Welcome to the 4Welcome to the 4thth Grade’s Curriculum Grade’s Curriculum

Night!Night!

Presented by the 4Presented by the 4thth Grade Team: Grade Team:

Ashley Everhart, Trinette Kahm, Ashley Everhart, Trinette Kahm, Audrey Mershon and Krista RicksAudrey Mershon and Krista Ricks

Our agenda:Our agenda:

IntroductionIntroduction Open CourtOpen Court

Lucy Calkins Writing ProgramLucy Calkins Writing Program MathMath

ScienceScience Social StudiesSocial Studies

Reading and SpellingReading and Spelling

Open Court CurriculumOpen Court Curriculum

- Model reading strategies: predicting, clarifying, making - Model reading strategies: predicting, clarifying, making connections, summarizingconnections, summarizing

- Specific skills: making inferences, character motives- Specific skills: making inferences, character motives

- Vocabulary: context in story- Vocabulary: context in story

- Concepts/Questions: asking questions/research- Concepts/Questions: asking questions/research Units in Open Court:Units in Open Court:

- Unit 1: Risks and Consequences- Unit 1: Risks and Consequences

- Unit 2: Dreams to Jobs- Unit 2: Dreams to Jobs

- Unit 3: Mystery to Medicine- Unit 3: Mystery to Medicine

- Unit 4: Survival- Unit 4: Survival

- Unit 5: Communication- Unit 5: Communication Tests on vocabulary and comprehension on FridaysTests on vocabulary and comprehension on Fridays

Reading and SpellingReading and Spelling

Spelling:Spelling:

- words given at start of the week- words given at start of the week

- patterns- patterns

- 4- 4thth grade sight words grade sight words

- differentiated assessments (usually on - differentiated assessments (usually on

Thursdays)Thursdays)

- practice daily- practice daily

Lucy Calkins Writing Lucy Calkins Writing ProgramProgram

Six units of study:Six units of study:

Launching the Writing ProgramLaunching the Writing Program Raising the Quality of Narrative WritingRaising the Quality of Narrative Writing

Writing Fiction: Big Dreams, Tall Writing Fiction: Big Dreams, Tall AmbitionsAmbitions

Literary Essays: Writing About ReadingLiterary Essays: Writing About Reading Breathing Life into EssaysBreathing Life into Essays

Memoir: The Art of Writing WellMemoir: The Art of Writing Well

Lucy Calkins Writing Lucy Calkins Writing ProgramProgram

Outline of a SessionOutline of a SessionWorkshop:Workshop:

Mini-LessonMini-Lesson

- Connection: - Connection: Children/Writers learn why today’s lesson Children/Writers learn why today’s lesson is is

important and how it relates to prior workimportant and how it relates to prior work

- Teaching: - Teaching: The teacher shows children how writers go The teacher shows children how writers go

about doing whatever they are being taught. about doing whatever they are being taught.

- Active Engagement: - Active Engagement: Children (writers) are given time to Children (writers) are given time to

practice what has been taught. practice what has been taught.

- Link: - Link: Teacher clarifies what has been taught and links it Teacher clarifies what has been taught and links it to to

previous lessons. previous lessons.

Lucy Calkins Writing Lucy Calkins Writing ProgramProgram

Outline of a Session (continued)Outline of a Session (continued)

Writing and Conferencing:Writing and Conferencing: Students are writing while teachers and assistants circulate and Students are writing while teachers and assistants circulate and

conference. Teachers are able to assess the students’ needs as they conference. Teachers are able to assess the students’ needs as they confer daily. confer daily.

Share:Share: Every writing workshop ends with students sharing their writing.Every writing workshop ends with students sharing their writing.

Homework:Homework: When given, is designed to connect writing from school to home. When given, is designed to connect writing from school to home.

Conventions:Conventions: Conventions lessons are woven throughout the program and also in Conventions lessons are woven throughout the program and also in

conjunction with Open Court. conjunction with Open Court.

