Curriculum

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Reading

During our reading block, we will read a variety of genres.

During class, we will read the genres in novels, chapter books, picture books, magazines, library books, newspapers, and self-selected books. Students will read independently, with a partner, in small group, or with the teacher.

Genres:

FICTION

Fantasy: a story that includes elements that are impossible such as talking animals, or magical powers.
Realistic Fiction: A story using made-up characters but could happen in real life.
Historical Fiction: A fictional story that takes place in a particular time period in the past. Often the setting is real, but the characters are made up from the author's imagination.
Mystery: A suspenseful story about a puzzling event that is not solved until the end.
Traditional Literature: Stories that are passed down from one group to another in history. This includes: folktales, legends, fables, tall tales, and myths from different cultures.
Science Fiction: A type of fantasy that uses science and technology (robots, time machines, etc.).

NON-FICTION

Informational: Texts that provide facts about a variety of topics (sports, animals, history, science, careers, travel, geography, space, weather, etc.).
Biography: The story of a real person's life that is written by another person.
Autobiography: The story of a real person's life that is written by that person.

OTHER

Poetry: Poetry is verse written to create a response of thought and feeling from the reader. They often include rhyme and rhythm.

Spelling

We are using the Words Their Way spelling program this year. It will give students a chance to learn to spell words using patterns on an appropriate level for them.

What is Words Their Way?

Words Their Way is a developmental spelling, phonics, and vocabulary program. It was developed by Invernizzi, Johnston, Bear, and Templeton. Words Their Way is intended to be a part of a balanced literacy plan that includes fluency, comprehension and writing. Word study is implemented as a small component of the literacy plan but it is also interwoven in actual reading and writing texts.

Words Their Way is an open-ended individual process. An assessment is given to determine where to begin instruction. Based on assessment results students are given words to study in order to discover the common attributes. In this manner students are actively constructing their own knowledge of spelling patterns. Students learn features by completing activities such as word sorting, word hunts, games and drawing and labeling. Students work individually, with partners, and in small groups to encourage cooperative learning and individual responsibility.

Levels:

Within-Word Pattern: This third stage is characterized by greater experience with print and leads to an increased awareness of how words work, and in turn to more conventional spelling.
Syllable Juncture: The focus at this stage is on preserving the pattern principles across syllable boundaries.
Derivational Constancy: This stage is seldom reached by young spellers. The words are of relatively low frequency and primarily of Greek and Latin origin

Writing

In 4th grade we will cover various types of writing:

Descriptive: The goal of this genre is to describe a person, place or thing in vivid detail.
Expository: The goal of this genre is to give information such as an explanation or directions
Narrative: The goal of this genre is to tell a story of an experience, event, or sequence of events while holding the reader's interest.
Persuasive/Opinion: The goal of this genre is to give an opinion in an attempt to convince the reader that this point of view is valid or tries to persuade the reader to take a specific action.

Poetry: Poetic writing is a written art form that helps the writer express an imaginative awareness and arranged to create a specific emotional response sometimes employing the use of repetition, meter, and rhyme.

Math

Our district has adopted the Everyday Mathematics program for our Mathematics curriculum.

In my mathematics instruction I utilize a variety of instructional approaches that will include whole group instruction, small group instruction, partner learning, and independent learning. I also incorporate a variety of fun learning games to enhance instruction and provide additional practice and enrichment for students.

Our curriculum has a spiraling effect. What that means is that each concept is taught or introduced during a unit during the year, but with our program each concept is also revisited several times throughout the year.

Your child has a login and password in the front of their planner. Here is a link to Everyday Mathematics if they leave their Home Link book at school. https://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/connected/login.do

Here is a brief overview of some concepts and skills that will be taught in 4th Grade. They are divided by strands from the Core Curriculum Content Standards of the State of New Jersey.

Number and Numeration:

Program Goal	Content Thread	Grade-Level Goal
Understand the Meanings, Uses, and Representations of Numbers	Place value and notation	Read and write whole numbers up to 1,000,000,000 and decimals through thousandths; identify places in such numbers and the values of the digits in those places; translate between whole numbers and decimals represented in words and in base-10 notation.
	Meanings and uses of fractions	Read, write, and model fractions; solve problems involving fractional parts of a region or a collection; describe and explain strategies used; given a fractional part of a region or a collection, identify the unit whole.
	Number theory	Find multiples of whole numbers less than 10; identify prime and composite numbers; find whole-number factors of numbers.
Understand Equivalent Names for Numbers	Equivalent names for whole numbers	Use numerical expressions involving one or more of the basic four arithmetic operations and grouping symbols to give equivalent names for whole numbers.
Understand Equivalent Names for Numbers	Equivalent names for fractions, decimals, and percents	Use numerical expressions to find and represent equivalent names for fractions and decimals; use and explain a multiplication rule to find equivalent fractions; rename fourths, fifths, tenths, and hundredths as decimals and percents.
Understand Common Numerical Relations	Comparing and ordering numbers	Compare and order whole numbers up to 1,000,000,000 and decimals through thousandths; compare and order integers between -100 and 0; use area models, benchmark fractions, and analyses of numerators and denominators to compare and order fractions.

