Lake Forest Country Day School GRADE 4
LOWER SCHOOL CURRICULUM A co-educational independent school for students age 2 through Grade 8, graduating students of strong character with a passion for learning since 1888
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, 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 and enriching experiences through interactive field trips. A compassionate school environment that values personal responsibility, diversity, and openness to different points of view.
Teaching Philosophy Knowing 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®
DIFFERENTIATION
HABITS OF MIND
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
AUTHENTIC WORK OF THE DISCIPLINES
UNIFYING CONCEPTS
Responsive Classroom® techniques foster a welcoming, accepting, safe, and nurturing environment for learning. Teachers promote ways of thinking and behaving that develop self-discipline and strong character.
Teachers focus on each individual student’s learning style and make adjustments as needed to provide support or additional challenge. Students enjoy opportunities to engage in hands-on activities and role-play experiences that help them understand abstract ideas.
The curriculum emphasizes academic work that requires Ideas are introduced in the context of central unifying concepts or critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration and has themes to help students recognize and remember connections in real-world applications. what they are learning in different disciplines. Lower School Curriculum Guide
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Lower School Curriculum
Overview
Responsive Classroom® Approach The Lower School faculty uses Responsive Classroom® techniques to create a welcoming, accepting, safe, and nurturing environment. In classrooms where caring communities are created and 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 spring parent conferences, using portfolios to explain their progress, strengths, and challenges.
Community Meeting
Stop by at 8:15 a.m. on a Wednesday to experience Lower School Community Meeting, a time when Lower School students come together for 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.”
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.
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 Every Lower School of “specials” such as classroom begins the Have You Filled a Bucket Today? speaks to art, music, science, and day with a Morning the power of our words and actions in making one another physical education & feel good about and respected for who we are as individuals. Meeting. News and The premise is that each of us carries an invisible bucket that wellness so expectations Announcements are represents our mental and emotional self. The ways we interact are consistent throughout read by the children as with others affect whether one another’s buckets are empty or the day. Students are they arrive, building overflowing with positive energy at the end of the day. taught to resolve conflict excitement about Students learn about the ways they can be bucket fillers as well with words and to offer the day’s events and as bucket dippers. Students come to understand that by filling amends for any hurt engaging them in a someone else’s bucket, they are also filling their own. they may have caused. meaningful question of Teachers use logical consequences for infractions the day designed to enhance learning and sometimes and are proactive about dealing with disagreements. just to have fun. During the sharing that follows, Students feel heard and safe and understand that these students practice essential skills, such as learning to situations are part of growing up. share concisely; actively listening with empathy and understanding; asking increasingly complex questions; Because we know that choice is highly motivating, and making connections with what they hear. The the faculty creates opportunities each week when meeting ends with a fun, bonding activity. students determine what they will read, write about, Lower School Curriculum Guide
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Lower School Curriculum
Overview
or explore and how they will learn and demonstrate 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.
Nutrition and Manners
Lunch 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.
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:
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. During a fourth-grade mathematics class, In science class, students question and pose a teacher encourages metacognition as problems as they create "fair tests" and make students prepare to share a variety of ways to solve inferences from the results. a problem. Throughout the Lower School, students practice A world language teacher asks students to strive for listening with empathy and understanding, accuracy when pronouncing new vocabulary. managing impulsivity, responding with wonder and awe, and finding humor as a community Third-grade students think and communicate with during daily Morning Meetings. clarity and precision as they write essays. Students learn to think interdependently, be Second-grade students think flexibly in visual creative, use their imaginations, and be innovative art class as they determine the materials and during a myriad of small- and large-group problem perspective to complete their project. solving situations across the disciplines.
Lower School Curriculum Guide
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Lower School Curriculum
Overview
Authentic Work of the Disciplines At 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 The LFCDS House System their education as relevant and connected to Four large flags in the school atrium represent four “Houses” or groups the larger world. within the School. LFCDS has developed the House System to foster connections within the school community. The objective is to bring So what does this look like at LFCDS? together the Upper and Lower School students, faculty, and staff for Second-grade students analyze literature and organized fun that enhances each member’s sense of belonging and design open-ended questions to pose to their builds tradition. book clubs. The reduction of carbon footprints on our earth is the focus of The four houses are named for significant leaders in the fourth-grade students as they develop School’s history (Bell, Mason, and Farwell) and a founder of individual action plans. First-grade students the first private day school in America (Alcott). Each house has conduct a videotaped oral history with one of a signature color. their grandparents or special neighborhood First-grade students and new students are assigned to multifriends. Preschool students use cloth napkins age families within each house, and siblings are placed in the for snacks and grow vegetables in their school same house. Eighth-grade students, along with faculty and garden beds. Primary source documents are staff members, serve as family and house elders, and enjoy examined by third-grade students as they mentorship and leadership opportunities outside of class. research and analyze events in our country's School spirit is enhanced through friendly, fun, and unique history. Learning experiences like these offer events throughout the year. intellectual challenge, build work habits of Building connections and developing lasting relationships persistence, metacognition, and accuracy, and among faculty, staff, and all students from first through eighth engage students in the kinds of creative and grade ultimately creates a stronger sense of responsibility for critical thinking that will serve them well the well-being of each member of the community. throughout their lives.
