4th Grade
4th grade lesson plans, slideshows, and other resources for the EL Education curriculum
Math resources, lesson plans and curricular support for 4th grade
Science resources, including support for FOSS
Social Studies curriculum with slide decks and other resources
4th Grade Resources
Early Literacy Central (assessment materials and supports)
Additional Curriculum Resources
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. OUSD teachers can find EL Education materials and lesson plans at EL Ed Central.
* OUSD Dual Language schools use the Benchmark Education curriculum for language instruction.
Module 1
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
Module 2
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
Module 3
The American Revolution
How did the American Revolution and the events leading up to it affect the people in the colonies?
Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak by Kay Winters
Divided Loyalties: The Barton Family during the American Revolution by Gare Thompson
Module 4
Ratifying the 19th Amendment
What can we learn from the process of ratifying the 19th Amendment? How can stories inspire us to take action to contribute to a better world? How and why can we encourage and support others to contribute to a better world?
The Hope Chest by Karen Schwabach
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
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:
Energy and Circuits
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:
Soils and Weathering
Lanforms
Life Science
Environments
How do the structures of organisms allow it to survive in its environment?
Investigations:
Environmental Factors
Ecosystems
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
Unit 1
Physical and Human Features that Define California
Unit 2
Pre-Contact Settlements and People
Unit 3
European Exploration and Colonial History
Winter
California History:
18th and 19th Centuries
Unit 4
Native Peoples and the Spanish Colonization of California
Unit 5
The Gold Rush and Statehood
Unit 6
California as Agricultural and Industrial Power
Spring
California History:
18th and 19th Centuries
Unit 7
California in a Time of Expansion
Unit 8
California in the Post-War Era: Immigration, Technology, and Cities
Unit 9
Local, State, and Federal Governments
4th Grade Academic Milestones (for families)
Milestones_4th Grade.pdf