lfcds grade 4 curriculum

Lower School CurriculumGRADE 4

Lower School Curriculum Guide 2

Overview of Lower School (Grades 1–4) The Lower School curriculum reflects high academic standards, and our faculty is dedicated to giving each student the opportunity to discover his or her physical, creative, social, and academic strengths. Because social and academic skills are inextricably linked, we strive to create a respectful, safe atmosphere where students can explore interests, take responsible risks, and develop academic skills and knowledge. Dedicated faculty members work together in our state-of-the-art facility to create an engaging curriculum, rich with opportunities for deeper thinking as students develop key twenty-first-century skills: communication, cosmopolitanism, collaboration, character, creativity, and critical thinking.

Students benefit from:Our developmentally appropriate, coherently sequenced, and integrated curriculum in language arts,

mathematics, social studies, science, world language, fine arts, physical education & wellness, and library and education technology.

A commitment to developing important Habits of Mind, critical thinking and creative problem solving, collaboration and communications skills, and curiosity and imagination.

Our Responsive Classroom® teaching philosophy which stands apart from other public and private school programs with its emphasis on a positive social and emotional environment as the foundation for academic excellence.

A faculty who understands brain and child development and works collaboratively to engage students in a variety of learning experiences that encourage making connections, building understanding, and taking ownership of learning.

A commitment to experiential learning where students’ learning is enriched with field trips to Lake Forest Open Lands, the theater, the symphony, and historic sites.

A compassionate school environment that values personal responsibility, diversity, and openness to different points of view.

Teaching PhilosophyKnowing the students we teach—individually, culturally, and developmentally—is of utmost importance to us. We also believe in the importance of getting to know their families. We value the input of parents as the child’s first teacher, beginning with intake conferences prior to the start of school when parents share their knowledge of and hopes and dreams for their child.

Two important beliefs are at the heart of our teaching philosophy: first, the social curriculum is inextricably linked with the academic curriculum; and, second, how students learn is as important as what students learn. Lower School faculty shares a commitment to the following teaching and learning practices:

RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM®Responsive Classroom® techniques foster a welcoming, accepting, safe, and nurturing environment for learning.

HABITS OF MINDTeachers promote ways of thinking and behaving that develop self-discipline and strong character.

AUTHENTIC WORK OF THE DISCIPLINESThe curriculum emphasizes academic work that requires critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration and has real-world applications.

DIFFERENTIATIONTeachers focus on each individual student’s learning style and make adjustments as needed to provide support or additional challenge.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNINGStudents enjoy opportunities to engage in hands-on activities and role-play experiences that help them understand abstract ideas.

UNIFYING CONCEPTSIdeas are introduced in the context of central unifying concepts or themes to help students recognize and remember connections in what they are learning in different disciplines.


Lower School Curriculum Overview

Responsive Classroom® ApproachThe Lower School faculty utilizes Responsive Classroom® techniques to create a welcoming, accepting, safe, and nurturing environment. In classrooms where caring communities are created and in which children are valued for where they are on the continuum of learning, students are prepared to face challenges intentionally designed to stretch their thinking and help them develop confidence in what they can accomplish. As students grow and mature, they take increasing responsibility for their own learning, for setting goals, and for evaluating their learning style. By fourth grade, students lead their fall and spring parent conferences, using portfolios to explain their progress, strengths, and challenges.

Children must have multiple opportunities to learn and practice in order to be successful academically and socially. Since the greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction, various social settings (e.g., one-to-one conferences, small groups, whole class, and team experiences) provide opportunities for learning cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.

Every Lower School classroom begins the day with a Morning Meeting. News and Announcements are read by the children as they arrive, building excitement about the day’s events and engaging the students in a meaningful question of the day designed to enhance learning and sometimes just to have fun. During the sharing that follows, students practice essential skills, such as learning to share concisely; actively listening with empathy and understanding; asking increasingly complex questions; and making connections with what they hear. The meeting ends with a fun, bonding activity.

Inherent in the Responsive Classroom® approach is shared ownership of the classroom community and choice. The year begins with cooperative creation of classroom rules based on students’ hopes and dreams for the year and the classroom atmosphere necessary to accomplish them. Guidelines for behavior are

shared with teachers of “specials” such as art, music, science, and physical education & wellness so expectations are consistent throughout the day. Students are taught to resolve conflict with words and to offer amends for any hurt they may have caused.

Teachers use logical consequences for infractions and are proactive about dealing with social cruelty. Students feel heard and safe and understand that these situations are part of growing up.

Because we know that choice is highly motivating, the faculty creates opportunities each week when students determine what they will read, write about, or

Community MeetingStop by at 8:15 on a Wednesday morning to experience a Lower School Community Meeting, a time when students in senior kindergarten through fourth grade come together for approximately twenty minutes. The meetings are designed to:

build community through the sharing of common values and experiences.

provide an opportunity for students to present examples of their accomplishments and work in all disciplines.

celebrate birthdays and reward qualities we value (i.e., persistence, risk-taking, sportsmanship, respect, teamwork, dedication to high-quality work).

share musical and movement selections.

These meetings also provide the opportunity to remind students about important Habits of Mind and shared values that are an integral part of the LFCDS experience, including the value of “filling each other’s buckets.”

