FOURTH GRADE DEVELOPMENT
This begins the heart of childhood learning. The students gain momentum in reading/writing and mathematics. Working from the immediate surroundings, to community and state, students develop understanding of the natural landscape, its resources, and use.  Understanding indigenous groups and newcomers to the area are told through story and in discussion groups. Local field trips enhance this learning. The study of zoology and how the specialization of animals compares to that of the generalist- the human being, is of great interest to the students of this age.  Norse Mythology provides a backdrop for the dramas of good and evil and helps to take moral understanding to a new level as the students engage in the stories. Through group discussion, each individual helps to create better understanding of the studies. Toward the end of fourth grade the Norse stories have a dramatic conclusion then it is on to the ancient cultures in the fifth grade year, then the studies deepen.

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FOURTH GRADE CURRICULUM

LANGUAGE ARTS
Writing

• Expand paragraph writing skills
  
• Fundamentals of the paragraph
  
• Continue to develop letter writing 
  
• Punctuation (commas, apostrophes, quotation marks)
  
• Individual compositions retelling stories, describing experiences
  
• Introduction to the composition
  
• Dictations
  
• Research, writing and presentation of the student’s first report
  

Reading

• The children read Michigan history stories
  
• The teacher reads aloud to the children
  
• Students read aloud with a partner and in small groups
  
• Introduction to reading for information
  
• Independent silent reading with an emphasis on comprehension
  

Vocabulary

• Spelling words
  
• Spelling tests
  
• Review of short and long vowel sounds
  
• Homonyms
  
• Dictionary skills 
  

Grammar

• Review of parts of speech
  
• Introduce verb tenses
  
• Introduce prepositional phrases
  

Speaking

• Poetry recitation
  
• Class play 
  
• Retelling stories
  

MATHEMATICS

• Review all previous work
  
• Continue with mental math
  
• Students check their work
  
• The World of Numbers
  
• Prime numbers
  
• Factors
  
• Greatest Common Factors
  
• Least Common Multiples
  
• Arithmetic Facts
  
• Mastery of multiplication and division tables through the 12s as well as basic addition and subtraction facts
  
• Introduce Fractions
  
• Proper and improper
  
• Equivalent fractions
  
• Common denominators
  
• All four processes are introduced
  
• Fractions work will be continued in subsequent years
  
• Measurement
  
• Review Third Grade measurement 
  

SCIENCE
Human being and animal

• The animal kingdom in relation to the human being
  
• The adaptability of the human being
  
• The animal in its environment
  
• Comparing zoology – how animal families adapt to different environments
  

SOCIAL STUDIES

• Michigan geography and history
  
• State and local geography
  
• Map-making
  
• Orientation to the directions and immediate surroundings
  
• Native Americans in Michigan
  
• Early explorers, lumber industry, traders and trappers
  
• Early history of local area
  

ART
Painting

• Images from the curriculum
  

Drawing

• Woven form drawings as found in Norse traditions
  

Modeling

• The children model with beeswax in relation to main lesson topics
  

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
FRENCH AND GERMAN

• Continued expansion of previous content
  
• Writing and reading of familiar texts
  
• Spelling
  
• Vocabulary lists of word families
  
• Present tense conjugation of common verbs
  
• Describing and forming questions 
  
• Conversation
  
• Nouns, pronouns, adjectives including gender and plural forms
  

HANDWORK

• Cross stitch embroidery
  
• Possible projects include embroidered needle cases, bookmarks, bags, pencil cases
  

ORCHESTRA

• More complex rhythm and melody
  
• C major, G major, and A major scales
  
• Composing music
  

GYM

• Continuing concepts from previous years
  
• Advanced skills exploring team sports
  

3976 S. Livernois - Rochester Hills,  MI 48307        248-299-8755       info@oaklandsteiner.org