Communications Skills:
Students continue to read many types of texts, learning to make connections with situations beyond their own experiences. In narrative writing they recognize organizational patterns, make inferences, draw conclusions and learn to support their opinions about what they read. They become more skillful in reading and written directions, and in reading content area texts, reference materials, periodicals. They write narratives, information articles and "how-to" pieces; learn how to sequence, use more detail and description in their narratives. They edit for basic sentence formation, usage, mechanics, and spelling. Focus continues on listening and speaking skills and developing study skills.

Mathematics:
In Grade 4, remaining number facts are mastered. The study of time, money and linear measurements is completed. Students learn estimation, mathematical reasoning and decimal concepts.

Social Studies:
Students study North Carolina and the southeastern United States. Emphasis is on geography, people and the economy, with glimpses into history and government.

Science:
Students explore the classification of animals into vertebrates, invertebrates, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, fish and insects. Investigations into animals and their behaviors within their natural environments are conducted. The solar system, simple machines and the interactions between matter and energy are explored. Emphasis is placed on students using science process skills (using numbers observing classifying, etc.) and appropriately manipulating science equipment.

Health:
Students will be aware of the important health risks for their age groups and will comprehend some of the major influences on their own health, epecially including the role of their own behaviors in regard to eating healthful snack foods, foods prepared by healthful methods, and foods containing important nutrients. Also, students will be able to healthfully direct their own personal behavior in regard to the use of bicycle helmets, exercising caution as a pedestrian or bike rider, and refusing to be involved in substance abuse.

Students will be able to demonstrate means of managing their own behaviors in regard to impulsiveness, conveying acceptance versus hostility, dealing with strong feelings, arguing, and adapting to changing relationships and friendships. Students will be able to state rational counter-arguments to pressure to use drugs, alcohol or tobacco, explain the dangers of various substances, and evaluate the reliability of health information sources. They will be able to provide first aid for choking victims, describe patterns of normal development associated with puberty, and analyze advertising for health-related products.

Physical Education:
Students will be able to name the benefits of personal fitness, describe and demonstrate activities that enhance health-related fitness, demonstrate a variety of flexibility, strength and endurance exercises, demonstrate the ability to use the appropriate intensity and state the guidelines for developing cardiovascular fitness, understand basic nutrition and fitness concepts, and demonstrate an appropriate level of personal fitness.

Students will demonstrate a wide variety of manipulative skills that reflect a refined mastery of ball-handling skills, display the behaviors needed for cooperative and other non-traditional games, practice acceptable social behaviors and create jump rope routines. Students will develop and refine abilities to demonstrate a variety of motor skills, develop and refine their ability to demonstrate safe, balance and weight transfer skills, perform mixer and couple dances and create dance and gymnastic routines.

Computer Education:
Computer utilization with an integrated approach is expanded, along with keyboarding, logic and problem-solving strategies. Students will use the computer as a tool through applications such as word processing, database management and telecomputing. Students will explore and understand the impact of computer technology on society and individuals.

Music:
Students learn to sing melodic lines that include accidentals (sharps, flats), sing with accompaniment, sing individually and in groups, write simple rhythmic patterns, and analyze tone color (timbre). They learn to recognize different periods of music and composers, sing in two-part harmony, read simple music scores using melodic and percussive instruments, use instruments to create sound effects, demonstrate musical moods, use key signatures, identify electronically-produced sounds and identify dultures through music.

Visual Arts:
Students further develop creative expression, knowledge, skills and aesthetic awareness. Drawing, painting, sculpture, graphics, ceramics and crafts are part of the variety of art media at this level. Students are exposed to concepts of balance, proportion, mood and perspective. Vocabulary, manual dexterity, observation and communication skills are expanded.

Media Education:
3-5 students review and refine the competencies developed in the primary grades and develop new competencies in the use of materials and equipment and produce simple nonprint materials. Opportunities are provided for more independent and small-group research activities integrated with classroom content and instruction.