Grade 4 Curriculum Letter: Sept to December 2019

How can my growth contribute to a world that is sustainable and resilient through
understanding my responsibility to self, others and this place?

Introduction
Students will be immersed using the Alberta Program of Studies curriculum and identified outcomes
to investigate and engage in the overarching statement above.

Overarching Statement
Students will be creating a map of Canada and exploring this through activities in conjunction with
all subjects. Students will explore and research the different regions of Canada along with weather
patterns and conditions throughout. During their investigation, they will be required to gather data
about weather patterns, measure out different distances between landmarks in Alberta and
connect their learning to our novel study, “The Wolf Called Wander”. Students will continually be
building a sense of community within the classroom as they will work collaboratively and focus on
the importance of growth within themselves and other living things in the world around them such
as the classroom plants. Through working towards a welcoming classroom environment and helping
each other grow students will explore how they can contribute to a sustainable and resilient world
around them by understanding their responsibility to self, others and this place.

Results
 Character in learning: Treat themselves and others with respect and compassion
Make effective personal decisions for current and future issues and challenges
 Personal development: Set personal learning goals and pursue those goals with
perseverance and confidence
 Citizenship in learning: Demonstrate respect and appreciation for diversity
Work collaboratively with others to reach a common goal

Language Arts
Students will be developing their understanding of the parts to a story through the use of the novel
“The Wolf Called Wander”, by Rosanne Parry. This story will connect to the theme of students
exploring the sense of the land around us. By developing their understanding of the composition of
the story and responding to picture prompts to create a story or response, students will:
 record ideas and information that are on topic
  examine gathered information to identify if more information is required; review new
understanding
 communicate ideas and information in a variety of oral, print and other media texts, such as
short reports, talks and posters
 share personal responses to explore and develop understanding of oral, print and other
media texts
 connect the thoughts and actions of characters portrayed in oral, print and other media
texts to personal and classroom experiences
 identify the main events in oral, print and other media texts; explain their causes, and
describe how they influence subsequent events

Science
In coming to understand the land around us in Alberta and different geographical regions of Canada
students will explore weather patterns throughout Alberta and around the country. Students will:
 Describe changes in the size and location of Sun shadows during the day-early morning, to
midday, to late afternoon.
 Demonstrate that light travels outward from a source and continues unless blocked by an
opaque material.
 Distinguish objects that emit their own light from those that require an external source of
light in order to be seen.
By helping care for our classroom plants and monitoring their growth students will:
 Demonstrate knowledge and skills for the study, interpretation, propagation and
enhancement of plant growth.

Mathematics
Students will apply their number sense to record patterns in the world around them. Students will
use measurement to set up experiment as well as track the plant growth and changes within the
classroom as well as student physical growth. Students will also measure distances in different units
on their map of Canada.
Students will:
 Use direct and indirect measurements to solve problems
 Collect, display and analyze data to solve problems
 selecting and justifying referents for the units cm2 or m2
 estimating area, using referents for cm2 or m2

Students will investigate patterns from gathered data within the classroom. Students will:
 Investigate numerical and non-numerical patterns
 Represent, describe and extend patterns and relationships, using charts and tables, to
solve problems.
 Identify and explain mathematical relationships, using charts and diagrams, to solve
problems.

Social Studies
Students will demonstrate a deeper understanding of Alberta in relation to Canada’s geography
through the creation of a map of Canada. Students will:
  appreciate the diversity of elements pertaining to geography, climate, geology and
paleontology in Alberta
 Be able to answer the question, where is Alberta located in relation to the other provinces
and territories of Canada?
 Be able to answer the question, what are the factors that determine climate in the diverse
regions of Alberta (e.g., latitude, mountains)?

Assessment
A variety of both formative and summative assessments will be used to gather a wide scope of
student understandings. The teacher will use:
 Anecdotal notes
 Daily teacher observation
 Student projects / tasks
 GRID daily concept review
 Students self-assessment through checklists
 Whole class discussions