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2010-2011
Mr. Dixon Miss Sholder
mdixon1@mtlsd.net jsholder@mtlsd.net
 Language Arts
This month we will begin our first reading theme, “You Can Do It!” which focuses on the challenges people face in everyday life. The stories that we will be reading are: “The Gardener,” by Sarah Stewart; “Donovan’s Word Jar,” by Monalisa DeGross, “My Name is Maria Isabel,” by Alma Flor Ada, and “Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man,” by David A. Adler.
Throughout this theme students will work on recognizing narrative elements, building vocabulary, prefixes, suffixes, and root words as well as using informational resources. Students will be pretested in Spelling on Mondays with the test following on Fridays. The spelling list will be sent home on Monday along with a list of the week’s vocabulary words. The Harcourt website is also an excellent tool to use at home. You can find the weekly spelling and vocabulary lists as well as a homework helper and other study tools on this site at www.harcourtschool.com password: beck.
Mathematics
To begin the school year we will be working in our Investigations Unit: Describing the Shape of the Data. In this unit we will focus on data and probability. During the first nine weeks, students will collect, represent, describe, and interpret data. We will also discuss and examine the probability of various events.
In our math class, students spend time discussing problems in depth and are asked to share their reasoning and solutions. It is important that children solve math problems accurately and efficiently in ways that make sense to them. At home, encourage your child to explain math thinking that supports those solutions.
Please remember that our textbook and other mathematical resources can be accessed on line at www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
Also during the first 9 week grading period, students will be assessed on multiplication skills for products through 50. Please continue to review the facts with your child on a regular basis.
 Science
Students are very excited to start our first ASSET science unit: Ecosystems! Studying ecosystems will be a hands on experience where students will be creating eco-columns using 2-liter bottles. These eco-columns will consist of a terrarium and an aquarium stacked on top of one another. Through the use of their science notebooks, students will observe and monitor changes within their eco-column.
 Social Studies
During the first few weeks of school students are developing a better understand of our social sciences. We will learn why each of the social sciences: economy, geography, political science, and history, are important in understanding human behavior. Later on in September, we will be discussing the 5 regions that make up the United States. Through varies activities, students will learn more about each area and what makes up each areas unique culture.
Writer’s Workshop
After spending the first week of school becoming familiar with the rituals and routines of fourth grade writer’s workshop, students will begin writing in the Narrative genre. Students will focus on writing fictional and autobiographical narratives that engage the reader using a rhetorical question, setting, or dialogue; establish a situation or point of view; and include sensory details to develop plot and character.
 Important Dates to Remember
August 30th – First Student Day
Sept 6th – No School – Labor Day
Sept 8th – Otis Lennon Testing
Sept 13th – Family Fall Night
Sept 29th – Picture Day
Oct 8th – No School – Teacher In-Service
FOURTH GRADE SPECIAL SUBJECTS SCHEDULES
Mr. Dixon’s Specials Class Schedule
2010 – 2011
Monday - Gym
Tuesday – Music & Library
Wednesday – Spanish & Gym
Thursday – Spanish & Art
Friday - Health
Miss Sholder's Specials Class Schedule
2010 – 2011
Monday - Gym & Music
Tuesday – Library
Wednesday – Spanish & Gym
Thursday – Spanish & Art
Friday - Health
 For a detailed outline of the fourth grade curriculum, please view the Grade 4 Key Understandings.
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