Language Arts

Fourth graders read independently and apply critical thinking skills to what they read. They can identify the main ideas in a passage, can differentiate between fact and opinion, and can summarize specific details of what they read. Students read novels related to class themes and complete activity units in conjunction with their reading. Reading is often integrated with the theme being discussed in social studies. The classroom syllabus includes The Kid Who Ran For President, by Dan Gutman; Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor; Bound for Oregon, by Jean van Leeuwen; and Out of Many Waters, by Jacqueline Dembar Greene. Students are expected to read at home and complete a reading log.

Advanced writing skills focus on creativity, spelling, and grammar. Research, report, and process writing skills include brainstorming, first draft, introductory and concluding paragraphs, editing and publishing. Writing forms include news articles, journal entries, explanations, poems, and summaries. For an example of an assignment to write a dialogue, click here. For an example of a creative writing project where the student’s assignment was to decide what type of weather s/he most resembled, look here and here. Students work on advanced oral communication skills through class presentations.

Mathematics

Fourth graders focus on math computational problem-solving skills, and master multiplication and division facts with one and two-digit factors, place value to 100,000, elapsed time, adding and subtracting fractions with like/unlike denominators, mixed fractions, equivalent fraction reducing fractions, place value of decimals, comparing, ordering decimals, rounding decimals, solid geometry, planes, solid shapes, angles, congruent figures, transformations, symmetry, polygons, circles, bar, circle, line, stem and leaf graphs, graphing ordered pairs, customary and metric measurement for volume, weight, and distance, area, perimeter, and volume.

Social Studies

Fourth graders study the history of the United States and the structure and functioning of the federal government. The class starts with the early colonization of America, including early Jewish immigration. The class studies pilgrims and pioneers in American life, colonization, early explorers, the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers, and the Westward Expansion. They learn about regions and geography of the United States, its early settlements, economy, and the effect of the physical environment on life in different areas. They study the branches of the United States government. They complete a research report on early American history. For an example, click here.

In civics, fourth graders study the role of government at the federal level, core democratic values, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and current events. In the area of economics, the class studies government services, the role of industry and consumer credit. In geography the class studies natural, human, and capital resources and develops mapping skills. Other activities include role-playing, historical songs and discussion of current events using Scholastic News, the Ann Arbor News and other newspapers.

Science

Topics include Weather, Geology, and Simple Machines. The class conducts experiments using the scientific method. The classroom focus is on developing thinking skills, note-taking, hands-on observation and the scientific research process.

See link to fourth grade curriculum map.

See example of fourth grade weekly news to parents.

See fourth graders' scores on standardized tests.