Ms. Kathleen Finke
Ms. Kathleen Finke
ksfinke@cps.edu
4th Grade Reading, Writing, and Social Studies
Murray Language Academy
Week of June 14th
Week of June 14th
READING - Finish up Maniac Magee and End of Book Test
WRITING - 4th Grade Memory Books
SOCIAL STUDIES - The Southwest!
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Week of June 7th
Week of June 7th
End of Year Assessment on Monday (203) and Tuesday (204). Finish-up on Wednesday if needed.
READING
Read Aloud: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Skills and strategies practiced this week:
Recognizing plot twists and turning points
Self-editing, how to manage language in a story that might not be language we use in our day-to-day life
WRITING
End of Year Memory Book
SOCIAL STUDIES - The Southeast Region, Lesson 3 - Wildlife and Resources
Lesson 3 Review
Important people from the Southeast Region
Week of May 31st
Week of May 31st
READING
Read Aloud: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Skills and strategies practiced this week:
Identifying and analyzing patterns in behavior, creating theories
Recognizing plot twists and turning points
Self-editing, how to manage language in a story that might not be language we use in our day-to-day life
Tuesday -Readworks Assignment
Wednesday - Maniac Magee Comprehension Questions, Ch. 28-29
Thursday - Illustrate a Scene from Maniac Magee
Friday - Catch-up
IXL - daily practice for 20 minutes
WRITING
Vocabulary Unit 6- Scanned pages are posted in Google Classroom
Complete the sentence
Research word origins
Unit 6 Quiz on Friday
SOCIAL STUDIES - The Southeast Region, Lesson 3 - Wildlife and Resources
Lesson 3 Review
Week of May 24th
Week of May 24th
READING
Read Aloud: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Skills and strategies practiced this week:
Monitoring movement in plot
Monitoring character change
Identifying and analyzing patterns in behavior, creating theories
Self-editing, how to manage language in a story that might not be language we use in our day-to-day life
Monday - Readworks Assignment
Tuesday - Maniac Magee Comprehension Questions, ch. 22-23
Wednesday - Maniac Magee Comprehension Questions, ch. 24-25
Thursday - Illustrate a Scene from Maniac Magee
Friday - Catch-up
WRITING
Vocabulary Unit 6- Scanned pages are posted in Google Classroom
Use context clues to predict word meaning
Study definitions, synonyms, and antonyms
SOCIAL STUDIES - The Southeast Region, Lesson 3 - Wildlife and Resources
Read and take notes
Week of May 17th
Week of May 17th
IAR TESTING
Pod A - ELA on Monday and Math on Tuesday
Pod B - ELA on Thursday and Math on Friday
Wednesday is a normal Wednesday Schedule, no testing
REMOTE STUDENTS Assignments will be posted in Google Classroom
Asynchronous (Independent) Work
Monday - Flocabulary: Genres of Fiction (Reading Grade)
Tuesday - Flocabulary: Paragraph Writing (Writing Grade)
Wednesday - Regular Schedule
Thursday - Flocabulary: Three Branches of Government ( Social Studies Grade)
Friday - Flocabulary: Parts of Speech (Writing Grade)
*Pod B students are to complete Monday and Tuesday assignments
*Pod A students are to complete Thursday and Friday assignments
Week of May 10th
Week of May 10th
READING
Read Aloud: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Skills and strategies practiced this week:
Social Issues: Collecting clues about social issues in the book. Thinking about, talking about, and writing about these issues.
Emotional Reactions: Paying close attention to the story when we have an emotional reaction to events. What are we learning from the characters at this point?
Identifying and analyzing patterns in behavior
Self-editing, how to manage language in a story that might not be language we use in our day-to-day life
Monday - Readworks Assignment
Tuesday - Maniac Magee Comprehension Questions Ch. 11-13
Wednesday - Maniac Magee Comprehension Questions Ch. 14-16
Thursday - Illustrate a Scene from Maniac Magee
Friday - IXL
WRITING
Inquiry Project - Use class inquiry question to guide research and note-taking based on Trouble Don't Last.
SOCIAL STUDIES - The Southeast Region, Lesson 3 - Wildlife and Resources
Read and take notes
Week of May 3rd
Week of May 3rd
READING
We will begin a new read aloud called Maniac Magee. In this unit we will return to realistic fiction where we will work together to understand characters’ point of view, what motivates characters, develop a deeper understanding of secondary characters, and explore complex social issues such as racism, prejudice, and class.
