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Fourth Grade Curriculum
Fourth Grade Developmental Description There are many important developmental issues which must be addressed in the fourth grade classroom. Fourth grade is the time when students usually begin to become acutely aware of boy/girl differences and to experience very strong feelings toward those they "like" and those they "dislike". Fourth graders are also very concerned about issues of rules and fairness. And they are often occupied with questions related to friendship and their peer group. Interactions between fourth grade girls and boys become very complex because all these issues and concerns are constantly overlapping.
Fourth graders need to feel secure, confident, and comfortable with themselves. They must be able to negotiate, compromise, and mediate differences with their fellow students in acceptable ways. And they have to learn to exercise appropriate emotional control when dealing with other students, teachers, or other adults. Because these concerns are so vital to fourth grade children, the fourth grade classroom must incorporate ways of helping children develop the social skills necessary to cope with all these social-emotional issues.
Fourth graders possess many distinctive and important cognitive skills. They have an irrepressible enthusiasm for learning. They are comfortable working independently or with others in small groups. They have the emotional maturity to take responsibility for their own learning: to try to do their best work, complete assignments on time, handle homework independently, and use their work time well. They are developing the ability to pursue projects on their own, gather and organize information, make inferences about the information they find, and present their findings in a clear and interesting way. Fourth graders are also expected to handle transitions from one subject to another without losing concentration.
Fourth graders need classroom structure which will help them develop a sense of personal and social responsibility, refine their social skills, polish their work habits, and support their innate thirst for knowledge.
Lower School Language Arts Philosophy and Goals Language Arts consists of the broad subject areas of reading, writing (including spelling, grammar, mechanics, language usage and penmanship), listening and speaking. From the earliest days of life children are learning to use language to make sense of the world. Our goal in literacy instruction is to give them the tools to communicate and effectively interpret the spoken and written word. Language is powerful -- students need to be taught to develop that power with care, thoughtfulness and consideration while being encouraged to find their own voices. "Literacy goes beyond basic skills and includes enhanced abilities to think critically and creatively, to reason carefully, to inquire systematically into important matters, to analyze, synthesize and evaluate information, to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences in a variety of forms".1
The following general goals are ones adapted from the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers' of English Standards for the English Language Arts. "These standards assume that literacy growth begins before children enter school as they experience and experiment with literacy activities -- reading and writing, and associating spoken words with their graphic representations. Furthermore, the standards provide ample room for the innovation and creativity essential to teaching and learning." 2
1. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
2. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among the texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
3. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique and discuss print and nonprint texts.
4. Students use spoken, written and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion) and for the exchange of information.
5. Students use a variety of technological and informational sources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
1 Zemelman, Daniels, Hyde, Best Practice, Heinemann, Portsmouth NH, 1993.
2 International Reading Association and National Council of Teachers of English Standards for Language Arts
Fourth Grade Language Arts
Reading
The rhythm of challenge, effort, and reward is so fundamental to learning -- indeed, to every few seconds of human endeavor -- that to overlook it is to invite failure. . . . Our task is to set up rhythms, both short and long, in which learners feel rewarded and restored in their faculties.
Don Holdaway, Foundations of Literacy
Holdaway's remarks succinctly outline some of the major problems and objectives that an effective language curriculum must face. A language curriculum must minimize fears and frustrations that confront children when they are beginning to master reading and writing, and also maximize the vital classroom rhythms of challenge, effort and reward to help make them successful. To accomplish this, we use a whole language approach to literacy instruction which encourages students to engage in reading and writing which is meaningful to them and in which they have a sense of personal investment. We try to integrate classroom activities so that the learning of reading and writing mutually reinforce each other. The expectation is that all students can and will learn to become skillful readers and writers, each progressing at his or her own best pace.
Reading Goals
We want students to be confident, competent readers who can comprehend books written at or beyond the fourth grade reading level. Our ultimate objective is for our students to become lifelong lovers of books and reading.
Reading Competencies
By the end of fourth grade, students should be able to:
(adventure, fantasy, poetry, drama, biography, and non-fiction)
Writing
Goals
We want students to use writing to organize and present ideas, to argue a point of view, and record personal impressions and experiences. Our ultimate goal is for students to enjoy writing about things that interest them and use writing as a way to make sense of their world and share ideas with others.
