4th Grade

What are we doing in the library?

September

📚 Exploring the Library!

Students are diving into a review of library rules and expectations as we kick off the new school year. They’re learning how books are organized, exploring different genres, and discovering how to check out and care for library materials. To make it fun, we’ll be doing scavenger hunts around the library and learning to navigate our library system, Destiny Discover. It's a great way to build confidence and excitement about using the library!

📚 Get Ready for Battle of the Books!
We’re excited to begin preparing for Battle of the Books (BoB) — a fun, quiz bowl-style competition for students in grades 3-5th Grade! Participants join a school team and commit to reading a list of 6 selected books. They can read independently, with a group, or alongside an adult!

BoB encourages teamwork, exposes students to award-winning literature, and promotes a love of reading both in and out of the classroom. While it is a competition, the heart of BoB is all about discovering great stories and sharing the joy of reading.

📖 This year’s book list includes:

• A Wolf Called Wander – Rosanne Parry

• Creature of the Pines – Adam Gidwitz

• Field Guide (Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1) – Tony DeTerlizzi

• Number the Stars – Lois Lowry

• The Secret Zoo – Bryan Chick

• Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Invention – Chris Barton

Also in September, we will be reading Growing Up Pedro by Matt Tavares. As we explore this inspiring biography of baseball star Pedro Martínez, our focus will be on asking and answering questions about the text and citing evidence to support our thinking. These strategies help students deepen their comprehension and build confidence in understanding nonfiction texts.

To enrich this experience, students will also participate in a virtual author visit with Matt Tavares, where they’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process, hear stories and insights about Growing Up Pedro, and learn what it’s like to be a children’s book author and illustrator.

October

STEM Design Challenge – Spider Parachutes
This month, students will take on a fun STEM design challenge! Working with a partner, they will use the design process to create a parachute that can keep their spider in the air for at least 3 seconds .As they build and test their designs, students will think critically about materials, test different ideas, and make improvements along the way. This challenge supports the ISTE Standard: Innovative Designer, specifically:
🔹 1.4a – Applying the design process to solve problems
🔹 1.4b – Working within constraints to develop solutions