Grade 4 Curriculum

 

English Language Arts

 

Reading Literature

• Identify and describe story elements
• Determine the meaning of words and phrases in text
• Explain differences between poetry, drama and prose
• Compare and contrast first- and third- person points of view
• Connect written text to visual or oral presentations of that text
• Compare and contrast themes, topics, and events across texts

 

Reading Informational Texts

• Find details and examples in a text.
• Determine main idea and key details to summarize text
• Describe ideas and information based on specifics in the text
• Identify text structure (chronology, cause/effect, problem/solution)
• Compare and contrast firsthand and secondhand accounts
• Interpret information using graphs, charts, diagram, etc.)
• Integrate information from two texts on the same topic

 

Foundational Skills

• Use and decode multisyllabic words
• Read fluently with accuracy, appropriate rate and expression
• Use content to understand vocabulary

 

Writing

• Write opinion pieces
• Write informative texts
• Write narrative texts
• Produce clear and organized writing
• Plan, revise and edit for conventions
• Use technology to produce and publish writing (includes keyboarding)
• Conduct short research projects
• Take notes and categorize important information
• Gather evidence from texts to support analysis, reflection, and research

 

Speaking and Listening

• Engage effectively in discussions (partners and groups)
• Paraphrase text
• Report on a topic or text

 

Language

• Use grammar and conventions in speaking, writing, and spelling
• Clarify the meaning of unknown words, multiple-meanings and phrases
• Consult reference materials (dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses) to find pronunciation or clarify meaning of words
• Demonstrate understanding of similes, metaphors, idioms antonyms, synonyms, etc

 

Mathematics

 

Operations and Algebraic Thinking

• Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems
• Gain Familiarity with factors and multiples
• Generate and analyze patterns

 

Number and Operations in Base Ten

• Generalize place value understanding for multi-digit whole numbers
• Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic

 

Number and Operations – Fractions

• Extend understanding of fraction equivalence and ordering
• Build fractions from unit fractions by applying and extending previous understandings of operations on whole numbers
• Understand decimal notation for fractions, and compare decimal fractions

 

Measurement and Data

• Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit.
• Represent and interpret data
• Geometric measurement: understand concepts of angle and measure angles

 

Geometry

• Draw and identify lines and angles, and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angles

 

Science

 

Weather/Water Cycle (build upon the foundation started in the second grade science curriculum)

• Identify the elements of weather
• Measure and record elements of weather
• Predict weather based on qualitative and quantitative observations
• Understand the water cycle
• Explain the processes of melting, precipitation, evaporation, condensation, percolation, weathering and erosion

 

Rocks, Minerals/Fossils

• Identify properties of rocks and minerals
• Categorize rocks and minerals according to observed properties]
• Discuss and draw the rock cycle
• Collect and analyze data about Utah fossils and infer how fossils are formed
• Explain how Utah fossils can be used to draw inferences about earth's history

 

Soil

• Gather data on the components of soil
• Determine soil types such as sand, clay and silt
• Research and communicate the economic value of soil

 

Biomes/Plants and Animals of Utah

• Describe Utah's past biomes
• Compare and contrast Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts
• Relate plants and animals to a given biome
• Understand how plants and animals adapt to their respective environments
• Use of an existing classification system and development of a new classification system for Utah plants and animals

 

Social Studies

 

• The study of Utah over time: geography culture, communities, Native Americans, trappers, explorers, first settlers, future growth
• Government: Utah as a territory vs. statehood
• Economy: goods and services, workers and consumers in Utah history
• Comparison of Utah government and economy to Japan
• Geography of Japan and China compared to Utah/Identification of major geographical features of the United States in comparison to Japan and China
• Promote cultural understanding and good citizenship skills through a year-long service project TBA at the start of every year as well as year-long service to our sister school in Palestine
• Participate in the school Social Studies/Science fair with their Utah County project

 

Religion

 

Beliefs

• God's word to us through the Bible
• Listening to God
• God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
• Death and resurrection of Jesus
• The beatitudes
• The precepts of the Church

 

Worship

• Celebrating God's love for us
• Sharing in Christ's life and work
• Jesus feeds His people
• Jesus' work of healing
• Signs of God's love

 

We Live as Children of God

• Created in God's image
• Living a moral life
• The Law of Love

 

Prayer

• People of prayer
• We pray in Jesus' name
• Formal and informal forms of prayer: The Gloria, Penitential Rite (Confiteor), and Angelus

 

Special Celebrations

• The liturgical year/ordinary time
• Seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter
• Holy Week

 

Building Catholic Character (Virtues)

• Participate in Virtues rotating three-year program
• Participate in year-long service project to be decided upon at start of year
• Participate in global service in support of our sister school in Tanzania