4th Grade Curriculum at a Glance

MAIN LESSON BLOCKS

Geography/History: Oregon Geography & History; Lewis and Clark; Native American Cultures

Math: Introduction to Fractions I & II

Mythology: Norse Mythology

Science: Animal Studies

Drama: Class Play

Special Projects: Animal Report, Biography Report

4th Grade Curriculum in Detail

LANGUAGE ARTS

• Reading: Reading groups provide reading and comprehension practice and exposure to age-level classics; additional reading aloud practice is encouraged at home to further increase fluency

• Writing: Writing practice occurs in main lesson and LA Skills classes and includes retelling of main lesson stories, descriptive paragraphs using topic sentences, three-paragraph compositions, journal entries, letters, invitations, greeting cards, thank you notes, apologies; creative writing, poetry. Two guided research projects: Animal Report and Biography Report

• Grammar: Continued practice with punctuation, capitalization, and distinguishing between proper sentences versus fragments and run-ons. Students learn the difference between simple and compound sentences and parts of speech are introduced.

• Vocabulary: Vocabulary lists are developed from main lesson content; students learn to use dictionaries to discover synonyms and antonyms and practice alphabetizing.

• Spelling: Weekly list & quiz which includes vocabulary from main lesson, homonyms, frequently confused words, and words which reinforce spelling rules

• Handwriting Continued practice with cursive writing

MATH

• Times tables (1 – 12) mastery

• Accuracy and speed with basic computations (no fingers!)

• Long addition columns, complex subtractions, & making change from $1.00, etc.

• Double-digit multiplications & short and long division

• Four operations with fractions

• Find the LCD and GCF

• Recognize prime, composite, and square numbers

• Estimate and round

• Read graphs and representing data on graphs

• Continued work with place value, expanded notation, measurement problems, number patterns, reading/writing of numbers, story and logic problems

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: SPANISH & CHINESE

• Continued development of listening comprehension, vocabulary, and speaking ability through listening and following, question/answer activities, songs, poems, rhymes, movement exercises, and games

• Continued work with reading and writing

• Cultural enrichment activities including celebration of festivals

MUSIC

• 3 and 4-part rounds and partner songs

• Singing with harmony parts

• Vocal warm-ups

• Music notation with recorders, music theory activities

• Study of the families of the orchestra

GAMES

• Tag games

• Cooperative games & activities

• Pre-team sports, games emphasizing skill development and teamwork

• Kickball

• Circus: stilts, juggling, tumbling, balancing

• Yoga

• Sportsmanship and conflict resolution

PAINTING & FORM DRAWING

• Watercolor Painting - Local landscapes and animals developed through color exercises

• Form Drawing – braided forms

HANDWORK

• Cross Stitch

• More advanced sewing stitches: back stitch and invisible stitch

• Create own designs and patterns in cross stitch

• Projects: pin cushion & bookmark

WOODWORK

• Introduction to carving tools and safety

• Simple carved forms (concave & convex)

EURYTHMY

• Harmonious group movement to poetry and music

• Work with rods – focus, stillness, balance, coordination, rhythm, beat

• Work in small groups, team work, building the social aspect

• Staying centered while in the flow

• Feeling the self and feeling the self as part of the whole

WELLNESS CURRICULUM & TRUST CIRCLES – Guest presenters/facilitators ( 5-6 per year)

• Guided class conversations to promote social/emotional awareness and development and good communication