List of 13 items.

• Language Arts

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  Fourth grade language arts embraces the students’ developmental shift from concrete to abstract. An important language arts objective throughout the year is to advance reading and writing proficiency. The process and mechanics of writing are taught in context, but structured, cyclical exercises also reinforce skills throughout the year.
  
  Study and research skills and organization, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling are taught formally and reinforced through reading and writing in the content area. Students participate in language arts centers where they write narrative, persuasive, expository, and descriptive paragraphs, which are then expanded into longer writing pieces or stories. In reading, the students encounter books that challenge their comprehension skills and critical thinking. A notable progression of skill is taught through the Anthology, which provides varied exercises and assessments in support of key fourth grade language arts concepts and skills. Students develop their awareness of literary elements and focus is placed on the inferential thinking processes. In-class and library reading books are chosen to expand understanding of different cultures and genres of literature. In addition, the students explore various genres through their outside reading and present projects related to this material. Cursive writing and word processing is used for written work and final projects. Students use iPads and laptops at various stages in the writing process and during writing activities.

  
  Sources:

  Journeys, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing

• Mathematics

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  This mathematics course challenges students to apply their mathematical knowledge in increasingly creative ways that stretch their skills and conceptual understanding. As they delve deeper into EnVisionMath, students are asked to model with mathematics and use tools strategically to represent and interpret data, gain familiarity with factors and multiples, and generate and analyze patterns.
  
  Students further their mathematical knowledge in four critical areas: developing and understanding fluency with multi-digit multiplication and dividends, fraction equivalence, and analyze geometric figures to be classified based on properties. Learning new ways to apply and comprehend mathematical concepts, students engage with manipulatives and digital demonstrations that advance their concepts and skills. The major objective is to create authentic and in-depth learning activities that expand their knowledge of various methods to solve math and utilize different elements of mathematical techniques to deepen student understanding. Most importantly, fourth grade students begin to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

  
  Sources:

  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Go Math!

• Social Studies

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  Students study California, from its geographic setting, through the events of exploration, colonization, statehood, and modern growth and development. California history is central to the fourth grade social studies program. Students investigate how California’s eclectic environment has provided abundant and essential natural resources to people throughout history. Through their in-depth study of California, students gain an appreciation for the various cultural influences that molded California’s past and present and will profoundly shape California's future. The students learn about indigenous peoples, Spanish explorers, missions, and gold rush days. Fourth Grade students enhance their study of California with a day trip to San Juan Capistrano and Lazy W Ranch, where they re-enact assorted historical activities including the making of adobe bricks and panning for gold. Students also complete an interactive Mission project and spend time learning map skills and studying geography.

  
  Source:
  Scott Foresman Our California

• Science

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  As fourth grade scientists, students synthesize their knowledge of the scientific method through various lab and field experiments and write structured lab reports on their findings.
  
  Units of Study
  
  Earth Science
  Rocks & Minerals
  
  Physical Science
  Properties of Water
  Electrical Circuits
  Magnetism
  
  Life Science
  Salmon Lifecycle
  Marine Biology
  
  Sources:
  Mystery Science
  Generation Genius

• Religion

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  Fourth grade’s focus is on how students fit into their community and God’s family. They learn about the gift of family, including rules and making good choices and their role in their own family.  They learn about the gifts of self and life, which includes feelings (and how to act on them appropriately), body systems and life stages. The gift of love focuses on their growth and maturity, discipline, and healthy habits. The gift of community brings the saints into focus as well. Students are also able to examine the Seven Sacraments, the Beatitudes, and the Ten Commandments, which brings them closer in their appreciation of the traditions and beliefs of the Catholic Church. The liturgical seasons of the Church are reviewed. They become familiar with locating chapter and verse from both the Old and New Testament scriptures.
   
  The fourth grade has taken on the role of planning and presenting the Thanksgiving prayer service every year for the school. This includes writing prayers of the faithful and acting out the Gospel. All fourth graders are responsible for planning their yearly class Mass. They are active participants as ministers of music, lectors, greeters, altar dressers, and servers. It is tradition that the students create an altar cloth in fourth grade which is then used for school Masses and for their own Baccalaureate Mass before graduation.
   
  Sources:
  Family Life 4, publisher RCL Benziger
  Call to Faith 4, publisher Our Sunday Visitor
  Venture:  What the Church Believes and Teaches Handbook

• Art

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  In the fourth grade, students work on sculpture, drawing, painting, and ceramic projects. In their sculpture unit, students create monsters/Halloween related creatures using wine bottles and Rigid –Wrap Plaster Cloth, create small clay figures using pinch and coil methods to create Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, and create a “realistic” human figure using coat hangers as armature and plaster strips applied to wire armature to show action or movement (e.g., dancing, conducting music, walking, etc.). During the sculpture unit, students understand why sculpture must be viewed from 360 degrees and that every angle is important. They are exposed to the “plastic nature” of clay and to the concept that small sculptures can be as “ monumental “ in scale as large sculptures. Students learn how to express movement and work with line, shape, color, form, and space to apply good design principles to their sculptures. In their drawing unit, students work with the elements of art such as line, color, shape, and unity to create drawings based on holiday themes (e.g. students use oil pastels and paper stained glass, India ink, charcoal paper, oil pastels and black tempera paint for their Day of the Dead sculptures). In their painting unit, students graft a simple shape to create a painting based on simple color mixing concepts, work with primary color, secondary colors, complementary colors, and intermediate colors in their paintings, and end the unit with a painting based on Van Gogh. Students end the school year with a ceramics unit where they create pots using coil methods.

