Learning Expectations Dear Parents, This curriculum brochure provides an overview of the essential learning students should accomplish during a specific school year. It is a snapshot of the instructional focus at a particular grade level. FOURTH GRADE The Literacy and Math learning expectations described in this brochure are based on the Common Core Learning Standards adopted by the Illinois Legislature in 010. The Science, Social Studies and Fine Arts are based on the Illinois Learning Standards adopted in 1997. District 89 is currently aligning Science curriculum to the Next Generation Science Standards for implementation in the 015-016 school year. All District 89 students are expected to work toward mastery of these standards. To accomplish this goal, students at each grade level must build on the concepts and skills previously learned. Daily curricular plans, instructional strategies and assessment of student work are designed to help students make progress and meet or exceed the learning standards. Parent awareness and support for the grade level expectations contribute to establishing an effective partnership between the home and school. Parents with questions about their child s program are encouraged to contact their child s teacher or principal for more information. Community Consolidated School District 89 W600 Butterfield Road Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137
English Language Art Building the stamina and skills to read challenging fiction, nonfiction, and other materials is fundamental in th grade. Your child will continue to learn about the world as well as build vocabulary skills by reading more complicated stories and poems from different cultures and a range of books on history, science, art, and music. Fourth grade students also will make important strides in their ability to explain plainly and in detail what a book says both explicitly and what is implied from its details. By th grade, your child will be writing effective summaries, book reports, and descriptions of characters or events that use correct grammar and punctuation. A Sample of What Your Child Will Be Working on in th Grade Ø Describing the basic elements of stories such as characters, events, and settings by drawing on specific details in the text Ø Paying close attention to key features of informational books and articles: these include understanding the main and supporting ideas; being able to compare and contrast information; and explaining how the author uses facts, details, and evidence to support particular points Ø Comparing ideas, characters, events, and settings in stories and myths from different cultures Ø Writing summaries or opinions about topics supported with a set of well-organized facts, details, and examples Ø Independently conducting short research projects on different aspects of a topic using evidence from books and the Internet Ø Paraphrasing and responding to information presented in discussions, such as comparing and contrasting ideas and analyzing evidence that speakers use to support particular points Ø Reporting orally on a topic or telling a story with enough facts and details Ø Writing complete sentences with correct capitalization and spelling Ø Relating words that are common in reading to words with similar meanings (synonyms) and to their opposites (antonyms) Talking to Your Child s Teacher Keeping the conversation focused. When you talk to the teacher, do not worry about covering everything. Instead, keep the conversation focused on the most important topics. In th grade, these include: Ø Comprehending a range of grade-level stories, poems, and informational texts such as biographies, articles, or guidebooks about history, science, or the arts Ø Building understanding of relationships between words and nuances in word meanings synonyms, antonyms, idioms and using this knowledge to convey ideas precisely Ask to see a sample of your child s work. Ask the teacher questions such as: Is this piece of work satisfactory? How could it be better? Is my child on track? How can I help my child improve or excel in this area? If my child needs extra support or wants to learn more about a subject, are there resources to help his or her learning outside the classroom? Additionally, here are some English Language Arts activities you can do with your child to support learning at home: Ø Urge your child to use logical arguments to defend his or her opinion. If your child wants a raise in allowance, ask him or her to research commonsense allowance systems and, based on that research, explain reasons why, supported by facts and details. Ø Talk about the news together. Pick one story in the news, read it together, and discuss with your child what it means. Ø Keep books, magazines, and newspapers at home. Make sure your child sees you reading. Adopted from National PTA 011
