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Planners: Beginning the second week of school (week of 9/4), students will have planners signed each evening by a parent/guardian. Each teacher will initial planners at the end of the day and will check for parent signature each morning.

Homework Policy: It is expected that all students will:

• Spend 15 minutes each evening reading
• Spend 15 minutes each evening practicing math facts
• Spend 10 minutes studying the week's Spelling words

Additional extra practice may be determined to be necessary by the homeroom or math teacher.

Reading: Every other month, students will be expected to read one book. The genres required per month were sent home the first week of school. With the completion of each book, a specified project will be required. Please reference your child's Book Projects and Genres cards for complete information. To support the monthly book project each student will need to complete a Home Reading Record. This reading record consists of reading a minimum of 100 minutes per week to be logged on a form with a parent signature.

Citizenship: Students are expected to be kind, considerate and respectful toward each other and school staff. Students are expected to behave in an age-appropriate manner and practice the 3 R's by being Respectful, Responsible and Ready to learn. We feel strongly that positive reinforcement and natural consequences are more beneficial than punitive measures. Every effort will be made to recognize students who demonstrate the citizen/character traits promoted by PISD. A poster depicting these traits hangs in every classroom. The number of signatures per nine weeks on the Communication Card determines the Citizenship grade for each child: 0 - 4 E, 5 - 12 S, 13 - 17 N and 18+ U. Please check with your child's teacher if you have any questions.

Work Habits: Good work habits and strong study skills are keys to success in learning. In the fourth grade, students are expected to be reponsible for their own work and behavior. The number of signatures per nine weeks on the Communication Card determines the Citizenship grade for each child: 1 - 4 E, 5 - 12 S, 13 - 17 N and 18+ U. Please check with your child's teacher if you have any questions.

Communication Card: Each student has a communication card. Your child's teacher will use this card to communicate with you weekly. You will be able to see each week if anything has occurred in the classroom to impact your student's citizenship or work habits grade. We will be adding positive comments to each student's card at the end of each week and ecnourage you to do the same in the comments section.

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First Six Weeks
Overarching Concept: Communication
Organizing Idea: Clues that Communicate

Health
Safety
Alcohol and tobacco

Science
Sun, Earth, and Moon
Scientific Method

Social Studies
Application of geographic tools

• Grid System
• Legends
• Symbols
• Scale
• Compass Rose

Constructing and interpreting maps and globes

Five Themes of Geography

• Location
• Place
• Human-Environment Interactions
• Movement
• Regions

Landforms in Texas

Second Six Weeks
Overarching Concept: Interactions
Organizing Idea: Many Faces, Many Places

Health
Communicable and non communicable diseases

Science
Matter: Conduction, Density, Buoyancy
Rocks and Minerals
Scientific Method

Social Studies
Texas Regions
Economic Interdependence
Native Americans
Explorers of Texas
Research

Third Six Weeks
Overarching Concept: Diversity
Organizing Idea: State of Diversity

Health
Nutrition

Science
Plants: Inherited Traits of Plants
Plant Adaptations
Scientific Method

Social Studies
Spanish Missions in Texas
Texas Revolution
Republic of Texas
Cultural Diversity in Texas
Research

Fourth Six Weeks
Overarching Concept: Continuity and Change
Organizing Idea: Changes Over Time

Health
Self Concept

Science
Atmosphere and Weather
Scientific Method

Social Studies
Texas Culture
Texas History

• Annexation
• Republic of Texas
• Civil War
• Reconstruction
• Cattle Kingdom
• Railroads
• Oil Boom
• Texas Government

Research

Fifth Six Weeks
Overarching Concept: Balance and Stability
Organizing Idea: Mankind and Nature in Harmony

Health
Community Health

Science
Ecosystems: Habitat, Niches, Endangered Species, Animal Adaptations
Properties of Soils
Water on Earth
Scientific Method

Social Studies
Environmental studies
Citizens' Rights and Responsibilities
Regions of Texas
Economic Interdependence (NAFTA)
Science and Technology

• Inventions
• Discoveries
  

Sixth Six Weeks
Overarching Concept: Systems
Organizing Idea: One Affecting the Other

Health
About your body

• Goal Setting
• Consumer Awareness

Science
Body Systems: Digestive, Circulatory, Respiratory
Research
Scientific Method

Social Studies
Economics: Free Enterprise - Texas Economy
Economic Activity - Geographic Factors
Technology - Interdependence

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First Six Weeks
Personal Narrative
Story Elements
Context Clues
Problem/Solution
Summarize
Draw Conclusions

Second Six Weeks
Comparative
Predictions
Context Clues
Main Idea
Sequence Events
Setting

Third Six Weeks
Persuasive
Judgments/Decisions
Fact and Opinions
Author's Purpose and Point of View

Fourth Six Weeks
Explanatory
Compare/Contrast
Draw Conclusions
Fact/Non-fact
Steps in Process

Fifth Six Weeks
Story
Sequence Events
Important/Unimportant Information
Predictions

Sixth Six Weeks
Expository
Cause Effect
Problem/Solution
Judgments/Decisions
Compare/Contrast

Please send comments or suggestions to Mona Lisee
Updated September 2007

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