Overview & Highlights

Curriculum Highlights

Religion

The religion curriculum that the fifth grade uses is called “100 Bible Stories”, from Concordia Publishing House and is taught by Pastor McReynolds. During each class, students review a story from scripture, participate in discussion, and complete a related worksheet. Students also memorize scripture verses related to each week’s story.

Social Studies

The Harcourt Social Studies book (2010), “States and Regions” is used and aligns with Common Core State Standards. In 4th grade, students concentrate on all the different regions of the United States learning all the states and capitals. For each region, they learn about the environment, its heritage, customs and the people who have come from or influenced that area. There is an assigned project per region where students will pick a state in the region, complete a report and present it to the class. Students will also participate in a Social Studies Fair during certain years.

Science

The 4th grade HMH Science Dimensions curriculum (2018) covers Units including Engineering and Technology (which includes the Lego project in STEM working on simple machines), Energy, Waves and Information Transfer, Plant Structure and Function, Animal Structure and Function, Changes to Earth’s Surface, Rocks and Fossils, and Natural Resources and Hazards. Class also has the opportunity to see chicks hatch during our Embryology program every other year in the spring. The class also covers the systems of the human body. Certain years will have students participating in a Science Fair.

Math

Our math series Envision Math (Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley) aligns with Common Core State Standards and begins with a review of 4th grade numeration, and quickly moves into addition and subtraction of whole numbers. Several chapters are dedicated to the application of multiplication and division concepts, divisors, and remainders. Students will also gain an understanding of lines, angles, shapes, fractions, decimals, area and perimeter, measurement, time and temperature, data and graphs, equations, transformation, congruency, symmetry and probability.

Language Arts

The 4th grade language arts students begin by learning and reviewing all eight parts of speech. Following this we turn our attention to phrases, clauses and different types of sentence structures. This is designed to help them become better writers as they enter the upper grades. Punctuation is also examined, as is the way each part of speech functions within sentences with various structures. Students learn the basics of writing for different purposes.

Reading

In 4th grade we use novel studies to explore literary elements and practice reading comprehension strategies. The novels for the 2024-2025 school include Tuck Everlasting, Holes and Esperanza Rising. 

We also work on different reading concepts including drawing conclusions, summarizing, using context clues, cause and effect, compare and contrast, setting and plot.

Physical Education

Our Physical Education classes includes a variety of games and activities that improve students’ large motor skills, coordination and teamwork.

Field Trips

We enhance classroom learning with field trips several times a year. In the past, we have visited the Itasca Nature Center, plays such as “Anne of Green Gables” and “Fly Guy”, traveled to the Morton Arboretum, Apple Orchard, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Brookfield Zoo.

Students also have Art class, Music Class, Choir and Computers during each week as well. Students each have a laptop in our classroom and are used almost daily.