Physical Education The fourth grade physical education program offers a diverse range of activities designed to develop well-rounded student-athletes. Students focus on mastering fundamental skills like throwing, catching, striking, kicking, and dribbling, preparing them for participation in various sports. Students refine their locomotor skills – running, jumping, skipping, sliding – and conquer challenging obstacle courses that test their agility and balance. Students are then introduced to different games and activities that promote teamwork and sportsmanship both in the gymnasium and on the school’s eight turf fields. Students also practice jump rope routines, master basic stunts and tumbling routines, and explore and practice on the Cook Road gymnasium’s rock climbing wall and ladder challenges. Students utilize the expansive facilities at our disposal. Students also continue to develop their ice skating skills through lessons on the ice at the McCann Ice Arena. Science Fourth graders work on building their scientific vocabulary and describe scientific concepts in their own words. They explore three different branches of science including, environmental science, life and earth science. The curriculum builds on the knowledge the students have gained in the previous grades to focus on a deeper understanding. They work on exploring the components of various systems and explaining the relationships between them. They formulate predictions based on cause and effect relationships. Experience is guided by student interest through an inquiry-based lens. Visual Art Fourth grade students continue to build skills in drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, fibers, and printmaking while using line, shape, texture, form, and color more deliberately. Students practice value and monochromatic color schemes through understanding and creating tints and shades. Students identify the concept of radial symmetry, and study self-portraiture (both two-dimensional and three-dimensional) in more depth. A fourth grade project might include, but is not limited to, using plaster to create a self-portrait sculpture, or creating a monochromatic painting inspired by feeling and emotion.
Some examples of fourth grade projects from previous years include: • Land and water formations • Famous African-Americans and history • Biography interviews • Poetry Café Health Fourth grade students participate in activities and discussions about health and wellness topics. These topics include: nutrition, physical fitness, personal and cyber safety, dental hygiene, and social and emotional wellbeing. At this grade level, a unit on pubertal development is taught also introduced by facilitators, including the Director of Medical Services and Wellness. Built to Thrive The Built to Thrive program meets twice a month for all fourth grade students. This program enhances social- emotional intelligence through literature, play, and reflection. Built to Thrive provides thoughtful activities to practice students’ social-emotional learning, develop empathy for others, and practice problem-solving skills. Children also work on identifying and managing their own and others’ emotions. Music Fourth grade students refine their musicianship through deeper exploration of harmony, form, and expressive movement. They identify, perform, and compose music using musical modes and sight-read pentatonic melodies with increasing fluency. Vocal work includes partner songs that require independence and musical confidence. On the ukulele, students read chord charts and perform unfamiliar songs, applying transferable skills. Composition culminates in full elemental arrangements using borduns, color parts, and complementary ostinati. Movement study draws from Laban Movement Efforts, helping students intentionally shape musical expression through dynamics, energy, and flow. Orchestra Students build on their skills by refining posture and bowing techniques, developing a more advanced bow hold. Rhythms become more complex, and note reading is practiced with an emphasis on increasing independence. Continued exploration of sound production encourages students to focus on creating a beautiful tone. Regular opportunities for solo and group performances help build confidence, while individual practice routines are encouraged and supported.
spelling. Students are introduced to various types of writing, such as creative, personal narrative, expository, persuasive, formal, and informal. Students also practice writing various types of poetry. Mathematics In fourth grade, the Singapore Math approach is utilized through the Math in Focus curriculum. The concrete- pictorial-abstract methodology of introducing topics and skills allows students to gain an understanding of concepts through research-based discovery. There is an emphasis on problem solving, skill consolidation and deep understanding in preparation for algebra. Topics studied include number sense, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, factors, prime numbers, fractions, decimals, problem solving, geometry, and real-world application of mathematical concepts. Social Studies Fourth grade students investigate cooperation and interdependence in the United States through investigating different regions of the country. Students also use current events to draw connections between different regions today. Fourth grade geography work focuses on “United States Regions,” allowing students to learn about environmental, geographic, and technological developments in different regions of the country. Students will learn how to read and analyze different thematic maps, such as climate maps, land use maps, and population maps in order to draw comparisons between different regions of the United States. Using Nystrom’s Encompass program, which focuses on hands-on geography to increase engagement, students will work cooperatively and analyze primary and secondary sources in order to explore our world. Fourth grade students focus on the different regions of the United States. The students are able to examine the Great Lakes Region in more depth through field studies to different civic and cultural institutions throughout the United States. in the state. Project Work Students use the Project Approach to gain knowledge of what they think they know and begin to ask questions for what they want to know. Using the Liggett Approach to education as their basis, students will build upon their research and discovery as they document their learning using models, illustrations, videos, writing and presentations. Project topics vary from year to year depending upon student interests. Presentations are frequently prepared and given to various audiences as a culmination of project work. These presentations come in many formats.
Fourth Grade
Literacy The fourth grade reading curriculum is designed to develop reading skill, stamina, independence, and enjoyment. Through a variety of reading experiences, students in fourth grade engage in developing active reading strategies for reading class novels, biographies, and mysteries, as well as for conducting author studies through a variety of genres. Grammar Students continue strengthening their foundational skills in parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions) and sentence structures. Word Study In fourth grade, students continue to apply skills not only to learn word structure but also the meaning of words. Words that have multiple meanings are included. Students apply phonics skills to words, phrases, sentences, and stories that contain the specific letter-sound relationships that they are learning. Students are introduced to subject-appropriate spelling words. Daily work with spelling words increases vocabulary as students practice writing words in sentences. Writing Students build upon their writing mechanics, especially capitalization, usage, grammar, punctuation, and
2026-2027 ULS Curriculum Guide
26
27
Lower School | Fourth Grade
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker