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FOURTH GRADE
Language Arts
Objective:
Fourth grade students spend significant blocks
of time in Language Arts: reading, grammar, writing, spelling, listening, and
penmanship.
Instructional Content
Reading:
The McGraw-Hill serves as the foundation for
the reading curriculum.
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Reading comprehension - main ideas, details, drawing conclusions, getting the
facts, inferences, critical thinking,
summarizing, listening comprehension, vocabulary
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Short Stories
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Poetry
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Newspaper Articles
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Outlining
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Novels
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Study Skills
_Book Review
_Cause and Effect
_Compare and Contrast
_Make predictions
_Author’s Purposes
_Character Analysis
_Story Elements
English:
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Parts of speech
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Sentence structure
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Outlining
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Rules of punctuation
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Writing paragraphs
_Diagram sentences
Writing:
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Writing paragraphs
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Letter writing
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Research reports
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Book summary
_Reasons for writing narrating, persuading,
creating, informing, researching, describing, imagining,
classifying
Spelling:
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Spell accurately
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Syllable construction
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Word study
_Phonetic analysis
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Structural analysis
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Dictation
Vocabulary:
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Worldly Wise
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Word origins - etymology
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Prefixes
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Suffixes
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Analogies
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Dictionary
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Thesaurus
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Context Clues
Speaking and Listening:
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Prepare and give speeches
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Impromptu speaking
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Choral speaking Listening comprehension
_Listening comprehension
Handwriting
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Manuscript
_Cursive writing
Mathematics:
The primary focal points of Grade Four are
problem solving, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, congruence,
and symmetry.
Instructional content:
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Problem solving
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Multiplication and division facts
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Number concepts Place value of whole numbers
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Comparing and ordering numbers
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Understanding time
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Using and representing data
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Probability
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Geometry
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Multiplying by one and two digit numbers
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Dividing by one and two digit numbers
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Fractions
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Decimals
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Integration of math topics to help students see math as a whole
Social Studies:
Students in Grade Four examine Texas History,
United States History, Texas Government, and United States Government.
Students recite and explain the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Students identify the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and
religious groups of Texas and the United States
Instructional Content:
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Citizenship
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Geography skills
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Study various cultures
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Native Americans
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Arrival of Europeans to United States and Texas
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Texas Independence
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Civil War and Reconstruction
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World War I and World War II
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Great Depression
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Economic growth
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Texas Government
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United States government
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Reading newspapers
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Writing notes and outlines
_Outlines
Science:
Science includes planning and implements field
investigation, analyzing information, science reports and science projects.
Science is a way of learning about the natural world.
Instructional content:
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Scientific process
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Scientific content
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Flowering plants
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Animal behavior
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Food chains
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Animal and plant adaptations
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Work and energy
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Electricity and magnetism
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Light and sound
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Weather and conditions
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Changes in landforms / Ecosystems
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Oceans
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Solar systems
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Scientific reports
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Scientific projects / Science Fair
Religious Studies
Faith
The fourth grade program shows the children
how God reveals himself and then invites them to trust and follow God’s rules
for living as demonstrated by Jesus. The students will discover the life and
actions of Jesus by reading the Gospels, reflecting on what they discovered,
and keeping a written journal of their thoughts about how they an live as
Jesus did. Through reading the Hebrew Scriptures the children will learn of
the great faithfulness and trust the earliest believers had in God and how God
faithfully kept his promise and led them to the Promised Land.
Prayer:
The fourth grade program not only teaches the
children why and how to pray but helps them experience prayer in many
different forms. They are led to listen to God and to respond to God
personally and as members of a praying community. The children will learn a
formal Act of Contrition and be encouraged to:
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Acquire the habit of daily personal prayer
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Become more familiar with traditional Catholic Prayers
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Use the Bible, especially the Gospels and psalms, as a source of prayer
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Meditate in a form appropriate for their age
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Participate in spontaneous and share prayer
Liturgical Life:
The program prepares young Catholic Christians
for fuller participation in the liturgy according to the guidelines form the
directory for Masses with Children. The children’s understanding of how they
share in the story of Christ and his Church is deepened as they study to:
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Develop a deeper relationship with God and with the community of believers,
especially within the school community participate actively in the
celebration of the Eucharist in union with Christ
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Accept sickness, suffering, and death as mysteries demanding a Christian faith
and response grow in the devotional life, including those devotions
associates with the major feasts of our Lord, his Blessed Mother and the
saints
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Celebrate the liturgical year in ways that strengthen their Christian life and
deepen their personal awareness of the Paschal Mystery
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Become leaders in liturgical prayer by becoming acquainted with the
foundations and structure of each prayer and have a deeper
appreciation of Christian ritual and symbolism.
Morality:
The fourth grade program helps young
Christians establish a value system based on the teachings of Jesus. The
students grow in awareness that God has given them the freedom to choose well
and avoid evil. Never forcing them God calls them to continual conversion.
The lessons:
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Teach the basic implications of each of the Ten Commandments
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Increase awareness of the need to forgive and to receive forgiveness help the
children realize how their personal choices affect their
relationships with God and others
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Teach the value of prayer and the regular reception of the Eucharist and the
Sacrament of Reconciliation as means to a deeper relationship with
God
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Encourage daily examination of conscience
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Present the Beatitudes in the context of the lives of Mary, Jesus, and the
saints
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Use lives of saints for discussion, sharing of personal faith experiences.
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Use role-playing, music and art to help the children experience and appreciate
God’s presence in their lives and to nurture Christian values
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Lead the children to take personal responsibility for peace
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Provide positive sex education that promotes each child’s understanding and
acceptance of his or her uniqueness and sexuality
Social Responsibility
The program leads children to realize and
assume responsibility for building God’s kingdom on Earth. In the faith
message and related activities, the children discover their roles as members
of a family, parish, and community, and of a global village. The children are
guided to:
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Cultivate attitudes of cooperation, compassion, concern, and respect for the
rights of all people
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Develop the unselfish love that is needed for a happy family life and that
leads to concern for the global community
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Have a special care and respect for the weak, the suffering, the disabled, and
the elderly andwork to alleviate suffering and injustice in their
communities and other parts of the world.
SPECIALS:
Art:
At 4th grade level the student will
begin to realize that in order to create art they must not be discouraged if
their art does not reflect a photographic likeness. Students will be helped
to learn and understand the criteria of good, sincere art. Emphasis will be
placed on discovering pleasing textures, color harmonies, and the application
of the principles and elements of design. Students will discover art and how
it relates to man and the history and cultures of man. Various materials will
be used to create art at this level. Activities will include drawing,
painting, printing, collage and sculpture. Music and storytelling will be
incorporated into the curriculum to liven up the art class and make school
experiences more pleasing and thus providing an outlet for frustration and
hostilities in an acceptable manner.
LIBRARY/MEDIA SKILLS
Overview
Library/media skills are taught to all
students from Pre-K through eighth grade with the goal they will become
life-long readers with the ability to enter any library equipped with the
knowledge to locate and use all available resources.
The care and location of materials, browsing
and checkout procedures and notable authors and illustrators are introduced in
the primary grades.
Library use skills are reinforced in the upper
grades with particular emphasis on the arrangement of fiction and non-fiction
materials. With the completion of automation, students will be taught to use
the computerized card catalog, electronic resources and traditional print
materials to enhance classroom instruction and reading enjoyment.
Philosophy
Students are encouraged to read recreational
books including fiction and non-fiction. Picture books are read to all students
and teachers to encourage interest in favorite authors and illustrators.
Objectives:
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Library Orientation - students will learn library procedures
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Browsing and book checkout
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Location of materials and other resources
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Proper care for all materials and return policy
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Be courteous and exhibit good conduct
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Utilization of resources - students will learn to identify materials
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Alphabetical order-fiction materials are arranged by the first three letters of
the author’s last
name
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Locate periodicals in ABC order by title
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Dewey Decimal System - Non-fiction materials are arranged in ten main subject
groupings 000-900
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Determine how books are classified and where they will be shelved
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On-line card catalog - Look up books on specific subjects, titles or authors
Research and Study Skills
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Identify parts of a book
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Use reference tools such as an encyclopedia, atlas, dictionary, almanac, etc.
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Use the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature for magazine articles on
specific subjects
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Use newspaper for current events
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Special activities
Our library has weekly activities to include all
students. The librarian reads to all classes and uses book talks to interest
students in checking out books for class assignments such as book reports,
summaries or research projects. Materials are made available in the library to
support classroom curriculum and teaches may request library use at any time.
Books on the Bluebonnet and Texas Lone Star
reading lists are available and our library also subscribes to the Junior
Library Guild as a source for good reading material.
Book fairs are scheduled during the school year
and are an excellent source for books and fun.
Authors are invited to our school to share their
time and talent and are welcomed by all students and faculty with great
enthusiasm
Music:
Students will develop their intellect and refine
their emotions, understanding the cultural and creative nature of musical
artistry and making connections among music, the other arts, technology, and
other aspects of social life. Through creative performance, students apply the
expressive technical skills of music and critical thinking skills to a evaluate
multiple forms of problem solving (as per Texas state TEKS music introduction).
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Learn and sing songs that are
coordinated with the season, themes, liturgical year and different multicultural
artistry
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Students will use rhythm
instruments that will coordinate with songs
Physical Education:
Overview:
In this physical education class students will
gain knowledge in several different sports. We will also be learning rules,
skills and technique of these games. The overall objective of the physical
education courses at both the primary and middle school level is to teach
activities, which will form the basis for a lifetime of physical fitness.
Instructional Content:
~ Be able to apply physical education to
life
~ Be able to demonstrate knowledge and
skills, which better enable participation in group and team sports
~ Assess physical fitness levels and
participate in activities that improve fitness, wellness, and
cardiovascular capacity
~ Be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills,
which will better enable participation in individual and dual sports
and recreational activities.
Health:
The students recognize ways to enhance and
maintain health throughout their life span. The student recognizes the basic
structure and functions of the human body. The student understands and engages
in behaviors that reduce health risks. The student explains healthy ways to
communicate, and demonstrates critical thinking and problem solving for
promoting healthy decisions.
Instructional content:
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Six major nutrients contained in food
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Identify information on menus and food labels
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Exercise
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Physical, mental and social fitness
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Structure and function of the human body
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Identify the use of prescription and non-prescription medications
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Describe short and long term harmful effects of tobacco and alcohol
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Peer pressure influences, social and emotional health
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Qualities of a good friend
Spanish:
Students will develop cultural awareness of
Mexican/Latin traditional events and holidays.
The class will:
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Learn pronouns. Development of
singular and plural personal pronouns
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Proper names in Spanish
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Feminine and masculine objects and
adjectives
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Spanish nouns
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Numbers 30 to 1000
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Simple Spanish phrases development
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Proper use of basic Spanish
grammar
Technology:
Have weekly instruction in the Annex computer
lab with Technology Instructor.
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Keyboarding-work on speed and
accuracy reinforcing skills
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Basic troubleshooting/minor
computer repair
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Age appropriate software/websites
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Word processing, graphics,
electronic encyclopedias, spreadsheet, presentation, and web building programs
used
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Team teaching with other subject
area teachers
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Computer center in homeroom