Grade 4 Semester Outline 2

Grade 4 Semester Outline

English Conversation (生活美語)

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January 5, 2012

The Rainbow 4 textbook is new this semester, and I am looking forward to trying it out with the fourth grade students.  Last year, the fourth grade students studied the Longman 4 book, with mixed results.  The Rainbow books were a bit boring before, but Book 4 looks much more interesting.  There are more sentence patterns to work with here, and more vocabulary.  The fourth grade students try very hard, and I’m hoping this book will prove more rewarding for them.

Units in Rainbow 4 cover time, fruits, drinks, food, and activities.  The phonics are long and short vowels.  The book has a lot more text than Rainbow 3, and students who have been bored by the previous books should find more here to engage their attention.  We have already spent a lot of time talking about foods and drinks; so much of the vocabulary in Rainbow 4 should be familiar.

What concerns me most about the fourth grade classes is the wide disparity between boys and girls.  The boys in every class are very vocal, even if a bit naughty.  Because they tend to speak out in class more, they tend to have an easier time with English (on average).  Many of the girls, by contrast, are very shy and withdrawn.  This shyness is a major impediment to many of them learning English.  I go out of my way to pick as many girls as boys for whatever activity we are doing, and I will continue to do this in the future.

I’m hoping we can get to the phonics more this semester.  I really didn’t do much with it this Fall/Winter, primarily because of time considerations.  The phonics words also tend to make any lesson more interesting, so I’ll be incorporating them more into classroom activities.

As with Grade 5, grammar remains a concern for me.  If time allows, elements from the Side by Side Volume One textbook will be covered near the end of the semester.  Grammar is very important, and a feeling for grammar makes English much easier.

Week	Topics Covered
1	Time, numbers, long vowel A
2	Time, numbers, long vowel A, art project
3	Time, numbers, long vowel A, ball game
4	Time, numbers, long vowel A, review
5	Written Test #1/DVD
6	Fruits, plural forms, long vowel E
7	Fruits, plural forms, long vowel E, art project
8	Fruits, plural forms, long vowel E, ball game
9	Fruits, plural forms, long vowel E, review
10	Written Test #2/DVD
11	Drinks, long vowel E
12	Drinks, long vowel E, art project
13	Food, likes and dislikes, long vowel O, ball game
14	Food, likes and dislikes, long vowel O
15	Activities, abilities, long vowel U
16	Activities, abilities, long vowel U
17	Special Topic #1
18	Special Topic #2
19	Special Topic #3/DVD
20	Oral (Speaking) Test #1

Notes

l   This class follows a month-by-month schedule, with an art project, a ball game, a test, and a DVD presentation presented with a four-week timeframe.  Not every class will have their lessons on the same week.

l   Written tests are tests of written English and reading comprehension.  The oral test is a test of listening comprehension and speaking ability.  All of the material tested is to be found within the book.

l   Every class will be made as interactive as possible, with a variety of learning styles accommodated.  I use songs, movement, and other methods throughout the semester.

l   Each semester we have a “special topic,” which is an extension of something in the textbook.  The subjects/vocabulary covered during these “special topic” sessions will not be the subject of any test.