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? speaks to the power of our words and actions in making one another feel good about and respected for who we are as individuals. The premise is that each of us carries an invisible bucket that represents our mental and emotional self. The ways we interact with others affect whether one another’s buckets are empty or overflowing with positive energy at the end of the day. Students learn about the ways they can be bucket fillers as well as bucket dippers. Students come to understand that by filling someone else’s bucket, they are also filling their own.



explore as well as how they will go about learning and demonstrating understanding. Students become more engaged, productive, persistent, and excited about learning and sharing their knowledge when they have choices. They are also more likely to think deeply and creatively.

Research indicates that the Responsive Classroom® approach provides a more positive school experience for both students and faculty, improves the social skills of students, increases academic achievement, and leads to more high-quality instruction.

Habits of Mind Habits of Mind are behaviors or dispositions that we believe provide a strong foundation for success in school and in life. Across curricular areas, faculty members discuss their application and provide regular opportunities for students to apply them. For example:

During a fourth-grade mathematics class, a teacher encourages metacognition as students prepare to share a variety of ways to solve a problem.

A world language teacher asks students to strive for accuracy when pronouncing new vocabulary.

Third-grade students think and communicate with clarity and precision as they write essays.

Second-grade students think flexibly in visual art class as they determine the materials and perspective to complete their project.

First-grade students take responsible risks using challenging playground equipment.

For our early childhood students, gathering data through the senses and persisting are part of the fabric of their day.

In science class, students question and pose problems as they create "fair tests" and make inferences from the results.

Throughout the Lower School, students practice listening with empathy and understanding, managing impulsivity, responding with wonder and awe, and finding humor as a community during daily Morning Meetings.

Students learn to think interdependently, be creative, use their imaginations, and be innovative during a myriad of small- and large-group problem solving situations across the disciplines.

Nutrition and MannersLunch is included in tuition and, since LFCDS focuses on the whole child, mealtime is structured as an opportunity for children to learn and practice gratitude, good manners, polite conversation, and healthy eating habits.

Lunches are served family style with six or seven students assigned to a table with an adult or fourth-grade supervisor. Fourth-grade students may sit at self-managed Honor Tables.

OrganicLife provides healthy hot selections, an extensive salad bar, and a sandwich bar daily. Fresh fruit is served four or five times a week for dessert. On one or two days a sweet dessert is offered in addition to the fruit. A water pitcher is on each table, and milk is also available.

Each child has a job to accomplish so that tables are respectfully cleared, cleaned, and prepared for the next lunch.

A music selection is played during which the lunchroom is silent and the focus is on eating.

On occasion, world language immersion tables provide an enriching, authentic, and fun experience for students. They are supervised by world language staff and bilingual volunteer parents.

Parents are welcome at lunch both as visitors and as volunteer table supervisors.



Authentic Work of the DisciplinesAt LFCDS, we emphasize authentic learning experiences—ones that reflect critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and real-world applications. In order to prepare students for a

university education, a meaningful career, and life in general, we work to develop students’ deep understanding of content and issues and ask them to demonstrate their new learning, not just

recite it. The authentic work of real-world learning experiences enables students to develop important lifelong skills and to view their education as relevant and connected to the larger world.

So what does this look like at LFCDS? Second-grade students analyze literature and design open-ended questions to pose to their book clubs. The reduction of carbon footprints on our earth is the focus of fourth-grade students as they develop individual action plans. First-grade students conduct a videotaped oral history with one of their grandparents or special neighborhood friends. Preschool students use cloth napkins for snacks and grow vegetables in their school garden beds. Following student-designed research, third-grade students contribute articles to an online children’s encyclopedia. Learning experiences like these offer intellectual challenge, build work habits of persistence, metacognition, and accuracy, and engage students in the kinds of creative and critical thinking that will serve them well throughout their lives.

DifferentiationDifferentiation is the process of matching instruction to varied students and their interests and needs. It is a cornerstone of high-quality teaching and learning and a practice that pervades LFCDS. We pride ourselves on our ability to deeply know our students as learners and to think outside of the box when it comes to approaching their learning in the most appropriate and effective ways. This is responsive education. Students who exhibit academic talent may participate in a

Knights of the Round Table mathematics think tank experience, read and discuss Junior Great Book classics, and assume editor responsibilities for the Lower School newspaper. Those children who require additional support may receive in-class individual and small-group assistance or instruction offered through our Learning Services department. Ongoing assessment enables us to efficiently and flexibly encourage our students’ interests and to meet their academic and developmental needs.

The LFCDS House SystemFour large flags in the school atrium represent four “Houses” or groups within the School. LFCDS has developed the House System to foster connections within the school community. The objective is to bring together the Upper and Lower School students, faculty, and staff for organized fun that enhances each member’s sense of belonging and builds tradition.

The four houses are named for significant leaders in the School’s history (Bell, Mason, and Farwell) and a founder of the first private day school in America (Alcott). Each house has a signature color.

Students in grades one and five, two and six, three and seven, and four and eight are paired as house buddies.

The House System provides students with enjoyable leadership and mentoring opportunities in a setting outside the classroom.

School spirit is enhanced through friendly House events throughout the year, ending with Field Day activities.

