1. Curriculum Night 4 th Grade 2014-2015 Carl A. Furr Elementary

2. Common Core Standards North Carolina adopted the National Common Core Standards for ELA and Math. This is the third year of full implementation throughout the entire state. These standards match the global shift in education to college and career readiness by deepening students’ knowledge.

3. Field Trips Dan Nicholas Park – November 10 If you would like to chaperone for this trip, fill out the online background check form ASAP. Raleigh – March 25. Capitol Building Legislative Building History Museum Science Museum

4. Essential Standards-Science The units that are covered in 4 th grade Science now include: Forces and Motion Matter: Properties and Change Energy: Conservation and Transfer Earth and the Universe Earth History Ecosystems Molecular Biology

5. Essential Standards- Social Studies The units in Social Studies this year include: Economics and Financial Literacy Civics and Government North Carolina History and Culture Geography and Environmental Literacy Social Studies will also be integrated into the ELA curriculum through Reader’s Workshop studies on historical fiction and nonfiction texts.

6. Math Common Core Place Value Read,write, and compare numbers to one million, use all four operations to answer word problems (multiplication, division, addition, subtraction) Fractions Add, subtract, multiply, and compare fractions Mixed numbers and improper fractions Algebra Order of Operations and algebraic expressions Input/Output charts Measurement and Data Measurement conversions and volume Line plots Area and Perimeter Geometry Draw and identify lines and angles Classify shapes by properties

7. Math Workshop Kids will rotate in differentiated groups focusing on the skill being taught They will rotate between the teacher station (small group instruction), Reasoning (solving word problems and constructing viable arguments), and DreamBox (laptops) DreamBox parent letter http://www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/furr

8. Words Their Way We are not teaching Spelling in the traditional manner again this year. Students are working with words based on their spelling and phonetic patterns. They also define the words, understand parts of speech, and find the words in their reading material. Each week students work with words on their individual levels. Students sort words according to patterns and learn to spell the words according to those patterns. Students then spell new words according to those same patterns. http://www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/furr

9. Writing Students will integrate writing across the curriculum. There are three types of writing taught this year: 1. Argument/Opinion-based 2. Expository/Nonfiction 3. Narratives

10. Listening and Speaking This is a new emphasis to our curriculum. This will be met by partner discussions and book clubs during Reader’s Workshop. Students will also present projects completed throughout the year which will develop these skills.

11. Reading Common Core Emphasis on informational text and literature Reader’s Workshop aligns to the Common Core by allowing students to go deeper with a self-selected text. Students are expected to be able to answer the following questions for all texts: What is the author saying? Cite evidence. How did the author say it? Examine author’s craft. How do I evaluate what the author has told me, and how can I go beyond that?

12. Reading Goals Grade LevelQuarter 1Quarter 2Quarter 3Quarter 4 3 rd GradeMNOP 4 th GradePQRR/S 5 th GradeSTUV

13. Text Gradient Clusters The level of the text increases in letter with an increase in difficulty. Being fluent does not mean that a book is appropriate for students—we must look at the content of the book.

14. Grading with Reader’s Workshop We moved away from the traditional way of grading with Reader’s Workshop. Students will be graded with rubrics throughout the school year. Sometimes you will simply receive the rubric rather than the work because it is located in students’ reading journals.

15. Assessments Benchmark assessments will be completed twice a year— between November 5 th -20 th and February 25 th -March 8 th. Students will be assessed through Running Records three times a year formally. Discovery Ed will be used for computer assessments throughout the school year.