Year at a glance
Ten monthly themes, 36 weeks. Tap a month for its goals, or a week for its skills and plans.
September: Welcome / My Region and Maps
We set up routines, build reading stamina and get to know our own region through maps. In math we work with big numbers to 1,000,000, and in science we start noticing that energy is everywhere and that it moves from place to place.
Reading & writing
Build reading routines and stamina, find the main idea and key details in nonfiction, read and spell multisyllabic words, and write a personal narrative and an informative paragraph.
RI.4.2, RL.4.10, RF.4.3a, W.4.2, W.4.3
Math
Read, write, compare and round whole numbers to 1,000,000, then add and subtract multi-digit numbers with the standard algorithm.
4.NBT.1, 4.NBT.2, 4.NBT.3, 4.NBT.4
Science
Notice energy everywhere, connect an object's speed to its energy, and see how energy moves by heat, light, sound and electric current.
4-PS3-1, 4-PS3-2
Social studies
Read and make maps, use directions and grids, and describe the landforms, jobs and history of our own community and region.
C3 D2.Geo.1.3-5, D2.Geo.2.3-5, D2.His.2.3-5
- Week1Hello, Fourth GradeClosed and open syllables · Place value to 1,000,000 · 5 day plans
- Week2Maps and Main IdeasVowel-team and r-controlled syllables · Comparing big numbers · 5 day plans
- Week3Rounding Around Our RegionPrefixes re-, un-, dis-, mis-, pre- · Rounding · 5 day plans
- Week4Adding Up Our CommunitySuffixes -ful, -less, -ness, -ment · Adding and subtracting big numbers · 5 day plans
October: Fall / Earth's Changing Surface
This month we look at how water, ice, wind and living things slowly change the land, and how people in different U.S. regions have lived with that land for thousands of years. We learn how authors organize nonfiction, and we grow our multiplication toolbox.
Reading & writing
Identify text structures (description, sequence, cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution), compare firsthand and secondhand accounts, use Greek and Latin roots, and write informative pieces.
RI.4.5, RI.4.6, L.4.4b, W.4.2
Math
Multiply using comparison, factors and multiples, place value patterns and the area model; solve multistep problems.
4.OA.1, 4.OA.2, 4.OA.3, 4.OA.4, 4.NBT.5
Science
Explain how water, ice, wind and plants weather and erode rock, find patterns on maps of Earth's features, and design ways to lessen natural hazards.
4-ESS2-1, 4-ESS2-2, 4-ESS3-2
Social studies
Learn the five U.S. regions and how Native nations in different regions lived with the land, then and now.
C3 D2.Geo.3.3-5, D2.Geo.4.3-5, D2.His.2.3-5
- Week5Rocks Break DownSuffixes -tion and -sion · Multiplication as comparison · 5 day plans
- Week6Water and Wind on the MoveLatin roots rupt, struct, tract, port · Factors and multiples · 5 day plans
- Week7Landforms and MapsGreek roots geo, graph, tele, photo, scope · Multiplying by 10, 100, 1,000 · 5 day plans
- Week8Peoples of the WestFrequently confused words · Partial products and multistep problems · 5 day plans
November: Family and Gratitude / Energy and Motion
November is about gratitude and about motion. We read stories and poems for their themes, write opinion pieces, learn the history of the Wampanoag people and the Plymouth colonists, and test what happens to energy when things crash, rub and spin.
Reading & writing
Determine the theme of stories, folktales and poems, use Latin roots and common sayings, and write an opinion piece with reasons, facts and a conclusion.
RL.4.2, RL.4.5, RL.4.9, L.4.4b, L.4.5b, W.4.1
Math
Multiply up to 4-digit by 1-digit numbers and 2-digit by 2-digit numbers with area models, partial products and the standard algorithm; solve multistep problems.
4.NBT.5, 4.OA.3
Science
Explain what happens to energy when objects collide, how energy changes form, and design a device that converts energy from one form to another.
4-PS3-3, 4-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4, 3-5-ETS1-1
Social studies
Learn about the Wampanoag people and the Plymouth colonists, the 1621 harvest gathering from more than one point of view, and how Thanksgiving traditions and community helping have grown.
C3 D2.His.2.3-5, D2.His.4.3-5, D2.Civ.6.3-5
- Week9Theme and CollisionsSuffixes -able and -ible · Multiplying 2-digit by 2-digit · 5 day plans
- Week10Giving Thanks, Then and NowLatin roots spect, dict, scrib/script · Multiplying up to 4 digits · 5 day plans
- Week11Energy on the MoveIdioms, adages and proverbs · Multistep word problems · 5 day plans
December: Winter Holidays / Waves and Sound
In December we make waves, listen for vibrations and send secret coded messages. We read stories told from different points of view, write our own narratives, learn to divide, and compare life in the thirteen colonies and the winter traditions families celebrate today.
