2019-2020 School Calendar
PS 230
Our Teachers
2018-2019
PS 230 4th Grade Team
Front Row (L to R) - Mrs. Grant, Ms. Kim, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Shed, Ms. Lauro, Ms. Pikman, Ms. Birshtein, Ms. Litsakis
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4th Grade Archives
4th Grade News - November 2018
4th Grade News - January 2019
Monthly Newsletter
What are we learning this month?
In Reading …
We will be reading Biographies and about the American Revolution this unit.
4th graders will be reading historical nonfiction as it relates to the American Revolution. Students will read from a variety of texts on their research topic to find new and exciting information. They will practice their nonfiction reading skills, such as stopping after chunks of texts to recall what they learned, taking notes, synthesizing texts, and understanding perspective.
Student goals for this unit include deepening understanding of literary techniques and author’s craft. Students will read different styles of writing and discuss how the authors convey the important events or facts with their peers.
In Writing …
4th graders will work on taking notes from nonfiction texts to gain understanding of topics. All students will base their writing from a particular event based on our social studies unit. This writing unit will go into May and students will write informational texts about Revolutionary War topics.
Additionally, the 4th graders will finish writing literary essays. Some students will be analyzing characters while others will be analyzing theme.
Writer’s workshop is an opportunity for students to share their thoughts, give feedback and encourage sharing!
STEM - Math
In Math…
Students will review multiplication and division strategies, including different ways to solve two digit by two digit, and four digit by one digit multiplication and division problems. Fourth Graders will also increase their knowledge of measurement by learning conversions of capacity, mass and volume.
With the math test approaching, we have been and will be spending additional time on math instruction including review of lines, angles, 2D shapes (ex: triangles and quadrilaterals), and finding area and perimeter of squares and rectangles. We will also work on solidifying our strategies for multiplication and division solution.
Find Fraction Games at:
STEM - Science
In Science…
The fourth graders have made simple circuits and have added a switch to the circuits, which allow them to turn on and off the electrical receivers (light bulbs or motors). We will wrap up this unit by combining electricity and magnetism by building an electromagnet.
STEM - Technology
In Technology...
During the month of April, 4th graders will share what they know about their American Revolution research topic by using their notes to create a PowerPoint presentation. Students will practice; putting information they learned into their own words and giving credit to their online sources.
Students are encouraged to practice their typing skills on Keyboarding Without Tears.
Websites that help practice what we are teaching…check these out!
Things to Keep in Mind
Questions to Ask Your Child About Reading:
- What are the big ideas in your reading?
- Can you identify the main idea in nonfiction reading?
- What are some themes you see in your fiction books?
- friendship
- family
- honesty & trust
- overcoming challenges & obstacles
- What connections can you make between your book and real life?
- Are there a similar book you have read with the same topics or themes?
- Can you support your opinions and ideas with evidence from the text?
Practice at Home:
- Read every night for at least 40 minutes.
- Read nonfiction books.
- Practice multiplication facts every night.
- Read out loud for 10 minutes.
- Do some exercise.
- Eat a healthy dinner
- Get lots of sleep.
- Do your homework.
In Social Studies...
We will be learning about the American Revolution.
We are continuing our study of The American Revolution while working on our Informational Writing pieces. 4th graders will be conducting research for their Revolutionary War topics. Students will be looking for answers to questions about the War and their focused topic. Such questions include:
- What happened?
- Who was involved in the event?
- Where did it take place?
- When did the event take place?
- Why did this happen?
Websites to support learning:
In Art…
Students will learn the art of South African Ndebele Houses. They use color, line and shapes to decorate their homes.
In Gym…
Baseball Unit! Our students are learning about the skills of base-running, fielding and scoring runs while utilizing various locomotive and gross motor movements.
Upcoming Dates
April 2019
Tuesday April 2 - Wednesday April 3
ELA Exam
April 6, April 13
Saturday Math Academy
April 19 - April 26
Spring Break