Science and Social Studies Highlights

Science and Social Studies
Creating an understanding of new vocabulary in the content areas is the key to the understanding of new concepts. It is important we introduce students to many of the content area vocabulary terms they will be seeing in the intermediate grades. These subjects also increase the students' use of expository texts. Readers need to take a different stance when reading in the content areas. Here they are reading for information as opposed to reading for pleasure. The language is more dense, and there needs to be knowledge of important text features and key words that classify types of questions that are asked. For more information on the use of expository text patterns click here or to read some articles on the features of expository text, and how they are introduced in the classroom, click on one of the attachments at the bottom of the page.

 Some of the topics we will cover this year are listed below.

Science	Social Studies
Landforms and Features of the Earth	Communities (Urban, Suburban, and Rural)
Frogs and Butterflies	Government
Matter	Maps and Globes
The Solar System	Biographies
Weather and the Water Cycle	Communities Then and Now: Ancestors
Amazing Animals	Economy: Needs and Wants

Expository Text Instruction (pdf file)
Article: “Making a Case and a Place for Effective Content Area Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Grades”

Expository Text Structure (pdf file)
Article: “Teaching Expository Text Structure Awareness”

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