Reading & writing
Compare first-person and third-person points of view, write a narrative with dialogue, description and a strong ending, and grow vocabulary with roots and shades of meaning.
RL.4.6, RL.4.9, W.4.3, L.4.2b, L.4.5c
Math
Divide up to 4-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers using equal sharing, place value and partial quotients; interpret remainders in word problems.
4.NBT.6, 4.OA.3
Science
Use a wave model to describe amplitude and wavelength, explain that sound comes from vibrations, use patterns to send information, and explain how reflected light lets us see.
4-PS4-1, 4-PS4-2, 4-PS4-3
Social studies
Compare life in the New England, Middle and Southern colonies, learn about colonial jobs and trade, and explore winter traditions families celebrate.
C3 D2.His.2.3-5, D2.Eco.4.3-5, D2.Geo.4.3-5
January: New Year / Plant and Animal Structures
A new year brings new tools. We summarize what we read, write informative reports, and learn that fractions can look different and still be equal. In science we study how the parts of plants and animals help them survive, and in social studies we follow explorers and the first European settlements.
Reading & writing
Summarize stories and nonfiction, use text features and evidence, and write a multi-paragraph informative report.
RL.4.2, RI.4.2, RI.4.7, RI.4.8, W.4.2
Math
Find equivalent fractions with models and multiplication, and compare fractions with different numerators and denominators.
4.NF.1, 4.NF.2
Science
Explain how internal and external structures help plants and animals survive, grow and behave, and how senses send information to the brain.
4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2, 4-PS4-2
Social studies
Explain why Europeans explored, how their arrival affected Native peoples, and compare early settlements such as St. Augustine, Jamestown and Plymouth.
C3 D2.His.1.3-5, D2.His.14.3-5, D2.Geo.7.3-5
- Week15Fresh Starts and FractionsGreek roots bio, micro, scope · Equivalent fractions with models · 5 day plans
- Week16Built to SurviveLatin roots aqua, terr, ped · Generating equivalent fractions · 5 day plans
- Week17Inside OutSuffixes -ous and -ive · Comparing fractions with benchmarks · 5 day plans
- Week18Senses and SettlementsPlurals: -s, -es, y to i, f to v · Comparing with common denominators · 5 day plans
February: Friendship / Ecosystems and Resources
February is about connection: friends, communities, and the natural resources we all share. We compare texts and research a topic, add and subtract fractions, learn how people use and protect resources, and meet Americans whose courage and kindness changed the country.
Reading & writing
Compare and contrast texts and characters, research a topic with good questions and sources, and take notes in your own words.
RI.4.9, RL.4.3, W.4.7, W.4.8
Math
Decompose fractions, add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers with like denominators, multiply a fraction by a whole number, and make line plots with fractions.
4.NF.3, 4.NF.4, 4.MD.4
Science
Describe natural resources, how getting and using energy and fuels affects the environment, and design ways to reduce harm from natural hazards.
4-ESS3-1, 4-ESS3-2, 3-5-ETS1-2
Social studies
Learn about Americans such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Ruby Bridges, and how courage and kindness shape communities.
C3 D2.His.3.3-5, D2.Civ.8.3-5, D2.Civ.7.3-5
- Week19Friends Compare NotesPrefixes inter-, trans-, sub-, super- · Decomposing fractions · 5 day plans
- Week20Paths to FreedomNumber prefixes uni-, bi-, tri-, quad-, cent- · Adding and subtracting fractions · 5 day plans
- Week21Presidents and ResearchEndings -ture and -sure · Mixed numbers · 5 day plans
- Week22Kindness Changes ThingsWords from other languages · Multiplying a fraction by a whole number · 5 day plans
March: Spring / Fossils and Earth's History
In March we dig into the past. Rock layers and fossils tell us what Earth was like long ago, and maps of the United States show us where we are today. We grow our vocabulary, write more complex sentences, and connect fractions to decimals and measurement.
Reading & writing
Use context clues, figurative language and words from mythology, and write complex sentences with relative pronouns and adverbs.
L.4.4a, L.4.5a, RL.4.4, L.4.1a
Math
Understand tenths and hundredths as fractions and decimals, compare decimals, and convert measurements within customary and metric systems.