Building connections and developing lasting relationships among faculty, staff, and all students from first through eighth grade, ultimately creates a stronger sense of responsibility for the well-being of each member of the community.



What child wouldn’t want to become a toy designer, a pioneer in the 1850s, a travel journalist making a cross-country trek, a Chinese dragon parade manager or a member of royalty in medieval England? Experiential learning occurs when students investigate and gain understanding through their play. An excellent instructional strategy to engage the whole child—cognitively, socially and emotionally, physically, and

creatively—experiential learning allows students to learn by doing: creating, constructing, planning, solving problems, and collaborating. LFCDS teachers carefully craft experiential, hands-on learning activities that will tap students’ interest and engagement and then allow for divergent thinking, open-ended responses, student choice, and rich understanding. Joyful play and academic rigor can occur simultaneously!

Experiential Learning

LFCDS ROCKSThe Lower School theme is LFCDS ROCKS! This stands for: Lake Forest Country Day students Respect Others, Community, Knowledge, and Self.

Senior kindergarten students and new members to the School community are welcomed during Community Meetings with a gift of two rocks.

One rock taken from the School property represents the uniqueness of each student, faculty, and staff member as well as the importance of rich diversity to a healthy and vibrant School community. Each individual also receives an identical, polished green (School color) one engraved with LFCDS ROCKS. It represents the significance of shared values and the high standards for behavior that allow for a rigorous learning environment.

A catchy cheer is shared to make the theme fun and memorable. Signs in classrooms provide a visual reminder of our commitment to respecting each other, our community, our learning environment, and ourselves.

Unifying concepts provide a structure for organizing and making meaning of the knowledge and information that students learn throughout the school day. Research supports this notion: facts and ideas become usable understandings for children when they are linked to central themes or concepts. Knowing how students learn best, we developed preschool through eighth-grade social studies and science curricula around unifying concepts that build upon and connect to each other. For example, the relationships concept that grounds the preschool social studies curriculum is enhanced by the study of animal-environment

relationships in junior kindergarten; by the contentious relationships between European settlers and native peoples studied in third grade; and by the relationship between individual and government in eighth-grade American history. At the same time, each grade level represents a new layer of unifying concept that enriches and broadens students’ understanding of it and its application in varied contexts. Unifying concepts are integral to ensuring that students make connections within and across disciplines and topics and, as a result, comprehend their learning experiences more deeply.

Unifying Concepts

Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4 7

The Fourth-Grade Experience at LFCDS Our enthusiastic fourth-grade students are well prepared for their roles as leaders of the Lower School. A morning of orientation to build community and discuss leadership opportunities and responsibilities occurs before school formally begins. Students have developed strong foundational skills in all areas; they are ready to meet the increased expectations and to be positive role models for younger students; and they are blossoming into confident, collaborative, and capable students and communicators. The critical nature and worrying that often characterizes a nine-year-old is replaced by a generally happy and relaxed ten-year-old. They take pride in their accomplishments; enjoy sharing their knowledge with others; and appreciate adult recognition.

Boys and girls willingly work together, and they engage in whole-class as well as small-group activities, particularly when a goal needs to be accomplished. They can be both competitive and cooperative—quick to react and quick to forgive—which plays out during physical education & wellness classes as well as at recess. They have matured and are open to independently using the mediation and problem-solving skills they have learned. Plenty of physical challenges and outdoor play are necessary for their quickly developing muscles.

Our strong fine arts program provides new opportunities for our fourth-grade students. They learn to play the recorder in music class, and former students find themselves reminiscing about the fun (and joining in!) during performances of “The Fifty Nifty United States.” World language class includes French, Chinese,

and Spanish. Exposure to other cultures is experienced in fine arts as well as world language classes with the goal of developing understanding and acceptance of others.

Cognitively, fourth-grade students are ready to engage with the scientific principles they discover during studies both on our campus and in the local community. They enjoy collecting, organizing, and classifying data which serves them well as they explore changes in matter, investigate weather and the properties of air, and research global climate change.

Their leadership of the School’s recycling program allows them to practice what they have learned. Students apply their growing ability to concentrate on reading and thinking for a long time to a simulated trip across the United States using the lenses of social scientists, historians, geographers, political scientists, and economists. They are good memorizers who tackle a self-paced program of learning states and capitals as well as countries on other continents. Risk-taking and listening with understanding and empathy are

Highlights of the Fourth-Grade Experience

Earn four Earthkeeper keys while learning to become stewards of their planet.

Protect and/or restore a local ecosystem through Lake Forest Open Lands.

“See the USA” through a simulated road trip across the US.

Reenact the immigrant experience at Ellis Island.

Use ePET laptops through LFCDS 1:1 computing.

Forge relationships in the school community through House Events with eighth-grade buddies.

Learn and perform "Fifty Nifty United States" at an all-school assembly.

Demonstrate leadership to Lower School peers by managing recycling, leading community

meetings, supervising lunch tables, producing the Little Panthers newspaper, and leading

conferences in fall and spring.