Differentiation Differentiation 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 require academic enrichment may participate in a variety of math or reading experiences while Lower School Curriculum Guide
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.
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Lower School Curriculum
Overview
Experiential Learning What child wouldn’t want to become a toy designer, a pioneer in the 1850s, a travel journalist making a crosscountry 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!
LFCDS ROCKS
The 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 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
Lower School Curriculum Guide
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.
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GRADE 4 Curriculum
Our strong fine arts program provides new opportunities for our fourth-grade students. They learn Our enthusiastic fourth-grade students are well to play the recorder in music class, and former students prepared for their roles as leaders of the Lower School. find themselves reminiscing about the fun (and joining A morning of orientation to build community and in!) during performances of “The Fifty Nifty United discuss leadership opportunities and responsibilities States.” World language class includes French, Chinese, occurs before school formally begins. Students have and Spanish. Exposure developed strong to other cultures is foundational skills in experienced in fine all areas; they are ready arts as well as world to meet the increased language classes with expectations and to be the goal of developing positive role models for understanding and younger students; and Protect and restore a local ecosystem through the acceptance of others. they are blossoming Earth Keeper Program at Lake Forest Open Lands. into confident, Cognitively, “See the USA” through a simulated road trip collaborative, and fourth-grade students across the US. capable students and are ready to engage Reenact the immigrant experience at Ellis Island. communicators. The with the scientific Use laptops through LFCDS 1:1 computing. critical nature and principles they discover Forge relationships in the school through House worrying that often during studies both Events with multi-age "family members." characterizes a nineon our campus and in year-old is replaced by the local community. Learn to play the recorder. a generally happy and They enjoy collecting, Demonstrate leadership skills by managing relaxed ten-year-old. organizing, and recycling, leading community meetings, supervising They take pride in classifying data lunch tables, producing the Little Panthers their accomplishments; newspaper, and leading parent conferences. which serves them enjoy sharing their well as they explore Research and portray an historical figure in the knowledge with changes in matter, LFCDS Living History Museum. others; and appreciate investigate electricity adult recognition. and magnetism, and research global Boys and girls climate change. Lego robotics and coding are willingly work together, and they engage in wholeengaging challenges. Their leadership of the School’s class as well as small-group activities, particularly recycling program allows them to practice what they when a goal needs to be accomplished. They can be have learned. Students apply their growing ability to both competitive and cooperative—quick to react concentrate on reading and thinking for a long time and quick to forgive—which plays out during physical to a simulated trip across the United States using the education & wellness classes as well as at recess. They lenses of social scientists, historians, geographers, have matured and are open to independently using the political scientists, and economists. They are good mediation and problem-solving skills they have learned. memorizers who tackle a self-paced program of Plenty of physical challenges and outdoor play are learning states and capitals as well as countries on necessary for their quickly developing muscles. other continents. Risk-taking and listening with
The Fourth-Grade Experience at LFCDS
Highlights of the Fourth-Grade Experience
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
Overview
understanding and empathy are 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!
Physical education & wellness: thirty minutes each day .
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. Students write across the curriculum daily with an emphasis on organization and high-quality content, as well as editing documents for clarity, and 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.
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 thirtyminute recess occurs each afternoon.
Schedule
Fourth-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 may be grouped by academic readiness with an extra teacher joining the homeroom team, allowing for smaller group size. Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
World language: thirty minutes four times in a six-day cycle for eight weeks each (French, Mandarin, Spanish). Science: approximately forty-five minutes three times in a six-day cycle, taught by a specialist. Visual art, music, and drama: forty-five to fiftyfive minutes twice in a six-day cycle.
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.
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Grade 4
Overview
In fourth grade, students should spend approximately forty to fifty minutes on homework each night. •• There are designated word study sorts to complete, activities to promote fact fluency, and memorization of states’ location and spelling by region.
Standardized Assessments
Standardized and normed data provided by the following tools, along with classroombased assessments, offer teachers a more complete understanding of each student’s learning profiles and guides individual instruction as well as curriculum design.
•• Fifteen minutes of mathematics work is expected most nights during the week along with any necessary fact fluency activities.
• Three times a year the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System is administered to gauge student progress in reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.
