WHAT IS FOURTH GRADE?

Fourth grade is Camp Tecumseh, 
Conner Prairie, literature 
circles, writers’ workshop, 
thinking like mathematicians, 
thinking critically about the 
world and what is happening on 
our planet.  Fourth grade is 
trying things we never did before 
like Swedish food and Swedish 
dancing, overnight trips without 
mom or dad, turning into 
archeologists on a mock dig site, 
visiting new places, performing 
in a musical, standing up for the 
environment and even making a 
pair of pants by sewing them by 
hand.

Fourth grade starts off with a 3 
day, 2 night trip to Camp 
Tecumseh.  We learn about the 
pioneer settlers who first came 
to Indiana.  We experience 
pioneer cooking, schooling, 
exploring, and how the early 
settlers made log cabins.    

Other field trips include going 
to the Mexican Fine Arts Center 
Museum to learn about Dia de los 
Muertos (Day of the Dead) and 
visiting the Swedish American 
museum to re-live the experience 
many immigrants had during the 
1800’s.  Fourth graders also 
become archaeologist for a day as 
they excavate a mock dig site at 
the Spertus Museum in a study of 
early people and how scientists 
use artifacts to piece together 
history.  We go back in time to a 
living museum as we travel to 
Conner Prairie in the spring.  
Students encounter 
people “living” in the early 
1800’s at Connor Prairie and can 
ask the people questions as they 
watch them carry out task of 
their daily lives.  Students 
often participate in these 
activities.

During the school year frequent 
trips to theatre companies 
provide opportunities for 
students to view live 
performances of plays that deal 
with social or historical 
issues.  The year ends with an 
overnight trip to sleep in 
caves!  These are just some of 
the “firsts” that students will 
experience in the fourth grade.

The fourth curriculum is very 
cross-curricular.  Language Arts, 
Social Studies, and Math are 
interwoven so students have the 
opportunity to apply what they 
are learning to all content 
areas.  The depth of study in a 
particular area may vary due to 
student probing and interest.  
Language Arts consist of writing 
that is meaningful to the 
students, not what is dictated by 
the teacher.  This writing is 
intertwined with grammar and the 
mechanics presented during 
writers’ workshop sessions.  
Language Arts is also reading an 
extensive amount of trade books 
and short stories which students 
analyze and discuss.  Students 
learn to identify literary 
elements and compare and contrast 
the use of these elements in the 
literature read in fourth grade.

Social Studies blends into the 
Language Arts time as students 
study and read stories about 
early settlers and the events 
that led up to the Civil War.  
Social Studies gives students the 
chance to learn about the history 
of Indiana, slavery, the Civil 
War, geography, and notable 
people of all ethnicities who 
have impacted history.  Sometimes 
other eras from the past are 
studied because we read a book 
from a particular time in 
history.  For example, the 
students chose to read Number the 
Stars.  While reading this book, 
students began background 
research for World War II and the 
dictatorship of Hitler.  Via 
student centered learning, the 
fourth graders continued their 
investigation of the horrible 
events that made up the Holocaust.

Math class is an opportunity for 
each child to progress at their 
individual ability.  Students 
work on long division and multi-
digit multiplication; along with 
computing time and measurement, 
decimals and fractions; 
collecting and analyzing data; 
and expanding their knowledge of 
geometry.   Students take their 
computation  skills and new 
knowledge and apply it to word 
problems and real world problems 
that challenge the children to 
use their critical thinking 
skills.