South Park City

Our classroom has been transformed into a small city to allow students to explore economy and civics in a meaningful way. Check out our 4A Student Updates for more information.

Louisiana Purchase

Explore the Louisiana Territory with Lewis and Clark!

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/west/

National Park Research Project

Now that we have discovered the nearest national park, students will study national parks in other areas of the country. Last week, each fourth grade student was assigned one national park to research. That research begins this week. The majority of research and note-taking will be done at school. However, if students would like to investigate further, I encourage them to do so. I am attaching a copy of our research packet below since students will not be allowed to take their original packet home. One part of research is giving credit for sources that have been used. Students will be expected to cite all books, websites, and encyclopedias used for this project. Below are some links to help cite reference material.


National Park Research Packet
Citing a Book
Citing a Website

Rocky Mountain National Park Pictures

Field trip pictures are coming soon!

Fact Monster

I just came across a fantastic website that I want to share with you. FactMonster.com is an online bank of information. Students could spend hours learning and exploring on this site. I have linked to several pages that connect with content we are covering in class that may offer some enrichment opportunities. Enjoy!

FactMonster: National Parks
FactMonster: Fifty States
FactMonster: Math Flash Cards
FactMonster: Greek and Roman Mythology
FactMonster: Astronomy and Space Exploration
FactMonster: Research Skills

We're going on a field trip!

On Thursday, September 22, fourth grade will be traveling to Rocky Mountain National Park to explore the park. We will be meeting with rangers to learn about the park's history and study ecology and the impact humans have on the environment. Permission slips will be coming home on Monday.

We will be gone from school all day, so students will need to bring a sack lunch, snacks, and a water bottle. We will be outside all day, even if it rains or snows. Please make sure your child is dressed in layers appropriate for any and all weather. This does include footwear as well. We will be walking around the park, so tennis shoes or sturdy boots would be appropriate.

If you have any questions about this trip, please let me know. Look for the permission slip to come home on Monday. Students are encouraged to bring their signed permission slip back to school on Tuesday. The deadline is Wednesday.

National Park Research Project

In fourth grade, students will be completing two research projects: researching a national park in the fall and a planet in the spring. Over the next few weeks, we will be reviewing features of nonfiction and how to read for information. We will also be learning how to take notes in an outline which will be the format for students' research packets. During social studies, students will choose a national park to research and present on. Additional information will be posted as we move forward in this project, but here is a link to get your students thinking about national parks.

http://www.webrangers.us/entry_gate.cfm