•• Writing or social studies tasks may be worked on at home on some nights.
• Fourth-grade students take the NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessment. This test is designed to identify areas of strength, opportunities for interventions, and overall performance over time. The adaptive, untimed assessment provides reliable, detailed information about what each student knows and is ready to learn. Because the test is administered two times a year, educators have immediate and highly accurate data on the precise learning level of each child so their teaching can be adjusted to meet the individual needs of students.
•• Reading for thirty minutes is expected as it promotes reading as an important lifelong habit and builds vocabulary and background knowledge critical to comprehension.
Community Service Opportunities
Participate three times a year in a outreach program, Read with Me, with younger students from neighboring communities in order to promote reading and develop friendships. Take the lead on educating peers about the global impact that UNICEF makes for children throughout the world. Provide a reception for seniors of the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Senior Citizen Center following the Upper School Spring Choral Tour. Students enjoy introducing themselves, and engaging in cross-generational conversations. Fourth-grade students often encounter guests with interesting immigration stories, reminding them of what they learned during a compelling immigration study in the fall.
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
Language Arts
Language Arts Overview 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. Students also develop oral language skills through a variety of activities such as leading Community Meetings, the Living History Museum presentations, storytelling in drama class, explaining thinking during Anchor Tasks in mathematics class, and interviews for projects (e.g., immigration simulation, newspaper articles).
Grade-Level Expectations
In fourth grade, students work to master the following language arts skills:
Reading Foundational Skills
Use combined knowledge of phonics and word analysis skills to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context. Read text with purpose and understanding. Read prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
Reading Literature
Refer 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 Text
Refer 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. Use visual literacy to make predictions, determine importance of details, and identify theme and mood; use close reading with purpose to decompose a situation.
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
Language Arts, Mathematics Writing
Write 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. 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.
Language
Use 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).
Mathematics Overview The Singapore program, Math in Focus, is the mathematics resource used in senior kindergarten through fourth grade. Excellent supplementary materials and technology pieces support differentiated instruction. Through a concrete–pictorial–abstract approach, students develop a strong conceptual understanding before applying their knowledge. Thinking critically and analytically through problem solving is the centerpiece of this program. The spiraling emphasis each year on number sense, place value, and developing mental math strategies adds to the depth of understanding students can draw upon as they evaluate various approaches to solving a problem. Bar models require students to visually represent the information in a problem, providing clarity for the operation(s) required to solve it.
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
Mathematics
Classes begin with an Anchor Task for students to explore individually and collectively with guidance from the teacher. Assessments challenge students to apply what they have learned to non-routine problems. Math in Focus lessons support our commitment to providing students with a strong conceptual background that lays the groundwork for algebraic thinking and future success in mathematics; procedural understanding and fact fluency that engender confidence and precision; the ability to clearly communicate one’s thinking with models; and effective use of strategies, flexible thinking, and perseverance when problem solving. Creating a positive disposition toward mathematics is a key to future success in this discipline. Our Lower School mathematics curriculum aligns with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Common Core State Standards.
Grade-Level Expectations
In fourth grade, students work to master the following mathematics skills:
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve equations and multistep word problems. 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 Ten
Generalize 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 Data
Know 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).
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
Mathematics, Social Studies 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.
Geometry
Draw 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. Model with mathematics (e.g., write equations, draw a picture, make a table, create bar models). 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 Studies Overview 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, fourthgrade 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:
Culture
Describe the value of cultural unity and diversity within and across groups.
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
Social Studies, Science Demonstrate how holding different values and beliefs can contribute or pose obstacles to understanding between people and groups.
Time, Continuity, and Change
Identify 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 Environments
Ask 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 Society
Identify and select information appropriate to the research purpose. Research, categorize, interpret, evaluate, and communicate information.
Global Connections
Explore 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. Examine how personal wants and needs may conflict with people's needs in other parts of the world.
Science Overview 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. Fourth-grade students are also exposed to coding as a way to introduce students to computer science. Through the use of a series of on-line programs and websites, students learn to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. The students begin to understand how to work through challenges using a series of logical and sequential commands, while they are creating a variety of interactive programs. Fourth-grade students continue to explore the world of Lego robotics. Building on the skills introduced in third grade, there are more opportunities to pursue a variety of design ideas in fourth grade. The complexity of the challenges increases as we prepare students for the rigor of our Upper School robotics program.
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
Science
Grade-Level Expectations
In fourth grade, students work to master the following science skills:
Questions
Pose thoughtful questions about the world.
Observation
Recognize 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.
Communication
Construct 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.
Comparison
Make detailed comparisons. Compare conditions over time.
Comprehension
Identify the main topic, focus, and key details of a scientific or technical text. Read on-level informational text with purpose and understanding. Participate in research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report).
