Mixing Colors 4th Grade/5th Grade Full Curriculum Pod (Ages 9-11)

Join this class to build community in a small group while learning important 6th and 7th Grade Reading, Writing, Science, History, and Math skills! 

Schedule will be as follows 4 days a week

BLOCK 1 (Teacher Autumn)- 55 Min
BREAK - 10 MIN
BLOCK 2 (Teacher Noel) - 55 Min 

SCIENCE
Fourth grade science students are strengthening their fundamental knowledge of science literacy and gaining a better knowledge of how and why things function. They will be encouraged to discover science through a curious lens to delve into the intricacies of our universe involving life, earth and physical sciences.Expectations in fourth grade help students analyze data, defining variables while emphasizing how they use their observations to make predictions.  Our learners will be led to explore topics and investigate relationships through  encouraging questions and collaboration  in the classroom. Specific examples of this application can  be through examining weather phenomena and conditions, identifying various factors, making predictions based on data, and evaluating the results. The importance of natural resources and sustainability  while  theorizing how water in its many forms can change the land and influence vegetation? They will learn through conceptual combinations to enhance their interest and build their knowledge. Our science curriculum embodies the Next Generation Science Standards criteria and more by making it fun!

FOURTH GRADE FULL CURRICULUM SCIENCE UNITS:
Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic
Force, Motion, and Energy
Life Processes
Living Systems
Interrelationships in Earth & Space Systems
Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change
Earth Resources

MATH
Our math program is more than a traditional law of mathematics, students will learn real-life applicable understanding of it. As an example, students will learn how Bees, masters of geometry, use hexagons to build their honeycombs.  Within nature there are many famous sequences: pinecones, seashells, trees, flowers, and leaves. The connection of real-world phenomena enriches their experience by promoting achievement through authenticity. This instructional approach builds student injury and employs interdisciplinary methodology.

The cornerstone of 4th grade math is the application of using all four operations : addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve multi-step word problems. They will be building their conceptual understanding of fractions.
What is so unique about our Math class is the approach is from a Science angle. Because our Math teacher is also a Biologist, students will learn how our math approach recruits more of our brain. As such, students will be engaging in fun ways to enhance gray matter volume in regions of the brain which are associated with various cognitive tasks involving visual attention and decision-making.  While correlation may not imply causation, there have been many studies indicating that the same brain regions that help you do math are recruited in decision-making and attentional processes.  Students will be engaged in highly interactive lessons with inquiry-based activities, games, hands-on manipulative and STEM activities embedded throughout. Students will take part in Kinesthetic and various learning approaches to enhance their proficiency. Our goal is to make 4th grade math fun and “real-life” not a rudimentary routine of memorizing. When students understand the relation of mathematics governing everything around us it will boost their confidence and interest in the subject!

Fourth Grade Math Units:
Unit 1: Whole Number Place Value
Unit 2: Whole Number Addition & Subtraction


READING

Never judge a book by its movie! In this class we take on books so amazing, they made a movie! Each month we will read 1-2 book(s) in class and upon completion we will all watch their video productions (Parent permission will be required; an alternative will also be given to those not participating in the film screening). After the movie, students will participate in an open dialogue comparing and contrasting both pieces.

Term 3

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Film: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2016)

WRITING
Students will need a Writing Notebook. Any handouts for the month will be posted at the beginning of the term and reminders with quick print links will be given on Sundays.

Students will learn about various topics, put them in action, and then we will relate each new skill to our book of the term. We will also participate in fun writing activities, projects, and games with the term theme.

Term 2

THEME: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

-Introduction to Poetry
-Free Verse Poems
-Themed spelling words (fun assessment to check understanding)

African American History and Art

Term 3 Country: Dominican Republic 

Travel with me on an engaging journey through Geography and Black history this fall!  We will explore the geography influential , heroes , landmarks, and events in a new country every class!

Classes will consist of an engaging powerpoint lecture with an occasional supplemental video, unique country trivia. Students will be creating their own postcards from every country we visit at the end of class.  They will write the letter portion to whomever they want about the lesson and they will draw the visual part of their postcard after their letter. I supply visuals on various country symbols (ex food, landmarks, landscape, cities, etc) . They may use any of these as inspiration for their drawing but are free to draw what they would like.