GRADE 4Curriculum


Grade 4 Overview

important qualities evidenced during interviews of immigrants and projects that tell the person’s story. Their desire to reach out to others is also notable in the caring relationships formed with younger book buddies from a local underprivileged school to their enthusiasm for interacting with the elderly during a reception at the Lake Forest Senior Citizen Center. This is the year to tap into the empathy that has been fostered during their earlier years in the Lower School!

Reading focuses on developing critical thinking skills, comparing texts, noting author’s purpose and craft, and vocabulary development. An enrichment book club provides a fun opportunity to meet for breakfast and share thoughts each month about a book that was chosen collaboratively. They write across the curriculum daily with an emphasis on organization and high-quality content, as well as editing documents for clarity, proofreading for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Effective written or oral communication is an important goal. Small muscle movements are ready for precision tasks, and they enjoy using compasses, protractors, and measurement tools. Fluency with all four operations is solidified; conceptual understanding and higher-level work is explored related to long division, fractions, decimals, geometry, and data analysis. Applying a variety of strategies to problem solving and using mathematical vocabulary to communicate understanding are emphasized. Keyboarding skills are practiced at home and at school and become increasingly important with the 1:1 computer access for research, word processing, and projects.

ScheduleFourth-grade students follow a six-day academic schedule:

Language arts (i.e., reading, writing, and word study): two hours each day

Social Studies: three times a week for forty-five minutes taught by homeroom teacher

Mathematics: one hour each day; students are often grouped by academic achievement with an extra teacher joining the homeroom team, allowing for smaller group size

Physical education & wellness: thirty minutes each day

World language: thirty minutes four times in a six-day cycle for eight weeks each (French, Mandarin, Spanish)

Science, visual art, music, and drama for forty-five to fifty-five minutes twice in a six-day cycle.

Each day begins with a Morning Meeting during which time students greet one another, get to know each other better through sharing, engage in an activity, and read the daily message. The message regularly contains a question that is designed to activate prior learning, practice a test-taking skill (e.g., analogies), promote verbal reasoning, ask an opinion, or make connections with a current study. Each morning, students take a short break for a snack, and faculty members are aware of the need for “brain breaks.” Because we value fresh air, play, and the skills gained through unstructured activities, a twenty-five to thirty-minute recess occurs each afternoon.

Homework Students have a planner in which homework

is recorded. Parents are expected to sign their child’s planner each night after checking to be certain homework is completed neatly and accurately. Having a parent nearby to answer questions is still helpful for some students; however, the majority of homework should be completed independently.

Choosing the time to complete homework empowers students and reduces the need for parental intervention; students benefit from recording their out-of-school events and family commitments on a calendar in order to determine an effective homework schedule. Also, there will be some long-term projects that require planning ahead and dividing the assignment into smaller tasks. There are high expectations for the quality of work. Students may receive a “redo” sheet for work that requires further attention to accuracy and quality.


Grade 4 Overview

In fourth grade, students should spend approximately one hour and ten minutes on homework.

• There are designated word study sorts to complete, activities to promote fact fluency, and memorization of states’ location and spelling by region.

• Fifteen minutes of mathematics work is expected most nights during the week along with any necessary fact fluency activities.

• Writing or social studies tasks may be worked on at home on some nights.

• Reading to or with a child daily is expected as it promotes reading as an important lifelong habit and builds vocabulary and background knowledge critical to comprehension.

Standardized AssessmentsThree times a year the Fountas and Pinnell

Benchmark Assessment System is administered to gauge student progress in reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.

Each October, our fourth-grade students take the Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP4) online standardized test prepared by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB). Parents who are familiar with the Illinois Standard Achievement Test (ISAT), which is administered in public schools, may be unfamiliar with ERB testing and question why we do not use the ISAT. First, according to the Rules of the Illinois School Code under 1.30 State Assessment, the ISAT is only given to public school districts in the state. Second, the ERB, founded in 1927, is one of the most respected standardized testing services used in 47 states and 52 countries by college preparatory schools that aspire to high standards. Area independent schools, including the Latin School of Chicago, Francis W. Parker School, North Shore Country Day School, Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School,

University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, Avery Coonley School, and the British School of Chicago use ERB tests, as do selected top-performing suburban schools, such as New Trier High School. Since ISAT and ERB tests scores are not directly comparable, we report student achievement relative to independent schools nationally rather than relative to local public schools. Historically, LFCDS students have performed at high levels.

The CTP4 is a rigorous battery of assessments designed to collect information about students’ reasoning and achievement. The verbal reasoning score provides a benchmark to compare with achievement tests in auditory comprehension reading comprehension, writing mechanics, and writing skills and concepts. The quantitative reasoning score is the benchmark for scores in mathematics and science. The parent report also includes Lexile and Quantile measures. A Lexile measure represents a child’s reading achievement and can be used to match him or her with books and other materials at an appropriate difficulty level. A Quantile measure describes a child’s mathematical achievement and can be used to determine his or her readiness to learn new mathematical skills and concepts. Test results inform instruction for individual students and are also used to evaluate curriculum. Fourth-grade tests provide baseline scores for looking at trends in a child’s performance in the future.

Standardized and normed data provided by these tools, along with classroom-based assessments, offer teachers a more complete understanding of each of their student’s learning profiles and guide individual instruction as well as curriculum design.


