4th Grade 2015-2016 Syllabus
Instructional Teams
Teachers
Subject
Gretisz Benitez
Florinda Davis
Robin McCardell
Megan Morris
Danica Nolan
Kelly Whinery
Bilingual/Reading/Language Arts/Social Studies
Bilingual/Math/Science
Reading/Language Arts/Social Studies
Math/Science
Reading/Language Arts/Social Studies
Math/Science
The 4th grade team is excited about this new school year. We are looking forward to bringing out the best in
your child. This syllabus will contain information about the concepts taught throughout the year as well as our
policies for grading, homework, and discipline. Please read through this information carefully with your child.
Sign the last page and return it with your child so that we know that you have read this carefully.
GRADING POLICY
Homework
100-90 = A
89-80 = B
79-70 = C
69 & Below = F
Students are expected to complete homework DAILY!
Grades are determined based on scores from daily
work, class participation, projects, homework, CBA
(curriculum based assessments) and tests.
Occasionally, students may also have homework in
social studies, language arts, and science.
Students will have weekly homework in reading and
math.
Students may be allowed to redo certain assignments
based on the teacher’s discretion.
Homework will be graded based on level of
completion and level of understanding.
On certain occasions, during benchmarks or state
testing, homework will NOT be required and students
and parents will be notified with a note in the planner
or a separate note sent home.
DISCIPLINE
The students at K. E. Little are expected to follow the 6 Pillars of Character:
TRRFCC – Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.
There is also a campus wide system called CHAMPS. This helps students understand what’s expected of them
in various areas throughout the school.
C – Conversation – voice level and who students are supposed to be talking to (whole class, partner, etc.)
H – Help – how students ask for help (raise hand, ask a friend, etc.)
A – Activity – what the students are doing (whole group, small group, test)
M – Movement – how students move around the room (stay in a particular area, turn work in, etc. )
P – Participation – how students are involved (talking to one another, working on a test, etc.)
 During the 1st week of school, students will discuss with teachers expectations for the classroom,
hallway, cafeteria, library, playground, and activity classes.
 The students will play a role in developing rules. However, ALL students are expected to arrive on time,
be in class every day, complete class work & homework, participate in class, and treat others with
kindness & respect.
 Consequences can range from lunch detention, laps at recess, letter or phone call home, or in-school
suspension and will be based on the child’s behavior.
Reading
Language
Arts
1st 9 WEEKS
2nd 9 WEEKS
3rd 9 WEEKS
Begin Reading Workshop (Students hear a mini lesson,
apply concept in independent reading while teacher
works with small groups. Students end with a share
time.)
Genre (or types of books)
Biography/Autobiography/
Literary Non-Fiction
Skills:
-Author’s purpose (why the author wrote a piece)
-Character traits (descriptions of characters)
-Compare/Contrast events in biography and fiction
story (known as paired passages)
Informational Text
-Text Features (graphs, bold words, etc.)
-Central Idea (Get the Gist-main idea)
-Summary
Poetry (Biography, informational)
-Structure (rhyme, meter, stanzas, line breaks)
Comprehension Strategies:
