October Newsletter
This month, our mathematicians are diving into strategies for multiplying multi-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers. We’re building a strong foundation by exploring place value, properties of multiplication, and visual models like arrays and area models. Students will learn to break numbers apart, use partial products, and apply the standard algorithm with confidence.
Our goal is for every student to understand not just how to multiply—but why the strategies work. We’re connecting math to real-world thinking, encouraging flexible problem-solving, and celebrating growth every step of the way!
🧠 Strategies to Multiply by 1-Digit Numbers
1. Place Value Strategy (Distributive Property) Break apart the larger number by place value, then multiply each part. Example: 326×4=(300×4)+(20×4)+(6×4)326 \times 4 = (300 \times 4) + (20 \times 4) + (6 \times 4)
2. Area Model Draw a rectangle, split it by place value, and multiply each section. This visual helps students see how partial products combine.
3. Partial Products Multiply each digit separately, then add the products. Example: 326×4=(6×4)+(2×4×10)+(3×4×100)326 \times 4 = (6 \times 4) + (2 \times 4 \times 10) + (3 \times 4 \times 100)
4. Standard Algorithm Stack the numbers and multiply each digit, carrying over when needed. This is efficient but should come after conceptual strategies.
5. Repeated Addition Use when multiplying smaller numbers. Example: 6×4=6+6+6+66 \times 4 = 6 + 6 + 6 + 6
6. Skip Counting Count by the number being multiplied. Example: Skip count by 4: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20...
7. Using Arrays Draw rows and columns to represent the multiplication. Great for visual learners and connecting to area.
8. Properties of Multiplication
Commutative Property: Order doesn’t matter (e.g., 4×6=6×44 \times 6 = 6 \times 4)
Associative Property: Grouping doesn’t matter (e.g., (2×3)×4=2×(3×4)(2 \times 3) \times 4 = 2 \times (3 \times 4))
Distributive Property: Break apart numbers to simplify (e.g., 7×13=7×(10+3)7 \times 13 = 7 \times (10 + 3))
This month, our writers are embarking on a fan fiction journey—think Dungeons & Dragons, but instead of acting it out, we’re writing it! ✨
Students will:
Create original characters with traits, backstories, classes, likes, and dislikes
Collaborate in character-based writing groups to build shared storylines
Write imaginative, multi-character adventures filled with conflict, teamwork, and creativity
📘 Why It Matters (Colorado Academic Standards)
According to the Colorado Academic Standards for Writing, 4th grade students are expected to:
Develop narrative texts with clear sequences, character development, and descriptive details
Use dialogue and pacing to enhance storytelling
Organize ideas and events logically, with a strong beginning, middle, and end
Collaborate and revise with peers to improve clarity and impact
In Unit 3 of Benchmark Reader’s Workshop, students dive into informational texts to explore how authors organize and present ideas. The unit emphasizes analyzing text structures—such as cause and effect, problem and solution, compare and contrast, and sequence—to help students understand how information is built and conveyed.
🧠 Key Learning Goals:
Identify and analyze text structures in nonfiction
Understand how structure supports author’s purpose
Compare multiple texts on the same topic
Use text evidence to support thinking and discussion
Build vocabulary and comprehension through close reading
Students will engage with high-interest texts that connect to real-world topics, encouraging curiosity and critical thinking. This unit also supports cross-curricular connections with science and social studies, making learning more meaningful and integrated.
This month, our historians are diving into the rich and complex story of Colorado—its people, places, and pivotal moments. We’re exploring how diverse cultures shaped our state, from Indigenous tribes and Spanish explorers to miners, settlers, and modern communities. Students will analyze primary sources like maps, journals, and oral histories to uncover multiple perspectives and understand cause-and-effect relationships in Colorado’s development.
📘 What We’re Learning (Colorado State Standards Highlights)
According to the Colorado Academic Standards for 4th Grade Social Studies, students will:
Analyze primary and secondary sources to understand Colorado’s past
Draw inferences from historical documents like treaties, diaries, and maps
Explain human interactions among Indigenous peoples, explorers, and settlers
Identify how cultural and political groups influenced Colorado’s growth
Discuss multiple perspectives on westward expansion and its impact
These skills build historical thinking, empathy, and critical analysis—essential for understanding not just Colorado’s past, but how it shapes our present.
📣 Why This Unit Matters
There’s a chance our school may be selected to participate in the CMAS Social Studies assessment, which is based directly on these standards. Even if we aren’t selected this year, this unit lays the foundation for future success and helps students become informed, thoughtful citizens of our state.
We’re making this unit engaging and meaningful through storytelling, hands-on activities, and inquiry-based learning. Students will not only learn what happened in Colorado—they’ll explore why it matters.
This Month, we have started our next read aloud: The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman—just in time for Halloween! 🍂🦊
This beautifully eerie tale follows Clare, a silver-tailed fox who lives in a forest where the leaves are always falling and nothing is quite alive or dead. After a tragic accident, Clare becomes an Usher of wandering souls, guiding animals to their final resting places. But when a curious badger named Gingersnipes arrives and refuses to move on, Clare must embark on a mysterious journey to uncover the truth—and possibly change his own fate. With themes of grief, friendship, and courage, this story is both spooky and heartwarming—a perfect blend for fall reading.
