Fourth Grade

Language Arts concentrates on reading comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and writing. The Junior Great Books program is introduced which encourages students to read carefully, to grasp significant details and support opinions with material read in the text. Students develop critical thinking skills and the ability to connect events in the stories. Literature Circles are introduced to help students have a better understanding of the book being read and reading improves through oral participation and discussion. Through written and oral book reports, students learn to identify plot, character and time period, and introduce literary techniques such as climax, foreshadowing, and suspense.

Students learn to spell compound words and use new words correctly in written and spoken language. They develop the ability to recognize parts of speech, the four kinds of sentences, and use them correctly including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, possessive pronouns, conjunctions and prepositional phrases. Students learn the correct application of English in paragraph construction, letter writing, verse form and report writing. They learn different types of poetry with specific patterns including haiku, cinquain and limericks.

Mathematics continues to concentrate on basic operations, geometry and problem solving. Students add and subtract three digit numbers, and multiply and divide two digit numbers. Two step word problems are introduced.

Social Studies explores American history from the arrival of Native Americans in North America to the end of the Revolutionary War and the foundation of a new nation. Geography focuses on continents, capital cities and major physical features of Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Australia and Canada.

Science continues to stress proper lab techniques and to model scientific processes. Students distinguish between different types of rocks and minerals, understand the properties of electricity and circuitry, and understand the properties of magnets and magnetism. Ecosystems and biomes are among the other subjects studied.

Foreign Language introduces possessive pronouns, articles, plural words and an understanding of gender and how words are categorized. Previously learned vocabulary is reviewed and discussions of Spanish cultures and famous people continue.

Technology is used as a tool to enrich the core curriculum. Students complete class assignments and projects such as research reports and multimedia presentations using the computers in both the classroom and the computer lab. Students are taught how to use the Internet as a reference and are assisted in using Macromedia Flash, Inspiration, Photoshop Elements, PowerPoint and other software.

Physical Education continues to build upon skill levels of sports learned in previous years and introduces new skills through football, volleyball, roller hockey/field hockey, and dance. Good sportsmanship and cooperation are always emphasized.

Art explores how an artist sees and views space. Students focus on seeing the spaces around and inside the things they draw and perform more complex assignments with multiple objects and models.

Music builds upon proper vocal techniques as students sing American folk songs and songs in French as well as multicultural folks songs. Students learn to identify classical music and opera. They write a fairy tale script and set it to music. Students learn to play the recorder and begin notating simple melodies.