C l a rk sb u r g E l e m en t a ry S c h o o l
Fourth Grade Newsletter
Engaged Learners
Future Leaders
Volume 1 Issue 8
April 1, 2016
Email Addresses
[email protected]
April
[email protected]
[email protected]
Dates to Remember:
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April 1st—3rd,
Spring Break, no
school for students
April 12th—15th,
Book Fair
April 12th, Donuts
for Dads and Granddads
April 15th, Science
Festival Field Trip
April 19th, Stem Fair
April 22nd, Report
Cards distributed
April 22nd, Spring
Dance
April 26th, Election
Day, no school
April 28th, Take Your
Child to Work Day
April 29th, Spring
Pictures
A Big Thank You
Many thanks to the
parents that chaperoned
our St. Mary’s City trip.
It was a cold, rainy but
very educational day.
Your children received
lots of compliments
from our guides for their
behavior as well as for
their great responses.
Clarksburg Elementary
Happy spring!
Here is an overview of some of the instructional areas of study for this
month. We are attaching the reading and math newsletters that have
been generated by the county. These newsletters are also available on
the CES website. The newsletters will give you the Measurement Topics
(MT) for each of these subjects. It will also give you the Thinking and
Academic Success Skills (TASS) that will be the focus for all subject areas
during the quarter.
On the following pages is an overview of the instructional areas of study
for the areas of writing, science and social studies that will be covered
this month.
Writing
Writing: Opinion
Students demonstrate proficiency of Grade 4 standards for this measurement topic by composing, over shorter and
extended time frames, opinion texts with evidence of:
An introduction that elaborates on an opinion statement.
An organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the opinion.
Reasons supported by researched facts and details.
Linking opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
A concluding statement or section related to the opinion.
Writing: Informative/Explanatory
Students demonstrate proficiency of Grade 4 standards for this measurement topic by composing, over shorter and
extended time frames, informative/explanatory texts with evidence of:
An introduction that develops a clear topic.
An organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the information.
Formatting using text features or multi-media to aid comprehension.
Researched facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
Linking ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
A concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
Writing: Narrative
Students demonstrate proficiency of Grade 4 standards for this measurement topic by composing, over shorter and
extended time frames, narrative texts with evidence of:
A well established situation that introduces a narrator and/or characters.
An organized event sequence that unfolds naturally.
Dialogue, descriptions and details to develop experiences, events, or show the characters response to situations.
Transitional words and phrases to sequence events.
Concrete words, phrases, and sensory details to precisely communicate experiences.
A concluding section that results from the experiences and events
Writing: Process, Production, and Research
Students demonstrate proficiency of Grade 4 standards for this measurement topic by:
Developing clear, coherent, and organized writing appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
Planning, revising, and editing based on feedback from adults and peers.
Using a variety of technology while interacting and collaborating with others to produce or publish
writing.
Conducting short research investigations of different aspects to build knowledge or a topic.
Recalling or gathering relevant information from print and digital sources.
Recording relevant notes, categorizing information, and citing sources.
Drawing evidence from literary and informative texts for analysis, reflection, or research.
Writing: Use of Language
Students demonstrate proficiency of Grade 4 standards for this measurement topic by:
Creating audio recordings and visual displays to enhance main ideas or themes.
Choosing words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.
Demonstrating command of grade-level grammar, usage, spelling, and capitalization.
Differentiating between listening and speaking contexts that call for recounting experiences, reporting
on topics or telling stories in an organized manner using appropriate facts or details.
The students will write poetry that express life experiences. After research, they will write an
informative piece on a natural disaster.
Social Studies
Civics
Students demonstrate proficiency of Grade 4 standards for this measurement topic by:
Demonstrating and applying knowledge for the historical development and current status of the
fundamental concepts and processes of authority, power, and influence in Maryland today and in the
British colonies of North America
Geography
Students demonstrate proficiency of Grade 4 standards for this measurement topic by:
using geographic concepts and processes to examine the role of culture, technology, and the
environment in the location and distribution of human activities in the United States today, in
Pre-Columbian America, and during the European colonization of America.
Economics
Students demonstrate proficiency of Grade 4 standards for this measurement topic by:
using economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic
principles, institutions, and processes during the age of exploration and used in Maryland today.
The students will read to understand Maryland’s government and the roles of different
government officials. They will learn about the rights and responsibilities of Maryland citizens.
At the end of the month, they will shift their focus to the similarities and differences between the
three colonial regions.
Science
Physical Sciences
Students demonstrate proficiency of Grade 4 standards for this measurement topic by:
Understanding Explanations- Explaining relationships among properties of matter, physical changes to matter, or
conservation of matter. Applying these concepts to real-world situations.
Generating Evidence- Analyzing and interpreting data as evidence that supports claims related to properties of
matter, physical changes to matter, or conservation of matter.
Reflecting on Knowledge- Using and interpreting scientific and technological knowledge to formulate generalizations about properties of matter, physical changes to matter, or conservation of matter.
Participating Productively- Questioning the validity of evidence related to properties of matter, physical changes
to matter, or conservation of matter.
Earth Space Science
Students demonstrate proficiency of Grade 4 standards for this measurement topic by:
Understanding Explanations- Explaining interactions and relationships among processes (e.g., natural forces
and cycles of the hydrosphere and atmosphere) and materials (e.g., fossils, rock formation, and Earth features). Applying these concepts to real-world situations.
Generating Evidence- Analyzing and interpreting data as evidence that supports claims related to processes
that change Earth’s surface over time (e.g., natural forces and cycles of the hydrosphere and atmosphere)
by examining properties and formation of fossils, rock formation, and Earth features.
Reflecting on Knowledge- Using and interpreting scientific and technological knowledge to formulate generalizations about processes that change Earth’s surface over time by examining properties and formation of
fossils, rock formation, and Earth features.
Participating Productively- Questioning the validity of evidence related to processes that change Earth’s surface by examining properties and formation of fossils, rock formation, and Earth features.
Students will apply what they have learned about properties of matter to rocks and
minerals. We will learn about how materials combine and apply this to the formation of rocks.