Mathematics In th grade, your child will gain important new skills while continuing to build on what he or she learned the previous year. One of the main areas studied in th grade is arithmetic and applying it to solve problems. This is an important life skill, and your child should make significant strides in this area during the year. Your child will also build knowledge and skills with fractions to prepare for mastering this topic in 5th and 6th grades. These skills will help ensure your child is ready for algebra and advanced math. A Sample of What Your Child Will Be Working on in th Grade Ø Using whole-number arithmetic to solve word problems, including problems with remainders and problems with measurements Ø Adding and subtracting whole numbers quickly and accurately (numbers up to 1 million) Ø Multiplying and dividing multi-digit numbers in simple cases (e.g., multiplying 1,638 x 7 or x 17, and dividing 6,966 by 6) Ø Understanding and applying equivalent fractions (e.g., recognizing that 1 is less than 3 8 because 8 is less than 3 8) Ø Adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions in simple cases (such as -3 1-1 or 3 x 5 8), and solving related word problems Ø Understanding simple decimals in terms of fractions (e.g., rewriting 0.6 as 6 100) Ø Measuring angles and finding unknown angles in a diagram Talking to Your Child s Teacher Keeping the conversation focused. When you talk to the teacher, do not worry about covering everything. Instead, keep the conversation focused on the most important topics. In th grade, these include: Ø Doing arithmetic and solving word problems with multi-digit numbers Ø Doing arithmetic and solving word problems with fractions Ask to see a sample of your child s work. Ask the teacher questions such as: Is this piece of work satisfactory? How could it be better? Is my child on track? How can I help my child improve or excel in this area? If my child needs extra support or wants to learn more about a subject, are there resources to help his or her learning outside the classroom? Additionally, here are some Math activities you can do with your child to support learning at home: Look for word problems in real life. Some th grade examples might include: Ø Ask your child to compare numbers using phrases like times as much. For example, if the family cat weighs 8 lbs. and the family dog weighs 56 lbs., how many times as much does the dog weigh? Ø Ask your child to help you compare fractional amounts for example, if one recipe calls for 3 of a cup of oil, but another recipe calls for 3 of a cup of oil, which recipe calls for more oil? (In 5th grade, your child will learn ways to determine just how much more oil.) Adopted from National PTA 011
Science I Can Statements State Goal 1: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences. Living Things: Classification Ø I can tell the difference between common groups of animals and give examples. Ø I know that some characteristics of living things are inherited and some are learned. Ø I understand plant reproduction and the purposes of reproductive parts. Living Things: Botany Ø I can name the parts of a plant and what they do. Ø I know that energy for life comes from the sun. Ø I know how photosynthesis works. Ø I know that plants use flowers to reproduce. Ø I understand the process of pollination. Ø I understand the purpose of a seed and fruit. Environment and Interaction of Living Things Ø I understand food chains and food webs. Ø I know the world has many different environments with different plants and animals. Ø I understand that plants and animals have different parts that help them grow and survive. Ø I can group animals depending on how they live in their environment. Ø I understand that an ecosystem is made of living and non-living things. Ø I understand that animals survive winter in different ways. Ø I know that humans can affect the number of living things in an area. Matter and Energy: Light Ø I know that color depends on reflected light. Ø I understand that white light can be broken into all the colors of the rainbow by using a prism. Ø I understand that light travels in a straight line and can be reflected, refracted, transmitted, and absorbed. Force and Motion Ø I can define a force and know what forces do. Ø I can identify the basic forces (friction, magnetism, gravity). Ø I can identify simple machines and know how they work. Ø I can identify a balanced lever or pulley. Earth Science: Basic Earth Science and the Earth's Structure Ø I know what a natural resource is and that some can be used again but some can't. Ø I know what a natural resource is and how fossil fuels are made. Ø I understand which everyday materials decompose most slowly. Earth Science: The Atmosphere Ø I can name and tell the difference between different types of clouds. Ø I can name the different types of precipitation and why they form. Ø I understand that weather is described using different measurements. Ø I understand that weather systems can be tracked and predicted. Ø I can read and interpret weather maps.
