FOURTH GRADE CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
The following is a very brief overview of what we will be learning this year. Throughout the year, as we begin new units of content in all of the subjects, be sure to check the class blog for more detailed summaries of the material to be taught. For complete lists of standards that are taught in third grade, go to www.floridastandards.org and navigate to the third grade standards.
Social Studies
Students will be learning about a variety of topics this year in social studies. This year we shift from basic social studies skills into US and Florida history. We'll start all the way back in Ancient Civilizations and work our way all the way up through the American Revolution. We will occasionally be reading from our textbooks, but the bulk of our social studies time will be spent on large and small group discussions, research, debates, simulations, and multimedia projects. Throughout the entire year, beginning with the first week of school, students will be engaged in a wide-reaching economics project in which they will learn to earn, save, and spend money wisely. SEE PAGE DETAILING THE CLASS ECONOMY for more details.
Science
You can’t learn science by simply reading about it! You have to experience it first hand, which is why the bulk of our science time will be spent on demonstrations, experimentation, modeling, and group work. This year students will learn about include rocks & minerals, matter, sound energy, magnetism, the solar system, and ecosystems. As we have in past years, we will also be holding a science fair at the end of the year. We will also be producing more music videos like the one we did last year for the Water Cycle Rap. Check for our videos to be posted on the class blog.
Mathematics
Duval County Public Schools uses the mathematics programs, Math Investigations and enVision to meet Florida’s newly adopted New Generation Sunshine State Standards. The standards have a heavy emphasis on practical applications, problems solving, and multiple strategies for finding solutions to problems. I was fortunate enough to be trained in my college years in these new methods of teaching mathematics, and have had enormous success with teaching through this philosophy over the last nine years. It is a style of teaching that addresses children as individuals with different strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. It is my firm belief that there is no such thing as a child who is intrinscally “bad at math”. All children have the potential to be brilliant mathematical thinkers, and it’s my job to bring that potential to light.
Reading
Students will learn and practice a wide variety of reading comprehension strategies to make them better readers and thinkers. But it is most important that students develop joy, passion, and excitement for reading. To do this, we will be abandoning the textbook short stories, instead focusing most of our attention on whole-class novels. We will apply all of the skills, strategies, and standards to highly motivating stories that the kids will actually WANT to read! Children will experience a wide variety of genres during the year, including fantasy, realistic fiction, mystery, drama, poetry, and nonfiction. To reach their 25 Book Reading Goal, students will need to simply log each book in their Reading Log (located in their planners) and inform me of the books they have read. It’s as simple as that! All novels that we read in class will count towards their reading goal.
Writing
We will be focusing a lot more on writing this year, developing crafts and endurance. We will spend the first half of the year mostly on creative writing. Students will learn and practice a variety of crafts to make their writing stronger, while also working to expand their vocabulary and improve their grammar. I'm also introducing a fun, new creative writing competition that will stretch the kids' creativity and force them to think quickly and develop a piece of writing in a short amount of time. These biweekly competitions will be modeled after television cooking competitions in which chefs are given a random assortment of ingredients with which to create the best dish possible. But instead, students will be given a random assortment of ingredients (a setting, a character type, a mood, and a writing craft) and will compete to create the best story possible.
Grade Portal
You can check all of your child's classroom grades whenever you like online on the new Parent Portal at www.dcps.mygradeportal.com. If you haven't already gotten your code for the website, you will need to get it from Mrs. Kathryn Hughes in the guidance office. In most cases daily grades will be posted immediately, but please allow 48 hours from the date of an assessment for the grade to be posted. Large projects may take longer to grade. Because grades will be constantly available online, I will only be sending one paper progress report between report cards.
PARENT COMMUNICATION
It is very important to me to form a strong home/school connection. To do this successfully, you need to be kept up to speed continually on what is happening in the classroom and how your child is doing socially, emotionally, and academically. There are many ways for you to stay informed on what is going on in school.
Assignment Notebook
The most frequent and most reliable daily communication comes in the form of the assignment notebook. Everyday, we will record what we did in school in each academic area, what was homework, your child's daily behavior grade, and any important notices that you need to know. It is the responsibility of each student to fill out their planner, take it home, and have you read and signed it so you are kept informed. I will check each morning that the planners have been signed by a parent or guardian. In addition, I will be posting all daily homework assignments and weekly vocabulary lists on the class blog: www.sofferin.blogspot.com
How to Contact Me
There are several ways to reach me. Whatever method you choose I will do my best to respond within 48 hours. Please keep in mind that I work extended day three days a week, so I may not be able to return phone calls during those times.
• E-Mail – Checked daily, but often not until afternoon hours. This is the best method if you don’t need an immediate response. sofferinj@duvalschools.org
• Notes – Either in assignment book or on separate paper. It is the child’s responsibility to give me the note, so make sure to remind him or her to do so!
• Mr. Sofferin’s Personal Cell Phone (904-608-8687) – Cannot answer during school hours. Leave a message (including phone #, name, and name of your child) if there is no answer. I will call back as soon as I can. You can also text message me on this same number for quick messages, like transportation changes. But again, I will likely not be able to respond during the school day, unless I have a resource.
• School Voicemail – Will not usually be checked until after school each day. I would really prefer you call my cell phone if you need to speak with me.
• Message with the Secretary – Mostly for transportation changes and anything you need me to know before the end of the school day. (904)-739-5226
HOMEWORK POLICIES
Homework will be given most days on Monday through Thursday, and almost never on the weekend. Every day, your child will bring home their binder, including important notes, homework, and their planner. Homework will always be clipped in the binder with the planner. The planner is expected to be read and signed by parents every day and returned to school with the binder. It is also expected that each student completes his/her homework and returns it to school the next day (unless otherwise noted in the planner). This year, much of the homework will need to be done online. It is important that your child has supervised access to the Internet. If your child cannot get online at home, we can discuss alternatives to these assignments. In the event that your child CANNOT complete the assignments due to family obligations/emergencies, please send a brief note explaining this.
Typical Homework
Math – Almost daily (MTWR)
Grammar - Daily (MTWR)
Social Studies and Science – Rarely, more frequent just before a test
Reading – 30 minutes of sustained reading (MTWR)
Writing – Rarely– There may be times when you are asked to help proofread your child’s work at home.
Vocabulary (math, science, social studies, reading) – Weekly practice of vocabulary words - Weekly test on Fridays.
Projects – There will be a few longer projects in science and social studies throughout the year.
Also, keep in mind that often work that is not finished in class may be brought home for completion. This may happen in any of the subjects as necessary.
Tests/Quiz/Assessment Schedule (subject to change – check the blog for updates)
• Vocabulary – Every Friday
• Math – Varies
• Additional Science, Math, and Social Studies Tests and Quizzes – Varies (see blog for all upcoming tests/quizzes)
• Performance Assessments and Projects – There will be a number of large projects that students will complete for a grade this year. These combine a number of standards and skills from an academic area and apply them using higher-level thinking skills. There will be some done completely in class and others that require additional work at home.
• District Benchmark Tests – Reading and math standardized tests in September, December, March (see blog for more info as it becomes available)
• FCAT Reading and Math – Week long standardized test in April (check the blog later in the year for dates, times, and details)
What to do if your child misses school:
When your child is absent for one day, they will receive any work that they missed the next day. You do not need to request assignments for that day.
When your child is absent for more than one day, please call me before 8:00 AM on the day you want to pick up the schoolwork, or call the office if it is after 8:00 AM.
If your child is going to be absent for an extended period of time due to a planned event or medical situation, please let me know as soon as possible, so that I can prepare assignments that need to be made up.
SNACKS AND DRINKS
I have no problem with a child bringing a light, healthy snack that they can eat during the morning while they work or during recess. I also encourage ALL students to bring a water bottle everyday, especially during hot days. Either one of these privileges, however, can be revoked if the snack or bottle become distractions.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
It is very important to us to recognize each child’s birthday at school with a little celebration. Please feel free to drop off or have a child bring in a treat for 20 students (and one teacher) on or around your child’s birthday. Please let me know in advance if you plan to send in a treat so that I can be sure to work in time on the schedule.
THE EXTRAS
Field Trips
We will have a few field trips throughout the school year, including our annual trip to the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. More information will come when it is available.
