Math Workshop provides many opportunities across the day for problem solving and collaboration. Each morning begins with targeted fluency practice and a routine through Number Corner, part of our district-adopted resource. Later in the day, we engage in a short opening task that helps focus our thinking for the day. Our mini-lesson helps us target a skill or concept or frames a problem for us to solve. The bulk of our workshop is practice time where we engage with mathematics in pairs, groups, or independently. We end our workshop with a sharing of our mathematical discoveries and reflection on our thinking. Students also have the opportunity to work towards their weekly goal of 90 minutes of STMath.

Each day of Reading Workshop begins with a read aloud and mini-lesson that focuses our thinking for the day. The bulk of our workshop is independent reading time where students read books of their choosing. During this time, students may confer with the teacher, work in small groups, or participate in book clubs. We end our workshop with a sharing of our reading.

Each day of Writing Workshop begins with a read aloud and mini-lesson that focuses our thinking for the day. The bulk of our workshop is independent writing time where students work on independent pieces of work. During this time, students may confer with the teacher, work in small groups, or engage in peer revision and editing. We end our workshop with a sharing of our writing.

Our word study block is a short, focused time of the day where we examine grade level word study ideas through a variety of engaging tasks. Word study can often be seen throughout the day across different subjects.

Our science curriculum is based in an inquiry stance and is experiment based. We also follow the workshop model for our instruction. We use the district resource of Mystery Science. Fourth grade big ideas include the following:

• Landforms and their characteristics

• Conservation of Matter

• Energy Transformations

• Changes in the Earth's surface due to weathering, erosion, and deposition

• Fossils

Our social studies learning is grounded in compelling questions, tied in with reading and writing. We also use the workshop format in social studies. Fourth grade big ideas include the following:

• How has the definition of Americans changed over time?

• Can an individual make a difference?

• What would happen if we did not have a government?

• Why do we have money?

• What have past and present people done to the environment to change it (for better or worse)?