4th Grade Curriculum

Religion

The Religion Curriculum focuses on God calling us into a deeper relationship through the Commandments and the Beatitudes.  Students are taught:

  • The Ten Commandments, God’s laws of love, were given to the chosen people
  • Sacraments originate from the witness of Christian life within the family
  • Gospel stories which help students to develop a relationship with Jesus and connect their lives to His life and mission
  • The study of Liturgy to facilitate their participation at Mass
  • Basic concepts of social justice to encourage students to reach out and build relationships of love and goodness
 English/Language Arts

Language

  • Conduct interviews and surveys and report the results
  • Orally express opinions and conclusions about texts read or heard
  • Use a dictionary, thesaurus, or other reference book to determine meaning, usage, and pronunciation
  • Identify standard mechanics and usage involving punctuation, parts of speech (verbs, nouns, pronouns, and adverbs), paragraph format (indentation, topic sentence, conclusion), spelling and complete sentences (simple, compound)
  • Compare and contrast differences in language from different regions
  • Use a variety of strategies to determine the meaning of new words

 Literature

  • Identify main ideas and supporting details and compare/contrast information from different sources
  • Introduce and compare various traditional literature, such as myths, legends, fairy tales, fables and tall tales
  • Distinguish the theme from the topic; use more complex comprehending strategies
  • Provide evidence from a story to support the understanding of theme, character, plot, and setting
  • Demonstrate cause and effect relationships
  • Compare themes in poems
  • Identify and use a variety of patterns in poetry (end rhyme, free verse, couplets, haiku, limerick, etc.)
  • Identify, analyze, and explore sound devices, sensory words, exaggeration (hyperbole), and direct and indirect comparisons (simile, metaphor, personification)

 Composition

  • Write multi-paragraph compositions that develop a central idea in an expository format
  • Show development in organization, content, paragraph development, level of detail, mechanics, word usages, and sentence structure in written work
  • Use graphic organizers and additional strategies (note taking, summarizing, etc.) to plan and write the composition
  • Revise writing to improve level of detail
 Math

Number Sense and Operations

  • Understand fractions as part of a whole unit
  • Understand use of decimals as they relate to money
  • Add and subtract up to 5 digit numbers
  • Know multiplication facts through 12 x 12, and use them to solve problems
  • Divide up to a 3 digit whole number with a single digit divisor
  • Round whole numbers through one hundred thousand (100,000)
  • Multiply up to 3 digit by 2 digit numbers

 Patterns, Relations, and Algebra

  • Use pictures, models, tables, charts, graphs, words, number sentences, and mathematical notations to interpret mathematical relationships

 Measurement

  • Identify time to five minute intervals on analog and digital clocks using AM and PM
  • Identify and use appropriate tools to measure length, width and weight

 Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability

  • Represent the possible outcomes for a simple probability situation
  • Collect and organize data, and identify appropriate ways to display the data
 Science

Earth and Space

  • Currents and Coastlines
    • Investigate and identify how winds interact with water to cause currents and waves
    • Explore the difference between oceans, rivers, and estuaries
    • Discover how pollution threatens ocean resources

Life Science

  • Classify plants and animals according to their physical characteristics, and describe each structure’s purpose
  • Identify the needs of organisms and how they are changed by their environment
  • Differentiate among properties of objects (rocks), such as size, shape, and weight; and properties of materials such as color, texture, and hardness

Physical

  • Compare and contrast the basic properties of water in the solid, liquid and gas state, and know that one can move between the states by adding or taking away heat
  • Identify the basic forms of energy (light, heat, electrical, etc.)
  • Recognize and demonstrate that magnets have poles that repel and attract each other
 Social Studies

Geography

  • Use cardinal directions, map scales, legends, and titles maps to locate places on contemporary maps
  • Understand and locate the continents and major oceans
  • Understand the differences between maps and globes and know when to use one vs. the other

Civics and Government

  • Give examples of why communities need to have governments
  • Give examples of the different ways people  in a community can influence their government
  • Develop an understanding of the three branches of the Federal Government

History

  • History of New Hampshire (symbols, famous people, government)
  • Native American culture in North America
 Spanish

One-half hour per week

Review and reinforce material covered in Grade 3

Introduce:

  • Me gusta(n), ¿Te gusta(n)? and negative of both as used with nouns and verbs/verb phrases
  • Describing to others (verbal/written) what student likes/dislikes (nouns) and likes/dislikes doing (verbs)
  • Reading, translating and responding to basic Spanish descriptions of people from South America
  • Writing letters in Spanish to describe themselves to a Spanish-speaking person
  • Adjectives and concept of agreement (gender/number)
  • Describing people, places and things by extensive use of an “adjective packet”
  • How to describe themselves and classmates (verbal/written)

Enhance:

  • Detailed conversation segments
  • Understanding of masculine/feminine noun concept
  • Vocabulary through special projects/culture
 Art
  • Studying the meaning and mixing of the full spectrum of colors
  • Introducing pencil, water color, opaque paints, crayon resist, pastels, printing, collage and other mixed media for 2-D works
  • Introducing skills and techniques for 3-D media including clay, wire, paper and soft sculpture
  • Developing fine motor skills
  • Developing observational and analytical skills
  • Learning about cultures and history through artwork
  • Encouraging the individual expression of the students

Art skills are also integrated into the regular classroom curriculum.

 Music

The Music Curriculum focuses on the following:

  • Sing a varied repertoire of music alone and with others
  • Demonstrate ability in the music skills of melody, harmony, form, expressive qualities and rhythm
  • Gain an understanding of basic music vocabulary such as echo, beat, loud/soft, high/low, fast/slow, tempo, steady beat, etc.
  • Use of recorders
Information Computer Technology (ICT)

The Information Computer Technology Curriculum is designed to ensure that the student has mastered the appropriate beginning and intermediate computer knowledge and skills as defined by New Hampshire state ICT standards. Learning/usage of skills is integrated into the classroom curriculum and instruction is taught in the lab. Students will learn:

  • Basic operations and technology concepts including hardware, software, operating systems, and applications
  • Review of keyboarding skills and intermediate word processing skills using Microsoft Word
  • How to create and edit graphics and images using Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Open, save, and print documents
 Physical Education

The Physical Education Curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students to grow physically, cognitively, and socially.  Students should be able to do the following:

  • Improve coordination
    • Use mature form in object control to use basic sport specific skills for a variety of activities (kick, run, strike, throw)
    • Use control in weight-bearing and balance activities
  • Instill sportsmanship
  • Use range of strategies for net and invasion games
    • Understand rules, procedures, and etiquette that are safe
    • Work in a group in both cooperative and competitive games
  • Develop an appreciation and enjoyment of physical activity
    • Understand that different individuals have differences in abilities
    • Engage in activities that provide personal challenge
  • Identify the benefits of good health habits and an active lifestyle
    • Engage in activities that increase cardio-respiratory endurance
    • Engage in activities that develop flexibility, muscular strength, and endurance
  • Know the characteristics of a healthy lifestyle
 Library

Children come to the library weekly.  They learn to explore the reading materials and find books to take home.  Library and listening skills are introduced.  Children learn the responsibility of borrowing and returning books on a weekly basis.

The Librarian works in conjunction with the classroom teacher on class projects.  Children are guided to select appropriate materials at their level.

 

Comments are closed.