-Infer/Predict
-Summarize
-Make Connections
Genre Focus:
Realistic Fiction
-Understanding Characters
-Story/Plot Elements(Setting,
Conflict, Sequence of Events,
Resolution)
-Summary
-Theme
Traditional Literature (Fairy
Tales, Folk Tales)
-Text Structure
-Theme
-Summary
Poetry
-Forms (Seasonal, Narrative,
Humorous, Lyrical, Free Verse)
-Complex figurative language and
its effect on meaning
Genre Focus:
Historical Fiction
Summarize & Sequence
Character Analysis
Theme
Drama
Dramatic elements (stage
directions, cast of
characters)
Theme
Summary
Understanding Characters
Vocab: playwright, act,
scene, dialogue, stage
direction, cast, narrator,
setting
Poetry
Sensory details
Comprehension
Strategies:
Infer/Predict
Analyze/Evaluate
Summarize
Visualize
Setting up Writers’ Workshop (mini-lesson, students
apply in their own writing while teacher conferences
with students or works with small groups, share time)
Genre: Expository (explain why)
-How & Why CAFÉ (added Cautions, Anecdotes, Facts,
and Examples to writing)
-Introductions (Funnel, Quotation, Turn About)
-Transitional Phrases (However, In conclusion,)
-Conclusions (Refer to Intro, Summarize, Call to
Action)
Writers’ Craft
-Over Used Words (Said is Dead, Vivid Verbs, Sensory
Details)
-Figurative Language (SMAPHO –similes, metaphors,
alliteration, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia
-Revising and Editing (ARMS & CUPS)
-Using Rubric as a writing guide
-Peer editing
Poetry
-Sensory details
-Rhyme, meter, patterns of verse
Reader’s Response to texts
Journal Writing
Quick Writes
Grammar
-capitalization of proper nouns such as titles of books,
stories, and essays, historical events and documents,
languages, races, and nationalities
-Comma rules (ASLICED & FANBOYS) introduced
-complete sentences with end punctuation
-commas in a series & direct address
-correct regular/irregular plurals
-standard usage of parts of speech
-subject/ verb agreement
-prepositional phrases to elaborate written ideas
-conjunctions to connect meaningful ideas: correlative
(either, or, neither, nor)
-apostrophes in contractions and possessives
Genre: Personal Narratives
Writers’ Craft
-Seed moments
-Leads (action, Setting, Dialogue)
-Word Choice
-Conclusions
-Thought Shots (BadaBing)
-Sensory Details
-Figurative Language
Editing and Revising
-Peer editing
-Transitional Phrases
-Sentence Fluency
-Review ARMS & CUPS
Poetry
-Sensory details
-Rhyme, meter, patterns of verse
-Complex figurative language
Reader’s Response to texts
Journal Writing
Quick Writes
Grammar
-descriptive adjectives
-comparative and superlative
adjectives to make writing vivid
or precise
-adverbs to make writing vivid
and precise
-varied sentence types: compound
and complex to match meaning &
purpose
-time- order transition words
-transitions that indicate a
conclusion
-dependent/ independent clauses
(and their effects on meaning)
-commas in compound sentences
-apostrophes
prepositional phrases
Comprehension Strategies:
-Infer/Predict
-Questioning
-Analyze/Evaluate
-Summarize
-Visualize
-Monitor/Clarify
Genre:
Alternate
Expository and Personal
Narrative
Writers’ Craft
-Continue to use
previously introduced
skills with more depth
Editing and Revising
-Peer editing
-Transitional Phrases
-Sentence Fluency
-Review ARMS & CUPS
Poetry
-Sensory details
-Rhyme, meter, patterns
of verse
-Complex figurative
language
Reader’s Response to
texts
Journal Writing
Quick Writes
Research Paper(including
sources, paraphrasing,
plagiarism, works cited
page)
Grammar

