Almaden Country Day SchoolLoving The Now. Ready For Next.

Fourth Grade

Around this time, students really begin to see and respect different points-of-view, understand cause and effect, show independence, and can view matters from a big-picture standpoint. Our robust curriculum is developmentally appropriate for this age and provides outlets for expression including project-based learning.

Our fourth grade homeroom teachers provide instruction in Language Arts, Math, and Social Studies.

Curriculum

Homeroom

Language Arts

  • Literary appreciation
  • Creative writing
  • Develop strategies in sequencing
  • Summarizing
  • Note taking
  • Predicting, clarifying, linking unit concepts to stories and comprehension
  • Spelling mastery, building vocabulary
  • Sentence structure, parts of speech
  • Paragraph writing
  • Researching

Math

  • Addition and subtraction
  • Multiplication, division
  • Place value and rounding
  • Algebra readiness
  • Geometry: Lines, angles, perimeter and area
  • Multi-digit multiplication and division of large numbers
  • Fractions and decimal
  • Word problems

Social Studies

  • History of California to statehood
  • California Indians
  • California missions
  • California regions and landforms
  • Gold Rush
  • Maps, globes and other geographic tools

Enrichments

Drama students learn the fundamentals of performance during 5 weeks of rehearsing a full-length musical theater performance. Each student gains self-confidence by actively performing on the stage. The students' efforts culminate in a final production with two live performances for students and parents.

  • Learn memorization, characterization
  • Develop acting and performance skills including music and singing, timing and choreography
  • Learn costuming, set design, stage balance and stage directions

Drama teacher, 5 week unit

Music

Music at ACDS incorporates tonal instruments, dance, and voice in the Orff Program.

  • Basic music theory as a foundation for reading music
  • Integrate movement and dance while developing their voices and discovering the joy of singing
  • Learn the songs of our country and other cultures
  • Experience the beauty of great works of music and learn about the composers who wrote them

Music teacher, 1 class per week

Art

Students explore their unique creative abilities while they experience and develop artistic skills using a variety of media and subjects; student artwork is displayed in ASSETS, our school-wide talent show, and in a variety of local art exhibitions.

Art teacher, 2 classes per week

French

  • Emphasis on oral conversation
  • Creative writing using expanded vocabulary and grammar
  • Conjugation with present tense verbs
  • French geography & industry; regions and cities
  • Integrate with Language Arts (poetry) and Science
  • Class performance at ASSETS school-wide talent show

French teacher, 3 classes per week

Science

  • Human Body
  • Electricity*
  • Robotics with Lego WeDo*
  • Engineering Design Fair
  • Stories in the stone
  • Landforms
  • Trains
  • Stick in the mud*
  • All elementary science units contain STEM elements and activities; however, those with asterisks have a particularly strong STEM focus.

Elementary science teacher, 4 classes per week

Technology

Students visit our fully-equipped computer lab to begin planned curricular projects that they continue in the classroom using iPads and laptops. Besides using the devices for a variety of independent work, students use the devices for small group work and collaboration. Students continue to expand on previously developed skills in coding to create more sophisticated programs across the curriculum.

Technology teacher, with lab visits as scheduled

Library

Fourth grade students visit the library once a week. Our full-time librarian reads stories to the class, and students are encouraged to check out books to bring home.

Librarian, 1 class per week

Physical Education

Regular weekly P.E. instruction builds fitness, coordination and skill progression, while increasing students' readiness to learn in all subjects.

P.E. teacher, 3 classes per week

Library

Fourth grade students visit the library once a week. Our full-time librarian reads stories to the class, and students are encouraged to check out books to bring home. Fourth graders do various research-based projects and use the library to find books to support their project.

Field Trips

Field trips that our fourth grade classes have embarked on include San Francisco Chinatown, Chitactac Adams Park, and the Quicksilver Mining Museum. Fourth graders also go on their first overnight field trip as a class to Malakoff Diggins.

ASSETS

Our All School Student Exhibition and Talent Showcase (ASSETS) has been a popular ACDS tradition for more than a decade. This three-day event is a lively celebration of student success and skills in a wide variety of activities. Each May, ASSETS exhibits and performances highlight school artwork, enrichment projects and unique performing talents of individual students and groups across the grade levels.