Read Aloud: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Skills and strategies practiced this week:
Predictions: not just predict what will happen, but how it will happen as well
Social Issues: Collecting clues about social issues in the book. Thinking about, talking about, and writing about these issues.
Emotional Reactions: Paying close attention to the story when we have an emotional reaction to events. What are we learning from the characters at this point?
Monday - Readworks Assignment
Tuesday - Maniac Magee Comprehension Questions Ch. 1-3
Wednesday - Maniac Magee Comprehension Questions Ch. 4-6
Thursday - Illustrate a Scene from Maniac Magee
Friday - IXL
WRITING
Inquiry Project - Use class inquiry question to guide research and note-taking based on Trouble Don't Last.
SOCIAL STUDIES -
Independent State Project in Seesaw
Week of April 26th
Week of April 26th
READING - Historical Fiction Unit
Read Aloud – Trouble Don’t Last, by Shelley Pearsall - we will finish the journey this week
Skills and Strategies for the week:
Make connections to earlier story events to understand the events of current chapters
Use class inquiry question to guide research and note-taking
Monday - Readworks Assignment
Tuesday - Ch. 30 Questions
Wednesday - Ch. 31 Questions
Thursday - End of Book Reflection
Friday - End of Book Quiz
IXL - daily practice for at least 20 minutes
Independent Reading at least 20 minutes daily on Epic Learning or book from home.
WRITING
Journal Writing - Students will work to write a variety of journal entries this week. as well as work through grammar skills in IXL.
SOCIAL STUDIES - The Southeast Region
Lesson 2: Sunlight and Storms - reading and taking notes, Lesson 2 Review
Independent State Project in Seesaw
Week of April 19th
Week of April 19th
READING - Historical Fiction Unit
Read Aloud – Trouble Don’t Last, by Shelley Pearsall, we will continue following Samuel and Harrison on their journey to freedom.
Skills and Strategies for the week:
Paying attention to details
Raising the quality of written responses - thinking + text evidence
Monday - Readworks Assignment
Tuesday - Ch. 27 Questions
Thursday - Ch. 28 Questions
Friday - Seesaw
IXL - daily practice for at least 20 minutes
Independent Reading at least 20 minutes daily on Epic Learning or book from home.
WRITING
Vocabulary Unit 5-
Using words in context to apply word meaning
Word associations
Unit 5 Quiz on Friday, April 23rd
SOCIAL STUDIES - The Southeast Region
Lesson 2: Sunlight and Storms - reading and taking notes, Lesson 2 Review
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Week of April 12th
Week of April 12th
READING - Historical Fiction Unit
Read Aloud – Trouble Don’t Last, by Shelley Pearsall, we will continue following Samuel and Harrison on their journey to freedom.
Skills and Strategies for the week:
Inquiry Research - students have collected a variety of questions about the story and time period. One question that keeps coming up is: "Who were the real conductors of the Underground Railroad and why did they help runaway slaves?" Students are reading various articles to collect facts and draw conclusions in order to try and answer these questions.
Monday: Ch. 25 - Readworks assignment
Tuesday: Ch. 26 - Chapter comprehension questions - raising the quality of our writing
Wednesday: Ch. 26, cont - Inquiry project reading and note-taking
Thursday: Catch-up and Seesaw assignment to illustrate a scene
IXL - daily practice for at least 20 minutes
Independent Reading at least 20 minutes daily on Epic Learning or book from home.
WRITING
Vocabulary Unit 5-
Using context clues to predict word meaning
Studying word meaning and finding multiple meanings for some words
Synonyms and Antonyms
SOCIAL STUDIES - The Southeast Region
Lesson 1: Coastal Plains to the Mountains - Review Activity
Lesson 2: Sunlight and Storms - reading and taking notes
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Week of March 15th
READING - Historical Fiction Unit
Read Aloud – Trouble Don’t Last, by Shelley Pearsall
Skills and Strategies for the week:
Asking questions and looking for answers about the time period
Asking questions and looking for answers about the story
Raising the quality of our written responses
Continue note-taking strategies - listed below
Assignments:
Monday - Ch. 18 Questions and IXL
Tuesday - Ch. 19 & 20 Questions and IXL
Wednesday - Discussion Day
Thursday - Ch. 21 Questions and IXL
Friday - Ch. 22 Questions and IXL
WRITING
Journal Writing - Students will work to write a variety of journal entries this week. as well as work through grammar skills in IXL.
