"Goodness, Knowledge, Self-Discipline...Teach Me O' Lord"
Fr. Robert D. Goodill
RELIGION
Religion is part of students’ daily lives. Fourth grade has a heightened awareness of right and wrong. It is a prime time to concentrate on the Ten Commandments as they apply to a fourth grade student. Students are introduced to the use of the Bible as a classroom tool for learning. There is a deepening in their understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. All students participate in school-wide liturgies as lectors and gift bearers. Character education, anti-bullying and conflict resolution are incorporated on a weekly basis.
LANGUAGE ARTS/ENGLISH/READING
The fourth grade language arts includes reading, writing, grammar and spelling. During the year we work on decoding skills, vocabulary, analyzing text, comprehension, spelling rules and the writing process from brainstorming to final product. There is a focus on grammar, including sentence structure and parts of speech. Students are expected to be conscious of their writing structure in every subject and incorporate writing and reading into school and home life.
MATHEMATICS
Fourth grade math begins with reinforcement of skills learned in third grade and rapidly moves into the processes of multi-digit multiplication and division. Problem solving skills as well as computation are essential to the curriculum. Word problems are one way to apply understanding of math concepts and to use computation abilities to solve problems. Students are expected to solve and compute properly and explain in writing what was done to solve the problems by integrating literacy into math curriculum.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Fourth grade social studies is divided into three areas of study. Students begin the year by focusing on the history of Pennsylvania followed by a brief introduction to American history. The concepts introduced in fourth grade will later be expanded on as students progress into the higher grades. The second half of the year introduces the children to the five regions of the United States. The children learn about the geography, economy and people of each region.
SCIENCE/HEALTH
All fourth work with the Science Fusion textbook series. This is a write-in book which allows students to learn through constant hands-on interaction. The series follows the necessary standards such as building inquiry, STEM and 21st century skills. This promotes a student-centered approach for learning vocabulary, science concepts while incorporating math and writing in each lesson. Students will also participate in many different labs.
