WELCOME TO 4TH GRADE CURRICULUM NIGHT

1. WELCOME TO 4TH GRADE CURRICULUM NIGHT

2. FOURTH GRADE WEBSITE • The address for our team website is: http://patterson4.glogster.com/patterson-4th/

3. UPDATES FOR 2010 • Smart board software • New social studies textbooks with leveled reading materials • Online access to the social studies and science materials • Continued skill acquisition focus • 4th grade team website • Various interactive programs and software (Google Earth, Skype, social studies/science digital learning, Wordle, Prezi) • P.B.I.S. (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports)

4. P.B.I.S. • One of the foremost advances in school-wide discipline is the emphasis on school-wide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. • Continuum of positive behavior support for all students within a school is implemented in areas including the classroom and non-classroom settings (such as hallways, buses, and restrooms)

5. P.B.I.S. • Positive behavior support is an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhance the capacity of schools, families, and communities to design effective environments that improve the link between research-validated practices and the environments in which teaching and learning occurs. • Positive behavior support is an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhance the capacity of schools, families, and communities to design effective environments that improve the link between research-validated practices and the environments in which teaching and learning occurs.

7. ASSIGNMENT NOTEBOOK • Children are responsible for copying down assignments from the board in their own notebook at the end of the class/day • Fourth graders are responsible for packing and bringing home the necessary materials in their backpacks • The expectation is that all assigned homework is turned in on time. If a student is absent on a day when homework is assigned he/she will have two extra days to turn homework in to the teacher. All students are responsible for completing their own homework. • Please look for the changes in the assignment notebook.

8. HOMEWORK • Parents are encouraged to check their child’s homework. • If the students are struggling with a concept, they are urged to make an appointment to meet with the teacher for assistance. • Parents will be informed when a student has missed an assignment (Yikes sheet)

9. HOMEWORK POLICY • Homework will be reviewed to provide students and teachers with valuable feedback, but will not be factored into the grades that a student receives on progress reports or report cards • Homework policy information was sent home via List Serve and can be found on the Patterson Website. • Report card grades will reflect in class assignments and assessments. • Homework completion will be reflected in the effort section of each subject on the report card.

10. COLLABORATIVETEACHINGReading/Math • Collaborative teaching – This approach allows the general education and support staff to work together to teach students in a shared classroom. • Both teachers are responsible for instruction, planning and delivery, student achievement, assessment, and discipline. • This approach provides a lower student to teacher ratio

11. TYPES OF COLLABORATIVE TEACHING • Supported/Collaborative teaching • Parallel teaching • Station teaching • Alternative teaching • Team teaching

12. WRITING • The writing process • The areas that will be covered this year are: Biographical sketch, book review, featured articles, extended response, poetry and persuasive letters • The writing curriculum includes a balance of grammar, mechanics, spelling, and the writing process • We will also use the six-trait writing model and speaking and listening skills to improve their written language

13. SPELLING • The students will be completing a spelling contract each week • The students will need to complete four activities • This is what a weekly spelling schedule may look like: Day One: Administer the pretest, spelling activities Day Two: Teach/Model spelling, spelling activities Day Three: Spelling activities Day Four: Studying with a partner Day Five: Posttest

14. READING • Harcourt Trophies Language Arts Program • Scientifically research-based reading program • Uses the following five components: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and text comprehension • A variety of experiences used to promote reading success

15. READING SKILLS • Determining importance • Inference • Connecting text to self, world, and other written texts • Questioning • Predicting • Visualizing

16. READING MINUTES Previously the students used this calendar to write down their reading minutes. Starting this year, the students will use the calendar located in their assignment notebooks.

17. READING INTERVENTIONS • PAINT (Project Arrow/Interventions) • 6 minute solution • Daily Five • REWARDS • Harcourt 4th grade reading intervention kit • Read Naturally • Books for all learners (Harcourt series) • Reading logs

18. MATH • An elementary school mathematics curriculum developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project • Everyday mathematics content emphasizes the following content strands, skills and concepts: Numeration Operations and Computation Data and Chance Geometry Measurement and reference frames Patterns, Functions and Algebra • Please check out: http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/educators/4thgradecontent.shtml

19. MATH • A problem solving approach based on everyday situations that develop critical thinking • Frequent practice of basic skills (math games, Otter Creek) • Revisits topics regularly to ensure full concept development

20. ASSESSMENT TOOLS • Math Checklists come home with the report cards • Based on assessment and class-work • Beginning, developing, and secure skills • Include Otter Creek automaticity scores for the quarter

21. MATH CHECKLIST

22. OTTER CREEK • Students will keep working until they have mastered all the facts. A fact is mastered when it can be answered instantly, without any pause • The program allows each child to go at his or her own pace, taking as many days to master those two facts as needed • Practice the facts at home • Weekly math fact logs

23. MATH MINUTES Previously the students used this calendar to write down their math minutes. Starting this year, the students will use the calendar located in their assignment notebooks.

24. SCIENCE • Science is a discipline that follows a sequential process while investigating the natural world. We want to foster students’ natural curiosity and help them learn to apply the scientific method and knowledge skills. • In addition, we will be using the Scott Foresman Science textbook to support the kits that we have already are using

25. SCIENCE • Environments – The environment unit consists of making a terrarium, the effects of water on plants (water tolerance), studying the body parts of crickets, and an owl pellet dissection.

26. SCIENCE • Rocks and Minerals – During the rocks and minerals unit the students study the properties of rocks, the rock cycle, and the types of rocks.

27. SCIENCE • Circulatory and Respiratory System – The circulatory and respiratory unit consists of the students finding their own heart rate and pulse. The students will be required to learn the different parts of the heart and the lungs.

28. SOCIAL STUDIES • The students will study the different regions of the United States through the study of the six strands of social studies (history, geography, social systems, economics, political systems and decision making) • The five regions of the United States are the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Northwest and the Southwest

29. NEW TEXTBOOKS • Starting this year, we will be using a new textbook. (Scott Foresman) • The following link will provide you with all of the resources we use in the classroom online: Pearson Success Net

30. SOCIAL STUDIES • As the students explore the different regions, they learn how each region affects the way in which people live. Students examine the physical environment of each region in relation to its history, economy, and people • Students will be given an opportunity to extensively study the state of Illinois culminating in our special Fourth Grade Project Illinois in April • States and capitals will also be taught throughout the school year • We will use culminating projects at the end of each region