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| Academics |
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Math |
Wilson has adopted the Harcourt math series for 4th grade. Students will start the day with a drill and review program called Mountain Math and Problem Solving activities giving them the opportunity to use hands-on manipulatives, illustrations, and everyday examples to develop strategies and reinforce objectives. Math will be taught daily and a chapter test will most likely be given each Friday. Topics will include: place value and number sense, comparing and ordering numbers, adding and subtracting greater numbers, algebra, data, graphing, time, multiplication, division, measurement, money, fractions, decimals, probability, and geometry, with an emphasis on problem solving throughout the year. For any student scoring below 80%, a retake will be administered the following Monday. Math timed tests will be given each week and practice is essential to pass 100 facts, with 95% accuracy in 5 minutes! Students' future success in math is dependent on their speed and accuracy with the basic facts.
Here are some excellent math sites on the internet:
aaa math
math mysteries
math forum
math stories
Enchanted Learning
Peggy Steffen's math site (through www.amphi.com/technology)
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Reading |
The main goals of the 4th grade reading program are to improve fluency, increase vocabulary skills, provide decoding skills, demonstrate comprehension of material read, and develop a love for reading. We have adopted the Houghton Mifflin reading program which is an integrated language arts program that extends throughout the curriculum. This program encompasses the following:
extensive reading in a variety of literary genres and themes,
a focus on interdisciplinary themes,
explicit instruction in comprehension, writing, thinking strategies, and sequential development of word-study strategies, with a system of student accountability and assessment.
In addition, the fourth grade team has purchased over twenty class book sets through parent donations and PTO to help enrich our program and motivate our young readers with award winning books and authors. We hope to use the class book sets with our schoolwide reading literacy program and teach reading and thinking strategies through the reading of novels.
We will visit the library every week and will be allowed to check out two books for up to two weeks.
There is also a school-wide reading program, Wranglin' Readers, to promote reading. The goal is to read 100 hours by the end of the year. We encourage your child to read at home 20-30 minutes a day. The minutes and hours read will be recorded on forms with parent initials. 20-30 hours per quarter of at-home reading will be required as part of the reading grade. Students are required to turn-in one sheet per month for a grade of "A" to be added to their reading scores. Please verify literature read.
Students will be given a quarterly book report presentation to be completed each quarter. Students will read the chapter book in class and if more time is needed to finish each assignment, the student may bring the book home to finish as homework.
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Language |
Through daily drills we will review and reinforce basic skills in the areas of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and usage. Our Daily Oral Language program and Mountain Language review program also give students repeated opportunities to develop and to practice oral language and proofreading skills. The fourth grade language objectives will also be taught within each content area. Language skills lend themselves well to an interdisciplinary method of learning.
The fourth quarter will be devoted to writing a comprehensive research paper. Students will learn all the aspects of researching a topic, and will use a self-directed learning approach based on the Amphitheater Research Benchmark Assessment.
The Six Traits Writing system is an instructional strategy that helps students develop as writers by building on their strengths. Students will be given instruction in six different areas this year. They are ideas/content, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, and conventions. The Six Traits system helps our students recognize and produce excellent writing. Students will write a minimum of one essay per week following the Six Traits' format. Students will publish selected essays, poems, and book reports on educational sites to share their work!
Spelling:
4th graders will start practicing the first 300 words that all students should know prior to starting the selected spelling program. Each student will be tested on the words given each Thursday. By the 7th week of school, students will have 20 words to learn each week using the Everyday Spelling Workbook. Every Friday your child will bring home their spelling list or workbook to practice and complete the assigned pages as homework due on Thursday, which is also the day of the spelling test.
Handwriting instruction is based on the D’Nealian method. Students will be asked to practice their handwriting in their Spelling Workbooks.
Students may use printing on their spelling tests until they feel comfortable using cursive.
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Science |
The 4th grade units of study will cover animals, properties of matter, earth, weather, measurement,electricity and magnetism. Students will learn note taking, reading strategies for nonfiction text, and will write summaries of what they have learned. In addition, students will participate in a number of science labs and activities using the scientific method. The science fair is in the spring and will be optional, although every student will be asked to perform an experiment to present to the class during this timeframe. We are also expecting some visitors with lessons from Tohono Chul Park, Mad Science and Tucson Water.
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Social Studies |
Mrs. Pastor will teach the Social Studies curriculum based on the people, places, and history of our great state of Arizona. We will explore desert wildlife, Native Americans, early history to modern day, counties, landmarks, and the Arizona judicial system. Mapping skills will be emphasized throughout the year. Students will read a weekly Arizona student newspaper and complete a weekly comprehension worksheet as homework.
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