Language Arts
The goals and objectives of the fourth grade language arts program are to provide opportunities for developing reading, writing, and spelling strategies and to enhance critical, logical, and creative thinking skills. Writing opportunities include many types of writing with correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling expected for all final copies. Grammar and mechanics are reinforced through application in the students' writing in daily activities. Students read teacher selected literature, such as poetry, fiction, as well as self selected literature and passages in content area books.
Mathematics
The major units of study are fraction concepts, division, numeration and order, geometry and spatial sense, patterns, numerical sentences, measurement, algebra and uses of variables, and exploring data. Fourth grade students will continue to acquire the knowledge of the four basic operations of math. These operations are reviewed and extended through problem solving activities and real-life applications. Various mental math techniques, calculators, and computers reinforce the basic concepts and extend the knowledge acquired for these operations. New concepts are introduced through appropriate manipulatives and are reinforced through math games and cooperative problem solving strategies. The fourth grade math curriculum is periodically integrated with language arts, social studies, and science through real-life applications, map skills, and measurement.
Science
The focus of the science curriculum is to expand and refine the students’ scientific skills and knowledge. The content includes topics in life, physical, earth and space sciences. A variety of techniques, activities, and materials are utilized to stimulate scientific awareness to make science relevant and engaging for students. Hands-on investigations are designed to promote inquiry/process skills within the scientific approach.
Social Studies
The students expand their knowledge of world geography and kingdoms in Africa, Europe and Asia. The American Revolution, constitutional government, and early presidents are strands in fourth grade. A study of Wisconsin is a unit of fourth grade. The program encourages proficiency and independence in using reference materials as well as maps and globes. The integration of the reading and writing goals are key in the presentation and exploration of social studies concepts. These studies build the background knowledge for students to understand themselves and the world they inhabit. Additionally, WIS students will begin to recognize how ideas of the past influence people today.
Mandarin or Spanish
Stories, songs, rhymes, and plays continue to be the core of the program. Confidence in giving oral presentations is reinforced. Songs, games, and stories from Chinese/Spanish culture are a key component of the program, as well as occasional integration with the classroom curriculum. Students memorize and rehearse a play as a class and in groups. They are able to spell correctly high-frequency words introduced and begin to use various strategies to determine meaning and make sense of unfamiliar words.
Art
Early American, Chinese, African and Medieval European art will be discussed throughout the year. Students continue to identify elements of design and principles of art. Emphasis will be placed upon the ability of the students to work in a more realistic manner in creating their own art. Studies are integrated into social studies and Wisconsin studies. When children study the art of various cultures, they begin to gain insight into the beliefs and origins of their own culture and into being internationally minded.
Music
Fourth graders move capably through a variety of musical media including singing, dancing, and playing all classroom instruments. Recorder is introduced in fourth grade. This enables students to develop skills in note reading, melody and rhythm. Many activities use speech, body percussion, and elementary pitched and unpitched instruments and recorder techniques. Students are encouraged to develop discerning ears when listening to all music.
Physical Education
In physical education the emphasis is on the refinement of fundamental skills and continued development of specialized skills used in various recreational, individual, and team activities. Self –testing activities and fitness measurement will be used to analyze movements and improve performance. Students will learn to use teacher feedback to improve skills and work with peers in cooperative settings.
Technology
The goal of technology instruction is to teach students to effectively use the computer and other technology tools to enhance, support and extend their learning in all areas of the curriculum. Technology is purposefully taught and used to increase productivity, promote creativity, and develop problem-solving skills.
Library/Research Skills
Fourth graders are introduced to a wide variety of books and authors during their regularly scheduled library period. In fourth grade, students complete a comprehensive unit on the Dewey Decimal System to learn how books are organized in the Dewey Decimal System. They develop more sophisticated information literacy and research skills as they work on research projects. They independently select appropriate reference materials to locate information, evaluate information for relevancy, appropriateness, detail, currency, authority and bias.
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