The fourth grade language arts program continues to emphasize reading skills. Students use novels to help understand the concepts of author’s purpose, figurative language, character development, symbolism, and setting. During literature, students take novel notes to help them better understand these concepts while also using them to help complete comprehension and vocabulary building activities. Students expand their writing skills in the areas of paragraph development, letters, and reports, such as the mission report. Proper grammar usage and sentence structure are also areas of focus when writing narrative, opinion, and informative examples.

Over the course of the school year, 4th grade students build on prior knowledge of California’s early people and explorers. They gain new knowledge of California history which will include Spanish and Mexican rule, missions, and California’s road to statehood through 1850. Finally, students wrap up 4th grade social studies with an understanding of the structures, functions and powers of our local, and state governments as well as the federal government. To enhance and further engage student learning all students will participate in a 3 day California Gold Rush Camp located in Columbia, as well as other local field trips.

Fourth grade students continue developing their skills with whole number addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They begin work on fractions, including finding equivalent fractions, common denominators, and addition and subtraction with fractions. An introduction to decimals includes an understanding of their meaning and place value. Students continue to work on developing strategies and critical thinking skills used for solving word problems.

Fourth grade religion students study Sacraments and their importance in our daily lives. Students also learn about the Corporal & Spiritual Works of Mercy, and how they help us live in union with the Ten Commandments, Jesus’ Law of love, and Beatitudes. In the spring, students study family life, which focuses on the gift of life and how to respect all of God’s creation.

Students will experience an interdisciplinary approach to Science that aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The curriculum will encompass informational text reading, writing and a variety of hands-on activities designed to reinforce the lessons. Fourth grade students learn about energy, waves in their applications in technologies of information transfer, molecules and organisms with a focus on structure and processes, and Earth’s place in the universe - its systems and how human activity affects Earth.

Coming soon!