NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
Grade Four Curriculum
Building on the spiritual and academic foundations laid in the K-3 program, the Fourth Grade student will be
exposed to the following:
 God’s Word is the main way to know Him better.
 Words and deeds should reflect a desire and heart for God.
 Character traits of cheerfulness, generosity, and responsibility/self discipline are honoring for Christ.
 Reading is a tool empowering one with information and broadening ones knowledge base.
 Grammar is comprehensively covered, integrated with sentence, paragraph and report writing.
 Literature reading that portrays a Christian worldview and virtuous heroes.
 Washington State History and the history and geography of our country increases awareness to one’s
world.
 Applying Math in real life situations as computational skills are reviewed and thinking strategies
explored.
 Experimentation with the scientific process as hands-on materials deepens ones awareness of God’s
general revelation.
 Introduction to the techniques of drawing.
 Music is as gift from God and an expression of worship.
 Exposure to keyboarding and word processing.
Bible
Record of God’s Nation: Christian Schools Intl.
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Children’s Inductive Bible Study
 Learns how our Bible came to be (oral
tradition/translations, etc.)
 Investigates history of God’s people from
I Samuel through Nehemiah
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Memorization
 Selected passages for application
Language Arts
Journeys: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Grammar
 Reviews nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives,
prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions, and
interjections
 Identifies transitive verb, tenses of helping
verbs, and changing tenses of verbs in
paragraphs
 Identifies types of sentences
Writing
 Organizes writing according to 4-square
format
 Journal writing
 Letter writing and poetry

Continues use of the Six Traits of Effective
Writing: Voice, Ideas in Content, Word
Choice, Organization, Fluency and
Conventions
Demonstrates quality writing across
curricula
Learns process of writing research paper
Reading
Literature
 Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen Taylor
 Stout-Hearted Seven by Neta Frazier
 The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis’
Chronicles of Narnia
Skills and Strategies
 Reads familiar text confidently and retells
major content
 Builds reading vocabulary by interpreting
context clues and using dictionary and other
sources
 Makes predictions and is able to substantiate
them
 Demonstrates usage of pre-, during, and
post-reading strategies
Comprehension
 Demonstrates understanding of a variety of
texts
 Uses prior knowledge to make meaning
 Expands comprehension by finding
similarities and differences in stories
Grade Four Curriculum, 2013
Social Studies
Variety of Genre
 Reads to learn new information (signs,
labels, instructions)
 Reads selected genre and presents monthly
written and project-style book reports
Enduring Understandings for God’s Glory
 God has a purpose and plan for all nations.
(Acts 2:16-21; Jeremiah 29:11)
 The authorities that exist have been
established by God (Eph. 6:1-4; Psa. 8:4-6;
Romans 13:1-7; Acts 17:26-28)
 God uses His-Story to show His grace to all
people (Gal. 6:9-10; Psa. 78;4; John 16:33)
Spelling
“500 Most Frequently Used Words,” Rebecca Sitton
 Individualized weekly spelling lists
 Analyze spelling patterns & rules
Comparing Regions, Silver Burdett Ginn,
U.S. Map Skills, Nystrom
Washington: Past and Present, Directed Media, Inc.
Penmanship
 D’Nealian Cursive
Geography
 Explores the fice regions in the United
States through geography, land formations,
industries and economy, major cities and
special attractions
 Describes branches of government
 Memorizes states and capitals
 Researches, writes and presents a report on
state of own choice
Math
Mathematics (4), Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley
Number Sense and Computation
 Place value
 Understands whole number operations of
addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division
 Understands the multiplication of 1, 2 and 3digit numbers by a 2-digit multiplier
 Demonstrates understanding of division with
a single-digit divisor, and 2 and 3 digit
dividends
 Understands and applies estimation
Map Skills
 Identifies Prime meridian, the North and
South Pole, equator, and latitude and
longitude, grids, keys and symbols
 Investigates a variety of maps
Washington State Unit
 Explores physical environment and
geographic regions
 Describes history of Washington State
 Explores Lewis & Clark and westward
movement
Graphing
 Reads and makes pictographs/bar/line
graphs
 Stem and leaf, line plots, coordinate grids
Problem Solving
 Uses necessary information in problem
solving
 Makes logical deductions
 Uses alternate ways to solve problems
Science
Science (4) Christian Schools, Bob Jones
Delta Education, Inc.
