Fourth Grade News
by Elizabeth Grosc
April 20, 2008
April 1st arrived and students wearing shorts could be seen everywhere. The weather has finally turned warm. The flowers are starting to bloom, thanks to some rain the lawns are turning green, and the students are getting antsy.
Rocks are the topic in science. We are learning about the rock cycle and the different types of rock. We have been singing a song about rocks that explains how sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks are created. This science unit has been a change from most units because most of it is being completed on-line. Ask your child to explain the rock unit to you. Our last unit of study will include learning about our underground water supply.
During the past month we have learned about life on the Oregon Trail. We read, Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie, The Oregon TrailDiary of Hattie Campbell, to help us in understanding the Oregon Trail and the hardships that the pioneers endured. During the next few weeks we will be combining Social Studies and Writing by doing research and writing a reports on famous Nebraskans. After we have the written report, we will give an oral presentation to our class.
Learning new vocabulary and improving our comprehension skill still is the focus of our reading class. This year, the fourth graders will be given the Gray Oral Reading Test. This test will give us an indication of the progress your child has made in reading and will give next year’s teacher an idea of where the student should be placed. We also are being introduced to different types of genre, such as fables, folktales, historical fiction, realistic fiction, and poetry.
The fourth grade field trip will be May 6, 2008. We will be visiting the State Capital, the State Historical Museum, and the Dairy Store on East Campus. We will leave at 8:30 and will be back by 3:30.
As you can see, we are still busy learning in school. Please encourage your child to continue studying and learning. School will not be over until May 16, 2008 and I need to have your child’s attention until then. Thanks for your help and cooperation.
