2. Welcome to the 4 th Grade’s Curriculum Night! Presented by the 4 th Grade Team: Ashley Everhart, Trinette Kahm, Audrey Mershon and Krista Ricks

3. Our agenda: Introduction Introduction Open Court Open Court Lucy Calkins Writing Program Lucy Calkins Writing Program Math Math Science Science Social Studies Social Studies

4. Reading and Spelling n Open Court Curriculum - Model reading strategies: predicting, clarifying, making connections, summarizing - Model reading strategies: predicting, clarifying, making connections, summarizing - Specific skills: making inferences, character motives - Specific skills: making inferences, character motives - Vocabulary: context in story - Vocabulary: context in story - Concepts/Questions: asking questions/research - Concepts/Questions: asking questions/research n Units in Open Court: - Unit 1: Risks and Consequences - Unit 1: Risks and Consequences - Unit 2: Dreams to Jobs - Unit 2: Dreams to Jobs - Unit 3: Mystery to Medicine - Unit 3: Mystery to Medicine - Unit 4: Survival - Unit 4: Survival - Unit 5: Communication - Unit 5: Communication n Tests on vocabulary and comprehension on Fridays

5. Reading and Spelling n Spelling: - words given at start of the week - words given at start of the week - patterns - patterns - 4 th grade sight words - 4 th grade sight words - differentiated assessments (usually on - differentiated assessments (usually on Thursdays) Thursdays) - practice daily - practice daily

6. Lucy Calkins Writing Program Six units of study:  Launching the Writing Program  Raising the Quality of Narrative Writing  Writing Fiction: Big Dreams, Tall Ambitions  Literary Essays: Writing About Reading  Breathing Life into Essays  Memoir: The Art of Writing Well

7. Lucy Calkins Writing Program Outline of a Session Workshop:Mini-Lesson - Connection: Children/Writers learn why today ’ s lesson is - Connection: Children/Writers learn why today ’ s lesson is important and how it relates to prior work important and how it relates to prior work - Teaching: The teacher shows children how writers go - Teaching: The teacher shows children how writers go about doing whatever they are being taught. about doing whatever they are being taught. - Active Engagement: Children (writers) are given time to - Active Engagement: Children (writers) are given time to practice what has been taught. practice what has been taught. - Link: Teacher clarifies what has been taught and links it to - Link: Teacher clarifies what has been taught and links it to previous lessons. previous lessons.

8. Lucy Calkins Writing Program Outline of a Session (continued) Writing and Conferencing: Students are writing while teachers and assistants circulate and conference. Teachers are able to assess the students’ needs as they confer daily. Students are writing while teachers and assistants circulate and conference. Teachers are able to assess the students’ needs as they confer daily.Share: Every writing workshop ends with students sharing their writing. Every writing workshop ends with students sharing their writing.Homework: When given, is designed to connect writing from school to home. When given, is designed to connect writing from school to home.Conventions: Conventions lessons are woven throughout the program and also in conjunction with Open Court. Conventions lessons are woven throughout the program and also in conjunction with Open Court.

9. Lucy Calkins Writing Program How Can I Help My Child?  Read books with them. Discuss the language authors use. Point out good beginnings and endings.  Share some of your stories of when you were young.  Share some of your writing. Let them see you write.  Ask them questions. Get them to tell stories about their day. All children can write if they have something to write about. Get them thinking like writers.  Help them with basic sight words in their work. Guide them to become aware of words that are misspelled.  Read through their work. Help them edit work for correct conventions.  Encourage your child to keep a journal.  Encourage your child to write the “old-fashioned” letter to Grandma or Grandpa telling about their life.

10. 4 th Grade Writing Test n Taken on March 6 th, 2007. n Writing assessments will also be given 1 st and 2 nd quarter. It will be used to measure the students’ ability to apply their knowledge of the elements of good writing. n Will be either imaginative or narrative. n Students are assessed on their ability to use proper conventions, maintain focus, add relevant supporting details, sequence events correctly and exhibit good writing style. n A parent information meeting later in the year will explain in more detail about the writing test.

11. Math Math Major topics covered in 4 th grade:  Graphing / Data Collection  Place Value (including basic algebra)  Measurement (metric and standard)  Multiplication and Division  Geometry  Area and Perimeter  Probability  Problem Solving (throughout whole year)  Memorizing facts (esp. multiplication and division!)  Fractions and Decimals

12. Science Science MacMillan McGraw-Hill Science Units:  Rocks and Minerals (1 st quarter) - field trip to Linville Caverns/Emerald Village on Nov. 17 th - field trip to Linville Caverns/Emerald Village on Nov. 17 th  Animals (2 nd quarter)  Magnetism and Electricity (3 rd quarter)  Food, Growth, and Energy (4 th quarter)

13. Social Studies Social Studies Harcourt Horizons North Carolina  The Land and Early People (1 st quarter)  The Coastal and Piedmont Regions (2 nd quarter)  The Mountain Region (3 rd quarter)  NC in the Modern World (4 th Quarter)  Field trip to Exchange City (week of Nov. 14 th )

14. Thank you for coming! Thank you for coming! We appreciate you joining us tonight. If you have any further questions, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher.