4th Grade at Dothan Brook School
MATH
We teach math through a combination of whole-group, small-group, and independent activities. Lessons incorporate increasingly complex visual models -seeing, touching, working with blocks or other manipulatives, and sketching ideas to create pictures in the mind's eye that help learners invent, understand, and remember mathematical ideas. By encouraging students to explore, test, and justify their reasoning, students develop mathematical thinking of all learning styles. Fourth grade math focuses on three critical areas: multiplication and division with multi-digit numbers, fraction understanding, and properties of geometric figures.
SCIENCE
Our goals in science are to develop children's understanding of key science concepts; improve students' abilities to think creatively and critically; encourage problem solving through experiences in the natural environment; foster the development of positive attitudes about science; and integrate science with the rest of the curriculum, particularly with language arts and mathematics. We teach science through inquiry. Inquiry requires a person to use reflective and critical thinking skills. Inquiry-based instruction is student centered and the teacher is viewed as the facilitator of knowledge and learning. Fourth graders at DBS study Animal Adaptations, Energy, Earth Surface, and waves.
PBIS
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Implementing PBIS improves schools’ climate and helps keep students and teachers in safe and productive classrooms. The premise of PBIS is that continual teaching, modeling,
recognizing and rewarding of positive student behavior will reduce unnecessary discipline and promote a climate of greater productivity, safety, and learning. We have implemented a small number of behavioral expectations and have used the school’s mascot to help communicate those expectations with students. The “CSR Otter” helps everyone remember that our three expectations are: be caring,
be safe, and be responsible. Staff members have access to “CSR Otter Tickets,” which are given out to students to provide a visual, concrete reward for positive behavior. Students can collect the otter tickets to achieve class and school goals.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Social studies is the integrated study of the social sciences to prepare young people to become responsible citizens. The social studies curriculum builds four capacities in young people: knowledge, thinking skills, fundamentals of democracy, and citizen participation. Fourth graders become experts on Vermont. They also study Egypt! Students study the history, geography, and government of this fascinating ancient civilization. They become proficient in new areas through research and study. They read purposefully and listen attentively to gain both general knowledge and discipline-specific expertise. They refine and share their knowledge through writing and speaking.
CURRICULUM
READING
We use Reading Workshop in order to instruct our students in the fundamentals, but also to create a reading lifestyle. Lessons are designed to build individual goals for students, whole group instruction, silent reading time and one-on-one conferences. We are no longer spending as much time learning to read, as we are reading to learn. Beyond the Workshop, reading is used daily to improve knowledge and understanding in core subject areas of writing, science and social studies. Fourth grade is a time to dive into reading. Students are required to read 20 minutes a night outside of the school day.
WRITING
The goal this year is to teach the students that writing is a way of life, and not just something we do for an hour a day. It is important that they quickly see writing is used in science, math, social studies and reading. During Writing Workshop students will begin to develop the basic skills. During the course of the year they will go through the writing process and learn how to implement this on their own in on-demand samples. Students will focus on narrative, informational and opinion pieces, not only during the writing block, but also during other core subject areas.
