~Ms. Roderick's 4th Grade Class~Springtime Lessons~

Introduction

In honor of Earth Day this month (April 22), my goal is for my class to recognize the importance of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! I want them to cherish our planet and see the masterpieces all around us if only we are willing to stop, reflect, and contribute our part to make it stronger and brighter! My springtime unit goes perfectly with Earth Day, because while discussing plants, critters, and their habitats, we can learn how to take care of our wilderness so that it stays beautiful!

We will read The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter to spring into our springtime reading session.

April is National Poetry Month. We will read I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud, also known as Daffodils, by William Wordsworth. We will discuss the mood and emotions evoked by the poem. We will also notice the symbolism in the daffodil describing the general beauty of nature.

I will also play an educational video on the different types of nests that birds build. The students will learn that different kinds of birds use a variety of materials to make their nests, such as moss, feathers, mud, twigs, fur, grass, etc. Also, the birds make their nests in their own unique shapes and in their individual fashion depending on the surrounding habitat and type of bird. The students will construct sentences describing the bird nests they learned about in the video. They will write a few sentences for each bird and it will comprise a summary paragraph.

I found such a cute website link that displays numerous springtime poems and songs appropriate and sweet for elementary-age children. How exquisite! Here is the link: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems16.html

We will learn about the journey of a popular bird, the North American Robin. http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/robin/SpringFever.html In this activity, we will be using geography, science, and math. We will use a data sheet and a graph to plot points.

Students will label the oceans of the world in a geography worksheet. They can color it when it is finished and receives my stamp of approval.

One of the highlights of this unit is that we will explore what spring looks like around the world. We will understand the concept of time zones through this.

International Dance Day is on April 20th. We will complete a word puzzle for the different styles of popular dances. Passover beings on April 22nd, so we will have a day where we learn the fundamental essence of this holiday.  https://www.teachervision.com/passover/judaism/6652.html

Task

To celebrate the springtime season and our love for nature, we will show our respect and admiration for the magnificent lands of our country by studying the U.S.A.’s National Parks, Monuments, and Landmarks. We will also use a chart to discuss the Extreme Geographical Points of the U.S.A.

To remember the men and women who died while serving in the armed forces, we will pay our respects for red, white, and blue forever and commemorate Memorial Day by learning about the holiday’s history and traditions through this video:  

https://www.teachervision.com/memorial-day/video/73217.html#prettyPhoto

We will also have material to detect flags from around the world so we can begin to comprehend the significance, hard-fought battles, national association, and patriotic pride behind a nation’s flag waving high in the sunlight.

Throughout the spring months, students can play U.S.A. Capitals, States, and Landscapes educational games on the following website:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm

We will learn the state symbols of Florida and create a booklet.

http://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/

We will use this Geography Guide: Grade 4 -  https://www.teachervision.com/geography/resource/63822.html

We will talk about state capitals and the largest cities for each state. We will also approach the topic of “Types of Maps.”

The students will be in groups to engage with maps and use an atlas.

We will look at rivers, lakes, and mountains of the world.

We will create a list of springtime words: Nest, Hatch, Egg, Chick, Fly, Metamorphosis, Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly, Burst, Bloom, Blossom, Bud, Sprout, Grow, Vivid, Vibrant, Colorful, Wind, Breeze, Rain Shower, Dewdrop, Mist, Awakening, Beautiful, Born, Beehive, Bouquet, Alive, Clouds, Bright, Cheerful, Bunny, Hop, Meadow, Changing, Chirping, Active, Bird, Bulbs, Clover, Daisy, Egg, Fresh, Crisp, Seed, Poppy, Rain Boots, Pleasant, Outdoor, Gentle, Rainbow, Puddle, Blow, Pastel, Rejuvenating, Melt, Peaceful, Pollinate, Beam, Renewing, Season, Rabbit, Kite, Rebirth, Lamb, Grass, Garden, Flower, Sunshine, Daffodil, Robin, Tadpole, Tulip, Thaw, Umbrella, Warming, Weather, Baseball, Frolic, Play, Baby, Foal, March, April, May, Raincoat, Insect, Frog, Leap, Run, Splash, Lily, Blue Jay, Dove, Cardinal, Hope, etc.

