Fourth Grade
Grade Level Expectations
North Carolina learning standards outline what a student should know and be able to do by the end of the grade level or band. There are also additional skills that a well-rounded student should possess. Listed below are examples of Carolina International School’s academic expectations for fourth grade students. These should be viewed holistically and are not meant to determine promotion or retention; a student may demonstrate or be on track for proficiency without having mastered every skill. Teachers intervene as appropriate to support skills development.
READING
· Use knowledge of syllable types, word parts (e.g. roots, prefixes, suffixes), and letter-sound correspondence to read unfamiliar multisyllabic words
· Read grade-level text with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression · Provide relevant & specific details from texts to support answers and inferences
· Determine a text’s theme or main idea and how key details support these
· Describe a character, setting, or event using specific details
· Identify text structure (e.g., compare/contrast, cause/effect, sequence) and structural elements (e.g., stanza, meter, settings, dialogue, stage directions)
· Compare/contrast a narrator’s point of view, the difference between first and third-person
· Explain how claims in a text are supported by relevant reasons and evidence
· Explain how charts, graphs, diagrams, illustrations, etc., aid understanding
· Read and understand grade 4 literature and informational texts
WRITING AND LANGUAGE
· Demonstrate grade-appropriate use of spelling, grammar, usage, mechanics
· Write an argument to support claim(s) using clear reasons, relevant evidence
· Write informative texts to share relevant ideas and information
· Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear sequence
· Use transition words (e.g., therefore, for example) to help develop key ideas
· Conduct research to answer questions and to build knowledge
· Take notes and create outlines using appropriate strategies
VOCABULARY
· Use context clues and knowledge of common Greek and Latin roots, prefixes and suffixes to determine word meaning
· Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors in context
· Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs
· Relate words to their antonyms (opposites) and synonyms (similar meaning)
LISTENING & SPEAKING
· Engage in collaborative discussions, give oral reports, share information and/ or recount an experience
· Express ideas clearly and build on others’ ideas
· Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material
MATH Grade Level Fluencies:
Add and Subtract within 1,000,000 Geometry: Draw, identify lines & angles; classify shapes by properties of lines & angles Operations and Algebraic Thinking
· Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems · Gain familiarity with factors and multiples
· Generate and analyze patterns Number and Operations in Base Ten
· Generalize place value understanding for multi-digit whole numbers
· Perform multi-digit arithmetic using knowledge of place value and operations properties Number and Operations (Fractions)
· Extend understanding of fraction equivalence and ordering
· Build fractions from unit fractions
· Understand decimal notation for fractions, and compare decimal fractions Measurement and Data
· Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements
· Represent and interpret data
· Geometric measurement: measure and understand concepts of angle
SCIENCE
· Understand and apply scientific concepts, principles and theories relating to the physical setting, Earth and space science, and the living environment
· Recognize the historical development of ideas: energy, waves; structure, function, & information processing; Earth’s water & systems; processes shaping the Earth
· Use scientific equipment to take scientific measurements, including units
· Recognize that objects have properties that can be observed, described, and/or measured (e.g., length, width, volume, size, etc.) · Make measurements using nonstandard units and standard metric units · Using scientific inquiry, demonstrate knowledge of scientific process & concepts SOCIAL STUDIES · Develop questions about NYS history, geography, economics and government · Describe Native American groups living in the region that became NYS · Describe how human activities change places and regions · Explore the role of NYS in westward expansion, trade, technology & immigration · Identify types of political systems used at various times in NYS and US history.