Grade School
CURRICULUM
4th Grade
Fourth grade marks a clear change in the work the students do and what is expected of them. The habits and skills that have been developed are now put to use in tackling new and varied subjects. Animals are studied in such a way that the children must use their capacities for discernment to recognize and describe the unique qualities of each animal. The children also begin to explore their own environment, making maps and learning about the rich culture and ecosystems that exist in North Carolina.
Their language arts lessons unfold through the use of stories, which in fourth grade can include stories from indigenous populations, as well as, mythology. The children are introduced to the Norse gods and goddesses, a pantheon whose fiery passion, wily cleverness, and shining self-sacrifice mirrors their own. The stories of the Norse people, a tradition that survives in the verses of the Edda from Iceland, are tales full of rich imagery that spring from the Norse people’s close relationship to the natural world. Here the children encounter epic struggles between opposite forces, extremes in conflicts, and a wealth of humor and wisdom. The stories speak particularly well to the growing nine to ten year old as they pass out of early childhood into the middle childhood that is often as conflicted as the weather of the northern lands. Fourth grade is indeed a year of extremes, from a creation story born of ice and fire to the comparison of a mouse and a cow. The children are asked to travel between these extremes and find the balancing points in each subject.
In arithmetic, the children review the four processes (multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction), arithmetic facts and measurement before the whole is divided into pieces during the study of fractions. From musical notation, instrumental music, and singing in rounds to learning to make braided and knotted patterns in their form drawings, beauty and artistry continue to engage the student as they learn through work and play.
Learning Objectives
MORNING LESSON SKILLS
Learning and modeling good classroom behavior and habits, listening and communicating constructively, confidence and positive self-image building, developing sense discernment, continuing to build executive functioning skills
LANGUAGE ARTS
Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, Letter Format, Reading, Oral Recitation, Poetry, Drama
LITERATURE
Norse Mythology, Native American Stories
MATHEMATICS
Fractions, Long Division and Multiplication, Measurement, Computation and Problem Solving, Estimation
SCIENCES
Zoology, Local Geography & History
FORM DRAWING
Braided Forms, Geometric Drawing
ARTS
Beeswax and clay modeling, painting, and drawing
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Spanish (Songs, Dances and Games, Poetry and Stories, Days, Months, Seasons, Telling Time, Writing and Reading)
HANDWORK
Fine Hand Sewing, Embroidery & Cross Stitch, Design & Color Work
MUSIC
Singing in Rounds, Reading Music, String Instrumental Music, Lyre, Recorder
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Cooperative Games, Team Skills