CURRICULUM GUIDE
GRADE 4
Main
Topic: Reading/Literature
Read and identify
varying genres of literature: poetry, fiction, non-fiction, biography, and
drama.
1. Read novels and other materials available to
experience each of the genres.
2. Identify theme and offer evidence from the
text.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of plot, character, and
setting.
4. Understand elements of non-fiction such as
graphics, (charts, maps, diagrams, illustrations) and organizational structure.
5. Identify elements of poetry such as: rhythm,
repetitions, simile, metaphor, and sensory language.
6. Demonstrate fluency and expression when
reading aloud.
7. Demonstrate comprehension in discussion and
personal work.
Use reading
strategies to increase comprehension.
1.Summarize sequence and compare/contrast stories.
2.Locate main idea and supporting details.
3.Predict outcomes, draw conclusions and find cause/effect.
4.Recognize literal/abstract inferences and fact/opinion.
5.Determine the meaning of unknown words from contextual clues.
Main Topic:
Language
Expand vocabulary
using the Sitton Spelling Program and apply it in reading and writing.
1.Students will expand their vocabulary and use it correctly in reading
and writing.
2.Students will analyze standard English grammar and usage and explain its
historical relationship to Greek and Latin word roots.
3.Students will identify the meaning of common prefixes and suffixes.
Demonstrate effective
speaking and listening skills.
1.Employ eye contact, clear enunciation and expression.
2.Participate actively in speaking/listening activities such as oral book
reports, plays, choral and poetry readings, and role playing.
Main
Topic: Composition
Compose a
well-organized composition with a beginning, middle and end.
1.Write organized paragraphs of 4-7 sentences, using a topic sentence,
supporting details and clincher.
2.Use the writing process for a variety of expository, narrative, how-to,
and literary response assignments in all content areas.
Revise and edit
written work to improve content, organization and language.
1.Identify and use major parts of speech correctly
2.Apply standard English conventions, including spelling, punctuation (end
marks, commas for series) capitalization, usage (subject – verb agreement) and
sentence structure.
Main
Topic: North American Geography
1.Regions of the United States
2.Canada
3.Mexico
Key Concepts/Skills
1.Use latitude/longitude to locate places of study.
2.Identify the locations of North and South Poles, Equator, Prime
Meridian, and the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Hemispheres.
3.Use map title, compass rose, scale, and legend to interpret map.
4.Observe and describe national historic sites. Describe their function
and significance.
5.Give examples of the major rights that immigrants have acquired as
citizens of the United States (right to vote, freedom of religion, speech,
etc.)
6.Give examples of the different ways immigrants can become U.S. citizens.
7.Define and give examples of natural resources in the U. S.
8.Give examples of limited and unlimited resources. Explain how scarcity
of goods and services requires communities to make choices. Give examples of
how the interaction of buyers and sellers influences the prices of goods and
services.
Grade 4 Math
Main
Topic: Number Sense and Operations
Key Concepts/Skills
1.Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among
numbers, and number systems. (place value, decimals, fractions, mixed numbers,
base 10)
2.Understand meanings of operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide) and
how they relate to one another (commutative, associative, identity,
e.g., 7 x 28 = (7 x 20) + (7 x 8)
3.Compute fluently and make reasonable estimates (376/4, 376 x 24, 37624 –
36742).
Topic:
Patterns, Relations, and Functions
Key Concepts/Skills
1.Understand patterns, relations, and functions (multiplication pattern,
3, 30, 300, 3000)
2.Represent and analyze mathematical situations and structures using
algebraic symbols (=, <, > )
3.Use mathematical models to represent and understand quantitative
relationships (4 apples cost 80 cents so 1 apple costs 20 cents)
4.Analyze change in various contexts (input-output tables)
Topic:
Geometry
Key Concepts/Skills
1.Analyze properties and characteristics of 2 and 3 dimensional shapes
(circles, polygons, cubes, spheres, pyramids). Identify and draw acute, right,
and obtuse angles; intersecting, parallel, and perpendicular lines.
2.Able to use coordinate geometry and other representational systems
(ordered pairs to locate points on graph)
3.Apply transformations and use symmetry to analyze mathematical situations
(flips, turns, and slides to determine congruence)
4.Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve
problems.
Topic:
Measurement
Key Concepts/Skills
1.Understand and use the units, systems, and processes of measurement.
(length, area, weight, volume; hours to minutes, feet to inches)
2.Apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine
measurements (ruler, graduated cylinder, thermometer)
Topic:
Data Analysis. Statistics, and Probability
Key Concepts/Skills
1.Collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer pertinent
questions.
2.Select an appropriate statistical method to analyze data use such to
make predictions and inferences (tables, bar graphs, pictographs, line graphs,
line plots, tallies)
3.Understand and apply the basic concepts of probability
(how many different outfits can one make from 3 shirts, 2 pair of pants, and 2
hats?)
Grade 4
Science
Topic:
Earth and Space Science/The Water Cycle/Earthquakes and Volcanoes/Global
Weather Patterns
Key Concepts/Skills
1.Describe how water on earth cycles in different forms and in different
locations (liquid, solid, gas).
2.Explain and give examples of how the cycling of water, both in and out of the atmosphere, has an effect on climate (evaporation, condensation, precipitation)
3.Explain and give examples of how the surface of the earth changes due to
slow processes such as erosion and weathering, and rapid processes such as
landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.
4.Explain and give examples of the ways in which soil is formed through
the weathering of rock by wind and water and from the decomposition of plant
and animal remains.
5.Describe how the jet stream and ocean currents affect temperature, wind
speed and direction, and precipitation.
Topics:
Life Science/Animal Studies/Rainforest
Key Concepts/Skills
1.Differentiate between observed characteristics of plants and animals
that are fully inherited and characteristics that are affected by the climate
or environment. Describe how inherited characteristics may change over time (adaptation).
2.Describe how organisms patterns of behavior are determined in response
to environmental stimuli. (instinct vs. learned)
3.Give examples of how organisms can cause changes in their environment
and how these changes may affect the ecosystem.
4.Study the major life stages of the frog.
5.Recognize plant behaviors in response to gravity and stimuli.
Topic:
Physical Science/Water
Key Concepts/Skills
1.Compare and contrast solids, liquids, and gases based on the basic
properties of each of these states of matter.
2.Describe how water can be changed from one state to another by adding or
taking away heat.
3.Differentiate between a mixture and a solution.
Topic:
Technology/Engineering
Key Concepts/Skills
Identify a problem and propose a solution that reflects the need for
shelter, storage or convenience. (e.g., preserve the rainforest, protect
endangered species, etc.)
The purpose of this
guide is to identify the major topics, concepts, and skills that are considered
essential for each grade level as identified by the Massachusetts Curriculum
Frameworks.