Fourth Grade

Ms. Okvist, Mrs. Ansman, Ms. Stone,

Ms. Varghese, Ms. Desuss

ELA

We explored the essential question, "How do people respond to natural disasters?", through reading and analyzing various texts. Students practiced identifying the author’s perspective, which helped them understand different emotional and cultural responses to these events. By making predictions and re-reading, they deepened their comprehension and uncovered how individuals and communities show resilience in the face of disaster. This learning connected to their argumentative writing prompt, "Should people build in flood zones?", where students had to take a clear position and support it with evidence. Throughout the unit, students demonstrated the IB learner profile traits of being communicators, as they expressed their ideas clearly in discussions and writing, and reflective and open-minded, as they considered multiple viewpoints and revised their thinking based on new information. Our work ties closely to the IB transdisciplinary theme "Who we are", encouraging reflection on human behavior, values, and identity. Students explored how natural disasters affect people differently based on their choices, environments, and available resources.

Math

Students focused on understanding place value, expressing numbers in different forms, and exploring the concept of "10 times as many." These foundational skills helped students recognize the unique structure of numbers and how they relate to one another. As part of the IB learner profile, students were communicators by explaining their mathematical thinking clearly during partner work and discussions. They also demonstrated being reflective and open-minded by considering different strategies and learning from mistakes to improve their understanding. This work connects to the IB transdisciplinary theme "Who we are" by helping students develop confidence in problem-solving and recognize their growth as mathematicians. The central idea, "Everything has unique characteristics that can be influenced," was evident as students discovered how numbers have distinct values depending on their place and how those values can change with multiplication and comparison.

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Ms. Okvist & Mrs. Ansman's class working on their multiplication fluency

Science

In Science, students have been learning about the five senses, sensory responses, and sensory receptors through our FOSS curriculum. They engaged in hands-on investigations to understand how our bodies collect and respond to information from the environment. This unit connects to our IB transdisciplinary theme "Who we are," as students explored how our senses help us interact with and understand the world around us. The central idea, "Everything has unique characteristics that can be influenced," was highlighted as students discovered that each sense works in its own way and can be affected by different factors. Throughout the unit, students practiced being communicators by discussing their observations and sharing their ideas, and they showed they were reflective and open-minded by considering how others may experience the world differently. This learning not only built scientific understanding but also encouraged empathy and curiosity.

Social Studies

In Social Studies, students explored New York’s geography and natural resources, learning how these features influenced where people chose to settle. They discovered that landforms, waterways, and available resources played a major role in the development of communities and shaped the way people lived. This connects to the IB transdisciplinary theme "Who we are," as students examined how the environment affects human choices and lifestyles. The central idea, "Everything has unique characteristics that can be influenced," came to life as students saw how geography gives each region its own identity, which can change over time due to human activity. Students demonstrated the IB learner profile trait of communicator by discussing their ideas and presenting their learning clearly. They also practiced being reflective and open-minded by considering how people in different areas adapted to their surroundings in unique ways. This unit helped students make meaningful connections between the land and the people who live on it.

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