Welcome To Fourth Grade

Fourth grade at Meadowbrook School is an exciting adventure into what makes America what it is today. This adventure starts in social studies with the exploration of the immigration movement and extends into the relationships that the fourth grade students share with very young people and very old people.

We begin by studying the journeys of immigrants to this country. The students visit Ellis Island and see first hand accounts of the travels of many different immigrant groups. The students also explore their own heritage. During the annual immigration play that the fourth grade performs for their families, the students dress as one of their ancestors. They also bring in a culinary sample typical of their heritage.

Through realistic and historical fiction, the fourth grade experiences the dangerous journey immigrants faced coming to America. The novel Rifka follows a young Russian girl's journey from a small town in Russia to Ellis Island. We experience her joys and sorrows as she leaves her family and travels in steerage to the new world. Reading Little House in the Big Woods allows us to compare and contrast the life of a Swedish immigrant family who chooses to live in the prairies of Wisconsin during the 1860's. A more contemporary novel, Hatchet, allows us to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness with only a hatchet. Can we survive on another planet? Can we use our past knowledge to help us in the future? Only by reading The Green Book will we discover the answers. Each book takes us on a special adventure.

Fourth grade students share a special bond with the kindergarten children at Meadowbrook School. Throughout the year, each fourth grader becomes a best friend to a kindergarten child. They read stories to them each month, have lunch with their special person and of course, have playtime with them.

The fourth grade also shares a special bond with the seniors at the Willow Grove Senior Center. Residents of the Center visit the fourth grade and play social studies bingo. The students write poems about grandparents to share with their special senior. Lunch allows time for everyone to get to know each other.

Math is an area of great excitement. Math is integrated into the social studies curriculum when solving problems. Graphing and computing data about the regions of the U. S. allow us practical use of our computation skills. A variety of other problem solving strategies are examined from logical thinking to guess and check.

Each year fourth grade students become certified travel agents for every region in the United States. During the course of the year, the fourth graders become experts at naming every state and capital, all the major mountain ranges, river systems and mineral resources, the climate of each region, and the best vacation spots in the United States.

They also become expert cartographers. Whether it is a relief map, physical map or political map, our fourth graders can interpret each of them. We demonstrate our culinary expertise by producing an edible relief map.

Join the fourth grade classes for an enriching journey into literature, social studies and math.

Language Arts Philosophy

The fourth grade language arts program continues to develop and nurture a positive attitude towards reading while improving students' reading skills. We want the children to read for enjoyment and discovery as well as for literary experience and to gain information. In addition, we want to expand and extend their understanding and use of the English language so that students will be able to speak and write with confidence and accuracy.

Novels

Students learn strategies to improve their comprehension through reading and discussing a variety of themed novels. A variety of activities enable students to improve their ability to predict, evaluate and infer, as well as to understand figurative language and character development.

Through the use of vocabulary words chosen from each novel, the children can see how specific words can contribute to understanding the broader interpretive issue of a story. They will learn basic strategies for thinking about definitions in context and approaching unfamiliar words with confidence. They will bank these words for further use in their writing.

Through child-created activities, such as crossword puzzles, posters and skits, the children express their understanding of the author's intent as well as compare and contrast novels.

Junior Great Books

Through the use of Junior Great Books, the children will read more carefully and with a greater sensitivity to the significance of details. They must use supporting evidence for their opinions.

Through small group and class discussion sessions, the children learn the importance of expressing and listening to different opinions. The children will learn that writing is a way of reacting to and thinking about literature.

Book Reports

Book reports foster independent reading skills. Students choose a book appropriate to their reading level and learn to identify pot, climax and character traits while further developing their vocabulary.

Modeled Reading

Teachers read selected and varied novels to the class. Students discover the importance of fluency and expression while building excitement about the story.

Writing

The writing process focuses on poetry, expository, persuasive, narrative, and imaginative writing. As the year progresses, each child moves from writing simple paragraphs to creative stories. They learn to express thoughts clearly and precisely using appropriate vocabulary, metaphors, and similes.

The children develop their own literary style by writing daily in their writing folder. They will select stories to edit and publish.

The children learn to peer edit, using rubrics while also learning the writing process of brainstorming, rough draft and editing the final copy of their selected stories.

Students also learn the capitalization rules as well as punctuation and grammar skills. They practice using these skills in all areas of their written language.

Math

Instruction in the fourth grade is based on the why and how of mathematics: so students can see connections, make generalizations and use knowledge effectively. Students need not only grasp concepts, but they need to understand how the words and symbols are used in the context of mathematics. Problem-solving and reasoning skills provide opportunities for students to explain their thinking, justify a solution, or identify a more efficient strategy. Children ar encouraged to explore, reason logically, draw inferences, and employ a variety of mathematical methods to everyday life.

Social Studies

United States geography is the focus of the social studies program in the fourth grade. We hope to increase our students' awareness of the geography, culture and economy of the regions of the United States. In order to understand the value of their country and their role in it, citizenship education is also emphasized. It is also important that the children develop an appreciation for their multicultural heritage.

Special Events

Field Trips

Yearly field trips include excursions to experience the journey of an immigrant at Ellis Island and the importance of coal mining at The Lackawanna Coal Mine.

U.S.A. Cake

Our year long study of the United States culminates in the creation of gigantic edible U.S.A. relief map. Fully bellies is sure to accompany this fun-filled learning activity.

Kindergarten Buddies

Throughout the year, fourth graders read and write stories and poems with the Kindergarten children. Throughout this experience, they practice their reading and writing skills. They also build confidence in writing and speaking in front of an audience.