Life Science
Insects
 Describes the life cycle
 Describes their habitat and environment
 Studies live insect specimens
 Investigates characteristics of insects
 Collects and labels an insect collection
Fractions
 Identifies mixed numbers and improper
fractions
 Demonstrates an understanding of
equivalent fractions
 Writes lowest term/simplest form fractions
 Compares and orders fractions
 Adds and subtracts fractions with like
denominators
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Grade Four Curriculum, 2013
Trees and ecosystems
 Classifies common trees of the Pacific
Northwest
 Investigates how animals and plants related
to their environment in ecosystems designed
by God
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The Human Body
 Describes skeletal and muscle systems
 Investigates versatility of movement through
hands-on activities
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Physical Science
Electricity
 Describes electrical charges
 Describes static electricity
 Explores electricity through hands-on
interactive simulation
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Earth Science
The Moon
 Describes the theories of origin
 Identifies the features
 Explores the motions and phases of the
moon
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Solar System
 Overview of system
 Identifies names and location of planets
 Researches and writes a planet report and
builds a model
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Music
Physical Education
Provides a structured fitness program
through the “President’s Council on
Physical Fitness Training” testing
Participates in activities that develop and
refine motor skills
Learns sports skills for football, soccer,
volleyball, basketball, hockey, tumbling and
softball
Participates in cooperative activities
Rhythmic activities
Creative Expressions
Art instruction compliments what is being
taught in the classroom.
Students learn to manipulate a variety of
media in the creative expression process.
Art instruction builds upon itself or scaffolds
K-6.
Library
Demonstrate knowledge of the skills from
1st-3rd grade
Demonstrate a basic understanding of the
Dewey Decimal System to use a call number
to independently locate fiction and nonfiction material within the library
Use reference materials with basic
understanding of their various purposes
Understand and explore a variety of genre
Special Services
Demonstrates understanding of reading
music
Learns to play recorders
Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP)
 Administered in Grades K-9th
Learning Center
 Individualized testing in Reading and Math
 Small group instruction based on individual
need to reach full potential in Christ
 Interventions may include direct instruction,
modified curriculum and multi-sensory
approach.
Band
Learning basics of Music Theory, Notation,
History and an introduction to Instrumental
Performance
Teamwork/Skill Development by working
together as a large group
Exposure to all disciplines of instrumental
music. (Band and Strings)
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Grade Four Curriculum, 2013
Recommended Reading
Chapels
 Chapels are 2-3 times a month.
 The Gospel message is continually shared
 Chapels afford students to gain experience
and understanding in: worship, Biblical
Truth, and application of truth
 Reflection: After Chapel students go back to
class and discuss what was taught with their
teacher
 Local pastors are invited on occasion to
teach at Chapel with administrative approval
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Carroll*)
Amazing Grace: The Story of the Hymn (Grayfield)
Anne of Green Gables Series (Mointgomery*)
Bird’s Christmas Carol, The (Wiggin)
Black Beauty (Sewell)
Black Stallion, The (Farley)
Blue Willow (Gates)
Borrowers, The (Norton)
Brighty of the Grand Canyon (Henry*)
Cabin Faced West, The (Fritz*)
Caddie Woodlawn (Brink)
Dog Called Kitty, A (Wallace)
Ellie (Borntrager)
Evergreen Wood, The (Parry)
Felicity (Tripp)
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (Sidney)
Hans Brinker (Dodge)
Heidi (Spyri)
Jim Abbott: All-American Pitcher (Reiser)
Johnny Appleseed (Lindbergh)
Lassie Come Home (Knight)
Little Lame Prince, The (Craik)
Little Prince, The (de Saint-Exupery)
Technology
 Demonstrates skills in keyboarding and
word processing
 Utilizes technology such as Smart Boards
and Laptops
Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman (Schroeder)
Nancy and Plum (MacDonald*)
One Wintry Night (Graham)
Oz Books, The (Baum*)
Prairie Songs (Conrad)
Priest with Dirty Clothes, The (Sproul)
Rag Coat, The (Mills)
Robinson Crusoe (Defoe)
Strawberry Girl (Lenski*)
Swiss Family Robinson (Wyss)
Teresa of Northwood Prairie (Boutwell)
Thank You, Jackie Robinson (Cohen)
Through the Looking Glass (Caroll*)
Toddlecreek Post Office (Shulevitz)
Trail of Apple Blossoms, The (Hunt)
Treasure Island (Stevenson)
Twenty and Ten (Bishop)
Well, The (Taylor)
Wheel on the School, The (DeJong)
Where the River Begins (St. John*)
Whipping Boy, The (Fleischman*)
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