Our 4th grade students investigated how people use the art of persuasion in order to make claims and tell stories on the basis of personal beliefs, research and evidence. They focused on how our beliefs influence the way we interact with the environment, specifically examining the destructive impact of today's meat industry as well as how Native Americans vs. European explorers used their environments.
INFOGRAPHIC + PSA VIDEO GALLERY
In order to raise awareness about the negative environmental impact of eating meat, fourth grade students created infographics and PSA videos using what they learned as supporting evidence. They practiced the 21st century skills of collaboration and digital publishing in order to complete these activities.
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TRIFOLD GALLERY
Students also exercised their digital publishing skills by creating trifolds that compared European explorers and Native Americans.
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4th Grade Resources
| infographic_organizer.pdf |
Fourth grade grappled with past and present issues of fairness. They framed their study of Colonial America in terms of the power struggles and disparities in freedom among different groups. Students also researched modern social injustices such as gender inequality, racial profiling, police brutality, homelessness and cyberbullying. They created songs, dances, videos and speeches inspired by these topics and performed them in a Variety Show on PBL Showcase Night. Finally, they joined the fight for social justice by organizing a fundraiser for Genesis House, a local homeless shelter, and asked audience members to donate during the Variety Show.
Imagining Unfairness in Colonial America
Students researched the lives of different groups of people in Colonial America, including landowners, slaves, indentured servants, Native Americans and women, and each assumed a role. Along with dressing the part, each student reflected on inequities between groups and wrote about how this might have felt.
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Support Our 4th Graders' Fight for Social Justice
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Fourth grade students are seeking to make a difference in the fight for fairness by launching a fundraiser for Genesis Shelter, an organization that helps women and newborns who live in cars and on the streets in Metro Atlanta meet basic needs like shelter and food.
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Presentation from DeKalb Co. District Attorney Sherri Boston
Colonial America Prezi Gallery
In fourth grade science, students explored the principles of light and sound, including vibration, pitch, reflection, refraction and amplitude, and built sculptures that would teach others about these concepts.
Fourth graders applied their knowledge of simple machines, budgeting, measurement and design thinking to redesign animal exhibits that would enrich the animals’ experience and support conservation efforts.
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ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
ADVENTURE
Field trip to Zoo Atlanta |
PBL SHOWCASE NIGHT EXHIBITS
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