Teaching 4th Grade Social Studies with Biddy Mason
When we reach the unit on California statehood, many 4th grade social studies students get stuck on the gold. They fixate on the prospectors and the map lines. It is a common mistake because that is where the textbooks put the biggest font. However, when we skip the... read more
Teaching 4th Grade English Language Arts Writing Versatility
Developing adaptability in writing is a primary goal for any 4th grade teacher. As students move from learning how to write sentences to crafting coherent essays, they must also learn that not all writing tasks require the same amount of time, the same tone, or the... read more
Teaching Place Value Relationships in 4th Grade Mathematics
I still remember a parent asking me why we spent so much time on base-ten concepts in fourth grade. It is a fair question, especially since students have used place value since kindergarten. The answer is that we are shifting from simple counting to a deeper grasp of... read more
Teaching Kinetic Energy in 4th Grade Science
By the time fourth graders reach the physical science unit on energy, they have already developed a strong, if slightly inaccurate, intuition about motion. You have likely seen this in your own classroom. When asked what happens when a moving object hits another, most... read more