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From building missions, to learning about California history, to experiencing living history through field study trips to Sacramento and the Pilgrim Ships in Dana Point, fourth grade is a year of growth, discovery and adventure! Social studies is a highlight for many fourth graders as they learn about the Golden State's history. The students learn about the physical and human geographic features of California, the Indians, the Gold Rush and how California became an agricultural and industrial power. These lessons are reinforced through hands-on experiences, including the "Walk Through the California" and the "Gold Dust or Bust" play in May.

 

The Mission Builds are also a quintessential fourth grade experience. At St. Edward, the project becomes a STREAM activity, integrating religion, math, engineering, art and social studies. Whether they choose to build a physical model, or they choose to create it digitally, students learn about measurement, scalable models and the engineering design process while also learning about the historical, cultural and religious impact of Fr. Junipero Serra and the California Missions.

 

Fourth Grade is also the first year that our students have prayer partners. They meet their Kindergartner learners and they will stick with the same ones for the next four years. In religion class, they study saints and complete a written report and oral presentation on their saint of choice. 

 

Students continue with Readers and Writers Workshop. Students complete three to four writing units focusing on Narrative, Informational, and Opinion Writing. These units coincide with complementary reading units. Students study grammar and vocabulary that relates to the mentor texts so they learn these skills in context versus strict memorization. They also have the opportunity to participate in book clubs and spend much of their free ELA time reading, reading and reading! In math, students focus on math standards through both independent study and collaborative learning.

 

The Fourth Grade Team