SOCIAL STUDIES - Scholastic News
March 15th Edition- Skating in a War Zone
Monday - Read "Hope on Wheels" and answer Questions
Tuesday - Reread"Hope on Wheels" and work on Focus on Text Features
Thursday - Read " Setting the Record Straight" and answer questions
Friday - Reread "Setting the Record Straight" and complete Read Between the Lines
Week of March 8th
READING - Historical Fiction Unit
Read Aloud – Trouble Don’t Last, by Shelley Pearsall
Skills and Strategies for the week:
Paying close attention to plot details
Planning for Book Discussions
Continue note-taking strategies
Problems: small and big problems
Collecting Setting Clues: where and when the story takes place
Boxes and Bullets - collecting details about the important characters
Personal Timeline - collecting important details about the character from before the start of the story
Assignments:
Monday - IXL
Tuesday - IXL
Wednesday - Trouble Don't Last Comprehension questions
Thursday - Readworks assignment
Friday - IXL
WRITING
Journal Writing - Students will work to write a variety of journal entries this week. as well as work through grammar skills in IXL. Students will choose one journal entry and submit to me in Google Classroom on Thursday.
SOCIAL STUDIES - Scholastic News
February 15th Edition - Sniffing Out Trouble
Week of March 1st
Week of March 1st
READING - Historical Fiction Unit
Read Aloud – Trouble Don’t Last, by Shelley Pearsall
Skills and Strategies for the week:
Identifying author's use of flashback
Understanding the time period and how that impacts characters' words and actions
Paying close attention to plot details
We are building a collection of reading and note-taking strategies and will regularly add to the note templates in Google Classroom.
Problems: Identifying small and big problems in the story. How do the small problems grow into bigger problems. How are the problems related to the setting?
Collecting Setting Clues to understand the time period and how it influences characters' words and actions
Boxes and Bullets - collecting details about the important characters
Personal Timeline - when the author uses flashback, collecting important details about the character from before the start of the story
Assignments:
Monday - Seesaw, draw a scene from the Story
Tuesday - Comprehension questions
Wednesday - Comprehension questions
Thursday - Readworks assignment
Friday - IXL
WRITING
Vocabulary Unit 4 -
Use the words in context
Study vocabulary words, definitions, synonyms, and antonyms
Quiz Thursday
SOCIAL STUDIES
Lesson 3: Bountiful Midwest Farms- develop understanding of the rich agricultural landscape of the Central and Great Plains; Native Tribes of the Great Plains
Reading, Note-Taking, and Lesson Review
Week of February 15th
Week of February 15th
READING - Historical Fiction Unit
Read Aloud – Trouble Don’t Last, by Shelley Pearsall
Skills and Strategies for the week:
Tuesday - Collecting details on Samuel ("Boxes & Bullets" Note-taking template)
Wednesday - Collecting details on Harrison ("Boxes & Bullets" Note-taking template)
Thursday - Identifying author's use of flashback
Friday - catch-up day
We are building a collection of reading and note-taking strategies and will regularly add to the note templates in Google Classroom.
Problems: Identifying small and big problems in the story. How do the small problems grow into bigger problems. How are the problems related to the setting?
Collecting Setting Clues to understand the time period and how it influences characters' words and actions
WRITING
Vocabulary Unit 4 -
Using context clues to predict word meaning
Studying word meaning and finding multiple meanings for some words
Synonyms and Antonyms
SOCIAL STUDIES
Lesson 2: The Badlands - develop understanding how the land in South Dakota has changed over time and how erosion continues to change the landscape. Reading, Note-Taking and Lesson Review
Week of February 8th
Week of February 8th
READING - Historical Fiction Unit
New Read Aloud – Trouble Don’t Last, by Shelley Pearsall
Set 1859 Kentucky, Samuel is a young slave boy who lives on Master Hackler’s plantation. Harrison and Lilly are older slaves who look out for Samuel since his mother was sold to another owner. In the middle of the night, Harrison awakens Samuel and lets him know they are running away. This book follows Samuel and Harrison’s adventures through Kentucky, across the Ohio River, on their way to freedom in Canada.
In this unit, we will explore important and difficult historical events that have shaped our people and nation. We will read articles and other nonfiction resources to deepen our understanding of the time period. A note-taking template will be stored in Google Classroom to be used during the read aloud and will be monitored for understanding.