Operations and Computation

Program Goal	Content Thread	Grade-Level Goal
Compute Accurately	Addition and subtraction facts	Demonstrate automaticity with addition and subtraction fact extensions.
	Addition and subtraction procedures	Use manipulatives, mental arithmetic, paper-and pencil algorithms and models, and calculators to solve problems involving the addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimals through hundredths; describe the strategies used and explain how they work.
	Multiplication and division facts	Demonstrate automaticity with multiplication facts through 1010 and proficiency with related division facts; use basic facts to compute fact extensions such as 3060.
	Multiplication and division procedures	Use manipulatives, mental arithmetic, paper-and-pencil algorithms and models, and calculators to solve problems involving the multiplication of multidigit whole numbers by 2-digit whole numbers and the division of multidigit whole numbers by 1-digit whole numbers; describe the strategies used and explain how they work.
	Procedures for addition and subtraction of fractions	Use manipulatives, mental arithmetic, and calculators to solve problems involving the addition and subtraction of fractions and mixed numbers; describe the strategies used.
Make Reasonable Estimates	Computational estimation	Make reasonable estimates for whole number and decimal addition and subtraction problems and whole number multiplication and division problems; explain how the estimates were obtained.
Understand Meanings of Operations	Models for the operations	Use repeated addition, skip counting, arrays, area, and scaling to model multiplication and division.

Data and Chance

Program Goal	Content Thread	Grade-Level Goal
Select and Create Appropriate Graphical Representations of Collected or Given Data	Data collection and representation	Collect and organize data or use given data to create charts, tables, graphs, and line plots.
Analyze and Interpret Data	Data analysis	Use the maximum, minimum, range, median, mode, and graphs to ask and answer questions, draw conclusions, and make predictions.
Understand and Apply Basic Concepts of Probability	Qualitative probability	Describe events using certain, very likely, likely, unlikely, very unlikely, impossible and other basic probability terms; use more likely, equally likely, same chance, 50-50, less likely, and other basic probability terms to compare events; explain the choice of language.
Understand and Apply Basic Concepts of Probability	Quantitative probability	Predict the outcomes of experiments and test the predictions using manipulatives; summarize the results and use them to predict future events; express the probability of an event as a fractionTree diagrams

Measurement and Reference Frames

Program Goal	Content Thread	Grade-Level Goal
Understand the Systems and Processes of Measurement; Use Appropriate Techniques, Tools, Units, and Formulas in Making Measurements	Length, weight, and angles	Estimate length with and without tools; measure length to the nearest 1/4 inch and 1/2 centimeter; use tools to measure and draw angles; estimate the size of angles without tools.
	Area, perimeter, volume, and capacity	Describe and use strategies to measure the perimeter and area of polygons, to estimate the area of irregular shapes, and to find the volume of rectangular prisms.
	Units and systems of measurement	Describe relationships among U.S. customary units of measure and among metric units of measure.
Use and Understand Reference Frames	Coordinate systems	Use ordered pairs of numbers to name, locate, and plot points in the first quadrant of a coordinate grid.Students will learn a variety of problem solving strategies such as looking for key words, drawing a picture, using a calculator, estimating, or using different paper-pencil algorithms

Geometry

Program Goal	Content Thread	Grade-Level Goal
Investigate Characteristics and Properties of Two- and Three-Dimensional Geometric Shapes	Lines and angles	Identify, draw, and describe points, intersecting and parallel line segments and lines, rays, and right, acute, and obtuse angles.
	Plane and solid figures	Describe, compare, and classify plane and solid figures, including polygons, circles, spheres, cylinders, rectangular prisms, cones, cubes, and pyramids, using appropriate geometric terms including vertex, base, face, edge, and congruent.
Apply Transformations and Symmetry in Geometric Situations	Transformations and symmetry	Identify, describe, and sketch examples of reflections; identify and describe examples of translations and rotations.

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra

Program Goal	Content Thread	Grade-Level Goal
Understand Patterns and Functions	Patterns and functions	Extend, describe, and create numeric patterns; describe rules for patterns and use them to solve problems; use words and symbols to describe and write rules for functions that involve the four basic arithmetic operations and use those rules to solve problems.
Use Algebraic Notation to Represent and Analyze Situations and Structures	Algebraic notation and solving number sentences	Use conventional notation to write expressions and number sentences using the four basic arithmetic operations; determine whether number sentences are true or false; solve open sentences and explain the solutions; write expressions and number sentences to model number stories.
	Order of operations	Evaluate numeric expressions containing grouping symbols; insert grouping symbols to make number sentences true.
	Properties of the arithmetic operations	Describe and apply the Distributive Property of Multiplication over Addition.

For additional help and information, click on the links below.

Science

The science curriculum is FOSS which covers various aspects of life science, physical science, and earth & space science.

Earth and Space Science topics include...

Matter & Energy
Shaping Earth's Surface
Earth and Human Activity

Life Science Topics include...

Plant and Animal Structures
Organisms and their Environment

Physical Science topics include...

Energy Transfers
Electrical Energy
Sound Waves
Light & Communication

Social Studies

Our Social Studies curriculum utilizes the History Alive! program. This program has a variety instructional approaches that encourages hands-on learning, group work, class discussion, and fun projects. The students take easy to read and organized notes on the interactive notebooks handouts. These handouts are kept in their binders. Study guides will be provided for the assessments.

Chapters of Study include:

Discovering THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
EXPLORING REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES
THE PEOPLING OF THE UNITED STATES
A TRAIN TOUR OF THE NORTHEAST
POPULATION DENSITY AND LIFE IN THE NORTHEAST
A BOAT AND BUS TOUR OF THE SOUTHEAST
THE EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPHY ON LIFE IN THE SOUTHEAST
CROP DUSTER TOUR OF THE MIDWEST
AGRICULTURAL CHANGES IN THE MIDWEST
A BIG RIG TOUR OF THE SOUTHWEST
A CASE STUDY IN WATER USE: THE COLORADO RIVER
A VAN AND AIRPLANE TOUR OF THE WEST
CITIES OF THE WEST
THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOUR STATE
THE HISTORY OF YOUR STATE
RESEARCHING YOUR STATE’S ECONOMY
RESEARCHING YOUR STATE’S GOVERNMENT