What we are Learning This Week

Math: Mrs. Bennett

In the upcoming week, students will embark on an exciting journey into the world of mathematics, where they will discover that everyone is a mathematician! We will emphasize that pictures and manipulatives play a vital role in understanding mathematical concepts, helping to make abstract ideas more tangible. Additionally, we will highlight that struggle is an essential part of the learning process, as it encourages growth and resilience. Through a combination of whole group activities, small group math tasks, and personal reflections, students will engage in meaningful discussions and hands-on experiences that foster a deeper understanding of these key concepts. 

No homework this week!

LA: Mrs. Phelps

Welcome back! I am so excited to begin a new year with my new 4th graders! We will spend some of this week discussing our summer reading book, Wonder. There are so many amazing life lessons to be learned in this and I cannot wait to hear their thoughts. Aside from that, we will do some pre-assessments and get started on our first unit, Empires in the Middle Ages. You can expect the reading to be rich with challenging vocabulary, but I believe as we build our knowledge on the subject, it will get easier. We will begin by building background knowledge and exploring what life was like during the Middle Ages. Students can expect to be learning about people, events, and ideas from the Middle Ages. They will be paraphrasing information after reading and comparing and contrasting Lords and serfs who lived during Medieval times.

Skills we will develop this week are:

Reading: 

• paraphrase information from the Reader to participate in a discussion about the people, events, and important ideas from the Middle Ages

• refer to details and examples in the text when explaining the relationships between lords and serfs

• explain the concept of feudalism as a way of life based on land ownership during the Middle Ages

Writing: 

• use a graphic organizer to produce clear and coherent writing that contrasts the life of a serf and that of a lord

• draft an informative paragraph about the life of a lord during the Middle Ages that includes a topic sentence, detail sentences, transition words, and a concluding sentence.

Morphology: 

• use their knowledge of the prefixes un– and non– (meaning ‘not’) and root words to read and interpret unfamiliar words

Grammar: 

• review the function and relationships of nouns and adjectives

Homework: No Homework this week!

Click this link to access the Caregiver Letter from Amplify- Please note, we will not be covering part 2 of this unit; Islamic Medieval Empires for the sake of time. 

Social Studies: Mrs. Crush

This school year, our focus in 4th grade Social Studies will be on migration and settlement. Our goal is to help students develop thinking and decision-making skills that prepare them for responsible citizenship in a democratic society. Here are some key topics we will explore:

• Migration and Settlement: Students will examine the reasons why and how people move from one place to another, particularly through the study of colonial America.

• Self-Government: They will learn about diverse forms of self-government used by various groups in colonial America and assess how these forms can foster civic virtues and uphold democratic principles.

• Government and Economy: We will compare and contrast different ways that government interacts with the economy.

• Cultural Characteristics: Students will explore the distinctive cultural traits of groups that immigrated or were brought to the United States.

• Conflict and Collaboration: They will discuss examples of conflict and collaboration among diverse groups as they encountered one another.

This Week:

This week, we began our exploration of civics standards. Our students have been actively engaged in learning about:

• Diverse Forms of Self-Government: They are comparing the political form of monarchy with the self-governing systems developed in colonial America.

• Civic Participation: Students are understanding the importance of civic participation through local examples from past and current events.

• Processes for Change: They are describing the processes people use to change rules and laws and how these developments improve communities to meet the needs of citizens.

I'm excited to see our students’ enthusiasm and commitment to learning about their roles as responsible citizens!

Religion: Mrs. Crush

This week in Religion, we are excited to kick off our classroom experience by:

• Reviewing classroom rules and expectations.

• Introducing our student-led prayers, with a model prayer available on Google Classroom.

• Beginning Chapter 1, God's Loving Plan, in our Word of Life workbooks.

Through these lessons, students will discover that those who seek God will find Him. They will learn about their calling to be in communion with God, understand the concept of truth, and review God's plan of salvation. Most importantly, they will see that true happiness and truth can only be found in God.

Important Announcements:

• Student-Led Prayers: Students will begin working on their student-led prayers in class. If they do not finish, they are due on Thursday, August 22nd.

• Chapter 1 Test: Please note that the test for Chapter 1, God's Living Plan, will take place on Friday, August 29.

• 1st Trimester Service Hours and Reflections: Each student is asked to complete two service hours per trimester. Their 1st Trimester Service Hours and Reflections are due Wednesday, October 29. This will be completed on Google Classroom. 

Science: Mrs. Jackel

https://sites.google.com/ascension-parish.com/k-5science/4