Monthly Pay Day
On the last Friday of each month, we will have Auction Day. During this time, we will hold an auction at lunch, during which students can use extra leftover monies to bid on school supplies, prizes, and other cool stuff. As they’ll find out, it pays to save your money, as the monthly auction items will improve as the year goes by.
Quarterly Luncheons
At the end of each quarter, (October, December, March, and June) we will be having a luncheon/party in the classroom. All parents are welcome to join us for the luncheons and are encouraged to help out by bringing in or sending something in for the luncheons!
Real Life Economics:
Stage 2 – Fourth Grade
The best way to learn any skill is not through reading about it or talking about it, but through experiencing it. In third grade, my class learned about economics concepts like scarcity, opportunity cost, and interdependence. Throughout the year, they practiced making economic choices through our class economy system. At the end of last year, we transitioned into an economic system much more like what we’ll be doing this year.
Through the course of this year students will learn, through experience, about scarcity, opportunity cost, delayed gratification, economic responsibility, the benefits of owning over renting, and how to manage their finances. Here’s how the program will work.
Students have already selected and applied for jobs within the classroom. Through those jobs, students will earn a monthly salary (in Beauclerc Bucks), which they will need to use to help pay the rent on their desks. Yes, each student will have to pay rent on his or her desk. However, by saving up enough money for three months worth of rent, they can buy their own desk and no longer have to pay any rent. If they are so ambitious, they can even buy other students’ desks and charge them rent!
In addition to their daily pay, students also have the opportunity to earn “Bonus Money” in a variety of ways.
Perfect Vocabulary Test
$20
Perfect Math Facts Test
$20
80% on any other Test
$20
100% on any other Test
$50
Monthly Perfect Attendance
$50
Monthly Perfect HW Record
$50
Participation in ORFF, Nutcracker, or Student council
$100
Compliment from a teacher
$100
Answering Bonus Money Questions & other stuff
Varies
At the end of each month, students will receive their monthly salary and will pay their rent, along with any unsettled fees. Then, we will hold an auction in which I will offer up school supplies and other cool prizes for students to bid on with any extra money they have. Wise students will quickly figure out that it’s often best to hold off on buying anything until they have saved up enough to buy their desk. Through this experience, children will learn about delayed gratification and to make wise choices with their money, a skill most of us had to struggle through learning on our own.
A Realistic Approach to
Classroom Management
In the past, I have, like many other teachers your children have probably had, used colored cards as a means of classroom management. The problem with this type of management system is that it provides the same consequence for “crimes” of differing severity. Students don’t ever have the opportunity to realistically learn from those types of punishments.
This year, room 40 will be implementing a more realistic approach to classroom management. Like in the real world, when a student breaks a rule they will pay a fine. The amount of the fines will vary based on the seriousness of the offense and some will increase with subsequent offenses. A police officer within the classroom (that’s one of the classroom jobs) will be responsible for issuing tickets and collecting fines. Through this, students will learn real life consequences to making poor choices. If poor choices continue, students will not be able to save enough money to spend at the auctions, buy his/her desk, and possibly even pay their rent.
Each time a student receives a ticket, they will need to bring it home, get it signed by you, and then bring it back to school the next day. Students must turn in their ticket the next school day, but can wait to pay the fine if they don’t have the money to do so. Students are encouraged to pay their fees as they come, but have until the end of the month to pay any outstanding fines. Here is a breakdown of offenses and fines:
No Name on Homework
$10
Missing Homework
$50 (doubles with consecutive offenses)
Ticket Not Signed/Turned In
$50 (doubles with consecutive offenses)
Rudeness/Disrespect
$50
Failure to Follow Directions
$50
Teasing/Harassing
$100
Messy Desk (discovered in periodic police raids)
$100
Reprimand by another teacher
$200
Dishonesty
$500
You’ll notice that the stiffest penalty by far is for dishonesty. This is an important part of character building. Students will learn that I value honesty above most other qualities. I would much rather a student break a rule and be truthful with me when confronted than for him to lie to try to avoid punishment. Trust is vitally important to me and there are tough penalties for breaking that trust.
Also, please notice that homework fines double with consecutive offenses. Because of this, a student can get into debt VERY quickly if they miss a homework assignment and continue to not turn it in. It is very important that they take care of any missed assignments as soon as possible, so as to avoid additional fines.
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