Fourth Grade

Social Studies

Our focus in fourth grade social studies is the rich and vast history of Virginia. We begin the year familiarizing students with the early settlements of American Indian language groups and the founding of Jamestown to the present. Geographic, economic and civic concepts are presented within this historical context.

Students learn to analyze, interpret, and demonstrate knowledge of important events and ideas in many different ways. Primarily, students use interactive notebooks to record notes on mini-lessons, lectures, readings, or class discussions and “interact” with this information through illustrations, diagrams, flow charts, poetry, colors, matrices, cartoons, etc. We also try to bring “History Alive” through dramatizations, singing, documentaries, group projects and field trips. We have a lot of fun learning about Virginia.

Science

Fourth grade science is a year filled with hands-on exploration and discovery learning. The different units we study are Weather, Earth, Moon and Sun Systems, Force, Motion and Energy, Ecosystems, and Plant Anatomy. Students learn science investigative skills by performing hands-on investigations in each of the units. Use of the textbook, Harcourt Science, reinforces important concepts and vocabulary.

Fourth graders take one science field trip, as well as visit the Arlington County planetarium twice each year. Our schoolyard has an abundance of science resources for us to use. We have an ornamental butterfly garden, as well as an insect garden. In these areas, we can study the life cycles of many insects. We have the host plants and habitats for five different species of butterflies. We also have access to the Donaldson Run stream.

Each year, in conjunction with our ecology study, the fourth graders plan and execute a project in the schoolyard. One year students created a field guide to the deciduous forest behind the school. Another year, butterfly habitats were established. This year we will plant a rain garden which will help filter the run off of water from our school to Donaldson Run Creek and the Potomac River. Through these projects, students apply their scientific knowledge to benefit our community.