FOCUS+-+FOURTH+GRADE

** Below are my goals for this class. These provide a guide for the curriculum and activities to be ** ** presented this year. Students attend Focus Class on Wednesday afternoons for one hour and fifteen minutes. *Usually a Homework Assignment is given each Wednesday allowing students ** ** __one week__ to complete and return it to me at the next class. Also, I am sending home a folder ** ** weekly so parents can monitor their child’s progress. **
 * FOURTH GRADE FOCUS CURRICULUM – 2013-14 **  ** SECOND/THIRD TRIMESTERS **   ** Cissy Nichols **
 * ** Students will develop the ability to analyze and react to literature. **
 * ** Students will develop the ability to think and reason logically. **
 * ** Students will develop more adequate self concepts by utilizing small group cooperative learning strategies with other students. **
 * ** Students will develop their intellectual and creative abilities through challenging instructional activities. **
 * ** Students will learn to appreciate his/her values, worth, potential and achieve a sense of pride in work accomplished. **
 * ** Students will develop improved task commitment **
 * ** Students will develop self-motivation and consistently produce quality work. **


 * Upon arrival to Focus Class, Fourth Graders participate in a variety of quick warm-up activities such as: 1) Daily Geography, 2) Ten Minute Math and Math Mind Stretchers, 3) Primarily Logic, 4) Relying On Reason, 5) Challenge Boxes, and Analogies. Some of these are done individually and some are completed in a cooperative group. **


 * Students engaged in a study of the states in the USA during second semester and the beginning of third trimester. Emphasis included history, geography, land forms, climate, map skills, composing a poem about their state, and other pertinent information pertaining to the state selected. Each student researched, via scdiscus.org, and edited and completed a Power Point Report and gave an oral Presentation to the class. **


 * During the third trimester, the class is continuing to become familiar with the magic of creating poetry. Each student is learning the steps in writing a variety of types of poetry. These will be edited, illustrated, put into a booklet, and shared. Couplets, Haiku, Cinquain, Limericks, Shape Poetry, and Free Verse are being **** emphasized. **


 * Lastly, students will participate in investigating Career Choices as we finish up the third trimester. They will participate in activities and research to determine their possible future occupations. **

** I am enjoying working with your child and will continue to promote creativity, task commitment, and a challenging curriculum that compliments their third grade classroom core studies. **