4th Grade

The following units were experienced by students in the 2023-2024 school year. With the changes to the IMAGE program for the 2024-2025 school year, with 5th and 6th grade students once served by IMAGE instead receiving intervention during their What I Need (WIN) Times, there will likely be adjustments made to these units, as well, and potentially brand-new units!

Face of a clay figure with a large nose whose forehead is being shaped by a human hand

Unit 1 - Claymation / United States History and Geography; Physical and Digital Art

The first unit will focus on both research and creativity. Students will select significant figures from American history about whose lives they are curious. They will research this person, the region in which they lived in, and the issues of their time period. During this unit, students will also explore the techniques used in stop motion animation. Students will then use their creativity to create a biographical movie using Claymation. Students and parents alike always look forward to watching the final products! We will do so at a special "Maroon Carpet Premiere Night."

Acronym STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Math - in heavy print, with related pictures beneath each letter

Unit 2 - Defying Gravity / S.T.E.M.

Students will complete hands-on labs to explore engineering concepts. Some of these labs include constructing rollers, bridges, bungee-jumping cords, hammocks, and paper airplanes. Students will then create their own independent experiment to further explore one of these gravity-defying topics!

Photo of the Meyer May House in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan showing the Prairie style of architecture characterized by bold lines and overhanging cantilevered roof lines

Unit 3 - Architecture / Art and Engineering

The final unit will focus on the architectural styles that can be seen in our communities. Special emphasis will be placed on the differences between the Victorian style (1800s) and Prairie style (1900s). Students will also complete many hands-on centers that will give them experience utilizing the different features of both of these styles. The field trip for this unit will be a trip to see the Meyer May house in Grand Rapids, which was designed by world renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Finally, the students will complete a project where they will design their own dream homes and write real estate listings for them, with prices based on location, square footage, and special features.

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