Fourth Grade Curriculum Language Arts At the fourth grade level, students learn summarizing, identifying main ideas, locating new information, finding meaning through context, while fully comprehending texts from a wide variety of genres (styles). These reading strategies are used for better understanding the other fourth grade content areas. Fourth grade students learn to respond to literature in a variety of oral and written forms. Fourth graders draw on various reference materials and learn to quote, paraphrase, and cite information sources, as they write narratives, responses to literature, information reports, and summaries of newly acquired information in the different content areas. The students express personal experiences, opinions, and points of views. Students write to develop four paragraph compositions, with an introduction, three supporting paragraphs with facts and details, and a conclusion that summarizes a central idea. Punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary are emphasized through the editing and revision process. Social Studies In fourth grade social studies, students personally form connections to the past and present in order to develop critical thinking skills. Throughout the year, students develop the skills required to read and understand maps, globes, charts, pictures, primary sources, and historical texts. By focusing on multicultural perspectives, current events/issues, history, geography, citizenship, economics, and government, fourth grade students see themselves in history and learn about their own heritage.
		Students identify and explore California regions including characteristics and physical environments (e.g., water, landforms, vegetation, and climate) and the effect of human activity on California. Students learn that colonization and the gold-rush affected the population, physical environment, and culture of the indigenous people of California. Fourth graders discuss the importance and purpose of the U.S. Constitution and learn about the structures and numerous forms of the state governments. The relationship and responsibilities between the federal, state, and local government is emphasize. Math By the end of fourth grade, students understand large numbers and addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers. They describe and compare simple fractions, decimals, and percents. They understand the properties of and the relationship between plane and solid geometric figures. Students collect, represent, and analyze data to answer questions. Students explore the concepts of negative numbers and variable algorithms. Science In physical science, fourth graders investigate electricity and magnetism, and how their related effects have useful applications in everyday life. In life science, students learn that all organisms need energy, matter, each other, and the environment to survive. In earth science, students study the properties of rocks and minerals and reflect upon the processes that formed them. Students discover that the earth's surface is continually being shaped and reshaped due to waves, wind, water and ice. Students investigate, experiment, and ask meaningful questions to make scientific progress. Kindergarten :: First Grade :: Second Grade :: Third Grade :: Fourth Grade :: Fifth Grade