Inquiry Design
Recognize 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 Instruments
Use simple tools such as rulers, centimeter cubes, push-pull meters, spring scales, and simple machines to measure the required data.
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
World Language
World Language Overview 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. Beyond the accumulation of words and phrases, young students develop the ability to process and absorb language. 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.
Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and French: Grade 4 Fourth-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
Fourth-grade students will rotate through studies of French, Chinese, and Spanish. In each course they will: Gain experience in listening, speaking, reading and writing in other languages. Learn about other cultures and learn to respect and celebrate cultural differences and viewpoints. View their own culture from a new perspective and recognize how other cultures enrich their own. Gain an understanding of how languages are structured, which will aid them in their understanding of English syntax and grammar. 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. Enjoy the experience of learning another language and look forward to future opportunities to become proficient in one or more world languages. Have the opportunity to revisit, compare, and contrast each language as to make an informed choice when asked to select one language for their Upper School course of study.
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
Fine Arts
Fine Arts Overview 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.
Drama Drama 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 fourth-grade drama program are mindfulness/awareness practices, storytelling, 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 Expectations
In 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 Music
The 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).
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
Fine Arts, Information Literacy
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 Arts
The three main components of the Lower School art program at each grade level include: art production, art literacy and criticism, and art history.
Grade-Level Expectations
In fourth grade, students work to master the following general visual arts skills: Participate in discussions about art and artists. Demonstrate an understanding of the elements and principles of design. Draw human facial features realistically and in proportion. Hypothesize about artists' intent for their artwork and what you feel when you observe the art. Express emotion and ideas through art. Utilize various visual art media (i.e., tempera, pastel, printmaking, colored pencils). Create functional and artistic objects from clay and sculpture media. Demonstrate value change in pencil and oil pastel.
Information Literacy Overview 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.
Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Grade 4
Education Technology, Physical Education & Wellness
Education Technology Overview 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. Grade 4 students develop a strong understanding of education technology that prepares them to use advanced skills creatively and confidently in the Upper School. They have 1:1 access to laptops that are assigned to the student, kept at school, and used in core disciplines daily.
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.
Physical Education & Wellness Overview 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 wellbeing 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 second grade, students work to master the following physical education & wellness skills: Demonstrate physical competency and good body control in age-appropriate locomotor, nonlocomotor, and manipulative skills. Demonstrate physical competency in age-appropriate manipualtive 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. Introduction to team sports offered through the Upper School athletic program. Follow the LFCDS PE/Wellness Code of Conduct. Lower School Curriculum Guide — Grade 4
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Resources for Parents Lake Forest Country Day School offers many options for parents to connect with our school community. Beginning with an intake conference with your child’s advisor or homeroom teacher, informational coffees in early September, and grade-level social events, there are many opportunities to establish important connections. As the school year progresses, there are multiple ways for parents to volunteer, from classroom activities and field trips, to a variety of volunteer positions with the Parent Association and the school’s annual Auction. The Parent Association Office is open each day and welcomes all LFCDS parents to stop by for coffee, peruse the spirit wear, and connect with the other school families. In addition, parents are always welcome at our weekly Wednesday Community Meetings and for Coffee and Conversation on Tuesdays in the Parent Relations Office. Throughout the school year, LFCDS hosts outside speakers such as best-selling authors Dr. Michael Thompson, Dr. Ned Hallowell, Dr. David Walsh, and New York Times parenting columnist Jessica Lahey. All community members are welcome to attend. The school’s portal offers a wealth of information, including: Enrichment Activities and Resources: At LFCDS, we believe that summer is an important time to balance learning with leisure. This page provides information about required summer work, book lists for particular grade levels, mathematics and science challenges, and parent resources. Grade Level Curriculum Guides: Each year, faculty members prepare a detailed description of the curriculum for each grade level. These guides provide an in-depth review of the educational experiences your child will be a part of at each grade level. Teacher Communication: Many teachers share classroom experiences through newsletters and photo sharing sites, emails, and phone or personal conversations. Curriculum Review Information: On an ongoing basis, a faculty task force examines and revises a specific curriculum component. Parent Association Information: The Parent Association web page provides up-to-date information regarding volunteer opportunities and other parent-related events. Social media is a timely way to tell the story of Lake Forest Country Day School. The School regularly maintains and updates both its Facebook page and Twitter account with relevant information regarding the School. Please note that we have a strict social media policy and never post individual student names or information on these channels. We encourage you to explore the website and learn more about the Lake Forest Country Day School Experience.
Questions? Please contact the Admission Office at 847-615-6151.
Lake Forest Country Day School 145 South Green Bay Road Lake Forest, Illinois 60045 (847) 234-2350 | www.lfcds.org