One of the highlights of 4th grade is the Austin Field Trip, this year taking place on February 28. Before the holidays, we took a count of who would be attending along with chaperones. If you are planning on being a chaperone, please make sure you register online so you can be approved. Also, if you are a chaperone you will need to pay the $40 fee, too. The Tuesday folder will have important, time-sensitive information regarding the trip: the menu, a medical release form, and the permission slip. The HISD permission slip has changed. You will see a box regarding a "fee waiver". The district can no longer require parents to pay for field trips, we are allowed only to request "donations". That being said, the Austin field trip is totally funded through the donations; otherwise, it would not happen. The trip to Austin is an educational experience that directly ties in with the state-mandated curriculum and supports what we have learned in class concerning government and the state's history. The $40 fee covers the buses, lunch, and the Bob Bullock Museum. We need to have the information and the money no later than January 18 so we can confirm the numbers.
This week we will be studying:
Math- On Tuesday and Wednesday we will work on rounding and reporting large numbers and comparing data. We will also do some review work with the students to see what they remember from the previous lessons taught in Unit 5. If we feel like the majority of students have retained the information, then we will do a Unit 5 review on Thursdsay and give the end of unit exam on Friday. If we feel like our students need more time, then the test will be pushed to Monday. Each teacher will decide for their class.
Reading- We continue with our study of figurative language. We will wrap it up with a few quick lessons on idioms. This week we will read stories that contain idioms and we will learn the difference between literal and figurative. Students will also have a chance to show their dramatic skills with some reader’s theater plays.
Writing- We are going to analyze prompts on Tuesday and have students determine if the prompt is asking them to write a narrative or an expository piece. This is an important skill because we are not allowed to tell them what type of prompt they are writing to. Students will also use a kid friendly STARR narrative rubric to analyze student writing. We are beginning narrative writing again, so the students will begin writing narrative pieces. Our grammar focus this week is adjectives.
Social Studies- We will begin Chapter 5 in Social Studies. This chapter focuses on Moses Austin, Stephen F. Austin, and Martin de Leon and their contributions to the settlement of Texas. The students will also learn about how the laws of the Mexican government led to problems with the Anglo-American colonists.
Science- This week we will focus on understanding how the sun makes the seasons. We will learn about why seasons change and the solstice and equinox.
