Grade 4

English Language Arts

EL Education is the provider of the OUSD ELA curriculum for grades K-5,.* The curriculum is standards-based, and relies heavily on fiction and nonfiction trade books. This curriculum is open access, and full materials are available to view and at the EL Education website.

* OUSD Dual Language schools use the Benchmark Education curriculum for language instruction.

Fall

Poetry, Poets and Becoming Writers

What makes a poem a poem? What inspires writers to write poetry?


  • Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

  • A River of Words by Jen Bryant

Winter

Animal Defense Mechanisms

How do animals' bodies and behaviors help them survive? How can writers use knowledge from their research to inform and entertain?


  • Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses by Christina Wilsdon

  • Venom by Marilyn Singer

  • Can You Survive the Wilderness? by Matt Doeden

Spring

Ratifying the 19th Amendment

What can we learn from the process of ratifying the 19th Amendment?


  • The Hope Chest by Karen Schwabach

Math

Eureka Math2 (Eureka Math "Squared") is the adopted OUSD curriculum for elementary schools. The curriculum is aligned to California Common Core standards, which describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject in each grade.

Fall

Module 1

Place Value Concepts for

Addition and Subtraction


Module 2

Place Value Concepts for

Multiplication and Division

Winter

Module 3

Multiplication and Division of

Multi-Digit Numbers


Module 4

Foundations for Fraction

Operations

Spring

Module 5

Place Value Concepts for Decimal Fractions


Module 6

Angle Measurements and Plane Figures

Science

For elementary science instruction, OUSD uses FOSS (Full Option Science System), a research-based science curriculum developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley. This curriculum emphasizes hands-on activities and is aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The order of the three modules varies from school to school, depending on the rotation of physical science kits at each school site.

Physical Science

Energy

When is energy present? How does energy transfer between systems?


Investigations:

  1. Energy and Circuits

  2. The Force of Magnetism


Earth Science

Soils, Rocks, and Landforms

What are Earth’s land surface made of? Why are landforms not the same everywhere?


Investigations:

  1. Soils and Weathering

  2. Lanforms

Life Science

Environments

How do the structures of organisms allow it to survive in its environment?


Investigations:

  1. Environmental Factors

  2. Ecosystems

Social Studies

OUSD 4th graders use Newsela to access a Social Studies curriculum that focuses on California history. This online curriculum is aligned to California Common Core state standards, and consists of individual articles that are adjusted to each student's reading level.

Fall

California History:

Early Years

Chapter 1

Physical and Human Features that Define California


Chapter 2

Pre-Contact Settlements and People


Chapter 3

European Exploration and Colonial History

Winter

California History:

18th and 19th Centuries

Chapter 4

Missions, Ranchos, and the Mexican War for Independence


Chapter 5

The Gold Rush and Statehood


Chapter 6

California as Agricultural and Industrial Power

Spring

California History:

18th and 19th Centuries

Chapter 7

California in a Time of Expansion


Chapter 8

California in the Post-War Era: Immigration, Technology, and Cities