Fourth Grade Curriculum

Religion

The fourth grade program focuses on the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes as guides for living. The students use these guidelines and apply them to their lives. This program is supplemented in the classroom with opportunities for prayer, scripture study, and service projects. The fourth grade also concentrates on the mass and Sunday gospels.

Text: Loyola Press, Christ Our Life, 2002     
         Pflaum, Venture Magazine, 2004
 

Social Studies

Fourth graders analyze the historical events, people, and places in North Carolina. The program emphasizes strong and effective map skills and the use of graphs and charts. Students will investigate the interaction between the people of North Carolina and their environment. Citizenship, American values, and responsibility toward family and community are fostered through active participation by all students.

Text:  MacMillian/McGraw-Hill,  North Carolina, 2005
 

Language Arts

The fourth grade language arts program is designed to focus on all aspects of the English language. A spelling textbook focuses on a family of words each week. The English component emphasizes grammar, speaking, and listening. The writing program stresses the writing process and the traits of good writing. The writing program includes a variety of both fiction and expository writing.

Text:  Harcourt, Trophies Language Handbook, 2007
         Harcourt, Trophies Spelling, 2007

Reading

The fourth grade reading curriculum uses a basal reader as the basis of its program. This program uses a wide variety of literary genre to study vocabulary, word skills, comprehension skills, phonics, and literary styles. In addition to the basal reader, the students will read and study several novels. Literature circles, book reports, library time, read alouds and DEAR (drop everything and read) time are used to encourage recreational reading.

Text: Harcourt, Trophies, 2007

Science

The fourth grade science program strives to spark the students’ curiosity of the world around them. Through knowledge, investigation, and exploration, the children will experience success in science. The units of study include earth science, life science, and physical science. Students use the tools and process of scientific inquiry in each unit of study which includes several hands-on investigations.

Text:  Harcourt, Harcourt Science, 2002

Math
 

The fourth grade math program continues to build on the prior mathematic knowledge of the students. This is done with daily math lessons that focus on a new skill while reviewing other skills. Lessons will introduce and reinforce skills that include numbers, numeration, operations, problem solving, measurement, estimation, graphs and charts, geometry, probability, time, and algebraic concepts.

Text: Progress in Mathematics, Sadlier-Oxford 2006