Writing Competencies
By the end of fourth grade we expect our students to be able to:
Listening and Speaking
Listening and speaking articulately are necessary language skills that are developed in a variety of ways at fourth grade. Class discussions about current events and other topics of interest, book discussions, and class meetings that resolve problems within the class give students practice in presenting their point of view. Choral readings, plays, skits, and other performances give students confidence in their ability to speak and to be heard.
Shared Classroom Activities and Topics
Our curriculum is literature based, although basal readers are occasionally used as a reading resource. Much of the writing and reading which students do is organized around areas of interest which students pursue individually or as part of an ongoing classroom unit of study. For example, if the class is reading a series of books of a particular genre (biographies for example), students might have several books to choose to read. They might be required to discuss their books with others in small groups or give oral written reports on the books they read. All classes share this unit study approach, although individual classes may focus on very different unit topics.
Students also frequently do projects which require them to read their own writing or the writing of other students. A "writer's workshop" approach is used during which students write class newsletters, class newspapers, or "publish" their own writing in a format which allows them to share their writing with their classmates.
Other shared language activities may include: literature discussion groups, book reports, plays and skits, oral readings, book logs, and daily silent reading time for pleasure reading.
Lower School Mathematics Philosophy and Goals "Mathematics is the study of quantities and relations through the use of numbers and symbols." Classroom practices are organized so that students have many and varied experiences with numbers and symbols. The development of a sense of number is part of the daily discourse and woven into the fabric of each classroom. Number sense can best be described as "good intuition about numbers and their relationships." It develops overtime with opportunities to explore numbers, to visualize them in a variety of situations, and to relate them in ways that are not limited to traditional algorithms. Number sense builds on students' natural insights and helps them understand that mathematics makes sense, that it is not just a collection of arbitrary rules to be applied.
We have adapted five general goals from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. The intent of these goals is to develop mathematically literate individuals who understand the role of mathematics in our daily lives. We want our students to be skillful in the application of mathematical concepts as they relate to the occupations that fashion our world and our lives. We also want them to be appreciative of mathematical principles where they are manifested in the arrangement of the petals of a sunflower, the ebb and flow of the tides, and the creation of beautiful music.
1. Students learn to value mathematics. Students' mathematical experiences should be frequent and related to other disciplines whenever possible.
2. Students become confident in their own abilities. Mathematical experiences should enable students to make sense of new problem situations in the world as they encounter them.
3. Students become mathematical problem solvers. Learning to solve problems individually and cooperatively is a primary goal of our mathematics instruction.
4. Students learn to communicate mathematically. Students learn to use signs, symbols, and terminology in problem situations so this language becomes natural and logical.
5. Students learn to reason mathematically. Students' ability to make conjectures, gather evidence, and build supporting arguments is a primary goal of our mathematics instruction.
Fourth Grade Math
I. Numbers, numeration, and place value
Skills and Goals
II. Operations Skills and Goals
III. Geometry Skills and Goals
IV. Measurement Skills and Goals
V. Applications Skills and Goals Problem solving should make students confident of their ability to solve complex problems by sorting out essential from extraneous information, forming a plan of attack, and using all logical means to work out an acceptable solution. Calculator work should help students gain confidence when working with large numbers, or complex, multi-step operations. Mastery of all four arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) should prepare students for more complex mathematical ideas.
VI. Collecting, Organizing and Recording Data
Skills and Goals
VII. Mental Math
Students should become adept at using the best logical and mathematical tools, plus their own ingenuity, intelligence, and imagination, to solve problems. Mental math and estimation are convenient and easily learned shortcuts which test possible solutions and save the time necessary to workout the entire solution. These shortcuts increase students confidence in their mathematical abilities and make them eager to try more challenging problems. Students enjoy challenges and need to be presented with demanding problems which require determination and sustained effort. Brain teasers, puzzles and other means will be used to stimulate students to stretch their limits and increase their mathematical power and confidence.
VIII. Writing
Sound mathematics, like good writing, requires organization, understanding, and the presentation of ideas in a logical order. When students practice presenting their mathematical ideas in writing they clarify their understanding of the concepts behind the operations and the numbers. Writing about math is a useful way to teach new math concepts, to reexamine established math practices, and to assess the depth and range of student comprehension.
