Fourth Grade

Students in fourth grade continue to deepen skills in communication, reading, and writing. Students practice word recognition at higher levels, reading multisyllabic words fluently using knowledge of syllable types and word analysis skills (prefixes, suffixes, and root words). Students use the writing process to plan, draft, revise, and edit writing in a variety of forms, communicating well-developed ideas in a paragraph. Students build knowledge, develop vocabulary, and deepen comprehension through close reading of increasingly complex text centered around content-integrated units of study.

The fourth-grade standards place emphasis on multiplication and division with whole numbers and solving problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals. Students will develop fluency with multiplication through 12 x 12 and the corresponding division facts as they become proficient in multiplying larger numbers. Students will apply knowledge of place value and the properties of addition and multiplication as strategies for solving problems. Students also will refine their estimation skills for computations and measurements. Students will identify and describe representations of points, lines, line segments, rays, and angles, including endpoints and vertices. Students will describe and compare characteristics of plane and solid figures. Concrete models and pictorial representations will be used to solve problems involving perimeter and area, patterns, probability, and equivalence of fractions and decimals. Students will continue to develop more sophisticated ways to communicate and represent their mathematical thinking. Problem solving, reasoning, exploration, and connections are essential components of instruction so that students develop a deep understanding of concepts.

Our Place in the Solar System

Our solar system is a grand place, and in fourth grade science, students learn where we fit in this solar system. Starting with the solar system, and then moving to the planet Earth, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and finally their specific ecosystems, students examine how features of plants and animals support life. They also explore how living things interact with both living and nonliving components in their ecosystems. Throughout the elementary years, students will develop scientific skills, supported by mathematics and computational thinking, as they learn science content. In fourth grade, students will continue to develop skills in posing questions and predicting outcomes, planning and conducting simple investigations, collecting and analyzing data, constructing explanations, and communicating information about the natural world. Students continue to use the engineering design process to apply their scientific knowledge to solve problems.

Virginia Studies

The standards for Virginia Studies allow students to develop a greater understanding of Virginia’s rich history, from the cultures of its native peoples and the founding of Jamestown to the present. Geographic, economic, and civic concepts are presented within this historical context. Students will develop the skills needed to analyze, interpret, and demonstrate knowledge of important events and ideas in our history and will understand the contributions made by people of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Students will use geographic tools to examine the influence of physical and cultural geography on Virginia history. Ideas that form the foundation for political institutions in Virginia and the United States also will be included as part of the story of Virginia.