In fourth grade, you will make a connection with the social studies curriculum. In art class, you will look at art and artists from Pennsylvania and from different  regions of the United States.

Reading Workshop

A typical readers’ workshop period consists of a whole class Mini-lesson, Independent reading and Reader Response/Share 

• Units of Study: Interpreting Characters: The Heart of the Story, Reading the Weather, Reading the World, Reading History, Historical Fiction Clubs
• A variety of genres are studied including fiction, nonfiction/informational, poetry, and historical fiction. 
• Book Groups/Book Talks 
• Conferencing with students 
• Skills include main idea/ supporting details, author's purpose, genre studies, inference, interpretation, analysis, and compare and contrast. 
• Students respond to their reading using evidence from the text to support their thoughts and opinions. 

Writing Workshop

A typical writer’s workshop period consists of a whole class skill/strategy mini-lesson, Independent Writing (teacher conferences with sm. groups/individual students)and Share/ Discuss 

•  Writing Process (prewriting, drafting, writing, editing, revising, publishing) 
• Units of Study: Narrative (personal and fiction), Informational, Persuasive, Poetry, Essay 
• Conventions – Grammar, Capitalization, Punctuation, etc. Handwriting Without Tears 

Word Study

Words Their Way is a developmental spelling, phonics, and vocabulary program. An assessment is given to determine where to begin instruction. 

• Words Their Way – Understanding word patterns 
• Word Sorts - Categorize, spell, compare/contrast, etc. 
• Grammar and Vocabulary 
• Daily spelling in writing and other activities

Numbers and Operations

• whole numbers up to the millions
• writing numbers using base 10 and in expanded form
• rounding large numbers to any place
• multiplication of one by 4 digits and 2 by 2 digits
• division of 4 digit numbers by 1-digit numbers
• remainders
• factors and prime factors
• adding and subtracting fractions
• equivalent fractions and comparing fractions
• multiply fractions by a whole number
• converting fractions to/from decimals

Geometry

• area and perimeter of rectangles and irregular rectangular shapes
• points, segments, lines and rays
• identifying, measuring and classifying angles
• perpendicular and parallel lines
• Recognize symmetric shapes and  lines of symmetry
• Classifying two dimensional shapes

Measurement

• converting measurements to different measurement units
• measurement word problems involving distance, capacity, weight, time, and money

Data Analysis

• displaying a set of data as a line plot
• analyzing data from graphs
• Translate information from one type of data display to another

Band

The Rose Tree Media school band program begins in the fourth grade and continues through high school. Elementary band instruments that are offered include flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone, French horn and percussion.

Lessons occur approximately once every six school days. Young instrumentalists learn how to read musical notation and produce the indicated sounds on their respective instruments. They perform alone and in groups. Musical objectives are aligned with Pennsylvania Core Standards for the Arts.

The bands perform concerts as a large ensemble in addition to their regularly scheduled lessons. Fifth grade musicians practice with students from other schools to prepare for winter and spring-time concerts.

Orchestra

In the Rose Tree Media School District, students in grades 4 through 12 are eligible and encouraged to participate in the Elementary and Secondary Strings program.  Thousands of students have enrolled in the Strings Program over the last 30+ years.

Instrumentation includes violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. Strings instruction in the program includes small group lessons, small ensemble rehearsals, large ensemble rehearsals, and the ability to audition for the select groups at the secondary level.

Students perform in the concerts and events held throughout the year which are open to their families, peers and the community. The strings program offers students the opportunity to gain a sense of accomplishment and connection to their school and community.

Participation in the band program is optional and fun! Students will get a taste of the opportunities available for them to join in the middle school and high school jazz, concert and marching bands.

Elementary general music curriculum in Rose Tree Media begins in first grade and aligns with the Pennsylvania Core Standards for the Arts.  As the students progress in their musicianship, they are given opportunities to create, perform, and respond to music of a variety of styles, genres, and cultures.  Students are introduced to music through singing, dancing, playing classroom instruments with a focus on music literacy and ear training.

In fourth and fifth grade, students are given more opportunities to join various performance ensembles.

Areas of Study:

   Scientific Method / Inquiry:

• Distinguish between scientific fact and opinion
• Asks questions about objects, organisms and events
• Understand that all scientific investigations involve asking and answering questions and comparing the answer with what is already known
• Plan and conduct a simple investigation and understand that different questions require different kinds of investigations
• Use data/ evidence to construct explanations and understand that scientists develop explanations based on their evidence and compare them with current scientific knowledge

Nature of Science:

• Recognize changes in natural or human-made systems, and describe possible effects.
• Conduct an fair experiment to test one variable
• Identify systems and describe relationships among parts of a familiar system
• Human Body Systems
• Simple Machines
• Water Cycle

Biological Sciences:

• Describe the survival needs of plants and animals (for example: air, water, food, shelter)
• Explain how adaptations help animals to survive
• Identify inherited and non inherited traits in animals and plants
• Describe how nonliving and living components of an Ecosystem 
• Explain how changes in the environment affect living organisms
• Describe human reliance on the environment and the negative impacts of this reliance

Physical Sciences:

• Recognize how energy transfers from one form to another
• Compare and contrast series and parallel circuits
• Describe the change in motion caused by forces

Earth and Space Sciences:

• Identify common landforms in Pennsylvania
• Compare and contrast renewable and nonrenewable resources
• Identify and use the appropriate instruments to measure weather conditions
• Describe the relationship between the Earth, Moon, and Sun

Topics of study include:

• Regions of Our Country
• Discovering the Social Sciences
• Peopling of the United States
• Northeast
• Southeast
• Midwest
• Southwest
• West
• Pennsylvania State Project
• Branches of Government (supplemented)