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Download the Grade 4 Supply List for September, 2008
Welcome to the Fourth Grade! Now, we know all you
think about when you hear, “Fourth Grade,” is the state
tests…and, well…that’s true. BUT, Fourth Grade is
also a great year. It’s full of exciting educational opportunities
and fun. Keep reading to find out why the Fourth Grade is so much
fun for our students and shhh, keep this a secret, our teachers.
ELA or English Language Arts: All right, so there’s the ELA
exam in January. So yes, we’re learning how to structure text-based
responses in both short-response and paragraph form. We learn about
good TS, SS, ES, and CS. (Bet you want to know what those are!) Yes,
we are also practicing our listening, note-taking, and reading comprehension
skills. But we’re also joining Book Clubs, doing author studies,
writing and reading memoirs, learning about different genres like
Tall Tales, poetry, biographies, enjoying guided reading lessons,
and responding to literature in new and creative ways! For example,
have you ever made a sandwich summary? Yummm…
Math: Uh oh! Another state test you say? Yep! But our Fourth Graders
are always ready for that test in March. As a matter of fact, if you
ask our Fifth Graders, they’ll say they enjoyed it. Can you
imagine? We review all those math concepts that we’ve already
learned, like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Of course, the problems are a bit bigger now, but with practice we
can handle them. We also get to learn algebra, geometry, fractions,
and decimals. We play math games, construct our own math problems,
design graphs and surveys, create number lines, and read math stories.
Now doesn’t that sound interesting?
Social Studies: We get to study New York! We study its history, geography,
and resources. Did you know the two main Native American tribes that
inhabited New York? Did you know that 1/3 of all the battles of the
American Revolution were fought right here in New York? Did you know
that New York was once our nation’s capital? Those are just
some of the interesting facts that we learn while getting ready for
the 5th grade Social Studies test. Hands-on activities, skits, journal
writing, research reports, models, timelines, and maps are some of
the creative ways we learn about our home state.
Science: What better way to experience our scientific world than with
hands-on-activities, experiments, and designs. The units we cover
are so interesting; Weather, Matter, Simple Machines, and Plants.
Of course, we are also getting ready for the ELS (Elementary Science
Test) in late spring. That’s one test no one complains about. Students
are actually disappointed when it’s over! Imagine, for one day
our gym is transformed into a giant laboratory.
Trips: We always go to St. Paul's Church in Mt. Vernon to learn about
the colonial period here in New York. West Point is also a favorite with our students,
parents, and teachers. What a wonderful way to learn about the past,
present, and future bravery and sacrifices of our armed services.
We’ve also added a great trip to Albany, our state’s capital.
This trip is a favorite because we get to go to the Capitol building
as well as the state museum.
Other activities: In March, we also get to learn more about our colonial
ancestors when the Colonial Kitchen makes a stop in each of our classrooms.
We also will be working with poets and artists in residence. Finally, visiting
our new computer lab allows us to explore the world around us in new
and exciting ways.
So, yes, you can think of the state tests when thinking about the
Fourth Grade. But as you can see, there’s a lot more happening
in the Fourth Grade! |
