Fourth Grade students, in math, deepen conceptual understandings developed through the pedagogy of the Singapore Math framework, which emphasizes concept mastery, a concrete-pictorial-abstract approach, metacognitive reasoning and the use of model drawing to solve problems and justify solutions. Math topics and concepts emphasized in fourth grade incorporate the use of diagrams and bar models to solve real-world problems. Students at this level learn numbers sense through the millions place, multi-digit multiplication and division, data interpretation, adding, subtracting and problem solving with fractions, and lines and angles within geometry among other skills and concepts. 

In Grade 4 Spanish, using comprehensible input, students engage in an increased amount of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in the target language. Students at this level move from character development to story development where instruction uses stories to provide a context for rich conversations while repeating and targeting vocabulary words and structures. Students collectively write familiar stories and newly generated stories and view, discuss, and write about short videos during Movie-talk activities. Focus is also on students acquiring the 'Sweet 16' verbs in the first, second and third persons through both oral and written activities. The expectation for fourth grade students is that they develop confidence in reading and interacting with written texts with familiar vocabulary and grammar structures. As emergent writers, students write sentences in basic structure using the targeted vocabulary. Fourth graders attend Spanish three times during each eight-day cycle rotation.

 

In Grade 4 Mandarin, students continue to develop a foundation in the key areas of Mandarin language learning, engaging in an increased amount of reading, writing, and speaking in the target language. This stage has a strong focus on speaking and listening and introducing students to conversing with their teacher and classmates in an interactive manner. This includes common courtesy expressions, introductory conversation, simple expressions of feelings and emotions, commonly used verbs and descriptive phrases, and responding to simple questions. Students also continue to explore cultural topics and further their understanding of the pictographic evolution of Chinese characters. Fourth graders attend Mandarin three times during each eight-day cycle rotation.

 

The Lower School library program and space invites students to explore ideas and interests, gather and enjoy individual and communal activities, engage in inquiry and research that supports the curriculum, and experience the joy of reading. Lower School students attend library classes once every eight-day cycle where they are exposed to rich, diverse texts, have the opportunity to explore and select books, and learn the fundamentals of information literacy as part of a developmental continuum.

 

Fourth graders gain important digital citizenship skills and learn responsible, safe, and healthy use of technology through once-a-month classes taught by our technology specialist in the core classroom.

 

Outdoor Education takes students outside of the familiarity of the classroom, encourages them to undertake challenges that develop new skills, and connects learning beyond school walls. In October, for two nights and three days, fourth grade students go to Coloma, California. There, students engage in a California Gold Rush program designed for fourth graders where they use the lessons of the past in relation to the Gold Rush to awaken their interest and sense of responsibility for the environment and historical impacts relating to migration and community development. This experience is led by the California Outdoor Discovery School and chaperoned by the 4th-grade teachers and parent volunteers. 

In fourth grade English Language Arts, students work to deepen their comprehension skills through practicing and developing their ability to summarize, analyze character development, make inferences, explore theme, and using evidence to support claims. Much of this work happens through explicit skill development and differentiated book clubs. Students continue to build fluency and work to develop reflective and cohesive responses to literature. In writing, fourth graders are developmentally ready to expand their depth of thought. With support of mentor texts, focus is placed on author's craft, purpose, as well as reviewing and expanding the paragraph structure. These skills are integrated into thesis-driven persuasive essays, information writing and research, realistic narrative fiction, and poetry. Students also build grammar, spelling, sentence fluency, and vocabulary skills. Revision, editing, and practicing constructive feedback strategies are also a part of their writing process.

 

Lower School art is where students explore and express their creativity through a variety of mediums and study artists from diverse backgrounds. Instruction is fluid and philosophically rooted in the idea that all children are artists and that growth comes from continuous practice, experimentation, and reflection. Projects in fourth grade include creating embroidered photo-collages based on the work of Mexican artist Victoria Villasana and single-color block prints in the woodcut tradition. Fourth graders also study the tradition of Chinese calligraphy and make clay sculptures of people and fantastical architectural spaces. Fourth graders have Art three times during each eight-day cycle.

 

The Garden to Table program aims to create curious eaters and growers by promoting intentional interactions with the natural world. It also aims to develop empathy for animal and plant life where students become community stewards and responsible global citizens. The program provides hands-on opportunities where young cooks and gardeners cultivate curiosity by exploring food systems and grow as lifelong learners. 

 

Fourth graders, in Garden to Table, keep our plants and habitats healthy and learn how to apply their growing knowledge to the kitchen classroom. They actively participate and engage in the cycle of planting, nurturing, and harvesting varieties of plants (including edibles) and utilize their knife skills and flavor know-how to cook recipes based on California social studies learning. The Garden to Table classroom is an indoor/outdoor space where all learners have access and agency, and where cross-disciplinary connections make learning multi-dimensional. Fourth graders learn in the garden and kitchen twice during each eight-day cycle. 

 

Fourth graders, in Social Studies, delve into California history, beginning with a consideration of how California's geography impacted ways of life for its first peoples. Students learn about indigenous peoples’ of California first contact with European explorers and the Spanish colonial era that followed. When exploring topics like the Spanish Mission System, students consider the presentation of narratives and whether or not they include perspectives from all peoples impacted during these historical periods. Students continue to keep this in mind as they explore California history during the 19th century, learning about the first Republic of Mexico, the Mexican-American War, the Bear Flag Revolt and the California Gold Rush. In the latter part of the year, learning shifts towards contemporary California history and social justice movements. Much of this learning is supported in historical fiction themed book clubs that highlight migrant farmworkers, contributions of women and LGBTQ figures, as well as the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. 

 

In Music in fourth grade, expressing, creating, and performing music continue to be integral to developing and deepening students’ music skills and literacy. Students learn more about the musical alphabet and note names on the treble staff. They review literacy skills such as note reading, rhythm reading, and musical dictation, and they continue to develop breath management, vocal tone, range (head tones), expression, part-singing, and intonation (in-tune singing). Schoolwide performances provide culminating experiences for fourth graders as they expand their participation in dancing, singing, instrument exploration, and creative movement. Fourth graders have Music three times during each eight-day cycle.

 

In Fourth Grade DBi, a focus of learning is on an introduction to coding and robotics. Through hands-on activities with Ozobots, Scribble Bots, or similar basic robotics, students learn fundamental robotics concepts. Starting with Tinkercad Codeblocks, fourth graders learn code block programming, progressing to MakeCode for microcontroller and servo programming. By course end, students will design and program their own moving objects, honing problem-solving and creativity skills. Students work in the DBi Lab ten times within a semester of learning.