Skills and Strategies for the week:
Monday - Develop understanding of how setting can influence how characters actions, words, and overall mood
Tuesday - Building background on time period ("Is Trouble Brewing" Note-taking template)
Wednesday - Begin reading: Being alert to the setting (time and place) and collecting clues ("Setting Clues" Note-taking template)
Thursday - Collecting details on important characters ("Boxes & Bullets" Note-taking template)
Friday - catch-up day
WRITING
Journal Writing - Students will work to write a variety of journal entries this week. as well as work through grammar skills in IXL. Students will choose one journal entry and submit to me in Google Classroom on Thursday.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Comparing Midwest State populations and land area
Lesson 2: The Badlands - develop understanding how the land in South Dakota has changed over time and how erosion continues to change the landscape. Reading and Note-Taking
Week of February 1st
READING - Wrapping Up Poetry
Our wonderful poetry unit is coming to an end this week. We will read and discuss "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening", "Nothing Gold Can Stay", "The Weary Blues", "The Voice", and "Will Not Hatch"
Analyzing Rhyme Scheme
Analyze how word order and onomatopoeias impact Rhythm
Finding various examples of Figurative Language in poems
This week's reading assignments will be posted in IXL and Seesaw.
WRITING
It's back! Journal Writing - the students will work on different narrative and descriptive journal writing prompts.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The Midwest
Lesson 1: A Route to the Sea - continue developing understanding how the Great Lakes, rivers, and canals lead boats to the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico. Videos, Reading, and Note-taking, Lesson 1 Review
Lesson 2: The Badlands - develop understanding how the land in South Dakota has changed over time and how erosion continues to change the landscape. Reading and Note-Taking
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Week of January 25th
Week of January 25th
READING - Poetry Unit
Our prepared poetry lessons were paused this past week as we discovered the amazing work of Amanda Gorman who shared her poem "The Hill We Climb" during the Presidential Inauguration on Wednesday. Students wowed me with their interpretation and wonder with this young woman's wise words.
Alliteration -"One Picture Puzzle Piece" and "Nothing Gold Can Stay"
Onomatopoeia -"Squishy Touch" and "Street Music"
Rhyme - "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost
There will be assignments posted in Google Classroom as well as IXL. Assignments are to be completed during the assigned time.
Independent Reading at least 20 minutes daily on Epic Learning or book from home.
Unit 3 Vocabulary
Quiz on Wednesday
SOCIAL STUDIES
The Midwest Region
Students will build background with a short video and then complete a regional map to identify states, capitals, Great Lakes, and the Mississippi River.
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Week of January 18th
Week of January 18th
READING - Poetry Unit
Personification: “The Winter Tree” and “Dear March, Come In”
Alliteration -"One Picture Puzzle Piece" and "Nothing Gold Can Stay"
Onomatopoeia -"Squishy Touch" and "Street Music"
Independent Reading at least 20 minutes daily on Epic Learning or book from home.
Unit 3 Vocabulary
Use words in context
Word associations
Vocabulary Cards
SOCIAL STUDIES
Current Events. Scholastic News Jan 18th Edition: Meet America's New Leaders
"Focusing on the Future" - Read, take notes, discuss, and Response Activity
"King's Dream Lives On" - Read, take notes, discuss
Week of January 11th
Week of January 11th
READING - Poetry Unit
We are embarking on a wonderful unit in poetry. Throughout the unit students will read and comprehend various types of poems. As we read poems, we will take them apart to deepen our understanding. We will explore various literary devices including: metaphor, simile, personification, onomatopoeia, rhyme, and alliteration. Poems this week include:
“Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein and “Winter’s Dark” by Lilian Moore
Metaphor: “Long Trip” and “Dreams” by Langston Hughes
Simile: “Waking Up” by Eleanor Farjean and “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes
Personification: “The Winter Tree” and “Dear March, Come In”
Independent Reading at least 20 minutes daily on Epic Learning or book from home.
Unit 3 Vocabulary – Using context clues to predict word meaning, studying word meaning and finding multiple meanings for some words.
SOCIAL STUDIES. Scholastic News Jan 4th Edition
"Welcome to America" prereading activities, reading & note-taking, response activities
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Week of January 4th
Week of January 4th
READING - Aesop's Fables
Students will work to make and support inferences and form interpretations of the fables to find the theme and moral of the story.
Tuesday: Read Aloud: "Androcles and the Lion" and complete graphic organizer. Independent Work: "The Lion and the Mouse" and complete graphic organizer.
