Course Descriptions

  • English Language Arts: The overall emphasis in this course will be on developing effective critical thinking and reading comprehension skills to analyze fiction and nonfiction texts. In addition to culturally responsive literature using the READO model, students will also read the novel, Save Me a Seat, self-selected texts, and various texts in our Wonders anthology. Students will also focus on writing quality sentences, organizing paragraphs and adding details to their writing. Students will complete a variety of writing assignments including a personal narrative, an opinion piece and a research project.

    Math: The overall emphasis in this course will be on developing proficiency in 4th grade math standards for number and operations, algebra, geometry and measurement, and data analysis. More specifically, emphasis will be placed on students demonstrating proficiency in building on basic math facts by demonstrating mastery in multi-digit multiplication and division. They will also demonstrate representing and comparing fractions and decimals. Students will also engage in a variety of math centered project based learning activities to utilize the math standards in real-life situations.

    Social Studies: The overall emphasis in this course will be on developing effective mapping, citizenship, and economics awareness and skills, with an emphasis on United States government and regions. Students will engage in developing a sense of understanding our country through historical people, places, and things. Students will complete a research project to learn research and application skills, note-taking, and presenting to an audience.

    Science: The overall emphasis in science will be on developing skills in these areas: nature of science and engineering, physical, earth and space sciences . Students will make a record of observations and construct explanations of these topics based on evidence collected. STEM challenges will be used throughout the year to engage students in these skills and concepts. Students will explore the impacts that the designed world has on the natural world as more and more engineered products and services are created and used. Students will complete a water cycle to better describe how water moves through the Earth system using the processes of evaporation, condensation and precipitation. Finally, students will construct a simple electrical circuit using wires, batteries and light bulbs, and demonstrate how an electric current can produce a magnetic field.

Reading

  • Key Ideas and Details

    • Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
    • Determine a theme of a story, drama or poem from details in the text; summarize the plot.
    • Describe in depth a character, setting, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

    Craft and Structure

    • Determine the meaning of words or phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology.
    • Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structured elements of poems and drama.
    • Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narratives.

    Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

    • Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflect specific descriptions and directions to the text.
    • Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics and patterns of events in stories, myths and traditional literature from different cultures.

Social Studies

  • Citizenship and Government

    • Identify the major roles and responsibilities of elected and appointed leaders in the community, state and nation; name some current leaders who function in these roles and how they are selected.

    Economics

    • Apply a reasoned decision-making process to make a choice, such as PACED (problem, alternative, criteria, evaluation, decision).
    • Describe a market as any place or manner in which buyers and sellers interact to make exchanges; describe prices as payments of money for items exchanged in markets.

    Geography

    • Create and use various kinds of maps, including overlaying thematic maps, of places in the United States and also Canada or Mexico; incorporate the TODALS (title, orientation, date, author, legend, and scale) map basics, as well as points, lines of colored areas to display spatial information.
    • Choose the most appropriate data from maps, charts, and graphs in an atlas to answer specific questions about geographic issues in the United States and also Canada or Mexico.
    • Name and locate states and territories, major cities and state capitals in the United States. Name and locate countries neighboring the United States and their major cities.

    History

    • Use maps to compare and contrast a particular region in the United States and also Canada or Mexico at different points in time.

Math

  • Number and Operation

    • Demonstrate mastery of multiplication and division basic facts; multiple multi-digit numbers; solve real-world and mathematical problems using arithmetic. • Represent and compare fractions and decimals in real-world and mathematical situations; use place value to understand how decimals represent quantities.

    Algebra

    • Use input-output rules, tables and charts to represent patterns and relationships and to solve real-world and mathematical problems; create real-world situations corresponding to number sentences.

    Geometry and Measurement

    • Name, describe, classify and sketch polygons (quadrilaterals, square, rectangle, trapezoid, rhombus, parallelogram, kite). • Understand angle as a measurable attribute of real-world and mathematical objects. Use various tools to measure angles and area.

    Data Analysis

    • Use tables, bar graphs, timelines and Venn diagrams to display data sets.  the data may include fractions or decimals.

Science

  • Nature of Science and Engineering

    • Describe the positive and negative impacts that the designed world has on the natural world as more and more engineered products and services are created and used.

    Physical Science

    • Distinguish between solids, liquids and gases in terms of shape and volume. Describe how the states of matter change as a result of heating and cooling.
    • Describe how magnets can repel or attract each other and how they attract certain metal objects. • Compare materials that are conductors and insulators of heat and electricity. Identify several ways to generate heat energy.
    • Construct a simple electrical circuit using wires, batteries and light bulbs. Demonstrate how an electric current can produce a magnetic field.

    Earth and Space Science

    • Recognize that rocks may be uniform or made of mixtures of different minerals. Describe and classify minerals based on their physical properties.
    • Identify where water collects on Earth, including atmosphere, ground and surface water, and describe how water moves through the Earth system using the processes of evaporation, condensation and precipitation. Describe how the methods people utilize to obtain and use water in their homes and communities that can affect water supply and quality.

Visual & Fine Arts

  • Art

    • Identify the elements of visual art including color, line, shape, texture and space.
    • Identify the tools, materials and techniques from a variety of two-and three-dimensional media such as drawing, printmaking, ceramics or sculpture.
    • Create original two- or three-dimensional artworks to express ideas, experiences or stories.

    Music

    • Identify the elements of music including melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, tone color, texture, form and their related concepts.
    • Read and notate music using a system of notations such as solfege, numbers or symbols.
    • Sing and play with accurate pitch, rhythm and expressive intent.

Physical Education

    • Perform locomotor skills (hopping, skipping, running, galloping, and leaping) while maintaining balance.
    • Balances on different bases of support, demonstrating muscle tension and extensions of free body parts.
    • Performs manipulative skills (throwing, catching, dribbling, rope-jumping) while maintaining balance.

Media & Technology

  • School-wide Technology Integration

    • Use technology (desktop computers, iPads, Chromebooks and Smart Boards) to enhance and personalize learning.

Resources

  • English Language Arts

    • Wonders 2020 Literacy Curriculum
    • Reado
    • Newsela
    • Readworks
    • Save Me a Seat Novel study

    Math

    • Standards-Based
    • IXL
    • Math Expressions

    Social Studies

    • Discovery Education
    • READO Books
    • Wonders Reading Passages

    Science

    • Project Lead the Way
    • Wonders
    • STEM Projects