Chester Academy Fourth Grade

FOURTH GRADE CURRICULUM

(NOTE: This information is also available in brochure form. Please contact Deb Farrington, Curriculum Coordinator for further information on how you may obtain a copy for any grade level.)

LANGUAGE ARTS

Reading, writing, speaking, and spelling are all important components of the 4^th grade language arts curriculum. Through a variety of experiences students build on the foundations built in primary grades by reading and writing daily across core curriculum areas as they are introduced to, practice and acquire knowledge in the following areas:

· Grammar – Practiced daily through a variety of methods including Daily Oral Language, Open Court Reading System, and Writer’s Express. Topics include:

o Parts of speech

o Verb tenses

o Sentence structure and variety

o Subject/predicate agreement, complex predicates, subjects, and sentences

o Punctuation-capitalization, apostrophes for singular possessive, quotation marks, commas in series.

· Spelling – The fourth grade spelling program stresses basic student accountability and the use of high frequency words as a springboard for learning basic spelling skills and strategies. Students will be given a weekly list of grade level words and daily assignments using their words.

· Writing - Students are introduced to and practice writing for a variety of purposes and audiences. Using the text Writer’s Express as a primary reference, students will practice the following skills:

o Creative Writing - poetry, short stories, journals, personal narratives

o Process Writing – brainstorming, making lists, webbing, sequencing, rough drafts, revising, editing, and publishing.

o Writing for a purpose- including procedural, descriptive, informative, comparative and contrasting paragraphs with teacher direction.

o Forms of writing – letters, reports, lists, poems, essays

· Reading – Students in the 4^th grade will use the Open Court Reading Series, and selected trade books for guided reading to develop comprehension strategies and skills, read aloud, use inquiry and research, and develop fluency and confidence in reading as they move from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”. Elements of the reading program include:

o Guided Reading- children work in flexible guided reading groups where they practice comprehension strategies such as inferring, sequencing, summarizing, clarifying, questioning, identifying main ideas and details, and visualizing as they work on improving reading fluency. Groups are differentiated to meet individual students’ needs.

o SRA Open Court Reading Series – Students will analyze story elements and comprehension techniques as they read and are exposed to multiple genres including Historical Fiction, Biographies, Realistic Fiction. Poetry, Fantasy, Informational text, folktales, and non-fiction selections.

· Reference/Research Skills – Students will be introduced to and will practice the following techniques using sources across the curriculum:

o Study skills- note taking, RCRC, KWL, outlining, bibliographies

o Use of reference materials- Dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias

o Utilizing parts of a text – Table of Contents, Index, Glossary, Gazetteer

Research projects: Biography, NH animals and people

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SOCIAL STUDIES

The focus of the grade four social studies curriculum is New Hampshire. Students will better understand their state by examining documents, analyzing historical events, and participating in field studies throughout the state. They will practice map and globe skills, and learn note-taking, outlining, and research skills. Students will learn to be active, responsible citizens on a local, national, and global level.

Civic and Government:

Students will examine the democratic process through their study of New Hampshire government. They will examine the separation between the state and federal governments. They will be introduced to the three branches of government, our state symbols, the lawmaking process, and the New Hampshire Constitution. Students will describe the function of government on a local, state, and national level.

Economics:

Students will learn about New Hampshire industries and the events and people that influence our state economy. A major focus will be the local mill towns during the industrial revolution. Students will explore how goods get to the marketplace in our area and will examine their role as consumers.

Geography:

Students will be responsible for identifying the major political and physical features of our state. They will identify New Hampshire’s counties, rivers, mountains, and borders. They will study the physical and social connections between New Hampshire and the other New England states.

History:

Students will study the important individuals and groups throughout New Hampshire’s history. They will learn about historical events that shaped our nation and our state from pre-colonization through the present day. They will examine artifacts, documents, and other materials as primary and secondary sources. Students will consider the effect the natural environment has had on New Hampshire’s residents throughout time. They will follow the development of early towns and cities and discover how New Hampshire grew into the state it is today.

There will also be many opportunities for your student to explore and use these skills through project based learning. Some of the projects your student may experience are: creative map making, researching famous people of NH.