Fourth Grade is a year of growing independence and responsibility. Students build on the skills they’ve developed in earlier grades and dive into rich content across all subject areas. Projects play a central role, giving students opportunities to collaborate and shine as individuals. With Chromebooks, they write stories, explore topics, conduct research, and practice key skills.

Highlights of the year include the Country Study project, a cross-curricular research and presentation experience; designing and testing balloon-powered vehicles in science; and taking on the role of a “Little Friends” mentor, where students build leadership skills by serving as role models to younger peers. Fourth Graders also take part in Confidence Projects, which allow them to share their passions and talents. Throughout it all, students strengthen study habits, build independence, and grow into confident learners ready for the years ahead.

• Practice comprehension skills by identifying factual details and making inferences from the text
• Use text evidence by quoting accurately from books to support statements, opinions, and written responses
• Identify and analyze story elements such as character, setting, plot, theme, conflict, and solutions
• Develop fluency and expression through smooth, accurate, and expressive oral reading.
• Track character change and analyze how these changes connect directly to themes in literature
• Apply the six Notice and Note signposts—Contrasts and Contradictions, Aha Moment, Tough Questions, Words of the Wiser, Again and Again, and Memory Moment—to strengthen higher-order reading skills and deepen comprehension
• Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context clues and word analysis strategies
• Summarize texts by identifying the main idea and key details and creating concise summaries

The fourth-grade writing program encourages students to develop their voice and increase their technical skills. This is accomplished through a variety of writing assignments, specific skill lessons, and individual conferencing. The writing program utilizes a workshop model, which involves drafting, revising, and conferencing before final editing and publishing. Students work on a combination of assigned topics, as well as topics of their choice. Throughout the writing process, students are given an opportunity to share published pieces and works in progress.

In addition, students explore the writing process across a variety of genres, including realistic fiction narratives, poetry, opinion essays, persuasive essays, and informational essays. Each unit provides opportunities for students to strengthen grammar, sentence structure, and word choice within the context of their writing. This integration allows technical skills to be practiced in meaningful ways while also encouraging creativity, critical thinking, and confidence as writers.

In Fourth Grade, students deepen their number sense and strengthen problem-solving skills through the Dimensions Math program, the newest curriculum from Singapore Math®. Lessons emphasize reasoning, communication, and multiple strategies for solving problems. Students work in small, flexible groups so teachers can differentiate instruction and support each child’s growth. Daily practice with mental math and multi-step problems helps build both accuracy and confidence.

Over the course of the year, students explore a wide range of mathematical concepts, including:

• Place value to one million and number patterns
• Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with larger numbers
• Multiples, factors, and identifying prime and composite numbers
• Fractions and mixed numbers—comparing, ordering, adding, subtracting, and multiplying
• Decimals—understanding place value, comparing, rounding, and computing with all four operations
• Measurement in both metric and customary units (length, weight, capacity, and time)
• Area, perimeter, angles, lines, and symmetry
• Properties of shapes and solids, including cuboids and nets
• Representing and interpreting data using line graphs and line plots
  

This balance of conceptual understanding and procedural fluency prepares students for higher-level math while encouraging them to see mathematics as a creative, logical, and useful tool.

In Fourth Grade, students use TCI’s Social Studies Alive: Regions of Our Country to explore the United States and its diverse regions. They gain hands-on experience working with maps, learning about geography, history, civics, and economics, and connecting these ideas to their own lives. Projects play an important role, including a state study project where students use the four social sciences to investigate their state. The year culminates with the Country Study project, where students expand their perspective by researching and presenting about another country and its culture. In addition, students read Scholastic News throughout the year to stay informed about current events and to foster thoughtful class discussions about the world around them.

Concepts/Skills:

• Using maps and geographic tools to understand the United States
• Exploring the regions of the U.S. and how geography impacts life
• Investigating history, geography, civics, and economics through a state project
• Comparing regions and understanding population, resources, and culture
• Developing research, note-taking, and presentation skills through projects
• Building global awareness through the culminating Country Study project

• Master present-tense conjugations with ~50 new verbs
• Use Spanish to compare/contrast, share routines, and discuss family and interests
• Build vocabulary to express emotions and improve interpersonal communication
• Gain a deeper global perspective by exploring multicultural influences in Spanish-speaking countries

• Singing technique
• Hand signs solfege
• ta, ti-ti, takadimi rhythms and rests
• Performance preparation for December Celebration
• Class play songs, choreography, and blocking
• Rhythmic study with bucket drumming
• Ukulele

Fourth-graders are beginning to formulate their own artistic style and develop critical theory. Students are exposed to several new cultures and periods of art throughout history. They visit the Museum of Fine Arts to explore Asian art and gain an understanding of the history and influences behind the Japonisme style.

Skills:

• to consider design, techniques, and identify aspects that contribute to the effectiveness of a work of art 
• to expand upon aesthetic awareness in art class and beyond
• to formulate an understanding and develop criteria for discussing works of art 
• to use personal and cultural experiences to influence artmaking 
• to work together with their peers and create the scenery for the class play

• Sports skills and small-group lead-up games: soccer, field hockey, football, basketball, volleyball, street hockey, baseball/softball, lacrosse, ultimate Frisbee, and tennis
• Cooperative games and activities
• Fitness
• Sportsmanship & fair play
• Pickleball
• Class field trip to Action Athletics

• Expand opportunities for reading Newberry, Coretta Scott King, and other award-winning titles
• Define major genres and recognize distinguished authors in children’s’ fiction

• Formulate subsidiary research questions for an essential research question
• Develop keywords and synonyms to aid in searching for specific information
• Find information in provided online sources
• Use keyword skills in note taking and skimming print and online searching of information
• Synthesis of information and document in note-taking strategies
• Presentation of research
• Determine multiple ways to gather and share information and what format is best suited to the purpose of the presentation

• How can visual literacy help us academically and socially?
• How do individuals and groups make change?
• Whose stories are included or not in history?