Hi all, I am moving to 4th after teaching 1st for the last 4 years. I am very excited, but I was wondering about classroom themes... Do 4th grade classrooms have themes? I had an ocean theme last year in my room... Anyone have great ideas? Thanks!
I think fourth grade is still a perfect grade to have a theme. My former team teacher does a theme each year with her fifth graders and they love it. You can check out my ideas here for inspiration: http://www.realclassroomideas.com/114.html
Grrrr-try it again. The pages have been 'sticking' today when I try to load them. Maybe too many people are trying to hop on? Let me know if you still can't get on tonight.
I did the sports theme also. To give you a little more info... you can find sports theme stuff from: Really Good Stuff, Oriental Trading and Party City. The first day we made pennants, team names, and acrostics for TEAM. Teamwork was a constant theme of everything we did especially behavior. For behavior chart they got strikes 1, 2, 3, your out! Also, football to help reach a goal...10yards for everyone doing something imparticular and they get a class reward when they get a touchdown. It's endless what you can do with it.
I'd love to hear more themes. I don't have one, and I'm not convinced I "need" one, but I think it'll make the year more interesting.
I don't have a year long one, Pisces Fish. I like to collect the ideas on the site, but I just can't pick only one. So I do little themes around the room. Tropical for my morning meeting area, western for my job board, hogwarts for my library, etc. The best of everything. I'm doing the Top Secret thing for the summer and first week, but then we'll be done with, except for our class name (Mrs. Uppman's Undercover Agents) and our Super Slueth club (Mastery Club). So I don't think you NEED one. It just kind of fun.
I've done a jungle theme "Welcome to the Bunch" BB w/ monkeys all around. I used twisted butcher paper for vines. another BB is "Swinging into Third Grade" again w/ monkeys. Gathered a bunch of stuffed animals, language, science math all integrated with theme. A teacher last year did "Rain forest" with lizards an other animals, first research was on critters in the rain forest....she kept the vines up all year and when winter came put white batting on them for snow, in spring wrapped silk flowers all over them We are a nascar town so we have done "Racing into a good year." Stay on track....for behavior Pit Crew....for helpers These are just off the top of my head. This next year I am using "Really Good Stuff" surfing/Wave theme.
I am thinking about doing a cat/dog theme. I used a dog webkin this year as a special privilege for the student of the week and they like that. I will have 8 tables of 4 desks so maybe each team could be named after a particular breed? Anyone have other ideas for me?
Thank you for this! I am looking for more ideas about the rain forest - particularly terms I can use for boards & student communication. Love the vine idea!
Mrs. B--just off the top of my head...for cats and dogs (mainly dogs) you could use "The Dogpound" either for good behavior or your in the "Doghouse" for poor behavior There are cute dog cut outs that you could have the kids name/pic on. "Who let the dogs out?"--somehow tie this in with earning extra recess/center time on Friday (get it---get out of the dog pound... sorry best I think of right this minute. My kids loved the webkins and got extra time to go on the web site when they were well behaved. A BB idea to display work is "DOGGONE GOOD WORK!" Another idea popped in my head---get a stuffed animal cat/dog and send it around the USA or to us (like a flat stanley) it would cost a little more put you could pick and choose a few different places that are different from your area landform/climate wise! one last corny idea...have a pic of a barking ST Bernard (work dog) "RUFF and READY WORKERS" if you do helpers. Teach--- I will ask friend about BB and stuff for Rainforst...exhausted ideas on the dogs
4th grade themes You can incorporate team work " Use the player of the week - the Team Captain - etc.
Sports theme I did a sports theme with my fourth graders last year...they loved it. I was going to change for the coming year, but my incoming students kept telling me thay couldn't wait to be a part of the K-Team. I had "Have a Ball on Your Birthday" display, an "AR All-Stars" display for Ar tracking, a "Tackle These Words" for a math word wall, "We All Pitch In" for helpers, and "The K-Team MVP" for a student of the week. In the hall I had "The K-Team Hall of Fame." Each student made a foam pennant and the posted an art project or a piece of work they were proud of underneath. We changed the work every two weeks of so. Decorating was easy...the kids loved it! This year I plan to keep some the same and change some. I am going to do "Start the Year With A Grand Slam: Here's Your Ticket to Success" as a welcome-class rules board. Hope these ideas help.
sports themes 4th grade` Thanks for your super ideas! I am excited about the new year and sports theme. I borrowed a lot of ideas from Newingham's website. Thanks again!
Baseball I think sports is a great way to go. I have done baseball for the past 3 years, and the kids love it. It really helps with creating a team / family atmosphere in the classroom. Plus, it is pretty easy to find stuff for cheap! Target has baseball/football name plates in the Dollar spot!!
Mr. K Thanks so so much! Everything just clicked for me on how to get this year started! I am so stealing your ideas. thank you, thank you, thank you!!