Lucy Calkins Writing Lucy Calkins Writing ProgramProgram

How Can I Help My Child?How Can I Help My Child? Read books with them. Discuss the language authors use. Read books with them. Discuss the language authors use.

Point out good beginnings and endings. Point out good beginnings and endings. Share some of your stories of when you were young. Share some of your stories of when you were young. Share some of your writing. Let them see you write.Share some of your writing. Let them see you write. Ask them questions. Get them to tell stories about their day. Ask them questions. Get them to tell stories about their day.

All children can write if they have something to write about. All children can write if they have something to write about. Get them thinking like writers.Get them thinking like writers.

Help them with basic sight words in their work. Guide them to Help them with basic sight words in their work. Guide them to become aware of words that are misspelled.become aware of words that are misspelled.

Read through their work. Help them edit work for correct Read through their work. Help them edit work for correct conventions. conventions.

Encourage your child to keep a journal. Encourage your child to keep a journal. Encourage your child to write the “old-fashioned” letter to Encourage your child to write the “old-fashioned” letter to

Grandma or Grandpa telling about their life. Grandma or Grandpa telling about their life.

44thth Grade Writing Test Grade Writing Test

Taken on March 6Taken on March 6thth, 2007., 2007. Writing assessments will also be given 1Writing assessments will also be given 1stst and 2 and 2ndnd

quarter. It will be used to measure the students’ ability quarter. It will be used to measure the students’ ability to apply their knowledge of the elements of good to apply their knowledge of the elements of good writing. writing.

Will be either imaginative or narrative.Will be either imaginative or narrative. Students are assessed on their ability to use proper Students are assessed on their ability to use proper

conventions, maintain focus, add relevant supporting conventions, maintain focus, add relevant supporting details, sequence events correctly and exhibit good details, sequence events correctly and exhibit good writing style. writing style.

A parent information meeting later in the year will A parent information meeting later in the year will explain in more detail about the writing test.explain in more detail about the writing test.

MathMath

Major topics covered in 4Major topics covered in 4thth grade: grade: Graphing / Data CollectionGraphing / Data Collection Place Value (including basic algebra)Place Value (including basic algebra) Measurement (metric and standard)Measurement (metric and standard) Multiplication and DivisionMultiplication and Division GeometryGeometry Area and PerimeterArea and Perimeter ProbabilityProbability Problem Solving (throughout whole year)Problem Solving (throughout whole year) Memorizing facts (esp. multiplication and Memorizing facts (esp. multiplication and

division!)division!) Fractions and DecimalsFractions and Decimals

ScienceScience

MacMillan McGraw-Hill ScienceMacMillan McGraw-Hill Science

Units:Units: Rocks and Minerals (1Rocks and Minerals (1stst quarter) quarter) - field trip to Linville Caverns/Emerald Village on Nov. - field trip to Linville Caverns/Emerald Village on Nov.

1717thth

Animals (2Animals (2ndnd quarter) quarter) Magnetism and Electricity (3Magnetism and Electricity (3rdrd quarter) quarter) Food, Growth, and Energy (4Food, Growth, and Energy (4thth quarter) quarter)

Social StudiesSocial Studies

Harcourt Horizons North CarolinaHarcourt Horizons North Carolina

The Land and Early People (1The Land and Early People (1stst quarter) quarter) The Coastal and Piedmont Regions (2The Coastal and Piedmont Regions (2ndnd

quarter)quarter) The Mountain Region (3The Mountain Region (3rdrd quarter) quarter) NC in the Modern World (4NC in the Modern World (4thth Quarter) Quarter) Field trip to Exchange City (week of Field trip to Exchange City (week of

Nov. 14Nov. 14thth) )

Thank you for coming!Thank you for coming!We appreciate you joining us We appreciate you joining us

tonight. If you have any further tonight. If you have any further questions, please contact your questions, please contact your

child’s homeroom teacher. child’s homeroom teacher.