Curriculum Overview 2011/2012 Grade 4/5 Mr.

Tuckwood

Below you will find an outline of this years curriculum. If you have any questions about these learning goals, please feel free to set up an appointment to discuss your childs progress. I can be reached at mtuckwood@sd45.bc.ca and our class website is available at mtuckwood.edublogs.org. Thank you.

Language Arts This year, the resources used in our Language Arts program will include teacherdeveloped materials, the classroom library collection, grade-appropriate novels, and non-fiction texts. The Language Arts curriculum is comprised of the following three strands:

Reading and Viewing (Classroom activities may include novel studies, literature circles, Reading Power lessons, reading comprehension activities and assessments, and Reading Stars program.)
Read fluently and demonstrate comprehension of a range of gradeappropriate texts, including both fiction and information text, websites, instructions and procedures as well as visual materials such as illustrations and diagrams Read just-right texts independently for 25 minutes a day Use reading strategies such as predicting, developing connections, making inferences, asking questions, visualizing, and drawing conclusions Construct meaning using genre and form

Writing and Representing (Classroom activities may include writers workshop, grammar/punctuation lessons, journals, spelling program, Writing Power, Authors Chair, self and peer editing exercises, and writing poetry.)

Write both imaginative and informational pieces for a variety of audiences and purposes Write to express and extend thinking Use criteria to revise and edit writing Use conventional grammar, spelling and punctuation. Also, use variation in sentence construction Use multiple sources of information

Speaking and Listening (Oral Language) (Classroom activities may include presentation to large and small groups, classroom discussions, debates, speeches, recitation of poetry, read-alouds, and small group work.)

Use speaking and listening to interact with others Listen purposefully to understand ideas and information and interpret the speakers message Explore and express ideas and feelings Present information clearly and fluently Provide details and examples to enhance meaning Summarize and synthesize information Compare and analyze ideas Consider audience when presenting

Math This year, we will be using a variety of resources in Math, including Math Makes Sense 4, Math Makes Sense 5, and teacher-created resources.

The Ministry of Education of British Columbia has recently revised the Math curriculum. This curriculum focuses on the following mathematical processes (ways of thinking): Communication Connections Mental Math and Estimation Visualization Reasoning Problem-solving Technology

The learning outcomes and areas of the curriculum are organized as follows:

Number Concepts and Operations

Grade 4: Numbers in-depth to 10,000 Addition and subtraction to 10,000 Multiplication and division of numbers Fractions less than or equal to one Decimals to hundredths

Grade 5: Numbers in-depth to 1,000,000 Estimation strategies Mental Math strategies for multiplication facts to 81 and related division facts 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication 3-digit by 1-digit division

Decimals and fractions (to thousandths)

Patterns and Relations Patterns

Grade 4: Patterns in tables and charts

Grade 5: Pattern rules

Patterns and Relations Variables and Equations

Grade 4: Symbols to represent unknowns One-step equations

Grade 5: One-step equations with whole number solutions

Shape and Space Measurement

Grade 4: Digital clocks, analog clocks, and calendar dates Area of regular and irregular 2-D shapes

Grade 5: Measuring time, 24-hr clocks Constructing shapes with a given perimeter or area Length, volume, and capacity

Shape and Space 3-D Objects and 2-D Shapes

Grade 4: Rectangular and triangular prisms

Grade 5: Faces and edges of 2-D shapes and 3-D objects that are parallel, vertical, intersecting, horizontal, and perpendicular Attributes of rectangles, squares, parallelograms, trapezoids, rhombuses

Shape and Space Transformations

Grade 4: Line symmetry

Grade 5: Transformations (translations, rotations, reflections)

Statistics and Probability Data Analysis

Grade 4: Many-to-one correspondence including bar graphs and pictographs

Grade 5: First-hand and second-hand data Double bar graphs

Statistics and Probability Chance and Uncertainty

Grade 4: n/a

Grade 5: Likelihood of outcomes

Social Studies The grade 4 and 5 Social Studies curriculum will be combined using an A/B year such that the prescribed learning outcomes for both grades are covered after two years. The areas to be covered include:

Applications of Social Studies

a framework to support the development of responsible, active citizenship

Identity, Society, and Culture

similarities and differences across cultures and the development of societies

Politics and Law

political and legal structures and processes rights and responsibilities of citizenship

Economy and Technology

economic concepts and systems impact of technological innovation

Environment
natural environments and relationships between people and natural systems

Students will begin the year with a unit on Mapping, then progress to Aboriginal Culture, and complete the year with a focus on Canadian Government and Significant Canadians.

Science Similar to our Social Studies program, the grade 4 and 5 Science program runs on an A/B year. The curriculum is comprised of: Processes and Skills of Science Habitats and Communities Forces and Simple Machines The Human Body

Students are encouraged to develop an understanding of the processes and skills of Science. Students will be given opportunities to: Ask questions that foster investigations and explorations relevant to the content Make predictions supported by reasons Measure objects and events Use data from investigations to recognize patterns and relationships and reach conclusions Design experiments using fair testing

Physical Education The curriculum for Physical Education in Grades 4 and 5 is comprised of three strands:

Safety, fair play, and leadership Active Living Movement skills

Throughout the year, we will engage in co-operative games, various fitness activities, a number of sports, as well as warm up and cool down activities. There will be a strong emphasis on active and healthy living. Students are expected to follow the rules, routines, and safety procedures for all Physical Education activities. Furthermore, as part of the provincial governments Healthy Schools initiative, all students are required to participate in 30 minutes of daily activity.

Fine Arts We will explore a variety of media this year, with a focus on the elements and principles of drawing and artists through the ages. Also, we will be cultivating our own artistic perspectives and statements. In addition to the visual arts, Mrs. M. Mclauchlan will provide instruction in Music. Students will also be participating in Drama as we integrate learning areas across the curriculum.

Computers Students will have the opportunity to integrate technology and enhance their learning in all content areas. Programs used may include Microsoft Word, Power Point, Prezi, iPad applications, Voicethread, and other online programs. They will also be introduced to the class website, using discussion boards, wikis, and blogs.

Health and Career The goals of Health and Career are for students to develop a sense of social responsibility, discuss and evaluate their own choices that contribute to a healthy lifestyle, consider their own personal strengths and attributes, and begin to set goals for the future. The topics introduced this year may include:

Healthy relationships Healthy Living Safety and Injury Prevention (Abuse Prevention, Safe Touching) Substance Misuse Prevention Goals and Decisions Career Development (Effective Work Habits and Attributes)

French In Grade 5, students are encouraged to develop and apply a number of language learning strategies. The French curriculum consists of:

Communicating

Responding to and asking questions Communicating likes and dislikes Responding to classroom instructions Identifying greetings

Acquiring Information

Expressing information from French resources in oral and visual forms

Experiencing Creative Works

Responding to creative works from the Francophone world

Understanding Cultural Influences

Identifying elements of Francophone culture in Canada