Fourth Grade News
Thurgood Marshall Elementary School
Here are some of the topics we have been working on
in fourth grade, as well our units of study for the
month of October.
Reading/Writing/Language Arts
In October, students read a variety of informational
text and compare the information gathered from each
type. Students compare firsthand and secondhand
accounts of the same event and gather information
about how a Native American society used the natural
environment to meet their needs. Students examine
the use of cause and effect as a text structure in a
scientific text. They also read informational articles
about health safety to identify main idea, use text
evidence to make inferences, integrate information
from two articles on the same topic, and explain the
concept orally and in writing.
In writing, students research and write an
informational piece about a time period in history that
interests them. They draft an introduction,
descriptive paragraphs, and add closure to their
writing. Students use knowledge gained from research
to develop ideas when writing a historical fiction piece.
Students plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish their
historical fiction piece. Throughout these weeks,
students are given opportunities to add details and
descriptions to develop their story. Students develop
criteria for production and select a product format
for publishing their writing.
Math
October brings addition and subtraction of multi-digit
numbers using the standard algorithms. Students are
also expected to use place value understanding and
properties of operations to explain computation with
the standard algorithms. The standard algorithms
become parts of a repertoire of strategies and do not
supplant
other
useful
strategies,
such
as
compensation. Students apply their computational
fluency to solve a variety of multi-step word problems
involving addition and subtraction, representing the
problems using equations with a letter for the unknown
quantity. Students assess the reasonableness of
answers using mental computation and estimation
October 2015
strategies including rounding. At the end of October,
students interpret, represent, and solve word
problems involving multiplicative comparisons or
situations in which the underlying question is what
factor would multiply one quantity in order to result in
the other.
Science
In October, students compare the features of plants
and animals to describe how classification systems
show relationships among organisms.
Students
investigate classifications of living things as
producers, consumers, and decomposers. Students
describe the interactions between various organisms
and identify sources of energy required by organisms
to grow and survive. At the end of the month, students
identify and describe the features that make
organisms well-suited to a specific environment.
Social Studies
Beginning in October, students learn how Native
Americans adapted to the environment of Maryland
and how the cultures of these eastern woodlands
tribes were derived from the environment. Students
explore and gather information about how needs for
food, clothing, and shelter were satisfied. The month
concludes with study of Native Americans of North
America. Students use inquiry questions and primary
and secondary sources to conduct a comparative
examination
of
how
regional
geographic
characteristics impacted the development of Native
American cultures. Students explore Native American
societies of the Great Plains, Southwest Desert, and
Pacific Northwest. They use the information they
gather and record to compare how these societies
adapted to and modified their environment.
Other
Please feel free to email your child’s teacher with any
questions, comments or concerns you may have.
Ms. McQuillen
[email protected]
Mrs. Broderick
[email protected]
Ms. Schoenwolf
[email protected]
If you are interested in volunteering for the grade 4
Halloween party, see important dates for planning
meeting information.
Wishing Well
The fourth grade teachers greatly appreciate any
donations that you would like to send in. Below are a
few suggestions:
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Color cardstock
Erasers
Tissues
Black expo markers
Baby wipes
Lysol Wipes
Paper towels
Important Dates
October 12 Halloween Planning
Meeting, 4:00pm, Room 36
October 12 Open House
October 16 No school for students
and teachers: MSEA Conference
October 30 2:20PM Halloween
Parade and Party
November 2 Professional Day – No
school for students
November 11-12 Early release:
Parent-Teacher Conferences