Fourth Grade Curriculm

Explorer Fourth graders focus heavily this year on a cross-curricular study of California history and geography. This work includes studies of the California Missions, California Indian groups and the Gold Rush. In addition, students study the geography of California and the role it has played in the settlement of our state. Reading is integrated into this focus on California as students read many books with a state angle such as Island of the Blue Dolphins. Field trips also take students outside the school to bring their research about California to life. Reading Workshop this year includes book reports, literary and genre analysis, and literature circles in which students learn to how to meet in small book clubs to discuss their reading. Writing workshop includes poetry studies, specific components of state-mandated forms such as Summary and Response, and Response to Literature. Learning to research and synthesize multiple sources of information is also a major focus of fourth grade. Students continue to develop their knowledge of word origins, handwriting, and spelling studies from previous years. Fourth graders also use our school's adopted math resource "Chicago Everyday Mathematics" as well as Problem of the Day, Mad Minutes, and Mountain Math to deepen and extend math learning.

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