Fourth graders use their solid reading and writing skills to interpret complex texts, conduct independent research and share their knowledge and ideas in writing. Through novels, short stories, research, writing and discussion, students:

Read fourth grade text with fluency, accuracy and comprehension

Describe the rise and fall of action in a novel and trace a character’s development from the beginning to the end of the novel

Participate in shared-inquiry discussions, responding to open-ended interpretive questions using evidence from the text

Summarize main idea and details from informational texts

Plan and write a simple five-paragraph descriptive essays, reports and narratives with introduction, body and conclusion

Engage in the complete writing process including planning, drafting, editing, revising and publishing

Fourth grade mathematicians explore increasingly complex math concepts while continuing to build a strong foundation for advanced math learning to come. Using a hands-on approach through the Singapore Math curriculum, students:

Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems

Generate and analyze mathematical patterns

Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic

Show understanding of fraction equivalence and ordering

Show understanding of decimal notation for fractions and compare decimal fractions

Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from larger to smaller unit

Measure angles and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angles

Fourth grade inventors delight in their year-long exploration of energy, magnetism, circuitry, robotics and more. Through hands-on experiments, projects, reading, writing and discussion, students will:

Build scientific information and thinking skills through the exploration of energy, magnetism and creating inventions

Learn about light, sound, energy, magnetism, circuits, inventors and robotics

Name, describe and compare forms of energy

Bring learning to life by building a circuit, designing a musical instrument and assembling a robot

Plan and demonstrate a simple robotic program

Read informational scientific text to collect information, learn processes and understand new concepts

From the California Native peoples to Mexican rancheros and the California Gold Rush, fourth graders delve deeply into the multiple perspectives that make up California’s rich history. Through reading, writing, simulations, hands-on activities, discussions and field trips, students:

Study the unique features of California native groups and write an in-depth research report on one specific people

Learn about the California Gold Rush by participating in a multi-week simulation and reading the novel By the Great Horn Spoon

Demonstrate a solid grasp of California geography

Take notes from a social studies textbook and maintain a historical timeline of California history

Explain historical events and concepts based on specific information from a text

Compare and contrast first and second-hand accounts of the same historical event