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Grade 4/5 Curriculum

Language Arts

Readers in these years are increasingly able to use reading to learn. Support of foundational skills continues as needed and students work to grow their comprehension skills. They practice summarizing texts, making inferences, and integrating information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. They read both self-selected books and books chosen because they relate to different areas of the curriculum. They participate in Literature Circles and further develop their expository writing skills through the Writer’s Workshop model by drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their work. 

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Math

The big ideas in Grade 4 are developing understanding and fluency with multi-digit multiplication, and developing understanding of dividing to find quotients involving multi-digit dividends; developing an understanding of fraction equivalence, addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators, and multiplication of fractions by whole numbers; understanding that geometric figures can be analyzed and classified based on their properties, such as having parallel sides, perpendicular sides, particular angle measures, and symmetry.

 

The mathematical work for grade 4 includes:

  • Factors and Multiples

  • Fraction Equivalence and Comparison

  • Extending Operations to Fractions

  • From Hundredths to Hundred-thousands

  • Multiplicative Comparison and Measurement

  • Multiplying and Dividing Multi-digit Numbers

  • Angles and Angle Measurement

  • Properties of Two-dimensional Shapes

 

The big ideas in Grade 5 are developing fluency with addition and subtraction of fractions, developing understanding of multiplication and division of fractions, extending division to two-digit divisors, developing understanding of operations with decimals to hundredths, developing fluency with whole number and decimal operations, and developing understanding of volume.

 

The mathematical work for grade 5 include:

  • Finding Volume

  • Fractions as Quotients and Fraction Multiplication

  • Multiplying and Dividing Fractions

  • Multiplication and Division with Multi-digit Numbers

  • Place Value Patterns and Decimal Operations

  • More Decimal and Fraction Operations

  • Shapes on the Coordinate Plane

Science

In grades 4 and 5 students increase their proficiency in developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information and then use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the core ideas. Topics for for 4-5 include:

  • Energy

  • Waves: Waves and Information

  • Structure, Function, and Information Processing

  • Earth’s Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth

  • Structure and Property of Matter

  • Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

  • Space Systems: Stars and the Solar System

  • Engineering Design

Social Studies

During these two years, students look at the early civilizations of both Greece & Rome in conjunction with studying U.S Democracy and Government.

Essential Questions:

  • What makes a complex society?

  • What drives people to seek independence?

  • What is the purpose of government?

  • What are the rights, liberties, and responsibilities of U.S. citizens? 

  • How did Ancient Greece influence American government and democracy?

  • How did Ancient Rome influence American government and democracy?

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