Theme

The fourth grade theme is inventions and innovations. During the first half of the year, we focus on early civilizations in the Middle East, exploring the advent of agriculture, and the subsequent specialization of trades and inventions. We learn about geography, mapping, and how people are affected by the environment in which they live and work, and how people, in turn, impact the world. The focus is on the role that natural resources play in economics and culture. The second half of the year centers on innovations concerning human beings’ efforts to govern themselves. Emphasis is on the development of the Iroquois Confederacy, and the formation of the United States as a result of the American Revolution. Students:

• Write, build sets for, and perform a play based on an Ancient Egyptian myth that explores the reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural world.
• Build simple machines that illustrate concepts in physics, including friction, force, and Newton’s Three Laws of Motion.
• Research and write a report, which they present to the class, based on a topic related to the democratic principles of the Iroquois Confederacy, and take on the portrayal of an influential historic figure of their choice.
• Build a temporary shelter that the Iroquois would have used, and reenact some of the debates that occurred at the second constitutional congress, as the formation of leadership principles and careful interpersonal negotiations paved the way for unity among the colonies.