4.NF.5, 4.NF.6, 4.NF.7, 4.MD.1, 4.MD.2
Science
Use rock layers and fossils to explain how a landscape changed over time, and read maps of Earth's features.
4-ESS1-1, 4-ESS2-2
Social studies
Read U.S. maps: states and capitals, latitude and longitude, major rivers and mountains, and learn about spring celebrations.
C3 D2.Geo.1.3-5, D2.Geo.2.3-5, D2.Geo.4.3-5
- Week23Layers of CluesContext clues · Tenths and hundredths · 5 day plans
- Week24Fossil HuntersSimiles and metaphors · Comparing decimals · 5 day plans
- Week25Earth's Long StoryGreek roots therm, meter, hydro · Customary measurement conversions · 5 day plans
- Week26Spring ForwardRelative pronouns and adverbs · Metric conversions · 5 day plans
April: Earth and Environment / Renewable Energy
April is Earth month. We compare renewable and nonrenewable energy, build a solar oven, and learn how our government works and how citizens can make a difference. We take notes from more than one source, write strong opinion essays, and find area and perimeter.
Reading & writing
Take notes from more than one source, explain an author's reasons and evidence, and write and present an opinion essay.
RI.4.8, W.4.1, W.4.8, W.4.9, SL.4.4
Math
Find perimeter and area of rectangles with formulas, find missing side lengths, and solve real-world area and perimeter problems.
4.MD.3, 4.MD.2
Science
Compare renewable and nonrenewable energy resources and their effects on the environment, and design a device that uses solar energy.
4-ESS3-1, 4-PS3-4
Social studies
Explain the three branches of government, local, state and national government, rights and responsibilities of citizens, and how people protect the environment.
C3 D2.Civ.1.3-5, D2.Civ.5.3-5, D2.Civ.2.3-5
- Week27Branches and BordersPrefixes anti-, non-, en-/em- · Perimeter · 5 day plans
- Week28Power from the SunLatin roots duc/duct, mit/miss, ject · Area · 5 day plans
- Week29Citizens Make a DifferenceSuffixes -ize and -ify · Missing sides · 5 day plans
- Week30Earth Day Every DayGreek roots demo, crat, poli · Area and perimeter problems · 5 day plans
May: Oceans / Inventors and Technology
In May we think like engineers and inventors. We plan, build, test and improve devices that use energy and waves, learn how technology changed daily life, and meet inventors who solved real problems. We read aloud with expression, write ocean adventures, and explore lines, angles and shapes.
Reading & writing
Read aloud with accuracy, expression and good pacing, read biographies, and write and publish a narrative with vivid description.
RF.4.4b, RL.4.5, RI.4.3, W.4.3
Math
Draw and identify lines, rays and angles, measure and draw angles with a protractor, add angles, classify shapes and find lines of symmetry.
4.G.1, 4.G.2, 4.G.3, 4.MD.5, 4.MD.6, 4.MD.7
Science
Define a design problem with criteria and constraints, build and test a device that uses energy or waves, and compare solutions with fair tests.
3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-3, 4-PS4-3, 4-PS3-4
Social studies
Compare communication and transportation then and now, and learn how inventors changed daily life.
C3 D2.His.2.3-5, D2.His.3.3-5, D2.His.14.3-5
- Week31Lines in the SandSuffixes -ship, -hood, -dom · Points, lines, rays and angles · 5 day plans
- Week32Ocean ExplorersLatin roots mar, nav · Measuring angles · 5 day plans
- Week33Inventors at WorkLatin roots vent, fac/fact · Adding angles · 5 day plans
- Week34Shapes and SolutionsOrder of adjectives · Classifying shapes and symmetry · 5 day plans
June: Review and Celebration
June is for showing off what we know. We review the big skills from the year through games, investigations and independent reading, then celebrate our growth with a portfolio share and a look back at our fourth grade year.
Reading & writing
Review roots, affixes and comprehension strategies, read independently with stamina, and reflect on a year of writing.
RF.4.3a, RL.4.10, RI.4.10, W.4.10
Math
Review multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, measurement and geometry through mixed practice and math games.
4.NBT.5, 4.NBT.6, 4.NF.3, 4.NF.7, 4.MD.3, 4.G.2
Science
Review energy, waves, structures and Earth's changes by repeating favorite investigations and explaining results with evidence.
4-PS3-2, 4-PS4-1, 4-LS1-1, 4-ESS2-1
Social studies
Make a timeline of the year and reflect on what we learned about regions, history, government and our community.
C3 D2.His.1.3-5, D2.Geo.2.3-5