Fourth Grade Curriculum

Religion

A student will be able to:

  • understand that all of God’s creation is good
  • begin to apply the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments to his/her life
  • appreciate God's forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation
  • understand that the Eucharist is a sign of our unity
  • appreciate the church's mission to teach and serve
Language Arts

A student will be able to:
  • learn strategies that good readers use before, during and after reading; Inference, Sequencing, Evaluative, Context Clues and Compare and Contrast
  • apply techniques to develop critical thinking skills through enriching reading  selections, Novel Studies and Literature Corner discussion groups
  • utilize verbal/linguistic abilities to develop personal narratives, persuasive, descriptive, expository and poetic writing styles
  • integrate grammar, phonics, spelling and word study as the mechanics for clear and effective writing (Dictionary/Thesaurus)
  • develop a foundation for communication skills through auditory listening/speaking and oral presentations

Social Studies

A student will be able:

  • better understand the earth by using globes and maps
  • compare New Jersey to the five regions of the United States
  • use maps, tables and graphs to learn the geography
  • appreciate the role New Jersey and its people have played in the history of the United States
  • Embark on a journey through the state of New Jersey

Science

A student will be able to:

Life Science

  • explore the life cycle of a cell, the basic building block of life
  • understand the interdependence of living and nonliving parts of an Ecosystem and learn how plants and animals carry out their life process
  • learn how the Circulatory, Digestive, Respiratory, Skeletal and Nervous System work together in the Human Body
Physical Science

  • understand how the three States of Matter; (solids, liquids and gases) are each made up of atoms a nd molecules
  • investigate the physical and chemical properties of Matte r and know that all changes in matter involve energy
  • discover the Force and Motion of Energy in Electricity and Magnetism and how it plays a role in our daily life
  • learn about the two natural forces of gravity and friction and how these forces affect the motion of objects in terms of position, direction, speed, distance and velocity
  • observe how six simple machines can help people do work by changing the direction and distance of the force applied

Earth Science
  • understand the Rock Cycle and how geologic forces cause; Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Mountain Building and Erosion that shape Earth’s surface
  • learn about Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources and the importance of Conservation and Alternative Energy Sources
  • examine Earth’s atmosphere and learn how different weather conditions and factors can influence climate
  • explore Earth’s Solar System and understand the relationship of the Sun, Moon and other planets to Earth
Math

A student will be able to:

  • order numbers up to millions
  • know and apply the multi-step problem solving process
  • add and subtract three and four digit numbers
  • estimate and find the product of two and three digit factors by a two digit factor
  • estimate and find the quotient of two and three dividends by a one digit divisor

Geometry

  • identify points, lines, line segments, rays and angles
  • understand symmetry congruence and translations
  • identify a circle, polygons and quadrilaterals

Fractions

  • fractional parts of a whole
  • identify the numerator and denominator
  • add and subtract with like denominators

Assessments
  • rubrics
  • tests
  • quizzes
  • performance tasks
  • cooperative groups
  • skits, plays, games made by students
  • oral presentations
  • graphic organizers

Steps to Respect

  • help students to build more supportive relationships with each other
  • students learn a variety of friendship skills and steps for joining a group activity
  • teaches children skills for coping with bullying

Art

A student will be able to:

  • create 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional projects using a variety of media
  • recognize the diversity of artistic styles
  • demonstrate good craftsmanship, exhibit pride in work and respect for the work of others

COMPUTER

A student will be able to:

  • receive user ids and passwords for access to the school network
  • save a file to their individual network drive
  • use the basic functions in Microsoft Word, Power Point and Excel
  • use the Internet for researching
  • use a variety of computer programs to enhance classroom curriculum

Library

A student will be able to:

  • visit weekly and check out a library book for enjoyment reading and a book to supplement classroom assignments
  • use the Dewey Decimal System
  • use all library skills taught

Music

A student will be able to:

  • analyze melodic contour including movement by steps, leaps, and repeats
  • sing with increasing range and clear tone quality
  • identify and classify the instruments of the orchestra
  • analyze melodic contour, tone, color, and simple forms
  • sing and praise God with Church songs

Physical Education

A student will be able to:

  • participate in cooperative, recreational, and sport lead-up games
  • explore locomoto r movements with added complexity in sequential patterns
  • combine movements sequentially

Spanish

A student will be able to:

  • i dentify numbers zero to one hundred, Greetings and Dialogue, classroom objects, plural nouns in Spanish, days of the week, months and seasons, gender of nouns
  • Grade appropriate lessons are organized by topics familiar to the students, such as weather, mealtime, holidays, and sports

Multiple Intelligences

  • incorporating Brain Compatible strategies into teaching methods and styles to meet the needs of the learner

Progress

  • contact parents during marking period
  • progress report

Band

  • begins in 4th grade and is a voluntary activity
  • students are responsible for the work they miss while at band

Homework

  • Intended to review and reinforce concepts presented in class
  • Build independent learning/self esteem and organization skills
  • Offer families a glimpse into our classroom activities

Brain Break

  • please provide a nutritional snack and water