McKinley

Elementary
th
4 Grade
Curriculum
Packet
****
Ms. Connolly
Ms. Harrell
Mrs. Johnson
Fourth Grade Curriculum Overview

READING:
The focus will be on developing skills according to the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS) in an engaging way. While we teach to the standards, we also focus
on developing a love of literature. Students will be developing their skills using a
variety of reading materials, comprehension strategies and 1-on-1 conferencing.
Reading is integrated into all of the other curricular areas as well. The following is
an overview of our learning targets and experiences for fourth grade:
• Literature and Informational texts:
o Determine key ideas and details; main ideas, describe characters, setting,
events or concepts in detail.
o Examine craft and overall structure of stories, poems, drama, prose,
firsthand and secondhand accounts; including point of view
o Integrate knowledge and ideas by making connections and comparing and
contrasting similar themes, topics and patterns of events; interpreting
information and reasons for evidence presented
o By end of year, have a wide range of reading and variety of text
complexity
• Phonics and Word Recognition
o Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills
• Fluency
o Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension

Having your child read alone, to someone else, or with someone at home is
important. This will help your child continue to grow in reading skills and expand their
knowledge of literature and vocabulary. Reading for at least twenty minutes, four
nights a week, is requested. Research has proven that reading 30 minutes a night
increases student success in school and life.

WRITING:
Students will engage in Writers’ Workshop that will consist of planning and
writing strategies to improve their skills and allow them to stretch their abilities. The
primary goal, overall, is to make writing enjoyable, and allow students to recognize
writing as a process. Writing will be integrated throughout the curriculum in all
content areas. In fourth grade, we focus on personal/fictional narrative, informational
and expository, opinion, and point of view writing. Common Core State Standards that
we focus on are:
 • Establish a situation, introduce a character(s), and organize an event
sequence.
• Use dialogue and descriptions to develop events and/or show response of
characters to situations.
• Use a variety of transitional words or phrases to manage event sequence.
• Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences
and events.
• Provide a conclusion that follows from the experience or events.
• Demonstrate command of standard English grammar when writing.
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.

The fourth grade team uses a Writer’s Workshop format which involves:
• pre-writing/brainstorming (story boarding, lists, graphic organizers, etc.)
• writing rough drafts
• editing each draft for grammar and conventions
• revising and editing after consultation
• writing/publishing a final draft

MATHEMATICS:
The mathematics curriculum is drawn from the following components:
New Perspectives, EurekaMath and Dreambox.

Teacher Beliefs About Mathematics:

Our team believes that all students can do challenging mathematics, and we
expect students to collaborate (Collaborate means work together productively, listen,
and reflect). All students are expected to think, talk, and write mathematically.
Students need to master their basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division because the Smarter Balanced assessments do not allow the use of calculators.

You can support your child’s mastery of basic facts by

• having a family member orally give the child problems to answer.
• practice skip counting
• making a memory game with facts and answers

We work on the following learning targets:

• add, subtract, multiply and divide multi-digit numbers
• identify prime and composite numbers
• explain patterns with unknown rules
• work on place value to a million
• compare and multiply fractions
 • solve measurement problems
• understand angle concepts and measuring
• identify lines, angles and two-dimensional shapes; and classify them

SCIENCE:
We strive to broaden students’ understanding of their world through
investigating science by using the inquiry and engineering design processes. We
encourage hands on learning and exploration in science. Students will be using
materials from Mystery Science, Picture Perfect STEM Lessons, and other resources.
We are using the Next Generation Science Standards for 4th Gradeas our learning
targets.

HEALTH:
Your child’s health education will positively impact their academic achievement.
It will empower students with knowledge, skills, and judgement, resulting in healthier
children, and a healthier community. Topics may include: Community Safety; First
Aid; Teeth; Healthy Eating; Violence Prevention; and Puberty.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
For Social Studies we utilizs the text Get Oregonized, published by Oregon
Arigculture in the Classroom Foundation. Students will also be drawing information
from independent research, videos, literature, and various other resources. The subject
areas to be covered are:

• Geography of Oregon
• History of Oregon
• Native Americans of Oregon
• Lewis and Clark
• Oregon Trail and Pioneers
• Government and Culture of Oregon

ART:
Visual Art is taught in the classroom through all subjects.

PROGRESS REPORTS CARDS:

Progress reports are sent home after the close of each academic semester.
• 1st Semester – February 4th
 • 2nd Trimester – June 17th (in the mail)

How the student’s performance and effort is on track to meet the curricular
expectations of this grade. These marks reflect performance for the end of the
school year expectations.
Behavior:
C – Consistently
G – Generally
R – Rarely/Sometimes (needs Improvement)
Academic
4 - Highly Proficient
3 - Proficient
2 - Nearing Proficiency
1 - Working Towards Proficiency
X – Not Assessed This Trimester
** - Modified Curriculum and/or Assessment (see attached)

Our classroom and school community includes families. Our relationship with you
is an important part of your child's education and personal growth. We welcome your
participation in our classrooms, and if you have any questions, comments, or need to
get a hold of us during the day, we would love to hear from you! Thank you for
sharing your child with us and being an important part of his/her education.

Your Fourth Grade Team,

Ms. Connolly, Ms. Harrell, and Mrs. Johnson