Fourth Grade

FOURTH GRADE CURRICULUM

Religion (200 Minimum Weekly Minutes)

• Attends weekly Mass
• Discovers that Jesus is our Redeemer
• Reflects on God’s relationship with His people throughout history as based onunconditional love, revealed through life experience
• Recognizes that the Church is structured
• Understands the role of the laity, priests, and thereligious hierarchy of the Church
• Recognizes Mary as a model of obedience
• Understands there are laws, rule, and guidelines forour behavior (as exemplified inthe Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes)
• Realizes our responsibility is to give service to others inour community, and that theChurch plays an active role in our world
• Understands the dignity of human life and ouruniqueness as created in God’s image
• Prays spontaneously and formally

Language Arts (625 Minimum Weekly Minutes)

Word Analysis, Fluency, and Vocabulary

• Attempts to determine the meaning of unknown wordsthrough use of word origins, synonyms, antonyms, androot words
• Uses roots, prefixes, and suffixes to analyze the meaningof complex words
• Reads orally with fluency, accuracy, and appropriateinflection and expression at grade level expectations

Reading Comprehension

• Summarizes, extracts main idea, identifies supportingdetails and sequences events
• Re-reads to verify or obtain information
• Makes predictions based on prior knowledge
• Evaluates and uses new information
• Distinguishes between cause and effect, fact, and opinion
• Predicts outcomes, and makes inferences and generalizations
• Understands analogies
• Determines author’s purpose for writing and point of view
• Identifies the plot, setting, characters, and point of viewof a story
• Identifies use of figurative language, abstract, literal, andinferred meanings

Study and Reference Skills

• Reads independently on a daily basis, reading pointgoals set every quarter through use ofAccelerated Reader and Scholastic Reading Counts,
• Selects grade-appropriate reading materials
• Reads and gathers information from maps, charts,graphs, schedules, time lines, and notices
• Uses glossary, table of context, and index
• Alphabetizes to the fifth letter
• Uses a dictionary, general reference sources, and cardcatalogue

Writing

• Articulates meaning of and uses prefixes, suffixes, nouns,parts of speech, and subject/verb agreement
• Uses correct punctuation
• Identifies kinds of sentences and sentence parts
• Writes social and business letters, explanatoryparagraphs, haiku, and outlines
• Writes 6-10 sentences, nonfiction, and fiction paragraphsusing a variety of sentence construction and forms with a
  main idea, supporting details, and conclusion
• Evaluates correctness of grammar, mechanics, clarity,and organization, to revise and prepare a final copy

Listening and Speaking

• Asks thoughtful questions
• Identifies major ideas and supporting details in oralpresentations
• Understands and follows a sequence of directions
• Makes effective introductions, clearly states purposes, andpresents conclusions when making oral presentations
• Uses details, examples, or experiences to clarify information
• Identifies the speaker’s intent
• Makes narrative and information presentations
• ecites brief poems
• Engages critically and constructively in discussions

Mathematics (250 Minimum Weekly Minutes)

Number Sense

• Understands place value of whole numbers and decimalsto two decimal places and how numbers and decimalsrelateto simple fractions.
• Uses the concepts of negative numbers
• Extends use and understanding of whole numbers to theaddition and subtraction of decimals
• Solves problems involving addition, subtraction,multiplication, and division of whole numbers
• Factors small whole numbers

Algebra and Functions

• Uses and interprets variables, symbols, and properties towrite and simplify expressions and sentences
• Knows how to manipulate equations

Measurement and Geometry

• Understands perimeter and area
• Uses two-dimensional coordinate grids to representpoints and graph plots
• Demonstrates an understanding of plane, solid geometricobjects, and uses this knowledge to show relationships to solve problems

Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability

• Organizes, represents, and interprets numerical and categoricaldata to communicate findings

Math Reasoning

• Students make decisions about how to approach problems
• Uses strategies, skills, and concepts in finding solutions
• Moves beyond a particular problem by generalizing toother situations

Science (175 Minimum Weekly Minutes)

• Investigates kinds of matter, distinctive properties, andknowledge that these properties interact with energy inpredictableways
• Realizes that the Earth is a system that is alwayschanging
• Analyzes living things and their adaptations for survival indiverse environments
• Develops a realization that technology produces tools that helpextend human knowledge and capabilities
• Demonstrates a sense of scientific inquiry to extend knowledgeof earlier scientists and their contributions

Social Studies (175 Minimum Weekly Minutes)

California History

• Develops an understanding of the concepts of state,diocese, and group structures within a state and theCatholic Church
• Understands the physical and human geographicfeatures that define places and regions in California
• Describes the social, political, cultural, and economic lifeand interactions among people of California from the pre-
  Columbian societies to the Spanish mission and Mexicanrancho periods
• Explains the economic, social, and political life ofCalifornia from the establishment of the Bear FlagRepublic through the Mexican-American War, the GoldRush, and California statehood
• Explains how California became an agricultural andindustrial power by tracing California’s economy and itspolitical and cultural development since the 1850s.
• Understands the structure, functions, and powers ofgovernment, including the similarities and differencesamong federal, state, and local governments

Computer (45 Minimum Weekly Minutes)

• Learns keyboard through the use of touch-typing
• Continues to polish and enhances formal typing skillsand increasing speed
• Recognizes and uses the correct terminology
• Edits text
• Saves and retrieves word processing files
• Formats and types paragraphs correctly in word processing
• Properly starts and shuts down a computer
• Recognizes the use of a computer as a tool
• Names the parts of the computer system
• Learns to save to disk and open files from disks

Physical Education (90 Minimum Weekly Minutes)

• Develops ball skills
• Promotes physical fitness through exercise and calisthenics
• Learns and develops team sport skills, includingbasketball, football, baseball, soccer, and track
• Participates in relays and agility games
• Develops teamwork and sportsmanship
• Participates in Presidential Physical Fitness Program
• Develops and understanding for physical healthand nutrition

Fine Arts (45 Minimum Weekly Minutes)

• Develops visual and tactile perception
• Experiences creative expression in a variety of media
• Appreciates art heritage from a cultural perspective
• Appreciates artwork using elements of design, art media,artistic mood, and style through art history

Music (45 Minimum Weekly Minutes)

• Identifies meter, pulse, and texture in music; recognizespentatonic scales; experiences two and three part forms;recognizes basic notation terms; understands uses oftempo dynamics and tone
• Sings solo and in a group, improvises simple dances,and develops expressions of creativity
• Experiences multicultural, liturgical, and ethnic music;recognizes instrumental combinations
• Appreciates music from a variety of performers andcomposers

Educational Field Trips

Book List
A variety of books are available in the school library. You may print out a list of acceptable books from the school website: http://www.stbarbara.com