Science I Can Statements (cont d) Earth Science: Water Ø I know the stages of the water cycle. Ø I know what ground water is and how it forms. Ø I know the percent of fresh and salt water on Earth and where it is stored. Astronomy Ø I can identify eclipses and moon phases when given a diagram of the Earth, moon, and sun. Ø I know that the Earth's rotation causes day and night. Social Studies Students develop an understanding of American government, economics and how history, geography and social/cultural relations influence decisions and the development of a state and country. An in-depth study of Illinois provides a point of reference for fourth grade social studies. Political Systems Ø Describe how rules protect rights and promote harmony Ø Understand why the people of Illinois sought statehood and the obstacles to it Ø Identify the characteristics of a representative democracy Ø Identify the major duties of the three branches of state government Ø Understand rights, privileges and responsibilities of citizenship Ø Understand why citizens pay taxes and operate within a budget Economic Systems Ø Distinguish between goods and services and the concepts of profit, supply and demand Ø Identify early industries and entrepreneurs that helped cities become centers for business Ø Explain the relationship between the natural resources of an area and the development of jobs, products and services Ø Describe how changes in transportation affect travel and trade Ø Recognize economic changes over time History Ø Know people, events, and inventions that are significant to Illinois history Ø Know about Illinois first inhabitants Ø Describe the conflict over slavery and Illinois within the conflict Ø Know about Lincoln s life in Illinois and his leadership throughout the Civil War Geography Ø Understand the five themes of geography Ø Understand Illinois land regions and ecosystems Ø Explain the importance of the Mississippi River system for transportation and trade Social Systems Ø Compare different cultural groups in early Illinois Ø Understand that all groups of people have customs that make up their culture
Fine Arts The fine arts are an essential part of a child s education. In art and music classes, students begin to develop the language, skills and techniques of the arts. They create their own art and music and begin to understand how works of art and music are produced and how they provide a means for enjoyment and creative expression. Art Ø Incorporate art elements in art production including: color value, contour and gesture lines, and use of foreground, middleground, and background to create space Ø Utilize design principles in art production Ø Recognize artworks by impressionist artists and various world cultures Ø Explore media choices, processes and tools in art production Music Ø Demonstrate an understanding of the elements of music Ø Accurately read and play printed music on the recorder with good tone Ø Identify sources of sound production Ø Understand the work of a composer Health & Physical Education Health and physical education help students develop the knowledge, skills and habits that can lead to life-long health enhancing behavior and activity. Ø Apply skill combinations (locomotor, non-locomotor, manipulative) to games and dance Ø Follow safety procedures Ø Demonstrate use of strategies during activities Ø Participate in health-related fitness activities (Fitnessgram) Ø Demonstrate cooperative skills during activities
Learning for Life Addressing Student Differences Children enter school with different abilities and different learning needs. The Learning Expectations brochures describe what an average learner is likely to accomplish by the end of a specific grade level. But not all students progress at the pace of a typical learner. Teachers recognize the need to modify, adapt or enrich the learning experiences of those students who are developing knowledge and skills at different rates. The District also provides support programs to address the diverse needs of students beyond the general classroom program of instruction. These programs include Reading Recovery, English as a Second Language, Challenge, Literacy Skills, and Special Education. Assessing Student Performance Classroom learning experiences are designed to help students make progress toward meeting District 89 grade level expectations and the Illinois Learning Standards. Students receive teacher feedback on the accuracy and quality of their work in a variety of ways. Teachers access student performance based on the level of mastery towards the learning standards. Communicating Student Results Each school and teacher has a system for communicating with parents about instruction and the behavioral and academic progress of students. School and classroom newsletters, websites and other print materials are sent home to give parents an ongoing stream of information about current topics of study and classroom activities. Teachers rely on phone messages, e-mail and personal notes to convey information about individual students. The comments and scores on graded work help parents gauge how well their child understands assigned tasks. Parent/teacher conferences are scheduled each November and at other times upon request. A Student Performance Report Card summarizes a child s performance in the classroom and in any support program in which he/she participates at the end of designated reporting periods at each grade level. These reports align with grade level expectations and State Standards.