Materials compasses chart paper computer software calculators dice dominoes protractors tangrams pentominoes fraction pieces meter sticks rulers coins tape measures maps pattern blocks graph paper cards encyclopedias games
Lower School Computer Department
Philosophy Statement and Goals The primary goal in the Lower School computer classes is to help the students become technologically literate. This is achieved by exposing students to a wide variety of hands-on computer experiences which includes programming, simulations, information gathering, and working with applications and subject area software. By providing a broad range of computer experiences, we help students understand how computers can facilitate learning in all subject areas.
We encourage students to respect one another's learning styles and different levels of computer expertise. Cooperative learning is encouraged so that the computer is viewed as a tool, not a companion.
An effective computer program provides students with the opportunity to be self-directed, to pose and pursue their own questions, to explore, construct and create. We encourage students to feel confident enough to explore and build on what they know.
Goals
Computers (cont'd) Skill Development for Grade 4
Formatting documents, text editing tools, content editing, inserting pictures, using graphic tools for drawing and painting
Lower School Foreign Languages
Third and Fourth Grades
The teaching goals of the foreign language department for lower school students are:
The specific objectives at third and fourth grade levels are:
Fourth Grade Curriculum
The main goal continues to be the achievement of successful functioning in the language for every child.
A. Language/Methodology/Activities
material.
meals, animals)
B. Culture
The celebration of three festivals is introduced. They are:
Lower School Library Philosophy and Goals
The lower school library program is designed to nurture children's love of literature and their enthusiasm for investigating the existing body of knowledge on any given subject of interest. The program builds skills incrementally over the years, giving students the ability to independently use and enjoy library resources. While the ability to use the library independently is encouraged, support from librarians is always available. Knowledge and skills gained through the program help to form a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
The lower school library program also provides support to classroom and special area teachers and attempts to integrate library goals and objectives with their curricula when possible.
Goals
Independent use of the library:
Awareness and Appreciation of Literature:
Classroom teacher support:
Library Curriculum Fourth Grade
Goals for the fourth grade library curriculum include the following:
Library skills
Library (cont'd)
Research skills
periodical indexes, particularly Children's Magazine Guide, to access articles on particular subjects
Appreciation of literature
For the Sutherland Award project students work with picture books with the following goals:
Lower School Science Program Philosophy Statement Science is much more than a body of facts and a collection of principles. It involves asking questions and systematically obtaining answers to gain a better understanding of the world. Just as reading is a fundamental instrument for exploring whatever may be written, so science is a fundamental instrument for exploring whatever may be tested by observation and experiment. An effective science program encourages and nurtures curiosity, interest and creativity and provides an opportunity for all students to learn skills and key concepts through direct experiences. With the ability to investigate scientifically as a way of finding answers, students can apply these procedures in science and other areas without limit.
Goals
Science Processes and Content
Processes - (bold print indicates emphasis on that process during the year)
Grade 3 Grade 4
Observing Observing Inferring Inferring Predicting Predicting Measuring Measuring Classifying Classifying Using Math Using Math Graphing Graphing Communicating Communicating Collecting/Recording Data Collecting/Recording Data Analyzing/Interpreting Data Analyzing/Interpreting Data Controlling Variables
Content - This list indicates the planned curriculum, but does not exclude other topics that may be studied.
Grade 4
Electrical Circuits Using Scientific Tools Guinea Pigs and Mazes Insects or Acid Rain Project Science of Mystery or Gardening Space Technology Physical Systems
Variables
A variable is anything that can affect the outcome of an experiment. Examples: When testing conditions for plant growth, variables may include water, sunlight, type of water, pot size, plant type, temperature, type of soil, etc. There are three types of variables:
Independent _-- The one variable which you change on purpose in an investigation. This is the variable being tested. If you are testing different types of fertilizers on plant growth, the only thing that changes is the type of fertilizer.
Variables held Constant -- Every other variable that could affect the outcome of your experiment (see list above) should be kept the same.
Dependent Variable -- This is what changes by itself. It's basically your answer, such as the amount of growth shown in each plant. You assume the amount of growth depended on the type of fertilizer used, since no other variables were changed.
