ELAL:

• A variety of reading processes and strategies support comprehension of longer and more complex texts through independent practice.

• Questioning can help focus research topics and processes.

• Keyboarding skills can be improved through practice that involves finger reaches, keystroking, key recognition.

• Edit writing for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

• Create written texts for a variety of audiences and purposes.

Charter:

• I can describe characteristics and features including body parts of our animals in our barnyard.

• I can understand the difference between domesticated and wild animals.

• I can identify human uses of animals in our barnyard.

• I can be safe around animals and equipment in our barnyard.

Art:

• Continue to explore ways of using drawing materials.

• Use drawing tools to make a variety of shapes and structures.

• Extend brush skills and further experimentation with the medium so as to achieve special effects such as textures.

Music: 

• Make up new words to songs.

• Create movement to demonstrate form in music.

Science: 

• Demonstrate respect when interacting with plants and animals in local environments.

• Find and classify examples of local plants and animals based on appearance, habitat, and structures

The students have just begun our first pumpkin decomposition project! We started by reading about why pumpkins are a great vegetable for decomposition and discussed the process as a class. Together, we are monitoring and observing the changes as the pumpkin begins to break down. The pumpkin is just starting to mold, and students have been very excited to notice condensation forming inside the jar!

The goal of the project is for the pumpkin to fully decompose. Once this happens, we will remove the lid from the jar, and, in theory, it should replant itself and begin to grow a new plant. In the spring, the students will transfer this plant to our garden, with the hope of growing pumpkins for Halloween 2026!

One day, we were reading a book called “Oh, Carrots” and learned that talking to vegetables can turn them into friends! This got us wondering: Does talking to plants actually help them grow? We decided to put it to the test.

Each student received a plant, either parsley or lettuce, and planted a seed on their desk. They were responsible for taking care of it, but only half of the class was allowed to talk to their plants. Students also experimented with adding compostable items to their soil, though this idea didn’t significantly affect growth.

After about six weeks and four observations, the students discovered that the plants that were talked to grew better. Some students suggested this was because their plants received “love” from their owners, which seemed to make them more confident and thrive. Others connected it to our lessons about the biosphere and living things, thinking that plants, as living organisms, may benefit from companionship!

Students measured their plants using rulers, recording their growth in centimeters. After collecting and analyzing the data, they wrote a rough draft of an informational report and then typed a final copy, practicing both writing and typing skills.

ELAL:

• A variety of reading processes and strategies support comprehension of longer and more complex texts through independent practice.

• Keyboarding skills can be improved through practice that involves finger reaches, keystroking, key recognition.

• Edit writing for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

• Create written texts for a variety of audiences and purposes.

• Methods and tools can be used to organize information, including

  • note taking

  • graphic organizers

  • lists

Science: 

• The biosphere includes all life on Earth

• Organisms are living things that respond to stimuli and include plants, humans, and other animals.

Math:

• Engage in a statistical problem-solving process.

• Represent data in a graph

Charter:

• I can identify the basic needs of my plant

Before the end of the harvest season, the Grade 4 students visited the garden to observe the Three Sisters plot. Prior to going outside, the students completed a reading comprehension activity to revisit what the Three Sisters garden represents and why the crops are traditionally planted in a specific order. They were very knowledgeable and excited to see how much had grown!

Once in the garden, we reviewed each of the Three Sisters crops ,squash, beans, and corn. We went back into the classroom and used these ingredients to make a fresh garden salad. Working in groups, students chopped the zucchini, tossed it with oil and seasoning, and roasted it. Then we combined all the vegetables and added a oil dressing. The final salad was delicious, and the students loved tasting the harvests from the garden. 

Charter:

• I can make recipes that use my crop.

• I can identify the significance of my crop to different cultures. 

• I can identify key plants and animals to different FNMI cultures.