Wednesday: Read Aloud "The Bundle of Sticks" and complete graphic organizer. Independent Work: "Of Mice and Council" and complete graphic organizer.
Thursday & Friday: "The Fox & the Stork" Reader Response - Students will develop a detailed reader response to explain what the author wants the reader to learn from the story.
WRITING Creative Writing
Planning, drafting, revisions, edit, and submit. "Stuck in A Snow Globe!"
SOCIAL STUDIES. Scholastic News Jan 4th Edition
"5 Big Questions about Immigration" prereading activities, reading & note-taking, response activities
"Welcome to America" prereading activities, reading & note-taking, response activities
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Week of December 14th
Week of December 14th
READING
Read Alouds: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo
We have come to the end of Winn-Dixie! This week students will work on an essay to explain how the theme of friendship is woven throughout the story.
Graphic Organizer to help select examples and build explanation
Three + paragraphs to support argument
VOCABULARY
Unit 2 - build vocabulary cards in Google Classroom
Study strategies
Unit 2 quiz on Thursday
SOCIAL STUDIES
Scholastic News December 7th Edition
Students can access through link in Google Classroom
Week of December 7th
Week of December 7th
READING
Read Alouds: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo
We are nearing the end of Because of Winn-Dixie and will complete it before Winter Break. This week we will work on:
Revising theories created about characters
Create a plot diagram identifying key story elements
Write reader responses that balance explanation and text evidence
WRITING
Vocabulary Unit 2
Building awareness of words with multiple meanings
Synonyms and Antonyms
Using words in context
SOCIAL STUDIES
Key Idea and vocabulary review on Monday, quiz on Tuesday
Taking a Stand - learning about notable people from the Northeast region who led the fight against slavery and the right for women's rights
Week of November 30th
Week of November 30th
Murray School-wide Assessments this week
READING
Read Alouds: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo
Reading Strategies:
Organizing thoughts and ideas, synthesizing thoughts into theories
Students will create a character theory chart which will be stored in Google Classroom and worked on daily.
WRITING
Journal writing prompts to renew creative writing sprits. This journal writing will be completed in the Writing Notebook.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Lesson 3: The Bountiful Sea
-Read and take notes on selected pages to understand the natural resources from the sea include crab, fish, and lobsters
-Read and take notes on selected pages to understand the complex issue of pollution and how it impacts the sea
-Lesson 3 Review -Sequence of Events
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Week of November 16th
Week of November 16th
READING
Read Alouds: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo
Reading Strategies:
Organizing thoughts and ideas, synthesizing thoughts into theories
Analyzing character relationships
Identifying themes
Students will create a special character chart this week will help them to analyze the relationships between characters in the stories. This chart is stored in Google Classroom and worked on daily.
Friday - Quiz on Chapters 11-15. Students will answer open response questions about the story. The quiz will be completed during class time.
Independent Reading
Independent Reading is an integral part of our daily work. It’s important for your child to keep the rhythm going every day either on getepic.com or reading a book at home and submitting a reading log to Ms. Finke.
WRITING
Vocabulary Unit 1
Vocabulary Cards in Seesaw - making words visual by creating cards that include definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and illustration
Unit 1 Quiz on Thursday - students will have a variety of questions to identify word meanings, synonyms, antonyms, and use the words in context.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The Northeast Region - Natural Resources
Read selected pages and complete note catcher
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Week of November 9th
Week of November 9th
I over planned for the short week last week and we didn't accomplish all that was on the plate :)
READING
Read Aloud: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo
Reading Strategies this week:
Recognizing characters' actions and what they tell us about the character.
Symbolism
Analyzing how characters interact with one another.
Students are keeping a chapter chart while reading this novel. This chart is stored in Google Classroom and worked on daily.
Wednesday - Quiz on Chapters 6-10. Students will answer open response questions about the story. The quiz will be completed during class time.
Independent Reading: Students are to be logging in and reading on Epic for a minimum of 20 minutes daily.
WRITING
Vocabulary Unit 1
Building awareness of words with multiple meanings
Synonyms and Antonyms
Vocabulary Cards in Seesaw - making words visual by creating cards that include definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and illustration
SOCIAL STUDIES
The Northeast - Landforms including Appalachian Trail and Coastline
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Week of November 2nd
Week of November 2nd
Monday - A visit from our school counselor, Mrs. Levi at 10:00 a.m.
