English
Fourth Grade Language Arts consists of reading, spelling, grammar, and writing. Some science concepts are integrated into reading, and some basic math skills are practiced in spelling. Students continue to engage in skill lessons to develop reading fluency and comprehension. They read a variety of genres including chapter books, tall tales, fables, poetry, folk tales, and informational articles. In each lesson, students complete a journal entry and learn to use a rubric for journal writing. Students use the writing process and engage in a variety of writing applications. (back)

Math
In fourth grade math, students will investigate the base-ten number system by reading, writing, representing, comparing and rounding whole numbers and decimals; demonstrate fluency in computations with whole numbers using 1 and 2 digit numbers; develop strategies for performing computations mentally; and generate equivalent forms of fractions and decimals to estimate, add, and subtract decimals and fractions with like denominators. Students will count money and make change; examine prime and composite numbers; make simple measurement conversions of units; solve multi-step problems; and develop strategies to find perimeter, area, and volume. In geometry, students will investigate, classify, and model plane figures and solids. They will plot locations in the first quadrant of a coordinate system and make transformations of slides, flips, and turns; use words, tables, and graphs to analyze patterns and relationships to make predictions and solve problems; represent unknowns as variables in equations and inequalities and relate how change in one variable affects the value of a related variable. Students will gather and organize data in tables, charts, and graphs and make predictions based on interpretations and appropriate display of data; use mode, median, and range to describe the characteristics of data; conduct simple probability experiments and make predictions of possible outcomes ordering events as impossible, unlikely, equal, likely, and certain-to-happen; and make lists to display all possible combinations of different sets of items. (back)

Social Studies
The state of residence is the focus for fourth grade. Students learn about the geography, history, government and economy of their state. They learn about issues and ways that citizens participate in their states government. Students develop their research skills through individual and group activities. (back)

Science
Fourth-graders continue to safely conduct investigations, choose appropriate tools, measure, collect, formulate conclusions and communicate findings. They draw inferences from simple experiments and study the physical and chemical changes of matter. Properties of materials and the discovery of new materials formed by combining two or more materials are explored. Students expand the study of life cycles of plants by examining characteristics, growth and functions. Students gather information on the weather and its patterns and how weather impacts the Earth's surface, land, air and water. They explore how utilizing technology affects human lives and how technology and inventions change to meet people's needs. (back)

Rev. 01-13-05