Grade 4 Language Arts

Language ArtsOverview

The Lower School language arts curriculum provides a framework for teaching and learning that is student centered, rigorous, and individualized. Divided into three instructional blocks of reading, writing, and word study, the language arts program enables students to become strong readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and researchers who can think and investigate in critical and creative ways. Students read and write in a variety of genres.

Grade-Level Expectations In fourth grade, students work to master the following language arts skills:

Reading Foundational SkillsUse combined knowledge of phonics and word analysis skills to read accurately unfamiliar

multisyllabic words in context and out of context.Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.

Reading LiteratureRefer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing

inferences from the text.Determine a theme of a story or poem from details in the text. Summarize the text.Describe a character, setting, or event in a story in depth, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a

character’s thoughts, words, or actions).Explain major differences between poems and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems

(e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) when writing or speaking about a text.Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the

difference between first- and third-person narrations.

Reading Informational TextRefer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing

inferences from the text.Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details. Summarize the text.Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of

events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic. Describe the

differences in focus and the information provided.Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams,

timelines, animations, or interactive elements of Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the

subject knowledgeably.

WritingWrite opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,

descriptive details, and clear event sequences.


Grade 4 Language Arts, Mathematics

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing. Demonstrate sufficient

command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital

sources. Take notes, categorize information, and provide a list of sources.Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.Write routinely over extended time frames (i.e., time for research, reflection, and revision) and

shorter time frames (i.e., a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

LanguageUse relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing

flexibly from a range of strategies.Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words

with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).

MathematicsOverview

The Lower School mathematics curriculum aligns with National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Common Core State Standards and combines computation, reasoning, and problem-solving skills in a format that ties mathematics to students’ lives. Each year students are challenged with multilevel problems to analyze the structure of questions and discover effective strategies to solve them. Traditional methods of learning quantitative skills are blended with engaging projects to help students enjoy using mathematics for a lifetime.

In the 2013–2014 school year, the Singapore program Math in Focus will be implemented in senior kindergarten through fourth grade. Excellent supplementary materials and technology will be used to enrich and differentiate instruction. We are committed to providing students with a strong conceptual background that lays the groundwork for success in the future; procedural understandings and fact fluency that engender confidence and precision; the ability to clearly communicate one’s thinking with models, both orally and in writing, using mathematical terminology; and the motivation to persevere when problem solving.

Grade-Level Expectations In fourth grade, students work to master the following mathematics skills:

Operations and Algebraic ThinkingUse the four operations with whole numbers to solve equations and multistep word problems.


Grade 4 Mathematics

Recognize and determine factors and multiples in the range 1–100. Determine whether a number is prime or composite.Generate and analyze patterns.

Number and Operations in Base TenGeneralize place value understanding for multidigit whole numbers. Read and write multidigit whole numbers, using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded

form to 1,000,000.Compare two multidigit numbers based on meanings of the digits in each place, using greater than,

equal, and less than symbols.Use place value understanding to round multidigit whole numbers to any place.Fluently add and subtract multidigit whole numbers, using standard and other algorithms.Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number.Multiply two two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place value and the properties of

operations. Illustrate and explain calculations with arrays, area models, and equations.Find whole-number quotients and remainders with up to four-digit dividends and one-digit divisors,

using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and the relationship between the multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain calculations with arrays, area models, and equations.Calculate and interpret remainders.

Number and Operations with Fractions Model and represent fractions and decimals in a variety of contexts (e.g., part of whole, parts of a set).Demonstrate understanding of fraction equivalence and ordering. Generate equivalent fractions.Add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers with like denominators.Multiply fractions by whole numbers. Show relationship to improper fractions.Understand decimal notation for fractions and compare decimals to fractions.Compare two decimals to the hundredth place.

Measurement and DataKnow the relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units.Record measurement equivalents (e.g., one foot is twelve times as long as one inch).Use the four operations to solve word problems involving measurement.Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real-world and mathematical problems.Represent and interpret data, using a variety of graphs.Understand concepts of angle. Measure angles in whole-number degrees, using a protractor. Sketch angles of specified measure.

GeometryDraw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles, and perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in

two-dimensional figures.Recognize a line of symmetry for a two-dimensional figure. Identify line-symmetric figures and draw

lines of symmetry.

Mathematical Problem-Solving Practices (embedded within each content strand above)Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.Reason abstractly and quantitatively (i.e., attend to the meaning of quantities; know and flexibly use

different properties of operations).Construct logical arguments and evaluate the reasoning of others.


Grade 4 Mathematics, Social Studies

Model with mathematics (e.g., write equations, draw a picture, make a table).Use appropriate tools strategically (e.g., pencil and paper, protractor, ruler, calculator).Attend to precision (e.g., specify units of measure, calculate accurately, label answers, attend to the

context of the problem).Look for and make use of structure (i.e., discern patterns, recognize and use properties of operations).

Social StudiesOverview

An integrated study of the social sciences forms the basis for the Lower School social studies curriculum. Unifying themes develop throughout the grades from preschool through eighth grade, allowing students to build on the mastered skills and the lenses through which they have experienced the social studies content. With emphasis on higher-level thinking skills that include chronological sequencing, comprehension, analysis, and decision making, the social studies program offers students the chance to pursue independent inquiry, participate in hands-on, active lessons and projects, and investigate real-world problems. Through social studies lessons, students develop their capacities to make thoughtful, informed decisions. For participating citizens in our culturally diverse nation and global world, these skills and understandings are essential.