READING
Read Aloud: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo
During our daily interactive read aloud, students are sitting up, leaning in, and enjoying the adventures of India Opal Buloni and her dog Winn-Dixie.
Reading Strategies this week:
Recognizing characters actions and what they tell us about the character.
Symbolism
Recognizing how characters grow and change.
Students are keeping a chapter chart while reading this novel. Students are pushing themselves to dig deep and unearth complex ideas and issues that make up this wonderful story. This chart is stored in Google Classroom and worked on daily.
Independent Reading: Students are to be logging in and reading on Epic for a minimum of 20 minutes daily.
WRITING
Vocabulary Book - we didn't make it to Vocabulary last week so we will focus on it during our writing lessons
SOCIAL STUDIES
The Northeast Region - investigate landforms including Appalachian Mountains, Atlantic Ocean, and Niagara Falls
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Week of October 26th
Week of October 26th
READING
This week we will begin the wonderful novel Because of Winn-Dixie. This book is full of thoughtful themes including friendship, acceptance, and abandonment. We will use this book to help increase our reading pace as well as to practice various fiction reading strategies.
Read Aloud: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo
Reading Strategies:
Put yourself into the character’s shoes
Make personal connections to the character by seeing through his/her eyes
Identifying character change
Students will maintain a chapter chart to write: a chapter summary, thinking statement with text evidence, and discussion question. This will be an ongoing document and will be submitted from time to time. I will make sure students know when to turn it in :) The Chapter Chart will be stored in Google Classroom under the tab "Because of Winn-Dixie"
Independent Reading: Students should logging in and reading on Epic for a minimum of 20 minutes daily.
Vocabulary Book - dust off the orange vocabulary books that were sent home at the beginning of the year as they will be introduced this week.
WRITING
Narrative Writing Final Draft - students have been working with focus and creativity to develop a true personal narrative story. This week:
Develop the end of the story
Work with a partner to edit and revise
Submit final draft by end of day on Wednesday
SOCIAL STUDIES
US Regions Map Quiz on Wednesday! In Seesaw, students have a sample map of the country divided into the 5 regions: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. Students will identify and spell them on the quiz. Words must be capitalized and spelled correctly for full credit.
Big ideas this week: Identifying social studies themes including, geography, natural resources, and climate
Week of October 19th
Week of October 19th
READING - Nonfiction Reading
Reading nonfiction texts requires many specific reading skills and strategies. This week’s read aloud lessons and independent reading will focus on developing and practicing some of these skills.
Read Alouds: The Mary Celeste: A Mystery from History by Jane Yolen and selected articles
Skills and strategies:
Asking Questions, looking for answers by continue reading or looking beyond the text.
Analyzing Primary Sources – reading historical newspaper articles related to the read aloud The Mary Celeste
Using context clues to unpack nonfiction vocabulary
Students should be selecting Nonfiction books in Epic to continue practicing these skills and strategies.
WRITING – Narrative Writing
Students will continue developing their selected stories. This week we will work to include:
Incorporating dialogue
Writing a strong lead
Developing the middle of the story
SOCIAL STUDIES
Scholastic News 9-7-20 Edition : Reading with focus, reading for meaning
Comprehension Quiz
Mapping the 5 U.S. Regions
Week of October 12th
Week of October 12th
READING – Nonfiction Reading
Read Alouds: Lightning by Stephen Kramer and begin The Mary Celeste: A Mystery from History by Jane Yolen
Skills and strategies:
Identifying and Understanding Text features: How do diagrams, photos, maps, captions, etc. help us to better understand the text.
Monitoring Comprehension: Listen to inner conversation that signals new learning.
Asking Questions, looking for answers by continue reading or looking beyond the text.
Our work this week with nonfiction reading lays a foundation for the entire year. Children encounter nonfiction texts daily in the classroom and beyond. Mrs. Holzhauer further supports 4th grade reading throughout the year by helping students to understand and use text features, to monitor comprehension, and merge understanding as students read information from multiple resources.
WRITING
Students will work through various prewriting Narrative Writing strategies including:
Filling in gaps to make sure the story is complete with who, what, when, …
Creating a sensory chart to help make the experience real for the reader
Sequencing events and finding the “heart” of the story or climax
SOCIAL STUDIES
Scholastic News 9-7-20 Edition : Reading with focus, reading for meaning
Using text features to deepen understanding
Nonfiction note-taking strategies
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Week of October 5th
Week of October 5th
MONDAY: CommonLit Comprehensive Reading Assessment - I will be administering a general reading assessment to help me better understand you child's strengths and areas of need as a reader. As reviewed on our home page, please do not help your child on this assignment so I can get a clear picture. Our ELA/SS block will be adjusted on Monday as I want students to stay online to finish the work with me.
