Sunset Hill 4th Grade curriculum

Fourth Grade Curriculum 2012-2013

Sunset Hill Chip Brofford Cheryl Burdick Dan Huldeen Jane Reynolds

The fourth grade general academic areas are math, language arts, social studies, health, and science. The study of music, art, physical education, technology and Spanish complete the weekly lineup of learning for your child. The following is a brief summary of the general academic areas.

Math: We use the Everyday Mathematics series that provides learning experiences anchored in concrete and real-life situations encouraging students to construct knowledge and concepts themselves. The focus is on:  Problem solving about common-life situations  Sharing ideas through discussion  Daily routines (math message)  Linking past experiences with new concepts  Cooperative learning  Practice through games  Ongoing review throughout the year (spiraling)  Informal assessment  Home/School partnership (Study Links) Units are as follows: Unit 1 Naming and Constructing Geometric Figures Unit 2 Using Numbers and Organizing Data Unit 3 Multiplication and Division, Number Sentences and Algebra Unit 4 Decimals and Their Uses Unit 5 Big Numbers, Estimation and Computation Unit 6 Division, Map References Frames, Measures of Angles Unit 7 Review of Basic Fraction Concepts Unit 8 Perimeter and Area Unit 9 Percents Unit 10 Reflections and Symmetry Unit 11 Shapes, Weight and Symmetry Unit 12 Rates

Language Arts Our Language Arts Curriculum was developed from and is based on Minnesota and national standards. To teach our curriculum, our main source is the Reading Street series from Scott Foresman Publishing Company. Scott Foresman provides teachers with a main story, small readers, and activities to assist with instruction. It also provides teachers with opportunities for students to do on-line activities and reading on the computer. In addition, we have a large number of other book sets that teachers use to reinforce and practice reading skills and strategies, and we’re fortunate to have extensive media centers full of books waiting to be read.

In the Scott Foresman materials, students read from a variety of genres like fiction, nonfiction articles, or poems. In the primary grades students are taught skills in phonics. In all grades students learn vocabulary and comprehension strategies to help in their understanding.

There are extensive opportunities for students to write in Language Arts, as well as in other subject areas. Students learn to write personal narratives and descriptive, persuasive, and compare/contrast essays.

They learn research skills and report writing. Within the writing units of study, the writing process and the traits of writing are taught. Students are taught both handwriting and word processing/computer skills.

The Language Arts goal for students is that they become independent learners, able to extend their learning in all areas by using reading and writing skills.

Social Studies: Fourth grade Social Studies focuses on geography and world cultures.

Students will advance their skills in using geographical resources such as globes, latitude and longitude, map keys, and hemispheres just to name a few. They will also compare and contrast regions of the world by looking at the physical, cultural, political and economic aspects of each.

Throughout the year students will continue to build research skills by using appropriate resources and interpreting information through graphs and charts.

Science: As in previous grades, fourth graders will continue their Science learning with materials from the FOSS Science Kits. These kits are full of hands-on lessons that allow students to learn science through discovery. The following units have been developed for fourth grade: Earth Materials, Electricity and Magnetism, Matter and Energy, and Water Properties.

Fourth grade teachers will specialize in one of these units. Throughout the year, students will spend about six weeks with each fourth grade teacher learning these units.

Health: Our Health curriculum is called The Great Body Shop. Some of the topics fourth graders will encounter include: community safety, body systems, health enhancing behaviors, etc. You will see a monthly health periodical and other materials coming home with your child.

Keyboarding: Your child will be enrolled in a computer keyboarding class beginning in September. In this unit, the students are introduced to the alphanumeric keyboard and begin to build speed. The importance of correct keyboard reaches and increased finger speed will be stressed. It is important that the students do not use the keyboard for hunt-and-peck typing during this time.

Students may continue to practice at home if they choose. If you have a computer at home please encourage your child to practice 10 minutes a day. This will help with faster key-stroking and less frustration when learning new keys.

When observing your child at the keyboard, please encourage the following techniques:     

Sitting tall, feet flat on the floor Wrists level with the slope of the keyboard Eyes on the instruction sheet during practice Elbows close to the body No use of the delete key or backspace key to correct errors

Specialists: Information regarding Specialist classes which are Art, Music, Physical Education, Spanish, and Technology is available on the Sunset Hill website. You can access that page by going to www.wayzata.k12.mn.us and then selecting schools, Sunset Hill, specialists, and the class you are looking for. Also, all information found in this packet can be found on the Fourth Grade shared page on the web. To find it go to www.wayzata.k12.mn.us and then select schools, Sunset Hill, classrooms, 4th grade, shared page.

Wayzata Public Schools has a new curriculum website. It can be found at www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/curriculum

September Dear Families, My name is Robyn Vethe. I am pleased to be your child’s Spanish teacher for this school year.

Students in fourth and fifth grade have Spanish class for one-and-a-half hours a week. We meet for a thirty-minute and a one hour class.

During the fourth-grade Spanish year, students get exposure to learning a new language. At the beginning of the year, some students may know some Spanish while others have little or no knowledge of Spanish. In class, students will practice Spanish through writing, speaking, listening, and reading.

I enjoy using improvisation, games, music, songs, storytelling, and cultural experiences in class. Students also work on earning a class fiesta through a reward point system.

I look forward to this school year! Please contact me if you have any concerns. You can reach me best by e-mail robyn.vethe@wayzata.k12.mn.us