Fourth Grade Social Studies

October 10, 2013

Dear 4th Grade Parents:

Hello!  This week, I started as your child’s Social Studies teacher.  I am excited to be back on staff at Onekama School, and for the opportunity to get to know your child. I am committed to providing a challenging and comprehensive curriculum while supporting the unique aspects of each learner. 

Each week, I will send home a letter outlining the topics we are covering in Social Studies, and letting you know about any upcoming assignments. Since the school year is already underway, we have hit the ground running. Here’s a look at what we are studying in 4th grade Social Studies…

This week’s topics included:
WHERE IS THE UNITED STATES LOCATED?
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNITED STATES
HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNITED STATES
 

Our unit began with a review of the five fundamental themes of geography. Students used a variety of geographic representations such as maps and globes to explore ways to answer the question: Where is the United States located? What are some of the physical and human characteristics that make our country unique?

This week’s vocabulary words:

location, place, absolute location, relative location, continent, equator, Prime Meridian, hemisphere, political boundaries, physical characteristics, landforms, mountain range, plain, coastal plain, plateau, basin, valley, canyon, desert, vegetation, gulf, river system, tributary

Students have notecards with the definitions to these words that they keep in our classroom. They will bring these home before any quizzes or tests to help them prepare.

For homework this week, students used what they learned about the relative location of the U.S. to write a letter to a visitor from another planet, describing its location.

I’m looking forward to a great year ahead with your child!

 Megan McCarthy
 


 

October 24, 2013

Dear 4th Grade Parents:

We have had a great start to our time together in Social Studies! Students completed their first quiz on Tuesday. This required a good deal of at-home studying. I was pleased to see that the majority of the class took the assignment very seriously. The quizzes were sent home on Wednesday and require a parent signature. Please ask your child to see the quiz if it hasn’t yet been shared with you. Here’s a look at what we are studying this week in 4th grade Social Studies…

This week’s topic was:
A CLOSER LOOK AT U.S. REGIONS

Students learned that geographers construct regions to make it easier to study large places like the United States. We discussed that the United States is generally divided into five regions: Northeast, Southeast, Middle West, Southwest, and West. These large regions are also sometimes divided into smaller regions. We began with a look at our immediate area, the Great Lakes Region.

 

 

Big Ideas of the Lesson

·        A region is an area with at least one characteristic or feature that sets it apart from other areas.

·        Regions make it easier to study large places like the world, continents, and countries.

·        Regions can be based on many different natural characteristics such as landforms or climate.

·        Michigan and seven other states that border one or more of the Great Lakes make up the Great Lakes region.

·        The Great Lakes have influenced the history, climate, economic activities, transportation networks, and culture of the Great Lakes region.

 

HOMEWORK:
We spent some time this week on informational (non-fiction) reading strategies. Students worked to complete a Great Lakes information chart. The chart was started in class, and should be completed as homework. It is due on Monday.

Next week, we will continue our learning about the regions of the United States. Your child will be assigned a region to research in detail, and to present information to the class. More details will be coming home about that assignment next week.

Megan McCarthy


 

October 31, 2013

Dear 4th Grade Parents:

Happy Halloween! 

It was an exciting week in Social Studies class. Here’s a look at what we are studying this week in 4th grade Social Studies…

This week’s topic was:
A CLOSER LOOK AT U.S. REGIONS

Students continued their study of the regions of the United States: Northeast, Southeast, Middle West, Southwest, and West.  We will remain on this topic for all of next week, too.

As a class, we conducted some preliminary research on these regions. Students worked in small groups to complete a detailed chart describing the location, climate, topography, and natural resources of each of these areas. Each group presented their findings in front of the class.

On Thursday, I presented students with details on their next big assignment. Please see the attached guidelines for students’ Regions Projects (“virtual suitcases”) and optional extra credit assignment.  Much of the work for the Regions Project will take place during class, but some details may need to be finished at home.  We will begin “filling” our suitcases on Monday. Your child has already been assigned a specific region to study.  He/she may want to bring in some research on the region (books, printed pages from the internet, etc.) to help with the project, but most basic research will be supplied in class.

The Regions Project is due next Thursday, November 8.

The extra credit assignment (optional) is due on Monday, November 11.

Please let me know if you have any questions. You can always reach me via email – mmccarthy@manistee.org – or by calling the school.

Report cards will also go home next week.
 

Megan McCarthy