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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
September.
Reading/Writing/Language Arts
In September, reading instruction focuses
on
building
students’
background
knowledge, examining the point of view and
information contained within a text, and
integrating information across a variety of
texts. Students synthesize evidence to
make
inferences
and
generalize
information in a text and collaborate to
create rules for respectful group
discussions through consensus. Students
review the characteristics of historical
fiction and analyze the impact the setting
has on characters and sequence of events.
Students apply their knowledge about the
characteristics of historical fiction in a
writing project beginning week 5. The end
of September, students begin to work on
analyzing informational texts to build
background knowledge in science.
In writing, students use inquiry approach
to gather ideas, draft, revise, edit,
produce
and
present
narrative,
informative, and opinion texts. Students
use the writing process and the 6 + 1 Traits
of Writing instruction. Beginning in
September, students analyze characters
from historical fiction, research a setting,
and compose an original historical fiction
piece as a part of the Historical Fiction
inquiry. To build background before writing
an original historical fiction piece,
students examine how characters impact
the outcome of a story.
September 2015
Math
In third grade, students rounded numbers
within 1,000 to the nearest 10 or 100. In
September of fourth grade, students
extend place value understandings to read,
write, and compare numbers to 1,000,000,
and make generalizations about the
relative sizes of numbers in each place of
multi-digit numbers. Towards the end of
September, students use place value
understandings to round numbers less than
or equal to 1,000,000 to any place. The
critical Grade 4 understanding that a digit
in one place represents ten times what it
represents in the place to its right is
extended
to
include
decimals
to
thousandths in Grade 5.
Science
First week of school focuses on mental and
emotional health concepts and topics.
Students practice collaboration skills as
they demonstrate healthy ways to
communicate needs, wants, emotions,
opinions, and information. Sources of
stress in the community are identifies with
effective strategies to manage social
stressors.
Then, in September, students explore the
components of land and water ecosystems.
Students apply the engineering design
process as they construct and refine
terraria and aquaria to model both a land
and a water ecosystem. Throughout this
month students will use these models to
explore the concepts of living things, their
basic needs, and the relationships between
living organisms to each other and to the
non-living components of an ecosystem.
Social Studies
Fourth grade social studies combines a
traditional chronological study of early
United States history with an examination
of the students’ world today. September
launches this contemporary/historical
sequence through a study of the effects
of geography on North American Native
Americans before the establishment of
the thirteen British colonies and
Americans today. Students use geographic
tools
to
locate
and
describe
natural/physical and human-made features
of Maryland and the United States today.
They analyze information to determine
relationships
among
geographic
characteristics such as human-made and
physical features and settlement patterns.
Students also begin a timeline of history to
which they add throughout the marking
period and year.
Other
Email your child’s teacher:
Ms. McQuillen
[email protected]
Mrs. Broderick
[email protected]
Ms. Schoenwolf
[email protected]
**Please send in any clear two liter soda
bottles you may have. They need to be
clear, empty, and rinsed without soap. If
possible remove the labels. Please see your
child’s science section of their binders for
detailed information. We will need them for
a science project in a few weeks.**
Important Dates
September 11 PTA Back to School Social
5:30-7:30
September 14 No school – Rosh Hashana
September 23 No school – Yom Kippur
September 29 Individual Picture Day
October 2
Early release @ 1:20
October 5
Interims go home
Fourth Grade Wishing Well
The fourth grade teachers would
appreciate any donations that you would
like to send in. Below are a few
suggestions:
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Baby wipes
Lysol wipes
Hand soap
Tissues
Paper towels