• Drama: Using Theater to Learn New Things

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  Students learn about California history and that of the entertainment industry. For example, they learn about the origins of melodrama and look for stock characters (hero, villain, sidekick) in a variety of pieces. They are able to work together in groups to write, direct, and perform short plays from literature and other content areas. Students use theatre vocabulary to critique their peers and professional performers.

• Music

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  Students acquire the ability to understand and respond to conducting gestures, read pitch using the traditional staff notation, and read from sheet music at a beginning level. They can play a string or wind orchestral instrument with correct holding position/embouchure. Students sing and play music from diverse cultures and time periods, and they can recognize the influence of various cultures on music in California. They advance their ability to evaluate improvement in personal musical performances after practice or rehearsal through active listening to Christmas and Spring Concerts and regular class recording sessions. Students learn how to identify and interpret expressive characteristics in works of art and music and integrate several art disciplines (dance, music, theatre, or the visual arts) into a well-organized presentation or performance (e.g. the 4th Grade Play). They are able to relate dance movements to express musical elements or represent musical intent in specific music, (i.e. square dancing in folk music). Students perform musical selections at the Christmas and Spring Concerts for the school community.

• Design and Engineering

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  In 4th grade, students continue to develop their computational thinking skills and create both visual and physical prototypes, such as in the Ocean Zones Project. In a connection to their study of California History, students utilize the entire design thinking process, in planning and developing a tool to solve a problem a miner faced during the California Gold Rush. During the year students are also first introduced to plug and play devices and coding tools like Makey Makey and Scratch. Greater emphasis is placed on problem solving and invention, and students are given increased opportunities to showcase their work through Maker Faires.

• Spanish

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  By fourth grade students are not expected to become fluent in Spanish; however, they will be optimally prepared for more formalized studies in the Middle School. Students continue acquiring language through storytelling, songs, skits and videos. They create and perform their own stories and are expected to communicate entirely in Spanish during class. Fourth graders are introduced to basic grammar, new vocabulary, and syntax. Students celebrate the end of the year by making their own piñatas.

• Technology

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  Fourth grade students learn basic computer troubleshooting skills and utilize different applications and cross-operating system platforms (e.g. word processing, presentations, spreadsheets) to organize information and communicate ideas in increasingly creative and complex ways. They strive to become intermediate keyboardists by steadily increasing and maintaining their accuracy and speed. Through the study of cyber-bullying and best practices in fundamental online etiquette through engagement in their classroom online community, students learn that what they do online has a similar effect and sometimes consequences to the decisions and actions they take in the physical world. An additional area of focus for fourth graders is robotics. In this unit, students use the Legos Mindstorm NXT system to learn introductory programming and hone their cooperative learning skills.

• Physical Education

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  In fourth grade physical education, students will thrive as they continue to enhance their physical abilities and engage in a wide range of exciting activities. This will include participating in individual and team sports, such as volleyball, soccer, basketball, football, track and field, softball, and baseball to promote teamwork, sportsmanship, and friendly competition. In addition to physical play, the curriculum will also include lessons on fitness and the importance of regular exercise.  
  
  Fourth grade students will be empowered to demonstrate their leadership and teamwork skills by taking turns leading warm-up activities and participating in small-sided games. The curriculum will also place a strong emphasis on good sportsmanship and positive behavior, highlighting the importance of fair play and treating others with respect. By the end of the year, fourth grade students will have a positive, well-rounded approach to physical fitness and the skills necessary to confidently participate in a variety of physical activities as they continue into middle school athletics.

• Library

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  Fourth graders expand their library concept knowledge and skills. They read increasingly complex works, including a wide representation of grade level appropriate text such as classic and contemporary literature, periodicals, online information, and informational text.
  
  They know the purpose of age appropriate book awards such as the Caldecott, Newbery, and California Young Reader awards. In addition, students continue learning about types of literature by focusing on historical fiction, tall tales, and California, with emphasis on geographical and historical aspects of those genres. They use standard reference tools through print and online resources. Students extract information from resources, recording the main ideas and significant details from their research. They identify the factors that make a source comprehensive, current, credible, accurate, and authoritative. Students use information by selecting a focus, an organization structure, and a point of view for a report or presentation. They learn more sophisticated search techniques, beginning with pre-search strategies such as recall of prior knowledge and verification of the accuracy of that prior knowledge. Students become more knowledgeable about online searching, URL Internet extensions (e.g., .com, .org, .edu, .gov), and the use of electronic menus and icons, while using approved or personal passwords appropriately. They learn about media literacy, and the multiple means of receiving, processing and creating images and information. Students adhere to the acceptable use policy as they expand their research and use of technology to acquire and share information and communicate with others outside the school environment.