Fourth Grade Curriculum

Language Arts

Reading

• Read a variety of texts for multiple purposes, such as enjoyment, gathering information and increasing conceptual understanding.
• 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 and multiple-meaning words as well as patterns of language.
• Read for a sustained, silent period for 15 minutes daily or 45-75 minutes per week.

Writing

• Implement the writing process to include prewriting, drafting, conferencing, revising, 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 fourth 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.

Electrical 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

The fourth grade health education curriculum focuses on:

• 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 the 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 interdependent 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 Shapes

• 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.

Different Shapes, Equal Pieces

• In this unit, which uses and area model for fractions, students represent 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.

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 numbers can be related.

Money, Miles, and Large Numbers

• Students develop an understanding of properties of numbers, including the relationship 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.

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. Students investigate properties of numbers involving multiplication and apply these properties to solve problems.

Physical Education

Art

Music

Library