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READING
Read Aloud: Selavi by Youme
Skills and Strategies: Write succinct summaries of stories; Deepen connection between reading, talking about reading, and writing about reading.
Daily Assignments posted in Google Classroom: Reflection questions on read aloud, reading and responding to short texts.
Independent Reading: Students have access to Epic Digital Library from 7 a.m - 4 p.m. daily. We have established the routine and expectation to read a minimum of 20 minutes each day.
WRITING
Generating Story Ideas: For the past 3 weeks, I have been giving journal prompts. This week we will work on strategies for students to create their own story ideas.
Grammar Skills: combining simple sentences into compound sentences.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Scholastic News : Reading with focus, reading for meaning
Magazine Quiz - strategies for reading the questions and going back into the text
Week of September 28th
Week of September 28th
READING
Read Aloud: The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco
Skills and Strategies: use context clues to determine word meaning, use timelines to help retell the most important events in the story, monitor comprehension by taking "thinking notes"
Daily Assignments posted in Google Classroom: Reflection questions on the read aloud, reading and responding to short texts
Independent Reading: Students have access to Epic Digital Library from 7 a.m - 4 p.m. daily. We have established the routine and expectation to read a minimum of 20 minutes each day. We will continue building upon the routine this week.
WRITING
Raising the Quality of our Writing
Grammar Skills: Writing complete sentences, subject & predicate, and punctuation
Reading and interpreting teacher's comments on writing assignments to make improvements on future work
Descriptive Writing Prompts - Journal
Prompts posted in classroom and completed during class time
Brainstorming and planning
Using adjectives to be as descriptive as possible
Revise and publish one journal entry
Cursive Writing Friday
SOCIAL STUDIES
Scholastic News - log in via Google Classroom
Reading with focus, reading for meaning
Using the print and digital features in increase understanding
Comprehension Activities
Week of September 21st
Week of September 21st
Reading
Read Alouds Include: The Lemonade Club by Patricia Polacco and The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco
Skills and Strategies: Story Elements (setting, characters, rising action, climax...), make text-based inferences, monitor comprehension by taking "thinking notes", use context clues to determine word meaning
Daily Assignments posted in Google Classroom: Reflections on the read aloud, reading short texts and answering comprehension questions
Writing
Increasing writing stamina through Journal Writing. Three entries in notebook and choose favorite to revise, edit, and type into Google Doc.
Expository Writing Prompts - posted in Google Classroom, completed during class time
Brainstorming and planning for writing
Supporting Details
Return to previous writing to revise and edit
Cursive Writing Friday
Social Studies
Building comfort with additional digital resources
Epic Books - set-up account, tour the site, and begin reading :)
Scholastic News - set-up account, tour the site, and complete a couple lessons.
Leader In Me
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Week of September 14th
Week of September 14th
Reading
Read Alouds Include: Crow Boy, The Empty Pot, and Three Monks No Water
Skills and Strategies: Recalling key details, using details to make inferences, inferring characters' actions
Monitoring our thinking, recording our thinking, monitoring how our thinking changes as we continue reading
Daily Assignments posted in Google Classroom: Reading short texts and answering comprehension questions
Writing
Increasing writing stamina through Journal Writing. This week, most writing will be completed in Writing Notebook - one entry will be revised and typed in Google Classroom.
Narrative Writing Prompts
Brainstorming and planning for writing
Sequencing events
Return to previous writing to revise and edit
Social Studies
Creating a Homeroom Mission statement
Leader In Me Lessons - activities posted in Google Classroom
U.S. Geography - Native Land Acknowledgement, the 5 US Regions - whole group lessons
Week of September 8th
Week of September 8th
Reading
Read Alouds
Independent Reading Inventory
Baseline Reading Assessment (Time Permitting)
Writing
Getting to Know You Activities
Social Studies
Leader In Me
Tuesday, September 2 Parent Meeting Recording
Tuesday, September 2 Parent Meeting Recording
4th Grade Room 203 - Meet the Teacher (2020-09-01 at 07:01 GMT-7)Page updated
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