Academics View

Fourth Grade

Updated on Oct 17, 2019 02:00 PM by Bricker, Albert
 
Fourth Grade

Religion
Fourth grade religion focuses on RCL Benziger’s, Faith & World Edition: Blest Are We workbook. Students explore five areas: The Goodness of God, Jesus is the Son of God, The Holy Spirit, The Church, and Social Justice. The text provides students with a historical perspective, in addition to providing students with short activities to promote further exploration and reflection. In class, students make religious connections while using their School wide Learning Expectations to promote everyday good habits and Jesus-like choices. Students participate in multiple projects and activities across multiple subject areas that connect their Catholic faith into all areas of learning and life.

Language Arts
The fourth grade language arts curriculum is composed of many interrelated areas, such as literature, spelling, listening and speaking, vocabulary, writing, and fluency in their speech and writing skills. The use of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys text, as well as its Journeys Practice Book provides students with a scaffolded approach in learning all of the above areas. In addition to using these materials, 4th graders further explore their Language Arts skills through project-based learning while broadening their skills across curriculums.

Math
The fourth grade math curriculum uses Houghton Mifflin’s California Math text, which follows the California State Standards in five strands: Number Sense, Algebra and Functions, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics/Data Analysis/Probability, and Mathematical Reasoning. Students use both this math text, as well as supplemental math material to explore and refine their math skills in the aforementioned areas. In addition to using the text, students engage in a multi-modal learning approach where various math projects are presented to them throughout the school year. The combination between bookwork and assignments that foster application and exploration allow students to retain and utilize necessary math skills on an everyday basis.

Science
The fourth grade science curriculum provides students with a flexible and sequential process of exploring and investigating the biological and physical world. Students explore four areas in Science: Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Investigation and Experimentation. Students take a hands-on and exploratory approach while learning how to take lab notes and journal their findings. In doing so, much of the learning is student-centered and teacher facilitated. Students become active participants in instruction, which encourages students to build their scientific and critical thinking skills. Students create topics for projects and experiments based on curriculum guidelines and parameters given. Every year, fourth graders participate as honorary members in the St. Anthony-Immaculate Conception Science Fair. It encourages students to become involved in scientific discoveries, while fostering a strong sense of analytical and critical thinking skills.

Social Studies
The fourth grade social studies curriculum uses Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s: California Vistas-Our Golden State textbook. Students explore the following areas: The Golden State-Our Home, Early California History, Becoming A State, A Growing State, and A Changing California. Through various styles of instruction (lecture, technological, project-based, small group learning, etc.), students are exposed to and enthralled with learning how our California history has shaped their understanding of change over time. Furthermore, students participate in various thematic units where they spend time producing various pieces of work that focus on pivotal moments in our state’s history. Some examples are: Native Americans, California Missions, California Gold Rush, and California Then & Now.

Art
Fourth grade art focuses on five areas: Artistic Perception, Creative Expression, Historical and Cultural Context, Aesthetic Valuing, Connections/ Relationships/ Applications. Often times, students will use these various areas as a continuation of their learning in various subject areas. Fourth graders participate in many art projects, all of which foster a sense of individualism and dialogue through the different pieces they create in class. We focus on art as a way to express ourselves and depict the world around us.