Using the lenses of social scientists, such as historians, geographers, political scientists, and economists, fourth-grade students study past and contemporary immigration; the United States regions in which these individuals have built their lives; and the contemporary issue of climate change that unites all people of our global society. The unifying theme is interdependence.

Grade-Level Expectations In fourth grade, students work to master the following social studies skills:

CultureDescribe the value of cultural unity and diversity within and across groups.Demonstrate how holding different values and beliefs can contribute or pose obstacles to

understanding between people and groups.

Time, Continuity, and ChangeIdentify examples of both continuity and change in stories, photographs, and documents.Compare and contrast stories or accounts about past events, people, places, or situations and offer

possible reasons for the differences.Use sources such as artifacts, documents, and stories to develop an understanding of the past and

begin to see how knowledge of the past can inform decisions about issues today.Use methods of inquiry of history and literacy skills to research and present findings.

People, Places, and EnvironmentsAsk and find answers to geographic questions related to state and region.Research, analyze, and evaluate information from atlases, databases, charts, graphs, and maps to

interpret relationships among geographic factors and historic events in state and region.

Science, Technology, and SocietyIdentify and select information appropriate to the research purpose.Research, categorize, interpret, evaluate, and communicate information.


Grade 4 Social Studies, Science

Global ConnectionsExplore the ways that aspects of culture, such as language, beliefs, and traditions, may facilitate

understanding or lead to misunderstanding between cultures.Give examples of conflict and cooperation in different parts of the world.Identify and examine how personal wants and needs may conflict with the needs of people in other

parts of the world.

ScienceOverview

The Lower School science curriculum includes three units of study per year at each grade level that address the three branches of science—physical science, life science, and earth/space science. In a hands-on, inquiry-based setting, students pose questions, explore hypotheses, and form conclusions. Students further their scientific understanding through learning that is relevant to real-life experiences and through unifying themes from senior kindergarten through eighth grade.

Fourth-grade students develop understandings around the theme of systems and interactions. They study woodland and wetland invasive species, electricity and magnetism, and global climate change.

Grade-Level Expectations In fourth grade, students work to master the following science skills:

QuestionsPose thoughtful questions about the world.

ObservationRecognize the need to observe, record, and measure.Use numbers to represent a physical quantity.Observe, describe, and record the properties of living and non-living things.Observe, describe, and record systems and interactions.

CommunicationConstruct precise scientific drawings or representations of events.Record written predictions, observations, and results in a journal and on record sheets, class charts,

graphs, and brainstorming lists.Synthesize classroom discussion and offer meaningful contributions.Use models as a means of talking about what might happen if one element is changed.

ComparisonMake detailed comparisons.Compare conditions over time.

ComprehensionIdentify the main topic, focus, and key details of a scientific or technical text.Read on-level informational text with purpose and understanding.


Grade 4 Science, World Language

Participate in research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report).

Inquiry DesignRecognize that data is collected by scientists and engineers in investigations.Explain fair test.Record observations (e.g., drawing, writing, measurement).Identify factors that vary in the situation under study. Justify which variable should be varied.Tabulate and represent evidence in a graphical form and look for patterns.Interpret simple data represented graphically (e.g., pie charts, simple graphs). Design and implement a fair-test experiment. Create models.Construct a hypothesis about how a model might be changed or extended to answer the question

and suggest activities that could test the hypothesis.Analyze and draw logical conclusions from results.Make a claim or argument and support it with evidence.

Scientific InstrumentsUse simple tools such as rulers, centimeter cubes, push-pull meters, spring scales, and simple

machines to measure the required data.

World LanguageOverview

LFCDS offers Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and French in the ECC and Lower School. These languages were selected in order to expose our students to a variety of important world cultures and better equip them to meet the challenges of global citizenship. Our design is based on current brain research and best practices in elementary world language education. Adhering to the national standards for the teaching of world languages, we aim to prepare our students to view the world from broader perspectives, compare and contrast languages and cultures, and appreciate the importance of communication in international communities. The benefits of this model lead beyond language learning into the discovery of diverse cultural worlds where these languages are spoken.

The Early Childhood and Lower School curriculum sequence is:Spanish: Preschool and Junior KindergartenSpanish is the most prominent second language in the United States. Often young children have already had some exposure to Spanish expressions and culture. The two-year study of Spanish provides a foundation in Spanish which will also set the stage for the learning of other languages with different sounds and syntax.

Mandarin Chinese: Senior Kindergarten and Grade 1Chinese represents the fastest growing Eastern language and may be the most important business language outside of English in the twenty-first century. In addition, brain research shows benefits from the study of pictographic and tonal languages, which naturally develop simultaneous use of multiple areas of the brain, enhancing student learning of other subjects. The two-year study of Chinese enriches our senior kindergarten and first-grade cultural studies, especially our first-grade social studies unit on China.