April is National Poetry Month, therefore we will devote this lesson to springtime poetry. The first category of poetry is Nonsense Poems, such as Shel Silverstein’s Runny Babbit. We will discuss which words are real and which are made up. The children will then create their own nonsense poems based on springtime nature in full bloom. We will list all of the seasonal words we can think of for spring, such as words to describe the sights, sounds, and feelings of the spring season. In addition, we will formulate Name Poems, Haiku, and Lanterns. I hope my class will acquire skills to begin to decently and eloquently express themselves, develop art appreciation, be in tune with their environment, and be grateful in the humblest of things in life. Spring is bursting with joy, wonder, peace, imagination, and vivid color that I want to invite this whimsical and invigorating atmosphere into my classroom. Poetry, I believe, is the most perfect way to pour out our thoughts of this blossoming season and to ponder on all of nature’s blessings surrounding us.

We will go over the basics of photosynthesis.

We will list the characteristics and attributes of different classes of animals: Reptiles, Mammals, Amphibians, Birds, and Fish.

We will group animals into Warm-Blooded & Cold-Blooded.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/classification/kc_classification_main.htm

Process

Technology Integration: Website - I found a lovely website for all four seasons, and there is a spring portal where the students can play a spring related “seek and find” game, a matching game, and an animated spring “paint and make.” I think this is a fun activity for the children to do if they complete all of their work, as a reward, “fun Friday” time, or for a short time at the end of the day. Here is the link: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/scienceforkids/seasons/spring.htm

Students will write two paragraphs: one about what they would do on a rainy day, and one about what they would do on a sunshiny day.

https://www.teachervision.com/tv/printables/0876282699_314.pdf

In a computer activity, students will practice formatting in word processing as they create acrostic poems for Earth Day (April 22). This overlaps technology skills with a language arts lesson. How fabulous is that?!

Students will create Recycled Poetry by using words from newspapers and magazines. This will teach students how to take an object and give it a new use.

We will complete a rainforest vocabulary worksheet to learn about rainforest wildlife, habitats, and characteristics.

Using a graphic organizer along with a story, we are going to learn the five elements of a story’s plot: Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.

We are going to practice punctuating sentences.

We will use a graphic organizer to identify the sequence of events in a story.

We will practice identifying prepositions.

Students will engross themselves in Story Writing, such as narratives, direction writing, informational pieces, letters, journaling, and more.

In February, we will watch a video about the Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. This is a fifteen-day celebration.

https://www.teachervision.com/chinese-new-year/video/74637.html

We are going to visit a website to learn about endangered species. There is an “endangered animals” game for the children to play while they learn factoids about these creatures.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/endangered_animals/endangeredanimals_2.htm

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/endangered_animals/endangered_game.htm

Animal Classification Games:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/kidscorner_games.htm

Evaluation

“Who Am I?”-Character Description: Students will describe in depth a character in a story. This will extend students’ learning experience reading literature. They can create an image of the character afterwards. We will hang these up to decorate the classroom bulletin board and display the children’s magnificent artwork.

I will use a lesson packet of worksheets to teach students how to write a personal narrative paragraph. This packet contains a model story organizer, a blank story organizer, and a personal narrative at four different stages of completion.

We will explore creative writing with photo inspiration. This will stimulate students to think and write creatively with inspiration from photographs. We will draw our ideas from photo portraits of a man and woman from the Middle Ages.

To interact with our Earth Day theme, students will use the book There’s an Owl in the Shower to research and write about old growth forests and the logging industry. The children will write a persuasive essay, taking one side of the issue. This will promote literacy skills and environmental awareness.

I will also be teaching my class about our planet’s natural resources. I am going to teach my class what can and what cannot be recycled in your recycle bin. They will learn organizational and compartmentalization skills at the same time. They will learn that if they each give a little, all of that totaled up can create something enormous and worthwhile!

We are going to make a classroom garden and learn all about what makes a garden grow and flourish to the skies. We will observe and record notes in a journal. The students will grow small plants to give to their mothers for Mother’s Day. We will also take brief walks outside to look and listen of the nature around us. We will record notes and come back inside to create a paragraph.

We are also going to grow herbs in the classroom with a mini greenhouse.

Technology Integration:

We are going to watch educational videos about Recycling and Waste Management.

https://www.teachervision.com/recycling/video/74762.html

We will watch the Dr. Seuss movie, The Lorax and complete an activity afterwards.

https://www.teachervision.com/conservation/printable/63727.html