1. Welcome to 4/5 Challenge!
Mrs. Garber’s
Class

2. My goals are to: Provide essential skills
Encourage creative thinking, problem solving, and higher thinking skills
Develop independent learners, readers, and communicators
Provide a safe and HAPPY learning environment
Develop a lifelong love of reading
Foster leadership skills
Encourage students to challenge themselves
Build a community
Make learning fun!

3. Literacy Being implemented this year in G/T
The Lucy Caulkins’ writing process- 1st semester Narrative Writing
Editing and proofreading skills
Research skills
Oral presentations
Personal Writing and Creative Writing
Building paragraphs, essays, and reports
Letters, narratives, journals, explanations, and observations
Personal responses to literature and non-fiction
Persuasive, descriptions, short stories, and writing to a prompt

4. Word Study
Caesar’s English- daily assignments with a weekly quiz over vocabulary and sentence structure
Spelling in Writing

5. Reading
Literature selections with book clubs (books read in 2-3 weeks)
Discussions, projects, and activities
Junior Great Book selections and discussions
Book Talks
Independent Reading
Literature selections will include different genres, such as Classics and Biographies, and will include historical fiction relating to Lewis and Clark, Indiana History, and the Civil War.
Novel adoptions for this year Indian Chiefs, Tuck Everlasting, Lincoln Photobiography, and Westing Game

6. Social Studies and Science
United States History:
Lewis and Clark
Geography of regions of United States
Westward Expansion
Simulations!
Government
And Indiana History!
Science Units:
Magnetism and Electricity
Earth’s Changing Surface
Food Chains and Webs
Human Design Project

7. Organization and Correspondence
Assignment Notebooks:
Homework assignments should be written daily in notebook
Do not need to sign notebooks unless asked by teacher
Take Home Folder
Homework for each night will be in “Return to school” side
Notes will be placed in the “Keep at Home” side
Friday
The week’s papers will come home
Friday Letter and Weekly Report to be signed and returned to school
Weekly Newsletters
Electronic copy sent to your
Posted on my webpage
Technology
Website:
Google Docs/ Classroom by Google:
BYOD

8. Field Trips
As a class we will participate in the 4th grade Indiana History field trips this year in the spring. This will likely include Conner Prairie, State House and the Indiana Historical Society.
We will also visit the Planetarium at Carmel High School
5th graders will also attend Camp Jameson (**September 26th**) and Biztown (either October 28th or 29th
More information will come home about chaperones closer to these trips

9. Procedures and Extra! Classroom Economy Transportation Changes
Positive behavior and homework incentive/ fine
Quarterly rewards
Transportation Changes
Must be done on-line through myCCS
Lunch room Doubles offered to 4th and 5th graders
5th graders- Broadcast Team Call out Wednesday, August 27 12:40
Contact me anytime
Amber Garber
(317) ext 1233