September · Week 1 · Day 1 · School day 1

Day 1: Welcome to Fourth Grade

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🏔️ Play with your child: Place Value Peaks

The day, step by step

1. 10–15 min Morning meeting SL.4.1

   1. Greet each child by name and share one thing you are excited about this year.
   2. Write the date two ways: 9/8 and September 8.
   3. Question of the day: What is one thing you hope to learn this year? Everyone answers in one sentence.
   4. Agree on three class norms, such as 'Listen when others talk,' and post them.

2. 15–20 min Word study RF.4.3a

   1. Write napkin. Underline the vowels a and i, and circle the two consonants p and k between them.
   2. Teach the rule: when two consonants sit between two vowels, split between them: nap-kin. Each part ends in a consonant, so each is a closed syllable with a short vowel.
   3. Split together with a pencil slash: bas-ket, pic-nic, con-test, prob-lem.
   4. Kids read each word part by part, then blend: bas... ket, basket.

   Spelling list goes home today: napkin, basket, picnic, problem, contest, robot, tiger, music, silent, open, begin, hello.

3. 25–30 min Reading workshop RL.4.10, SL.4.1

   Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (or similar)

   1. Tour the reading area: how books are sorted, how to borrow one and where to return it.
   2. Read chapters 1 and 2 aloud. Stop once to ask: What do we know about Opal so far?
   3. Practice the routine: find a spot, open your book, read until the timer rings. Start with 12 minutes.
   4. Kids record the title and pages read on a reading log.

4. 35–45 min Math 4.NBT.2

   1. Warm-up: What is the value of the 3 in 352? (300)
   2. Draw a place value chart: hundred thousands, ten thousands, thousands, then hundreds, tens, ones. Show that the comma separates the thousands group from the ones group.
   3. Build 245,318 with digit cards and read it: two hundred forty-five thousand, three hundred eighteen.
   4. Partners draw 6 digit cards, place them on the chart and read the number aloud. Record 5 numbers.

   Math center: use the same 6 cards to build the greatest and the least number possible.

5. 25–30 min Social studies C3 D2.Geo.1.3-5

   1. Show a town map. Find the title, compass rose, key and scale together.
   2. Explain each part in one sentence. Title: what the map shows. Compass rose: directions. Key: what the symbols mean. Scale: how far apart places really are.
   3. Kids find two symbols in the key and locate one of each on the map.
   4. Exit question: Which map part tells you what a small tree symbol means? (the key)

6. 25–30 min Writing W.4.10, W.4.3

   1. Hand out writer's notebooks. Kids decorate the cover with words and pictures about themselves.
   2. Model a list titled 'Things I Know About': soccer, baking cookies, my grandma's farm.
   3. Kids list at least 8 topics they know about.
   4. Star the topic they would most like to write about this week.

7. 20–30 min Centers and independent practice

   1. Syllable split: slash and read 10 closed-syllable words with a partner.
   2. Place value build: make and read 6-digit numbers.
   3. Book browsing: list three books you want to read this month.
   4. Map corner: find three symbols from the key on the town map.

   Device time (15 min): play Place Value Peaks.

   Today’s game: Place Value Peaks

8. 5–10 min Closing circle SL.4.1

   1. What is one routine we learned today?
   2. Read one number you built in math.
   3. Preview: tomorrow we go on an energy hunt.

Short day? Keep the read-aloud, the place value chart and the map parts talk.