pronoun/ antecedent
agreement

plural nouns

reflexive pronouns

quotation marks

comma/conjunctions
4th 9 WEEKS
Spiral all
genres/skills
based on
academic
needs
-Sequence of
Events
-Compare and
Contrast
-Author’s
Purpose
-Cause and
Effect
-Story
Structure
STAAR
READING
TEST
MAY 10, 2016.
Persuasive
Writing
-Author’s
purpose(write
for a specific
audience)
-Establish a
position and use
supporting
details
-Word
Choice(write for
a specific
audience)
-Word Choice
(words to
influence)
STAAR
WRITING
TEST
March 29 & 30
Word
Study
1st 9 WEEKS
2nd 9 WEEKS
Word Study Principles/Buddy
Study
Buddy Study Cycle
Consonant Clusters
Short Vowel Sounds
High Frequency Words
Digraphs
Using Y as a vowel sound
Long Vowel Sounds
Phonograms with Double Vowels
Compound Words
Contractions
Syllables
Double Consonants
Word Study
Principles/Buddy Study
Vowel Combinations
(oo,oi,oy,ow,aw,au)
Short O
Unique Vowel Sounds –oo
Homophones
Synonyms
Antonyms
Open Syllables
Closed Syllables
Syllables in words with silent E
Compound Words
Double Consonants
Forming Plurals (add –
es,ending in y, f,fe, lf)
Abbreviations
Fluency –(repeated throughout
year)
Accuracy, Intonation, Phrasing,
Expression, Rate, Pauses
Handwriting – Review and
Practice Cursive
Fluency –(repeated throughout
year)
Accuracy, Intonation, Phrasing,
Expression, Rate, Pauses
Handwriting –Review and
Practice cursive
3rd 9 WEEKS
Word Study
Principles/Buddy Study
Consonant Letters with
Different Sounds
Silent Letters
Phonograms with Double
Consonants
Vowel/Consonant Patterns
Vowel Combinations
Vowel/Consonant/Silent E
Homographs
Syllables
Past Tense with –ed
Adding –er
Alphabetical Order
Open Syllables
Closed Syllables
R-Influenced Vowels
Double Consonants
Compound Words
Final K Sound (c, k,
ke,ck,que)
4th 9 WEEKS
Word Study Principles/Buddy Study
Words with Capital Letters
High Frequency Words
Action Words
Describing Words
Syllables
Plurals ending in –o
Metaphors and Similes
Blended Words
Multisyllable Words
Forming Comparisons (-er, -est)
Prefixes
Suffixes
Fluency –(repeated throughout year)
Accuracy, Intonation, Phrasing,
Expression, Rate, Syllables
Handwriting
–Review and Practice
cursive
Fluency –(repeated
throughout year)
Accuracy, Intonation,
Phrasing, Expression, Rate,
Stress
Handwriting –Review and
Practice cursive
Places and Exploration
-Texas Symbols & Patriotism
-Map skills and regions
-American Indians
-Exploration
Social
Studies
*District project-based
assessment completed
throughout grading period.
Colonization and
Independence
-Colonization (Missions)
-Colonies and Empresarios
-Revolution, Independence,
Freedom
*District project-based
assessment completed
throughout grading period.
From Republic to
Statehood
-Republic/Statehood Annexation/Mexican
American War
-Civil
War/Reconstruction
*District project-based
assessment completed
throughout grading
period.
Post Reconstruction of the
Twenty-First Century
-Cattle/R.R./Oil
-20th Century
-Government/ Heritage & Culture Economic growth Free
Enterprise/Industries/ Farming and
Ranching
-Interdependence/Imports &
Exports/NAFTA/ Scientific
Discoveries
**Culminating performance-based
assessment completed during
dedicated week.
Math
Science
Concepts that will be tested on 1st
Quarter CBA:
Whole Number Place Value,
Decimal Place Value, Add and
Subtract Whole Numbers and
Decimals, Multiply by 1-Digit
Numbers.
Concepts that will be tested on
2nd Quarter CBA:
Multiply 2-Digit Numbers,
Division Strategies, Divide by
1-Digit Numbers, Algebra:
Multi-Step Problems, Fraction
Concepts.
*Safety and Scientific
Reasoning
*Matter
*Forms of Energy
*Electricity and Circuits
*Forces and Motion
Concepts that will be tested
on BENCHMARK:
Everything from 1st & 2nd
Nine weeks and Compare
Fractions, Add and Subtract
Fractions, Number Patterns,
Perimeter, and Area,
Geometry Concepts,
Measure Angles, Customary
and Metric Measures, Time
and Money, Represent and
Interpret Data.
*Earth’s Surface
*The Water Cycle and
Weather
*Patterns in the Sky
STAAR MATH TEST
MAY 9, 2016.
Concepts that will be tested on 4th
Quarter CBA AFTER STAAR:
Compare Fractions, Add and Subtract
Fractions, Number Patterns, Perimeter,
and Area, Geometry Concepts,
Measure Angles, Customary and
Metric Measures, Time and Money,
Represent and Interpret Data.
*Organisms and Their
Environments
*Plants and Animals
*Bridge to 5th Grade Science:
Fossils
Thank you for taking the time to read through this syllabus. Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher if
you have any questions.
Fill out this page and return to the school with your child.
I ________________________________________________ (printed PARENT name) have read and
understand the above policies and curriculum guides.
PARENT signature ____________________________________________________________
Date __________________________________
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I ________________________________________________ (printed STUDENT name) have read and
understand the above policies and curriculum guides.
STUDENT signature ________________________________________________________________
Date _____________________________________