Reading in our classroom focuses on the text Harcourt Trophies. The stories include condensed versions of actual books. We also partner read, focus on nonfiction reading, and use leveled readers. I use flexible grouping for reading. Theme 1 has to do with "You Can Do It." My personal favorite story from this theme is Donovan's Word Jar. Theme 2 is Side By Side. Theme 3 is Make Yourself at Home, which includes another of my favorites, Sarah, Plain and Tall. Theme 4 is Creative Minds, given time we may do a little inventing ourselves. Theme 5 is Community Ties, and finally we will wrap up the year with Theme 6, New Lands. The story, Fly Traps! Plants that Bite Back caught our attention. The students in my class are expected to read most nights for homework.
Desert Sites:
http://www.miragemall.com/outside/index.html
http://www.desertusa.com/animal.html
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/sonoran_desert.htm
Miss Whitmer team teaches with me and she teaches Writing,
grammar, and spelling.
The students are encouraged to spell common words correctly in all subject areas. The spelling program is included as part of our reading program.
Math class can be quite challenging with the story problems. We will work very hard throughout the year using our strategies such as make a model, guess and check, act it out, working backwards, and make a table. Multiplication and division are our main focus this year along with place value. Miss Whitmer and myself use flexible grouping and the classes are mixed
We will focus on the three areas of science: physical, life, and earth. We will begin the year with an introduction on cells and organisms. Matter in it's three states and chemical and physical changes; energy, including electricity; cells in animals and plants; water including the water cycle, conservation, and oceans; fossils, study of soil, and inside the earth; animal characteristics and animals with and without backbones are our themes for the year.
Our Pennsylvania History curriculum has consists of map skills, landforms, climate, and natural resources. We then discuss the five regions in Pennsylvania. The Native American chapter is a favorite of the students. We do many activities involving the Algonquins and Iroquois. In December we tie in Colonial Pennsylvania with a colonial Christmas, including candledipping and making pretzels. In January we discuss new settlers in Pennsylvania. We then discuss the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Each student in Fourth Grade is responsible for learning about famous Pennsylvanians. They will research and write a report on a chosen person.
Our adopt a business is Bearly Country. We look forward to her visits to our classroom. She usually tells us what's happening at her store and relates it to our curriculum. The students look forward to working with her as during her visits, she helps us in the classroom. Our field trips include Penn's Creek Pottery and the State Capitol and State Museum.
Charlotte's Web Activity - Click on the sites below to find out more information about pets.
http://www.pigplacementnetwork.com