Please note that our Advanced Work Classes (AWC) stay with the same teacher for Grades 4 and 5. Our Grade 4 Advanced Work Class teacher for 2008-2009 is Mr. Clark. He covers the following material with his students:
Writing: Students will write in different genres including memoir, nonfiction, poetry, friendly letters, fantasy, and realistic fiction. Students will take seed ideas from their writer’s notebook and develop the writing process which includes drafting, revising, and editing to a published product. Students will produce several writing prompts and write responses to literature using evidence from the text to support their analysis. Students will use knowledge of word study to monitor and check their spelling. Students will produce: Twelve written responses to a variety of literary genres that demonstrate their understanding of our core literature reading list. Also included in each students assessment will be: one oral response to a work of literature; five responses to key questions demonstrating a deep understanding of the five AWC core literature texts (one of which will be from a work of non-fiction); and at least one of the five responses must be independently produced at a level three or four as assessed by the teacher.
Reading: Students will self-select books for independent reading based on their individual reading levels. Students will also participate in shared reading, which utilizes the appropriate texts found in the AWC core literature reading list such as: The Circuit; Words of Stone; Childtimes; Painters of Caves; among others. Students will also participate in guided reading groups that are tailored to their individual strengths and needs. Short reading selections matched to our week’s shared reading will be utilized for small group instruction. Students will be grouped according to instructional reading level for small guided reading groups.
Open-Ended (MCAS-Like) Response Questions: From the Non-fiction Painters of Caves: · Write a letter to the French Minister of Culture, proposing an alternative of these two views on access to Chauvet: 1) Open Chauvet to the public 2) Close Chauvet to everyone except scientists. Your proposal for a third option should show that you understand why the French government has closed Chauvet to the public and that people around the world are eager to see the cave paintings.
Mathematics: Through investigations, students will explore major mathematical ideas and develop an understanding of Number Sense and Operations; Data Analysis; Statistics and Probability; Geometry; and Measurement. Students will utilize more than one strategy to solve a problem and will be expected to explain their thinking in numbers, pictures, and words. Students will demonstrate fluency with basic number combinations for addition, subtraction, and multiplication and will begin developing fluency for division facts. Students will complete the Investigations in Number, Data, and Spaceâ curriculum for grade 4 and 5 designed to offer students meaningful mathematical problems and to emphasize depth on mathematical thinking rather than superficial exposure to a series of fragmented topics Topics to be covered are: Money, Miles, and Large Numbers; Measurement Benchmarks; Mathematical Thinking; Different Shape, Equal Pieces; Shape of Data; Packages and Groups; Name that Portion; Changes over Time; Arrays and Shares; Containers and Cubes Informal observation and formal testing as well as journal work will be used to assess a Student’s progress. Students must pass a Mid-Year and Final exam to move on to the next grade.
Social Studies: Students will develop their understanding of World Geography--Political and Physical characteristics of world locations. They will develop a foundational knowledge of Early Human Civilizations and Human origins. Other civilizations surveyed include Mesopotamia, Egypt, Mayan and Aztec civilizations, China, and India. One-third of the students’ grade in Social Studies comes from her/his Social Studies Journal. Open Response Questions: Sample: How did the river affect the lives of early people? How did geography and climate affect the migration of early humans throughout the world?
Science: Please see Science pages on this web site.
Student Projects/Major Assignments: Students will utilize the scientific method to guide their inquiry during scientific investigations. Students will develop questions, conduct research, record observations, collect data, analyze information, and draw conclusions during science lessons. Students will utilize nonfiction to broaden their knowledge of science topics. Students will work cooperatively, share ideas, and present orally. They will create illustrations, charts, and graphs. Topics include Adaptations of Living Things, Electricity and Magnetism, Earth Materials, and Motion and Design.
Key Questions Samples: What are the elements of this System? What are the Inputs/Outputs of the system? What are the boundaries of this system? What are the interactions of the system?
English Language Arts: Reader’s Response Notebook Writer’s Notebook Published Writing Pieces Writing Assessments Responding to Narrative Prompts
Mathematics: Work Collection Student Journal End of Unit Assessments Projects
Social Studies: Interactive Social Studies Journal Social Studies Folder Work Collection Class Projects
Spanish and Computer: Organized folder Reflective Journal Class Projects Homework Assignments
Assessment/Grading Policy: Students’ progress will be frequently assessed using the following methods: End of Unit Assessments Quizzes Student Products Writing Assessments Homework Daily Work Notebooks Student Conferences Participation All assessment pieces work together to give an accurate picture of how well your child is doing in fourth grade. Students are encouraged to review homework assignments and redo errors.
Instructional strategies used: Tactile strategies utilizing manipulatives Partner Learning (Fishbowl; Peer-editing) Small group instruction/discussion Questioning Whole group instruction/discussion Cooperative Learning (Text-Based Seminar; Book Clubs) Modeling with “think alouds” or overhead Structured Choices Independent work Activate Prior Knowledge Scaffolded Instruction Response Journals
What can parents do to help? Check student’s agenda for school dates and information. Kindly check for assignments daily and provide assistance as needed with homework. Communicate with Mr. Clark via email at jclark2@boston.k12.ma.us; notes, agenda, phone, or schedule a private meeting. Attend open house meetings and conferences. Read with your child and encourage reading at home. Encourage good attendance and enforcement of the uniform policy. Please read all notices and return them promptly. Always encourage positive school and bus behavior. Parent Appointments: Please write a note or call to schedule an appointment. The school phone number is (617) 635-8064.
Other Expectations: Please make sure students arrive promptly. Students who enter the classroom after 8:30 are marked tardy. Please make sure that if you child is a walker, he or she is picked up promptly. Dismissal ends at 3:30 and supervision ends at 3:40. Kindly notify the school of any changes in address/ phone/ emergency contacts/ transportation changes/ etc. We encourage all students to do their personal best work and behave appropriately everyday of the school year. |