Experiment Ideas
Which brand of bread stays fresh the longest?
How does evaporation of liquids vary with -- kind of liquid? depth of liquid? shape of container? size of container opening? temperature? density?
Do crickets prefer soil, rocks or grass?
Which detergent works best?
Which type of bubble gum flavor lasts the longest?
Will a goldfish show color preference?
How is the melting of an ice cube affected by -- temperature? color of ice? insulation? type of liquid?
How does color affect fading time of paper exposed to light?
Which soil is more absorbent? Which battery lasts the longest?
Visual Arts Department Philosophy and Goals
The primary objective of the Visual Arts program is the development of creative and aesthetically aware individuals. Our first task in the Visual Arts program is to foster the growth and development of visual literacy in each student. Our aim is to enable students to express ideas that are otherwise inexpressible through conventional language. We encourage each child's development on a perceptual and conceptual level through individual artistic discovery. Through direct involvement in a the visual arts, students can understand, value and respond to their own emotions, perceptions and intuition. Knowledge is developed through the process of giving ideas artistic form through individual creative exploration.
Students are encouraged to "discover" through a variety of media appropriate at each age level and to develop technical skills and competency. Also, the scope and sequences of classroom instruction are designed to include art appreciation. Students look at art through a variety of cultural and historical perspectives.
Writing and verbal skills are complemented with the language of art and visual literacy. Only then is a student's imagination truly supported and only then does he or she reconcile the power of the emotional and intuitive self with intellectual understanding.
Third and Fourth Grade Art
The need to use visual imagery has been present in all cultures throughout the ages. The ingenuity, creativity, problem-solving and artistic skills so evident in prehistoric art still persist today as highly desired goals in art education.
The planning of this curriculum began with the knowledge of the developmental level of third and fourth grade students in terms of their needs, interests, and capabilities. At these grade levels, students' perception and knowledge begin to expand beyond their immediate personal environment to the broader context of the world around them. As students move away from the interest in art solely for personal expression and toward improving the quality of visual form and technical skills, the formal elements and principles of design can then be introduced and reinforced.
Goals
Students will become knowledgeable about the elements and principles of design and understand how they apply to visual forms of expression.
Students will be able to identify significant works of art from major historical periods and describe how they relate to and reflect the societies, cultures and people of the period.
Students will master the vocabulary of art to enable them to critique and discuss their art and that of others.
Shared Activities and Experiences
Curriculum is organized around two units of study consisting of modes of art production - painting/drawing and sculpture. Related media such as fiber art, printmaking and photography are also introduced. Within each of these two units projects will include definitions of the underlying concepts, the elements and principles of design, techniques, materials/tools. There will also be appropriate references to art history, culture, criticism and aesthetics.
Painting and Drawing - Students create landscapes, still lifes and painting and drawing from their imagination. They will be given instruction and experience in composition, scale, proportion, point of view. Included also is instruction in foreground, middle ground and background, overlapping, center of interest, locating the horizon line, opacity and transparency. Students will also
prehistory to the present.
and cool colors.
and acrylic paint.
to draw different qualities of line.
Sculpture - Students will have experiences making masks, papier mâché, constructing "found objects", and wood and clay structures. The elements and principles of design will be emphasized. Students will also
to the present.
form (pinching, slab, coil, joining with slip).
Lower School Physical Education Philosophy and Goals
The physical education program is designed to offer a wide variety of experiences and exposure to many activities for its participants. The focus is on success, a high level of participation, enjoyment and the development of cooperative skills to enable our students to work well with others and to achieve group goals. The third and fourth grade level is a time when sportsmanship and cooperative learning are stressed. Students participate in a wide variety of activities from individual manipulative skills to team sports. It is hoped that these activities will help develop the health and vigorous energies of the students. Social and emotional development is recognized as being an important adjunct in the educational process. A main concern is to instill a love for physical activity along with an understanding of the health benefits to be gained from involvement. The goals for the Physical Education Department are student-centered. The emphasis on each varies from one grade to another and from teacher to teacher. In general, students are expected to develop:
Physical Education (cont'd)
Activities for fourth grade include:
Soccer, tennis, track, tumbling, floor hockey, basketball, dance, swimming, softball, gymnastics
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