Art

Fourth grade children have the opportunity to explore and discuss a wide range of two- and three-dimensional forms of art. This class encourages fourth grade children, through a hands-on approach, to experience a variety of media, learn more advanced techniques, and sharpen their maturing appreciation of many artists and artistic styles. A strengthening of their basic design knowledge and skills is fostered through each assignment.

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Language Arts

Students in fourth grade will read independently, as well as in a variety of groups, to acquire knowledge and information relating to all content areas. Fourth grade children are given guidance toward quality genres of literature and are responsible for sharing their knowledge in various methods within the classroom such as written book reports and book talks. Activities that highlight grammar, punctuation, and the mechanics of writing are assigned to strengthen students’ reading and writing skills. Student vocabulary is strengthened through the use of vocabulary units that challenge students to identify relationships among word groups. Throughout the course of the fourth grade school year, students will display growth in the contents of reading and writing through application of learned skills.

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Mathematics 

Fourth grade utilizes the Khan Academy which enables students to encounter math in a meaningful way and translates mathematical skills from the concrete to the abstract. Skills are developmentally progressive from previous grades and guide students to develop logical thinking and critical problem-solving skills. Students learn to identify alternative algorithms, and cover geometric figures, multiplication and division, number sentences, decimals, estimation, computation, measures of angles, fractions, chance and probability, perimeter and area, percent, reflections and symmetry, shapes, weight, volume and capacity, and rates.

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Science

Our fourth grade program utilizes Pearson’s Interactive Science curriculum. The school provides each fourth grader with an Interactive Science textbook that includes interactive text, science inquiries, and links to digital lessons and activities. The textbook belongs to the student, and daily lessons will involve interaction with text and images that will help with the development of good study skills. Students can expect to engage in a variety of hands-on science inquiry activities during each unit of study. Investigations throughout the year will focus on organisms and ecosystems, space patterns and Earth’s resources, and properties of matter and energy. Chapter checkpoints will focus on mastery of key concepts and vocabulary, while unit tests will focus on mastery of concepts and skills learned during an entire unit. Core units of study are taught in a spiral pattern from year to year, building on previous learning in order to develop depth of knowledge and further understanding in many of the same overall topics with new learning opportunities as the grades advance.

 

Social Studies 

Students in fourth grade social studies will acquire knowledge in reference to each of the regions of the United States of America. As students travel through the regions, they will participate in activities implementing the skills of economists, geographers, historians, and political scientists. In addition to discovering the importance of the roles of a social scientist to each region, students will engage in lessons to enhance their use of map skills. Students will be able to read a variety of maps, including political, physical, climate, and road maps, and be able to extract important information from maps. Students will also use primary sources and information texts to gather historical, economic, and political facts for each region of study. Students will apply their knowledge of the regions into activities are integrated with many language arts skills.

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Spanish

Fourth grade students have a developmental foundation, which allows them to begin a more formal approach to foreign language learning. The five basic skills for second language acquisition (listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural awareness) are emphasized in the content to maintain an emphasis on the foundational abilities. A stronger emphasis is placed on basic grammar structures, such as gender, the formation of plurals, and subject-verb agreement.