Grade 4

Welcome to the 4th grade! The school year is now in full swing, and our teachers, Miss Cathy Takeda, Mrs. Liane Taingawa, and Mrs. Jenny Au are looking forward to a successful and enjoyable year, full of meaningful experiences and academic growth.

Teachers

Language Arts: Our reading and writing program is with our Houghton-Mifflin Basal Reader, supplemented with First Steps and Step Up to Writing strategies. Students will be using active reading strategies; asking questions, making predictions and inferences, and re-reading to monitor/and clarify understanding to comprehend what they read. We will also work on reading responses; identifying story elements, finding the author's message, and making personal connections to the text. Daily Accelerated Reading books will be used to enhance comprehension skills and allow for a more individualized book selection. An A. R. Log will be sent home daily to monitor progress and will require your initials each evening. Cursive handwriting will be practiced in the student planner and on practice worksheets. Proper spelling and penmanship are encouraged in all class work.

Mathematics: PRE has adopted the "Investigations" math program which will be supplemented with the Houghton-Miffflin Math Series. Student sheets, practice sheets, manipulatives and games will be used to teach and reinforce mathematical concepts, skills, and to develop problem solving strategies. Many of activities have more than one answer and students are encouraged to think "out of the box" to solve their problems. The "Investigations" math program is aligned with the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards III. The program also incorporates HCPS III Math Process Standards; problem solving, finding reasoning and proof, communicating ideas, making connections and showing mathematical representation.

Science: Some of our science units will be closely integrated with Social Studies this year because of our Hawaiian Studies focus. We'll start off the year learning about the geology of the earth and the formation of the Hawaiian Islands. In this unit, students will learn about fast and slow processes that shape our planet. In the second quarter, we will learn how native plants and animals came to the Hawaiian Islands and how they evolved to form the unique, endemic species we see today. Students will also be learning about the properties of matter, and working with electrical circuits in the second semester. Scientific Inquiry will be embedded in each of our science units. Students will be encouraged to ask questions, make a hypothesis and follow up with a scientific investigation.

Social Studies: The fourth grade social studies curriculum is centered on Hawaiian Studies. Students will learn about the geography of the Hawaiian Islands and how ancient Polynesians voyaged across the Pacific Ocean to colonize our island chain. We will study the ahupua'a, an ancient Hawaiian system of land division and learn the chronology of the Hawaiian Monarchy. Throughout our studies, students learn about traditional Hawaiian values and understand how they are still important in modern times. They'll also learn how the arrival of man, changed the shape and ecology of our islands and how "we" can help preserve our island treasures. Many of our field trips planned for this school year are centered on our Hawaiian Studies theme.

Computers and Technology: Computers are available in the classroom for student use. Applications and programs will be taught by the computer teacher assisted by classroom teachers, for projects in various curriculum areas. Students will also be able to access information through the Internet. Students will each have the opportunity to learn technology skills and perhaps be involved in school broadcasts.

All About Me

Ecosystem

Homonyms

Investigations

Stone Fox