4th Grade Curriculum
Our Philosophy
Fourth grade is an exciting year! Students take what they’ve learned in the lower grades and use that knowledge to blossom into explorers, creators, and critical thinkers. Our lessons are primarily workshop-based, giving students multiple opportunities for partnerships, small groups, and one-on-one conferences. Our classrooms are communities where we develop strong work habits, social/emotional awareness, social skills, and interpersonal relationships.
Reading & Writing
Students in our fourth grade classrooms learn how reading and writing are interwoven so that they become analytical thinkers, passionate readers, and prolific writers. Teachers spend time each day sitting side-by-side with students as they read, keeping careful notes on the skills they have and those they need. This allows for customized instruction, small group collaboration, partner practice, and independent work that present multiple pathways for progression toward benchmarks. Teachers look closely at student writing to guide students in developing innovative and formal methods to research, reflect, synthesize, edit, and publish.
Our pacing calendar is based on NY Common Core Standards and uses the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project as the primary source for literacy instruction. By the end of 4th grade, children are expected to read Level T with fluency and understanding. We emphasize developing classroom libraries that showcase diversity and inclusion, so our books are relatable to all students.
Math
Our hands-on approach to our math curriculum is based on developing concepts and problem-solving skills. Alongside our development of concepts and strategies, we stress the importance of learning and practicing math facts (particularly multiplication and division) so that students are readily able to calculate quickly and efficiently.
Our pacing calendar is primarily based on the NY Common Core Standards for Mathematics, and we use the EngageNY math curriculum to plan, implement, and assess our lessons. Some of our end-of-year benchmarks include:
We also focus on the differentiation of math instruction, understanding the different entry points at which our students enter the curriculum, and the multiple varieties of access they need and thrive on!
Social Studies
Our students embark on an exciting social studies curriculum in 4th grade! They study multiple aspects of American history, from an in-depth study of the Lenape and Iroquois indigenous groups to a look at the development of the early colonies to an exploration of the American Revolution and the development of this country. The social studies curriculum allows students to access history in multiple ways, such as creating a model of a traditional Lenape village, publishing a colonial newspaper, or visiting a local landmark that was a key location during the American Revolution!
Hydroponics
Our students are classroom farmers! They use various small-scale hydroponic systems to grow food for personal consumption + donate to local community soup kitchens. Our classroom hydroponics offers students a chance to experience the joy and wonder of farming (an important life skill). It also provides opportunities to analyze the perils of extreme weather and climate change pragmatically.
Fourth grade is an exciting year! Students take what they’ve learned in the lower grades and use that knowledge to blossom into explorers, creators, and critical thinkers. Our lessons are primarily workshop-based, giving students multiple opportunities for partnerships, small groups, and one-on-one conferences. Our classrooms are communities where we develop strong work habits, social/emotional awareness, social skills, and interpersonal relationships.
Reading & Writing
Students in our fourth grade classrooms learn how reading and writing are interwoven so that they become analytical thinkers, passionate readers, and prolific writers. Teachers spend time each day sitting side-by-side with students as they read, keeping careful notes on the skills they have and those they need. This allows for customized instruction, small group collaboration, partner practice, and independent work that present multiple pathways for progression toward benchmarks. Teachers look closely at student writing to guide students in developing innovative and formal methods to research, reflect, synthesize, edit, and publish.
Our pacing calendar is based on NY Common Core Standards and uses the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project as the primary source for literacy instruction. By the end of 4th grade, children are expected to read Level T with fluency and understanding. We emphasize developing classroom libraries that showcase diversity and inclusion, so our books are relatable to all students.
Math
Our hands-on approach to our math curriculum is based on developing concepts and problem-solving skills. Alongside our development of concepts and strategies, we stress the importance of learning and practicing math facts (particularly multiplication and division) so that students are readily able to calculate quickly and efficiently.
Our pacing calendar is primarily based on the NY Common Core Standards for Mathematics, and we use the EngageNY math curriculum to plan, implement, and assess our lessons. Some of our end-of-year benchmarks include:
- using place value to perform multi-digit calculations
- fluently adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm
- multiplying numbers of up to four digits by using the standard algorithm, area model, and partial product model
- solving word problems involving multiplication of fractions and whole numbers
- being able to identify, measure, and classify angles, lines, and line segments.
We also focus on the differentiation of math instruction, understanding the different entry points at which our students enter the curriculum, and the multiple varieties of access they need and thrive on!
Social Studies
Our students embark on an exciting social studies curriculum in 4th grade! They study multiple aspects of American history, from an in-depth study of the Lenape and Iroquois indigenous groups to a look at the development of the early colonies to an exploration of the American Revolution and the development of this country. The social studies curriculum allows students to access history in multiple ways, such as creating a model of a traditional Lenape village, publishing a colonial newspaper, or visiting a local landmark that was a key location during the American Revolution!
Hydroponics
Our students are classroom farmers! They use various small-scale hydroponic systems to grow food for personal consumption + donate to local community soup kitchens. Our classroom hydroponics offers students a chance to experience the joy and wonder of farming (an important life skill). It also provides opportunities to analyze the perils of extreme weather and climate change pragmatically.
