Grade 4 Curriculum

3-5 Philosophy:

All students learn from a balanced approach to literacy, one that includes a responsive approach to the teaching of reading and writing. Students learn to self-assess, set goals, work with partners, and receive and apply feedback. Students learn to use the writing process to write for real purposes and audiences, write the kinds of texts that they see in the world, and to put meaning onto the page. Students develop critical thinking skills, write daily with greater independence, stamina, and fluency, and create pieces of writing across the genres of narrative, informational, and opinion with increasing complexity.

As readers, students engage deeply with texts by having daily opportunities to read high-interest, accessible books independently, in partnerships, small groups, and book clubs.  Students have access to increasingly complex texts appropriate for their grade level and build comprehension, analytical thinking, grammar, word solving skills, and vocabulary through a variety of texts.

Fourth graders explore geometry concepts and apply shape properties to create geometric figures. They use several different techniques to find the perimeter and area of assorted shapes. Children in fourth grade apply their knowledge of math facts to fact extensions, such as 4 X 8 = 32 so 40 X 80 = 3200, and develop strategies for multi-digit multiplication problems. They use their knowledge of estimation, place value, and the relationship between multiplication and division to develop a division strategy.

Children are able to apply a variety of strategies for adding or subtracting multi-digit numbers and can apply them to situations involving decimal values. In the fourth grade, children use manipulatives to conduct probability experiments and to explore equivalent decimals and percents. Homework pages are now called Math Links.

Fourth-grade students experience a yearlong project, the World Tour. They "travel" to Washington, D.C. from Troy and then "visit" five other regions of the world. Math skills include reading tables for information, collecting numerical data, using map scales to estimate distance, locating points on a grid, and using latitude and longitude for locations on Earth. Children are also involved in performing experiments and conducting surveys where they have the opportunity to collect and organize data, display the information, and analyze and interpret the results.

• Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
• Reason abstractly and quantitatively
• Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
• Model with mathematics
• Use appropriate tools strategically
• Attend to precision
• Look for and make use of structure
• Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade begin to develop an understanding of the four disciplinary core ideas: physical sciences; life sciences; earth and space sciences; and engineering, technology, and applications of science. In the earlier grades, students begin by recognizing patterns and formulating answers to questions about the world around them. By the end of fifth grade, students are able to demonstrate grade-appropriate proficiency in gathering, describing, and using information about the natural and designed world(s).

Fourth grade students take part in an in-depth study of Michigan’s geography, history, economics, and government. Students are given the opportunity to discover differences and similarities between Michigan and other states. Students use knowledge of core democratic values to take a stand on current public policy issues.

In fourth grade, students employ the artistic elements and principles as their creativity, knowledge-base, interest, and enthusiasm for art are nurtured by an elementary visual art specialist. Based on the study of various cultures, historical periods, and famous works of art, the sequential curriculum focuses on challenging the students' problem-solving abilities.

Students are taught to manipulate an increasing variety of tools and materials and to utilize more complex artistic techniques. Throughout the year, student art may be displayed in individual school buildings and the community.

In fourth-grade Vocal/general music, students continue to build upon their past information-base as they refine their understanding of musical elements and concepts. Musical literacy is stressed as students learn to read and sing standard musical notation, to analyze, move to, and to create more complex songs.

A strong correlation is made among the songs, instruments, and ethnic dances and their geographic, historical and cultural roots.

In fourth grade, students become aware that the outcome of situations depends on the choices they make. Students recognize how health products can be used or misused and learn some common reasons for drug misuse. They learn how smoking and alcohol affect the body.

The students continue to study the human body and how it is composed of cells, organs, and tissues. Students gain an understanding of the structure and functions of the heart, circulatory system, respiratory system, and digestive system.

Students go to Physical Education class twice a week, once for 25 minutes and once for 30 minutes. Students continue to work and fine tune Gross-Motor skills, spatial awareness, and coordination. They increase their ability with the principles of eye, hand, and foot coordination through a variety of activities. Students continue to develop traditional team sports based skills through culminating activities and game play. They will be assessed in certain skills throughout the year. Students will develop positive characteristics and attitudes, a sense of fair play, teamwork concepts, and cooperation with others. At this level, there is an increased emphasis on cardiopulmonary fitness, muscular strength, flexibility and coordination through the T.R.O.Y. Fitness Program. Students are assessed twice a year in Continuous Jog, Jump Roping, Plank, Sit and Reach, and Flex-arm Hang. Every student will have a personal fitness log that they will set goals for themselves in each of the fitness tests. After every assessment, student will reevaluate their goals and set new ones.

The English language development program helps ensure learning for all students, specifically students who are multilingual and in the process of acquiring English as an additional language. The ELD specialists provide small group instruction for English language acquisition outside the grade level classroom with frequency based on the students’ unique instructional needs. They also support access to classroom content by pushing into grade level classrooms.