All you wanted to know about Edison Fourth Grade Curriculum

LANGUAGE ARTS
• review cursive with new program in the fall ( handwriting without tears)
• keyboard practice throughout the fall so that students word process, save to thumbdrive, publish, and use software
• use of weekly spelling word lists with high frequency words to create sentences and dictation
• practice a writing process: : prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing, working on topic sentences, paragraphs, using  dictionary and thesaurus in composition books. Use of peer editing as well as teacher and adults.
• practice writing in the modes: imaginative, narrative, expository, and persuasive with scoring based on four traits: ideas, organization, sentence fluency, and conventions (spelling, capitalization, punctuation), word choice and voice added later in the year.
• integration of art, poetry, music, and drama.

READING
• use of Houghton Mifflen basal with controlled readings and skill practice of main idea, summarizing, cause-effect, sequencing, predicting, fact and opinion, and vocabulary.

• class novels with whole group/ small group instruction, Dear Mr. Henshaw, Number the Stars, Cricket in Time Square, literature circle choices in late fall, winter, animal story choices, Martin Luther King Jr. in January, biographies about African-Americans, women, heroes, Lewis and Clark novels,  Greek Mythology and Oregon Trail reading novels.
• record keeping of home reading choices with HRTS, signed by parent and returned weekly. Goal is to read longer selections, books, magazines, newpapers, web news,  independently.
•Reading buddies to model for younger readers with Polly or Laura Hood in second grade each week.

MATH
• use of the new EnVisions and Investigations math program, that uses games and worksheets to introduce new concepts and topics
• topics explored are multiplication, division, geometry, numeration, problem solving, data
• whole group teaching, and smaller group instruction
• weekly drills of mult/divison, learning by using strategies, and memorizing the “fact family” ie 8×6=48 6×8=48, 46÷8=6, 48÷6=8
• benchmarks aligned with District easycbm testing, and state OAKS testing using computers

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES/HEALTH
• use of District 4j science kits: Land and Water, Motion and Design, and Edison’s Ocean Unit of Kelp Forests
• Oregon geography, history, mapping, local, state, national and global issues, participation in National Geographic’s Geography Bee
• nutrition unit focuses on healthy food choices, and digestive system and yoga for body alignment, focus, and relaxation

4TH GRADE FIELD TRIPS

• Hult Center Ballet and Symphony     • Portland Train trip to OMSI in Spring

PE/MUSIC with SPECIALISTS FOR THE FIRST NINE WEEKS ONLY
• Rachel and Mrs Marty Van Wormer will teach pe and music on Mon., Tues., and Thursday 10:45-11:45am. There is an additional alternating Wed. class.
• library class on Friday  from 12:45- 1:30pm with amazing parent volunteers!
• extra PE classes on Mon or Friday if time and space allows.

SOCIAL LEARNING BEHAVIORS
• continue to create a community of learners with emphasis on the traits of COOPERATION, COMPASSION, RESPECT, INCLUSION, AND INTEGRITY. Our BIG ideas are being SAFE, RESPECTFUL, and RESPONSIBLE.
• morning meetings, classroom meetings, discussion groups issues for boys and girls
• students and classes earn rewards with community coupons, raffles, class free time, parties
• goal is for students to function well in a social learning environment without constant teacher supervision.