Grade 4 World Language, Fine Arts

French: Grades 2 and 3French is an official language in thirty-three countries spread throughout five continents. While learning French, students discover the influence of French on the English language. This awareness deepens their knowledge of our own language as they explore the multitude of French words the English language has absorbed. The two-year study further enriches the third-grade social studies unit on the French voyageurs.

Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and French: Grade 4Fourth-grade students have the opportunity to revisit or become familiar with Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and French. In our global world today, some knowledge of the sound system and basics of each language is critical for a well-rounded education. In addition, an opportunity to compare all three languages over the course of a year allows students, with the support of parents and teachers, to make an informed choice about which single language to study in Upper School. Having experienced all three languages also complements the fourth-grade immigration unit and their culminating study of global warming.

Grade-Level Expectations Changes to the scope and sequence of the World Language curriculum were made in April, 2012. Specific grade-level objectives are currently being developed. Goals of the curricula include:

Students will gain experience in listening, speaking, reading and writing in other languages. Proficiency is not a goal of the ECC/Lower School world language program, but two consecutive years of instruction will give students a solid base of knowledge.Students will learn about other cultures and learn to respect and celebrate cultural differences and

viewpoints. Students will view their own culture from a new perspective and recognize how other cultures enrich

their own.Students will gain an understanding of how languages are structured, which will aid them in their

understanding of English syntax and grammar.Students will feel comfortable hearing and responding to words spoken in other languages; they may

develop an “ear” for different sounds that will aid them in attaining a near-native-sounding accent.Students will enjoy the experience of learning another language and look forward to future

opportunities to become proficient in one or more world languages.

Fine ArtsOverview

Education in the arts is an inseparable part of the education of the whole child. Children learn to express and interpret ideas through observation and analysis of these art forms. They learn creative modes of problem solving and in so doing develop an array of expressive, analytical, and developmental tools which can be applied to every human situation. Students understand the influences of the arts in their power to create and reflect cultures, both past and present, thus enabling them to make informed judgments about cultural products and issues. They also develop attributes such as self-discipline, perseverance, and collaborative skills. Experiences in the arts develop each child’s imagination and sense of personal fulfillment.


Grade 4 Fine Arts

DramaDrama engages students in a progressive curriculum in grades four through eight. The emphasis is on process and exploration, rather than product. Each year, drama will give students the opportunity to hone their voice and movement skills. Students will continually have the chance to learn more about themselves, others, and engage in the world around them through mindfulness-awareness practices. Students will utilize critical thinking skills and stretch their imagination as they learn about the history of the theatre through interactive, hands-on activities. Students will learn how to think on their feet, practice memorization techniques, and learn about the physical theatre space as well as different acting techniques. Through our drama classroom philosophy of O.T.O. (Other Than Ourselves), students will better understand the idea of our interconnectedness as human beings and make lifelong connections between the past and the present.

The three main components of the Upper School drama program are mindfulness/awareness practices, storytelling and theatre history, and performance. Students learn proper performance etiquette (body carriage, facial expression, and voice and speech technique) and audience etiquette (active listening, predicting appropriate responses based on genre and venue).

Grade-Level ExpectationsIn fourth grade, students work to master the following drama skills:

Sensory and spatial awareness.Vocal projection, diction, breath control, character creation.Physical awareness, stage movement, character creation.Ensemble creation.Historical and cultural exploration of storytelling.Adaptation and original story creation.Basic pantomime.Stage directions and blocking.Memorization.

General MusicThe three main components of the Lower School general music program at each grade level are music literacy, performance, and music listening and analysis. Students learn proper performance etiquette (i.e., posture, facial expression, and singing technique) and audience etiquette (i.e., active listening, predicting appropriate responses based on genre and venue).

Grade-Level Expectations In fourth grade, students work to master the following general music skills:

Learn fingerings on the soprano recorder.Sight-read musical scores in two-and three-part harmony.Interpret and apply symbols and expressive markings in music while playing an instrument or by singing.Compose rhythmic songs in a variety of meters.Play the recorder with articulation and phrasing.Learn and apply a variety of practice techniques on an instrument.Sing and analyze a variety of American and European folk music.Sing with choral ensemble skills (i.e., open mouth, unified vowels, posture, and breathing technique).Analyze a variety of recordings from various eras that future the recorder.

Visual ArtsThe three main components of the Lower School art program at each grade level include: art production, art literacy and criticism, and art history.


Grade 4 Information Literacy, Education Technology

Grade-Level Expectations In fourth grade, students work to master the following general visual arts skills:

Participate in discussions about art and artists (i.e., Roy Lichtenstein, pre-Columbian masks).Demonstrate an understanding of the elements and principles of design (i.e., value, form, color).Draw human facial features realistically and in proportion.Create a composition using a viewfinder.Create functional and artistic objects from clay and sculpture media.

Information LiteracyOverview

Library visits and classes are designed to develop two aspects of students' intellectual lives: familiarity with and enthusiasm for literature, both fiction and nonfiction; and the ability to locate, access, and utilize information for the production of original work.

Grade-Level Expectations In fourth grade, students work to master the following information literacy skills:

Consider new and classic literature and nonfiction of interest at appropriate levels.Develop effective Internet search skills.Develop skills to evaluate websites and other media for research and personal use.Develop skills for ethical use and sharing of knowledge, including citation skills.

