscope!  A cell project will also be assigned.  Please look for an email with detailed information on Tuesday. 

Reading: Little House in the Big Woods. We will continue to read this novel and analyze characters, setting, and time period. 
Advanced Word Study: Long U sound (Dictation will be on Monday).
Grammar: Pronouns
Social Studies: Discussing Explorers and the routes they took in the New World.

Writing: Opinion Writing 

Weekly Updates for September 18th

Happy Monday!  Here is what is happening this week!

Derry/Fortson:

Reading: We will begin a new novel Little House in the Big Woods. The students will be answering many questions through out this novel. 

Grammar: Proper Nouns/Common Nouns

Writing: Opinion writing using texts to form an opinion.  Students will begin the process of writing to a prompt and using text evidence to support their reasons. 

Social Studies: The Age of Exploration: The students will trace the routes of early explorers and describe the explorations of the Americans. We will be answering these questions over the next few weeks: How did the arrival of Europeans in the Americas affect the people who lived there? How did exploration and settlement impact the indigenous peoples and the environment?

Math:  This week we will focus on fluently adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm and to apply it through problem solving. Please check the assignment sheet nightly for assignments. Focus lessons: Mod 1 Lessons 11-17

Science:  We will begin our cells unit this week.  Students will receive resources in their interactive notebooks.  

Johnson/Maestri:

Reading: We are starting our next class novel, Little House in the Big Woods, this week.  We will continue to refer back to the text when citing text evidence and describing story elements in detail.

ELA: Continue work on adjectives and review common and proper nouns.

S.Studies: We will wrap up the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Creek Indian unit this week and start talking about European explorers. 

*Test Tuesday for Johnson's homeroom over the Indian study guide. Test Wednesday for Maestri's homeroom.

Math: This week we will focus on fluently adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm and to apply it through problem solving.  Please check the assignment sheet nightly for assignments.  Focus lessons:  Module 1 lessons 11-17

Johnson/Maestri writing: Opinion writing with text evidence

McCoy/DeBolt- weekly lessons 9/18

Weekly Updates for September 5th

What a weekend for some football!  And resting?? and relaxing!  Here is what is happening this week:

Johnson/Maestri:

Reading: We will be starting Lewis and Clark and Me this week. This selection overlaps with some of the Social studies curriculum your child will be learning this year.

ELA: Continue diagramming sentences. Start working on adjectives.
Word study this week focuses on the long e and long o sounds. *Words will come home tomorrow, and the test will be Monday.

S.Studies: We will be learning about the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Chocta Indian groups.

Johnson and Maestri writing: Opinion writing

Math:  This week we will be working with our Engage NY curriculum. We will be working on Lessons 1-6. These should be review lessons over the material we have learned in August. There will be a quiz on Friday.  Please check the assignment sheet nightly for homework assignments.

Derry/Fortson

Reading: Lewis and Clark: We will be talking about What opportunities can be found in new places? This will be our story for the next two weeks.

Language: Adjectives
Advanced Word Study: Long e and o

Writing Fortson and Derry: Opinion

Social Studies: We will discuss religious beliefs, customs, and traditions of Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw Native Americans.

Math: This week we will cover ENY lesson 6 and review lessons 1-6 for our quiz on Friday. Please check the assignment sheet nightly for homework.