Fourth Grade Curriculum
Language Arts
Reading
Read a variety of texts for multiple purposes, such as enjoyment, gathering information and increasing conceptual under standing.
Read a variety of texts with developing fluency to construct meaning.
Make connections and generate themes from a variety of texts.
Understand and respond to oral, visual, written and electronic text comparing responses to peers.
Use phonetic strategies, context clues, and word reference materials to determine the meaning of unfamiliar multiple-meaning words as well as patterns of language.
Read for sustained period of 15 minutes daily or 45-75 minutes per week.
Writing
Implement the writing process to include prewriting, drafting, conferencing, editing, and publishing.
Employ multiple strategies when composing to inform, persuade, entertain, and describe.
Correctly spell a selected list of high frequency and misspelled words appropriate for forth grade.
Demonstrate grammar usage appropriate to fourth grade.
Demonstrate usage of mechanics of writing appropriate to fourth grade.
Listening
Actively listen to oral presentations, storytelling, poetry and directions, responding appropriately.
Speaking
Use effective oral communication skills in a variety of settings, including oral presentation and reports.
Research/Study Skills
Use two or more information resources to research a topic.
Take notes.
Create a product using the information gathered.
Apply appropriate skills in testing situations.
Science
Earth Science
Conduct tests to determine the properties of minerals.
Investigate how wind, water, and ice change the land forms of Earth.
Electric Circuits
Test to determine conductors and insulators.
Construct simple electric circuits.
Chemical Tests
Compare and contrast the physical and chemical properties of various substances.
Conduct controlled tests to determine the absence or presence of chemicals.
Animals
Classify animals as vertebrates or invertebrates
Denote how the behavior and characteristics of animals are determined by their adaptation to their environment.
Health
Growing into responsibilities.
Staying safe.
Healthy drug-free living.
Saying "No" to drugs " Yes" to health.
The food-health connection.
Dental health.
The digestive system.
The human cell.
Germs & the immune system.
Wellness throughout the year.
Social Studies
The fourth grade social studies curriculum focuses on the state of Michigan. Students will participate in units on geography, history/heritage, economics, and government/civics of the state. Students will learn about the people and events from the past that have shaped the lives of people today. They will study the physical and cultural characteristics of places in Michigan. By studying the economic connections through the movement of people, products, and ideas across the country, students will discover how Michigan is an independent part of both the national and global economy. Students will explore production, consumption and distribution of goods and services. State government law and core democratic values will also be studied in an effort to increase the student awareness of responsible citizenship.
Mathematics
Mathematical Thinking at Grade 4
Students recognize similarities and generalize patterns using numbers and geometric models. Students experience counting activities to develop intuitive sense about numbers and the operations of addition and subtraction. Students recognize symmetrical objects and identify the type of symmetry.
Arrays and Shares
Students develop a strong understanding of multiplication and division and their properties using various models and strategies. They solve multiplication and division word problems and discuss the relationship between the situation and standard notation.
Landmarks in the Thousands
Students explore the structure of our number system though activities involving landmarks-numbers that are familiar landing places such as multiples of 10 or 25, that make for simple calculations, and to which other numbs can be related.
Money, Miles and Large Numbers
Students develop an understanding of properties of numbers, including the relationships between numbers and build strategies for combining and comparing numbers in context. Students develop standard units of measurement, explore scale drawings and build strategies for estimating measurement.
Different Shapes, Equal Pieces
In this unit, which uses and area model for fractions, students represent fractions, find equivalent fractions, find equivalent fractions, and order fractions.
The Shape of Data
Students collect and explore data, organize it into a useful form, and develop skills in representing and reading data displayed in different formats.
Seeing Solids and Silhouettes
Students develop spatial sense, draw and build familiar shapes, describe attributes of shapes, identify location relative to other objects, and describe the effects of transformations.
Packages and Groups
Students recognize generalized patterns, create models and represent mathematical relationships involving multiplication and division. Student investigate properties of numbers involving multiplication and apply these properties to solve problems.
Physical Education
The elementary physical education department delivers curriculum addressing: physical fitness, cognitive understanding, motor skills, leisure skills and personal/social skill components. Physical education classes meet twice weekly for 30 minute periods.
Art
Art class meets once weekly for a forty-five minute period. Students explore ideas about themselves, their world and other cultures through work in various art processes such as painting, collage, drawing, sculpture and ceramics. Art history is a major component of the elementary art curriculum. References to art of the past and present teach how ideas have been explored by others.
Music
Elementary students receive thirty minutes of musical instruction twice each week. The seven strands of the TCAPS musical instruction are: singing, playing instruments, musical literacy, listening, movement, creativity, and music in relation to history, culture and other disciplines. The students begin to develop skills and understanding in all seven areas throughout American music, and the music of other cultures.
Library
The elementary library media centers are at the heart of education at TCAPS. With a minimum of 30 minutes each week at the library , our students are surrounded by wonderful resources for school research and individual reading enjoyment. Special reading promotions throughout the year encourage our students to develop a love of reading and a desire to "find out more" at the library.
Classroom Tools
Minimum of Three Desktop Computers
Access to Wide Area Network
Access to Internet and World Wide Web
Access to Software
Television
Video Cassette Recorder
Electronic and Voice Messaging System