Fourth Grade

Fourth grade is a year of growing independence and responsibility. Students are learning to do more and more work on their own, and are locating and interpreting information when the answer does not rephrase word-for-word what was asked.
A large amount of material is covered in each subject during the course of the school year. Most core academic areas build on skills from previous years. In math, students will add, subtract, multiply and divide with large numbers, estimate, work with fractions and decimals, work with standard and metric measurement, calculate elapsed time, and solve word problems. Our Language Arts program incorporates nonfiction reading across the curriculum, as well as an abundance of fictional reading.  Writing is emphasized in a variety of subjects and for diverse purposes. Fourth graders are expected to become proficient in the writing process and to develop into fluent writers. Social Studies covers the geography and history of Virginia. Topics in science include electricity, magnetism, plant and animal adaptations, solar system, and Earth structure.

Students will have regular instruction in the computer lab as well as on laptops for 30-45 minutes a week. Some activities include keyboarding, Internet searches, word processing, graphic integration, blogging, SOL review games, and spreadsheet application.

Fourth graders take the SOL Social Studies, Math, and Reading Tests in the spring.

Some speakers and special activities include:

1. Junior Achievement (5 lessons)
2. DARE lessons, (5 times a year)
3. Assorted Field Trips

Syllabus for Social Studies and Science

Social Studies:

1st 9 weeks:  Geography, The Five Regions of Virginia & their landforms.  Virginia’s Native Americans present and past, Begin Jamestown 1607.

2nd 9 weeks:  Continue Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Colonial Virginia.  Capital Cities, Economics, Begin Revolutionary War.

3rd 9 weeks:  A new Nation develops, Civil War, Reconstruction, begin 20th Century names and places

4th 9 weeks:  20th Century Virginians, Transportation, Products & Industries, Resources, Salem History

Science:

1st nine weeks –  solar system, Earth, Sun, Moon relationships, plant and animal adaptations.

2nd nine weeks – Plant, animal adaptations, and force, motion, energy.

3rd nine weeks – magnetism, electricity, and weather

4th nine weeks – weather, plant anatomy, Va. natural resources.