Education TechnologyOverview

Competence in education technology is requisite for everyday work and personal life endeavors. To prepare students for a high-tech and global world, the educational technology program provides integrated instruction to effectively and responsibly access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information.

Fourth-grade students develop a strong understanding of education technology that prepares them to utilize advanced skills creatively and confidently in the Upper School. They have 1:1 access to ePETs that are assigned to them and kept at school.

Grade-Level Expectations In fourth grade, students work to master the following education technology skills:

Utilize shared and personal folders on the LFCDS server to save their work and maintain personal computer accounts.Continue keyboarding and type at twelve words per minute with ninety-five percent accuracy.Practice fact fluency using Web-based program.Type writing project final drafts.


Grade 4 Physical Education & Wellness

Conduct research for writing and social studies projects.Model and practice note-taking strategies including two-column note-taking.Exhibit the ability to use online resources and search engines, such as EBSCO and Grolier.Independently use word processing and presentation software.Introduce OneNote as a digital notebook.Create and maintain a basic digital portfolio.Use a variety of online programs for reinforcement or enrichment.Learn note-taking skills through Noodle Tools.

Physical Education & WellnessOverview

The mission of the physical education & wellness program is to help students develop a lasting appreciation for physical activity and acquire the skills, strategies, and knowledge that lay the foundation for a lifetime of well-being through athletics. Teachers strive to inspire a commitment to health-related fitness and positive lifestyle choices regardless of athletic ability. Our goals are to enhance students’ ability to lead, work together as a team, participate fairly with sportsmanship, and develop respect for peers. We encourage active participation from all students.

Grade-Level Expectations In fourth grade, students work to master the following physical education & wellness skills:

Demonstrate physical competency and good body control in age-appropriate locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative skills.Demonstrate physical competency in age-appropriate manipulative skills (i.e., hand dribble, foot

dribble, punt, striking with a body part or ball, underhand or overhand throw).Catch an object while moving, such as a football pass on the run.Demonstrate knowledge of various directional and pacing terms. Demonstrate changes in speed during straight, curved, and zigzag situations.Demonstrate an understanding of class rules, safety procedures, and the safe use of equipment.Engage in physical activities on a daily basis that increase heart rate and develop an understanding of

warm-up and cool-down activities.Describe the effects of exercise on heart rate through the use of manual pulse checking.Identify positive behaviors that promote good health and set health-related individual fitness goals.Participate cooperatively in a variety of independent, small- and whole-group physical activities.Develop an understanding of cooperative strategies for team activities.Explore feelings associated with failure and success and demonstrate good sportsmanship.Demonstrate thoughtful communication and respect during activities (i.e., invite others to

participate in games without excluding anyone; allow equal playing time; encourage others; offer help or support)Identify healthy life-style practices (i.e., nutritious foods, sleep, physical activity).Identify potential risks associated with physical activities.Identify personal hygiene practices.Follow the LFCDS PE/Wellness Code of Conduct.


Grade 4 Resources for Parents

Resources for ParentsWe are confident that fourth grade will be a terrific experience not only for your child but for your family. Beginning with intake conferences with your child’s teacher, an informational coffee in early September, and grade-level social events, there will be many opportunities to establish important connections. As the school year progresses, there will also be several ways for you to volunteer—for classroom activities and field trips, lunch supervision, and in a variety of capacities through the Parent Association and the Auction. We encourage you to join other parents for coffee and conversation on Tuesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. in the Parent Relations Office next door to the Onwentsia Lower School Office. Also, we welcome you to join the Lower School students in the Green Bay Atrium on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. for Community Meeting. Take a moment to visit in the Parent Association Office as you enter the Green Bay Atrium from the Lower School.

The Panther Portal (www.lfcds.org), as well as the external website (www.lfcds.org), provides a wealth of information:

Parent Downloads, Forms, and Links: This area on the Portal is filled with a variety of helpful information (i.e., online directories and class lists, downloadable medical forms, information on the school dress program, and more).

Curriculum Review Information: Each year a representative task force of faculty examines and revises a specific disciplinary area of study. This Portal page outlines our curriculum development framework and offers a venue for you to share constructive feedback.

Enrichment Activities/Resources: At LFCDS, we believe that summer is an opportune time to balance learning with a bit of leisure. This page provides information about required summer work, book lists for particular grade levels, mathematics and science challenges, and parent resources.

WordPress Blogs: Many classrooms have a WordPress blog set up, which gives a fun glimpse into the classroom. These are also available on the Panther Portal.

Parent Association Information: This tab provides information about ways to get involved in the LFCDS Parent Association and the numerous events they help coordinate.

We believe social media is a timely way to tell the story of Lake Forest Country Day School, and to that end, the School has a Facebook account and a Twitter account that we encourage you to “Like” and “Follow”! Simply search for “Lake Forest Country Day School” on Facebook and follow @LFCountryDay on Twitter. We have a strict social media policy and never post individual student names or information on these channels. You will discover snippets of all of the great things happening at LFCDS on a day-to-day basis!

Your room parents are available to answer questions and help you get involved, and you are welcome to stop by the Lower School Office anytime. Questions? Please contact the office of the Head of Lower School at (847) 615-6188.

Rev. July 2013

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