4th Grade Newsletter
October 20, 2020
Language Arts
What are we learning?
- We have been reading stories to find the character traits of the characters.
- We have been writing with the emotions, and traits in mind when we come up with our character.
Home/School Connection
- What would your main character do in a story about winning?
- What would you write about if you could write about anything?
- Why are you enjoying the book you're reading?
- What special traits does the main character have?
Math
What are we learning?
- In Math, we will compare and order fractions and mixed numbers in ascending and descending order with and without models.
- Students will identify and illustrate equivalent fractions (ex. ½=3/6=5/10).
Home/School Connection
- Cooking with your student and discussing measurement and fractions involved in the recipe
- Slice food with your student and discuss the number of pieces and how they relate to fractions (how many parts in the whole? What is the fraction for what each member of the group ate? How much remained uneaten?
Science
What are we learning?
- We have been discussing the water systems of Virginia. How does the water from our Blue Ridge Mountains get to the Atlantic Ocean? It follows the watersheds (streams, creeks, and rivers) that carry our rain water.
Home/School Connection
- What living things do you see in the ecosystem outside your door?
- What nonliving things do you see in our ecosystem?
- What are some living and nonliving things in other ecosystems (ex. rainforest, desert, & swamp) around the world?
Social Studies
What are we learning?
- We are beginning our next Social Studies unit - Jamestown!
- We will discuss the three ships that traveled to Jamestown (Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed)
- We will explore the voyage that the settlers took to get to Jamestown
- We will discuss why the settlers chose Jamestown as their settlement
- We will explore the hardships that the settlers of Jamestown endured and how they survived these hardships
- We will meet Captain John Smith and discuss the impact that he had on the Jamestown settlement
- We will compare Jamestown to the Powhatan tribes
Home/School Connection
- Would you travel to Jamestown in 1607? Why or why not?
- What do you think the voyage to Jamestown was like?
- Why was the location of Jamestown chosen?
- What was the New World like? What would you have done if you went to Jamestown? Would you be scared? Why or why not?
- Why was Captain John Smith important? What did he do for the colonists?
- What are the differences between Jamestown settlers and the Native People of Virginia?
Positivity Project
- Next week we will discuss creativity and how it makes the world a more interesting and colorful place.
- On week two, we will discuss perspective and how to consider different points of view when we are listening, writing, and reading.
Online Learning Tip!
- Explore how elementary students can use their own sense of creativity to make the world a better and more beautiful place.
- Explore different articles online and determine where the writer is coming from and how they came to their conclusions.